BSB School Magazine - June 2012

Issue 5 - June 2012

Welcome to BSB where healthy competition allows everyone to be a winner

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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,

It is always with mixed emotions that I approach the end of a school year.

While the Autumn term offers so much promise and the Spring term brings forward much activity and focus, the close of the Summer term is the time for evaluation and a time for reflection. Typically the academic year passes at the speed of light and is full of attempts to maintain, and consolidate while moving forward and embracing innovation; it is no mean feat and I am in awe of the team here at BSB that commits to this juggling act year after year, my thanks must go to everyone at the school for all their support and commitment.

I truly believe working in education is one of the best careers to pursue, however it is becoming clearer that the structure of the society we are preparing our students for is driven in no small way by Nassim Taleb’s Black

Swan logic, where what we don’t know becomes far more relevant than what we do know. This encourages us to take a forensic look at the curriculum we are delivering and I know that in September there will be many additions to our school that will ensure we maintain our rigorous academic pursuits while remaining flexible to ways to extend our provision and be relevant, because getting better never stops.

Getting better never stops

Jo Puddy-Wells, Principal principal@britishschool.ro

Issue 5 2012 3

Where are they now?

News from Madame Vollaire

Hello BSB-ers!

We are having a very wet spring which is surprising for Southern France.

We are moving to Aachen in Germany in August, as I have accepted a post in a small English international school there.

It is quite a small town and it is very close to a National Park so we are looking forward to some more countryside living and to discover that part of Germany too.

I am also excited at the prospect of learning German.

Leila is growing away and now starting solid food - next thing I know she will be sitting her A-levels!

Mrs Vollaire with Leila.

We are currently in Moscow, Russia, and having fun! But that doesn’t stop us from having fun! School is a blast, and we’ve made great friends. We visited the Kremlin and St. Basil’s church and they are even more amazing in real life! We also visited the Museum of Cosmonautics and had a chance to see real space ships and capsules as well as lunar vehicles!

Russians enjoy winter sports and our favourite is ice-skating in the open! In winter almost every park is covered with ice and the biggest one was Gorky Park, this is our favorite ice-skating place!

Sandra visiting the Kremlin.

We miss you all very much, and we are hoping you are having a great time too!

Greetings from Moscow.

Sandra Turina & Sara Matvisin

In Your Neighbourhood, Miss Andreea Popa Say hi to Andreea. Everyone will have seen her around the school and today you are going to find out about her and what she does in the school.

Andreea was born in Bucharest and her job at the school is that of ‘Human Resources Manager’. She has many hobbies that include reading, swimming and listening to music. Andreea has great taste in music and her favourite bands are Coldplay and the Kings of Leon. Before coming to BSB, she worked as a Sales President. Andreea studied at the Economics Academy of Bucharest. Here she studied Economics and Management. Andreea has visited many countries of the world including the USA, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France and Austria. However, she wants to visit Asia as well. Andreea really enjoys working at BSB. An interesting fact, even amazing, is that she enjoys mountain sports.

Eda, Year 10

Andreea and her interviewer, Eda. 4 Newsblast

BSB Interview: Bethan Rowlands Bethan has joined us here at BSB for one week for her work experience; she is currently working with Miss Kayleigh Evans with Reception E. She finds the children fantastic and has been very impressed with the class. She is very thankful for the opportunities to work with Reception E. Although she misses the people and the small community of BSB, she has been able to settle into her new school well and made lots of new friends at St John’s School. She is presently in Year 12 and is studying French, English, Literature, Sociology and Drama. Bethan really enjoys the subjects and finds the teachers helpful and welcoming in her new school. She is very grateful to BSB for letting her do her work experience and letting her return to visit the school. It has been a wonderful experience returning to BSB. Rhys has settled in well and is involved in the school production; Bethan is very proud of him. In her spare time, Bethan enjoys reading and writing and acting.

Interviewed by Eleanor

Bethan working with the children in Reception class as part of her work experience at BSB.

Eleanor and Bethan.

Issue 5 2012 5

Poppy Appeal 2012 The British Embassy expressed its gratitude to BSB for the support provided for the Poppy Appeal 2012 and for organizing the Quiz to support this charity.

The sum of money that BSB raised was the biggest single donation to the appeal and equates to approximately 20% of the money raised this year.

“We very much appreciate and we are very grateful for your efforts and also for the efforts “

PTA Review Dear Parents, It is with mixed feelings that I write this edition of the newsletter. It is my last as chair of the PTA and is written with sincere gratitude to the staff and parents of the British School. My family’s time spent in Bucharest has been full of special memories so many of which have been in the company of the wonderful people who are a part of the school.

The parent community at school is for many of us our family away from home and I have always been amazed at the sincerity of thought and action demonstrated towards each other. I truly believe that those of you lucky to be staying in Bucharest are the fortunate ones. Whenever anyone has needed help or support there have always been parents willing to step forward and lend a hand, give advice and support for each other.

The PTA committee consists of parents willing to give their time and effort to developing a range of activities and events that engage the parent community and reward the children at the school. We have always aimed to provide activities that will be remembered long after the event has passed and that will be a key memory of their time at the British School. I am proud to have had the opportunity to support the committee this year with their earnest efforts to provide such activities. The time and dedication given is so much more than immediately evident, planning, sourcing supplies, communications, and logistics require tenacity and a great deal of stamina.

We have been fortunate to have the full support of the school with our ideas and I believe this is testimony to the open communication ethos of the school, where our ideas have been heard and activities developed in partnership.

The success of any PTA is reliant on the individuals who step forward and volunteer. There is always a need for more people to get involved and I hope that you will take the opportunity and support the new committee for next year.

I am sincerely grateful to this year’s committee for their continued support and commitment throughout the school year. It has been a pleasure being part of a team who have always been positive and focused on wanting to make things happen.

To all of you, many thanks for your support and may your families continue to flourish in the wonderful community that is BSB. Mrs Sarah Waterfield, PTA President

I would like to add some words to Sarah’s report in this edition of Newsblast.

I am not sure if there was a job description when Sarah was elected for the role of PTA Chairperson. If there had been, it may have read something like this; The applicant must possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills; the ability to lead meetings and liaise with staff, parents and artisans is essential; it is a requirement that the successful candidate shows passion and commitment to the school and its aims; they must have great integrity; they must be positive, caring, diplomatic, possess exceptional listening skills and have a welcoming, sunny smile at all times.

Well, phew! Sarah was the right candidate for the job because she has all of these skills and many more.

Goethe said, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”

6 Newsblast

This is Sarah’s way. We admire and respect her for it. On a more personal note, Sarah has many friends and we will all miss her enormously for her sense of fun, her sociability, her loyalty and her gentle nature. We value her friendship but know that it will endure.

It is said that a goodbye isn’t painful unless you’re never going to say hello again and luckily, in saying goodbye to Sarah, I can quote her own words back at her from June 2011 Newsblast; ‘You can always come back and visit, I recommend the Summer Fair, a perfect event to catch up with old friends!’

Thanks, Sarah, and see you next year.

Mrs Linda Wadsworth

Universities and Clubs

Rotations around different physical activities keeps children active and engaged, whilst the basic boxing moves they are taught help to develop reaction speeds and concentration.

Children use a variety of stimuli from which to start their design ideas and develop 3D forms in the Ceramics university course.

They then go on to use the school kiln to fire their glazed creations.

Issue 5 2012 7

Children have the chance to experiment with the software available in school for music mixing and editing, and work to combine this with video clips in the Making Music Videos university course.

Sewing Skills university allows KS2 children to work on a variety of projects using textiles, learning about design and proportion and use the school sewing machines.

The Knex course requires good 3D visualisation and planning skills as well as cooperation within small teams of mixed age groups.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of school life, a chance to slow down the pace and concentrate on stretching, breathing and being fully focused.

8 Newsblast

The school grounds provide outdoor learning opportunities to allow children to apply their knowledge of growing plants and the environment.

Goalball is a Paralympic sport where players use their listening skills under visually restricted conditions to detect where the ball is and score goals.

Concentration and perseverance is necessary to make progress with learning a new skill like knitting.

Children first learn theoretical skills about compass and map work before moving outside to face orienteering group challenges around the school grounds.

In this university course children have to first produce a dramatic design then work with concentration to recreate it.

Issue 5 2012 9

In Creating Scrapbooks children learn how to display their memories in a creative and attractive way and experiment with new ideas about layout and background.

A good way to encourage children to remember important safety guidelines and details is to ask them to think through problems and come up with their own summaries and solutions.

Older children try out their practical first aid skills ‌ in case of any emergencies.

10 Newsblast

In KS1 Drawing Club children are taught to use their imaginations and think about the shapes they need to use to represent the images they want to show.

Flying Fox is an extension to our long-standing climbing club activities, using a safe zip wire across the school grounds.

In science club the children try different practical experiments each week. Here the children are learning about chemical reactions and changing states.

Issue 5 2012 11

Country in spotlight: United Kingdom The people are really friendly!

Benji Yr 10

The UK is a welcoming place to anyone from any cultural background. I was born there and lived there for 3 years. It rains a lot and I had lots of friends Beatrice Yr 9

It’s not always raining!�

Naomi Yr 10

I love going back to the UK every summer to see family and friends. The Scunthorpe steelworks make me feel at home. The food is yummy especially proper fish and chips - from the chip shop Iona Yr 9

Where I am from in the UK it is very green. It looks like there are more cows than people.

The UK is cold all the time. Romania is incredibly hot and amazingly cold.

Joanna 6R

In Scotland it’s normally cold and here is quite warm. I’m not used to weather being this hot. At night when I go to bed the AC must be on. There are lots of green places and plants in Romania. The mountainous places look like the hilly

Malika 6R

side of Scotland which I’m used to. And the food is yummy here! I’ve tried at least 15 new types of food since I came to Romania.

Thomas 5F

Britain is great! It’s nice and fun with lots of things to do. The food is different in Romania and it is much nicer.

Koinsola 3A

It’s nice in England. It has got lots of toys.

England has coloured houses with pink roofs Delia Reception P

BSB Pathways SPORT This is an opportunity to showcase Sport atBSB and show its diversity. Sport is a major focus at BSB and Sport is not just going on in our PE lessons.

We have daily sporting clubs; BSB sports teams; opportunities to develop our skills in playtimes and lunchtimes; as well as a variety of KS1 and KS2

University courses every Friday. Then we have events such as the summer fair, sports day, water day, science and maths days where PE and Sport are integrated into lessons. Sport and PE happens in every subject and in a variety of cross-curricular lessons school wide.

In EYFS we learn through Physical Development which includes making our bodies active in any way, shape or form.

We work with our friends to develop our team work so that we can use our physical skills on a daily basis.

Is the air temperature ok for Year 2 to use the swimming pool today?

ICT is frequently used to support and promote sport in the curriculum through digital devices.

14 Newsblast

Children can work on refining the accuracy of their movements and learn about technique in greater depth.

Learning to swim is a vital life skill and we are proud so many of our students are able swimmers.

Issue 5 2012 15

We combined orienteering and science for our Primary Science Day.

In Year 6 we have the opportunity to go to PGL. It is a BIG deal for everyone in Year 6 as it is the first school trip abroad for many of us. The focus is on outdoor pursuits and teamwork, cooperation, problem solving and leadership skills.

16 Newsblast

Cross-curricular fun mapping activities like our Spring Egg Hunt help to combine both Physical Education and Geography.

In Year 6 one of our Art topics is ‘People in Action’ by looking at body shape and proportion both still and in motion.

Issue 5 2012 17

The PE department in Secondary have enjoyed cross curricular activities which allow students to appreciate the importance of learning transferable skills by putting their learning into context.

Through both the Clubs and Primary University programmes children have the chance to expand their experience with new skills and try out sports and activities beyond the normal PE curriculum, such as the maypole.

18 Newsblast

There are many connections between Music and PE. Children enjoy the opportunity of expressing themselves by creating and coordinating movement that expresses the character and changes in pieces. They also learn specific steps in dance which are synchronised with the rhythm of the music. Playing instruments involves the use of careful muscular control in order to produce different dynamics and expression.

PSHCE has very strong links with both Sport and PE. In Key Stage 1, children enjoy these cross-curricular links through circle time activities, use of the parachutes and discussions on how children can make choices for a healthy lifestyle by keeping their body healthy as they grow up into sports people of the future.

Issue 5 2012 19

Lower School Review A Year of Talent As I write my final Newsblast article of the year I have taken the opportunity to stop for a moment and reflect on the year. Even though the years seem to pass more and more quickly I am also amazed by how much the students have achieved and the variety of their skills.

The talents on display at BSB really are wonderful to behold. I do not just mean the obvious talents. we should also reflect on the more subtle talents constantly displayed. Talents like leadership and cooperation, determination and patience, ingenuity and understanding.

These are all things that make our school the special place it is. These are the reasons why so many students who have left love to come back and visit or stay in touch for years after. Each of these students has their own special memories of BSB that will stay with them forever.

Beside celebrating talents, the end of the year is always a time when we have to say goodbye to some families. I would prefer to say ‘see you later’ as I am sure in one form or another paths will cross and friendships will remain.

Thank you to everyone for their support of all the Lower School activities this year I wish you all a happy and safe holiday.

It’s time to say good-bye Our year has come to an end.

We’ve made more cherished memories and many more new friends.

We’ve watched the children learn and grow and change from day to day.

I hope that all the things we’ve done Have helped in some small way.

Thank you to everyone for their support of all the Lower School activities this year I wish you all a happy and safe holiday.

20 Newsblast

So it’s with happy memories We send them out the door, With great hope and expectations for what next year holds in store.

Author Unknown Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, Head of Lower School

How quickly things grow Crèche have been very busy recently with Sports Day, practicing for the summer production and planting flowers and seeds in the garden. Planting and caring for the garden has been a very popular activity. The children have all been taking turns to water the flowers and check on the growing progress.

The children enjoyed this so much that we turned our role-play area into a busy and thriving “Flower Shop” where you can find all kinds of coloured flowers to buy along with instructions on how to grow them, and if you are still not sure, then any member of Crèche are knowledgeably confident in what you need to do.

Crib have been making the most of the good weather by playing outside and having fun with water and sand and the toys thus developing physical skills.

Our theme for the term is Nursery Rhymes which we love singing about. One of our favourites is Incy Wincy spider so we created our own paper spiders and enjoyed colouring them in and gluing their legs on. They are now busy ‘climbing up the spout’.

This year has gone very quickly, Crèche and Crib have had lots of fun exploring and discovering their interest. All of the children have grown and become very independent, making them ready for the next school year We wish everyone a happy summer holiday.

Crib and Crèche Teachers

Crib creating spiders.

Crèche proudly showing their growing plants.

Exploring and showing care for their environment.

Issue 5 2012 21

Light up the Lighthouse with Preschool ‘Sea’

The children used props and resources, developing their imagination and story telling skills through pirate role play.

Preschool went ‘under the sea’ this term learning all about the ocean, ocean animals, pirates, and much more. However one of the children’s favourite aspects of this learning was finding out about lighthouses. Not only has the class been researching in books about sea life and sea animals, watching aquarium footage on the interactive whiteboard, and re-creating a ‘sea world’ and ‘beach’ scene in the classroom, but they have also learnt about the importance of lighthouses and how they keep ships safe out at sea!

The children have also begun learning to count in tens and using their lighthouse artwork we were able to make a lovely display counting in tens with lighthouses.

Miss Catalina, Miss Cristina and I have had a fun-filled year with the children in Preschool and have really enjoyed getting to know them and their individual personalities. We wish the children who will be leaving BSB this year well wherever the future may take them, and hope the children who are staying at BSB enjoy their Reception year. All the children in the class have made wonderful progress this year in all areas of learning and it has been such a pleasure to work with them and observe their progress and development. It has also been a pleasure to get to know all the EYFS children from Crib right through to Reception, and to work with all the classes over the year.

The children developed reading skills and furthered their knowledge and understanding about ocean life using a variety of books and resources independently.

I would like to thank all EYFS parents for their support and wish you all a wonderful summer.

Ms Claire Cowlishaw EYFS Coordinator

Preschool enjoyed the summer sunshine for a class photo, celebrating a happy year in Preschool with all their new friends.

22 Newsblast

Wonderful Weather Watching in Reception What a busy and exciting final term for the children in Reception! We began the term by looking at the Weather, which incorporated all of our six areas of learning. We began each day by looking at the weather and predicting what it would be like for the rest of the day, with many weather walks to check.

Several methods of weather recordings were demonstrated with children making diaries, charts and picture logs.

When looking at a thermometer indoors and outdoors comparisons were made and they displayed a good understanding of temperatures and understood that the higher the temperature the hotter it is. This linked in with our Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy learning, by comparing numbers and discussing the differences in comparison to weather also connected our Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

This led us onto learning about the seasons within a year and typical weather for these, discussing these and comparing them. Berty Bear then visited our Reception classes when we talked about and named the months of the year, as we discussed the different clothes we would typically need in the different seasons, and we dressed Berty up for all eventualities.

After our Weather theme, each class embarked on individual learning journeys. Reception P explored the different methods of transport and holidays, and transformed their role-play area into an airport. Reception E took a journey to outer space, learning about the universe and outer space, developing their imaginations talking about aliens. They also changed their role-play area into a space centre and rocket to encourage space logs and journal writing. Reception S learned all about the people that help us and each week at a different person who can help us, and displayed their acting and caring sides through their hospital role-play area.

We would like to emphasise what a lovely year Reception have had and we wish them all the best for the exciting challenges that Year One holds for them.

Reception Class Teachers

Reception have been learning about different forms of writing and wrote their own weather diaries.

Playing the game ‘dress the teddy’ and dressing him for winter.

Reception have been learning about sun safety and understand the importance of wearing sun hats, drinking water and seeking shade when outdoors in hot temperatures.

Reception making ice lollies to cool us down.

Issue 5 2012 23

Where in the World?

This term we have been learning all about our local environment and the world. We took an exciting, imaginary journey down Iancu Nicolae and developed our Literacy writing skills by describing the adventure that we had been on. We had fun using the internet to look at our locality and find out about where we are in the world.

In Science we have been finding out about light and the different light sources that we might use. We experimented with different materials to find out which were transparent and which were opaque and used our knowledge of materials to help us to choose the most appropriate object for something to be made from.

For Design and Technology we have been getting messy with clay. Mr Walker has been working with us to teach us many different tools to use when creating things from clay. We have made hands and stars which we have decorated using our new skills.

For our topic we have been making our very own globes out of ‘mod-rock.’ It got a bit messy but it was a lot of fun learning a new skill.

Using instructions to talk about how they get to school.

As the school year comes to an end we would like to take this chance to extend a warm thank you to all of our Year 1 parents for their support this year. It has been a delightful journey that has now come to an end and we are looking forward to seeing everyone back in school in September after our summer holiday.

The Year one teachers and teaching assistants would like to wish all of our parents an excellent summer.

Year 1 Class Teachers

We talked with our group and had to sequence the story of ‘Where the Wild Things are’.

24 Newsblast

Working together to make the globe.

If You Go Down to the Woods Today….

Year 2 have thoroughly enjoyed their ‘Bears’ topic this term. We developed our Literacy report-writing skills by researching bears and displaying our work as a personal project. We incorporated ICT into this, as we navigated the internet, CD ROMS and encyclopedias. We also looked at significant bear stories such as Rupert the Bear, Winnie the Pooh and Paddington Bear.

As we were learning about famous bears, we also looked at the history of where these bears originated and we discovered about the history of the Teddy bear.

In Science, we studied the different habitats of bears and other animals.

This led us to look at where in the world bears are found and we developed our mapping skills in doing so. In addition, we looked at the variation of animals and we specifically discovered about variation between species of bears. We took this opportunity to establish the variation between plants and animals and we appreciated the world around us.

This linked in well with Art, where we examined ‘Mother Nature’ and the work of Andy Goldsworthy, making collage and seeing how nature can be influential in Art. For Design Technology, our topic was ‘Winding Up’ and we used the stories of Paddington Bear to make a mechanism to move a jar of marmalade.

In PSHCE we identified ways that we can care for animals, especially endangered species. We talked about why these animals are in danger and what we can do to help.

Year 2 Class Teachers

2B enjoying the Brown Bear, Brown bear who do you see?

Experimenting with a range of joining techniques for Design Technology.

Is it a Ninja Bear?

Using right angle testers to search for right angles in the classroom.

Issue 5 2012 25

Summer Science Studies Year 3 started off the summer term in style, exploring a multitude of scientific activities during Science Day. As many of you who attended saw, all the children rotated around the classes during the morning, investigating different scientific concepts from surface tension to optical illusions. It was an amazing day and the children had great fun learning through hands on exploration of real life scientific activities.

The scientific theme continued on into the term with our study of Magnets and Springs. 3C performed their showcase based on this topic which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. The show was very entertaining and informative with some very catchy tunes accompanied by Mr McRae on the guitar. Well done to all the children in 3C. As the summer term progressed the children had green fingers in our topic “Helping plants to grow well�. The children enjoyed planting seeds and watching them grow and recording the growth in their jotters. They also experimented with different plants to see what conditions they needed to grow well, examining what makes a plant healthy and what can happen to make the plant unhealthy.

After such a super submersion in Science all the children have become budding scientists and they are looking forward to their new science topics next year in Year 4.

Year 3 Class Teachers

Busy exploring chromotography.

Investigating surface tension on Science Day.

Seeing is believing- children could not believe their eyes when they studied optical illusions.

26 Newsblast

Year Four Pupils Investigate and Debate The Next Olympics Venue This term Year Four, to celebrate this year’s special event in London, have been fully engaged in a multi-disciplinary collaborative topic centered on the Olympics. This context has allowed excellent opportunities for fun and learning.

The process began with creating plans for an Olympic theme park. Creative responses flowed in both classes when pupils were challenged to design the venue. This required collaboration and teamwork.

Mathematical challenges followed requiring students to cost the building of the facilities in their plan of working out how many rides need to be paid for to accrue sufficient funds to pay for the building of the Olympic theme park.

Historical studies led to an understanding of the ancient rites and beliefs which underpinned the games for Greeks. Curious facts, such as women being permitted to own horses for the chariot races, were uncovered.

However, perhaps the most dynamic aspect of the work so far has been the research and collation of data undertaken by eight groups of children across the two classes to determine which city should be selected by our own International Olympics Committee. Nascent debating skills were engaged, ultimately pitching the fantastic and ever alive New York against the ancient, beguiling and fascinating Istanbul. Powerful arguments for and against each city were suggested and logged in helpful software to illustrate the points. Ultimately, on the basis that the IOC is influenced to bring the games to cities, countries or continents which have never before hosted the Games, it was the always ready Istanbul that won!

Year 4 Class Teachers

Cristina calculating the cost of building her Olympic Theme Park.

Ali and Iman promoted Istanbul’s Olympic bid with their classmates from 4B by entering the main points of the debate into the very helpful software, 2Simple’s 2Connect.

Issue 5 2012 27

A Busy Time for Y5 Over the past months we have been very busy in Year 5. In Literacy we have been looking at older literature and 5M have studied both the text and movie of Black Beauty. We have made comparisons of the two versions of the story and also written and performed our own play scripts based on Black Beauty 5F have been busy looking at the work of Shakespeare and performing some of his well known pieces.

Much of our work this term has been building towards our trip to Moeciu de Sus. During Geography lessons we have compared urban and rural settings, in Art we have been learning the features of landscape and in History we have examined how the land area of Romania has changed over time.

Check further in this issue to see some highlights of our trip to Moeciu de Sus. Year 5 Class Teachers

During Science we have been investigating the life cycles of plants. We have investigated the structure of plants and how they disperse seeds within their cycle.

Students rehearsing their plays based on Black Beauty.

Students with their completed DT and Science project, focusing on the structures of plants.

Success. Certificates for an intact egg 28 Newsblast

Y6 have been egg-cellent It has been a very busy few weeks for our Year 6 classes. Term 3 saw the culmination of all their work in school so far, with the SAT tests. The children sat a selection of papers in Mathematics, English and Science. Although we need to wait a little while for the results, the children should still be congratulated for their great attitude and focus during the week. All anyone can ask of them is that they did their best, and we truly feel that they did exactly that. Well done Year 6.

Earlier in the term, children took part in a variety of memorable projects, which further extended their learning and understanding. The first saw them complete a project on life during the 16th century, specifically looking at the impact of early explorers. The children produced some fantastic work which clearly showed how important those early sailors had been in the development of modern day life; from a leap forward in navigation and mapping, to the discovery of a wide range of interesting spices, fruits and medicines.

Watching and hoping our egg will land in one piece.

Within the science curriculum, we looked at ‘air resistance’ and its effect on moving objects. To conclude this particular topic, the children were set the challenge of creating a device that would protect a fresh egg during a 20 foot drop onto concrete. On the day we had a good audience, of both parents and twinning classes, who were treated to a presentation of the science of air resistance, before watching a wide variety of designs get thrown from the Newland building’s balcony. We had a high percentage of success, with all the intact eggs being swapped for a certificate and a chocolate crème egg. A cracking afternoon, with some smashing designs.

The children should be congratulated for their egg-cellent behaviour. P.S. sorry for all the egg yokes!

Year 6 Class Teachers

Presenting our scientific knowledge to our audience.

Parents and twinning classes watch as the eggs fall.

Success. Certificates for an intact egg.

Issue 5 2012 29

KS2 PE: UniHoc House Matches Mures competing for the ball with Olt

Spring has sprung at BSB! We have had calm, clear, sunny days which are perfect for our lessons but it had nothing to do with the wind or the weather that nearly blew our Dome away…It was the hype, anticipation, noise and excitement coming from the KS2 UniHoc House Competitions!

During March, the PE Department organised and ran two House Competitions. On Wednesday 21st, Year 5 and Year 6 students gathered and on Thursday 22nd, it was the Year 3 and Year 4 students’ who turned out to play, and to ultimately see who would be crowned the champions of the Uni Hockey Competition and who would be the House team to lift the trophy.

UniHoc House Competition Results…

Year 3 & 4 Girls Competition: Points

Year 3 & 4 Boys Competition:

Placing

Points

Placing

Arges

9

1st

Danube

8

1st

Olt

6

2nd

Olt

6 (3 Goals)

2nd

Danube

5

3rd

Arges

6 (1 Goal)

3rd

Mures

4

4th

Mures

4

4th

Year 5 & 6 Girls Competition:

Year 5 & 6 Boys Competition:

Points

Placing

Danube

8

1st

Olt

Points 8

Placing 1st

Olt

7

2nd

Arges

6 (3 Goals)

2nd

Mures

6

3rd

Danube

6 (3 Goals)

3rd

Arges

3

4th

Mures

4

4th

The Overall KS2 UniHoc Results: Total Points Yr 3 & 4

Total Points Yr 5 & 6

Grand Total

Total Goals Scored

Place

House Points

Olt

12

15

27

12

1st

100

Danube

13

14

27

11

2nd

60

Arges

15

9

24

7

3rd

40

Mures

8

10

18

7

4th

20

30 Newsblast

A huge THANK YOU to all of the KS2 students who participated in this event and gave one hundred percent effort for their House. All of the UniHoc games were played skilfully, positively and in the spirit of fairplay. Well done to all of our students. We must also say thank you to our KS2 teaching assistants who helped to support this event.

Miss Billie Jones & Mr David Hughes, PE Department

Arges reaching for the ball surrounded by Danube defenders.

Olt on a break away about to hit a wall of Danube defenders.

Issue 5 2012 31

Danube eyeing up the shot against Olt.

Mures is ready to sneak in and take the ball from Arges.

Yr 5 and Yr 6 Boys UniHoc Champion Olt.

32 Newsblast

A bunch of very proud unihoc competition winners.

Rapt to take the win-Yr 5 and Yr 6 Danube girls are the champions.

Yr 3 and Yr 4 Boys UniHoc Winners - Danube.

Issue 5 2012 33

Student Observations Throughout this year students have been involved with observing the teaching and learning here at BSB. Earlier in the year a small group of both secondary and primary students spent time with our visiting inspector, Miss Taylor and were supported through the process of observing.

Following their training, these students would then sit in on lessons throughout the school and provide feedback to the teacher on what they saw.

This is very valuable for both teacher and student. For the teacher, we gain information from the perspective of a learner and for the student it gives a sense of voice and a reminder that their teachers do appreciate their input.

This is an initiative that will continue throughout each year, providing valuable feedback and insight into the teaching and learning at BSB. Mr Dan Madsen Primary Student Voice Committee

Students observing lessons, a valuable resource for both students and teachers.

Spring Bonnet Parade As the day of the Spring Bonnet Parades neared, we all hoped for sunshine and blue skies. Unfortunately for EYFS the morning was still rather chilly so we had to relocate to Ringwood Hall. However in no way did this halt the proceedings and the children all looked beautiful in the hats they had created at home. Each class paraded in their hats in turn and all the classes took to the centre to perform a variety of songs which all sounded superb.

By the afternoon the sun was out and the lucky Key Stage 1 classes took to the outdoors. They thoroughly enjoyed showing off their wonderful bonnets to their families and friends. It was lovely to see so much support from the parents on a glorious April afternoon, the sun shone and the birds sang along

to the very enthusiastic singing of the Year 1 and 2 children accompanied on the piano by the wonderful Mr Green and supporting the children with the actions were our very own Miss Valentina and Miss Sabina.

We saw some models in the making strutting their stuff on the catwalk!!!

The EYFS and KS1 Spring Bonnet Parade day was a very enjoyable time for all involved and a lovely way to round off Term 2.

What a gorgeous array of Spring Bonnets from Year 1.

34 Newsblast

Ms Claire Cowlishaw & Mrs Emma Bradshaw

EYFS posing for photos.

What a pretty Spotty Spring bonnet from EYFS.

Year 2B enjoying the Spring Bonnet Parade.

The EYFS and KS1 Spring Bonnet Parade day was a very enjoyable time for all involved.

Issue 5 2012 35

A CRACKING SPRING TIME EGG HUNT The annual BSB Spring time egg hunt was a cracking success and much fun was had by all the children. This year the children had to work hard at receiving their chocolate egg surprise because it was not only a case of looking till you found an egg, but gathering and collecting a whole host of clues too. The children were all given maps of the school grounds and had to work in teams to find the correct clues highlighted on their maps.

In Key Stage One the children had to find 12 different coloured eggs and record the results on their maps, making sure they collected their CVC clues in the correct order. The teachers checked them all before handing out their chocolate egg rewards. This was a great opportunity for all the children to begin to investigate and start to use their developing mapping skills.

In Key Stage Two the children had a similar activity but theirs involved some more complex mapping skills. They had to record the colour of the egg, collect a variety of codes, record the grid references where the eggs were and try to crack the secret code.

BSB GEOGRAPHY. The quote of the day was from a Key Stage Two student who was determined to win ‘I am going to crack this code’.

This was a super afternoon and a great opportunity to combine both a fun activity with an educational one in which the children gained new geographical skills and, of course, a chocolate egg.

Ms Helen Stevens Geography Co-ordinator

Children in Key Stage One had to find CVC words at each of their marker points.

36 Newsblast

Children in Key Stage One had to look carefully at their maps to see where their eggs were placed.

Using our numeracy skills to complete the correct grid co-ordinates on our map.

Children raced around the school grounds to collect all the correct clues.

Teachers encouraged and supported children to complete their task.

Team building skills in action.

Issue 5 2012 37

Primary Art Exhibition A comprehensive range of skills and techniques were being showcased this term during the Primary Art Exhibition in the Crawford foyer. Mr. Williams, the Primary Art Coordinator, collated and put on display a diverse selection of artworks from across Keystage 1 and 2. A solid selection of work was provided

by Keystage 1 that consisted of highly spirited and dynamic paintings as well as a handful of delicately illustrated fairy portraits. Inspired by Henri Matisse, Year 3 put forward a compilation of vibrant and bold collage work, constructed from paper, and cut into simple yet refined shapes. Year 4’s submission consisted of a collection of carefully observed drawings of hands, demonstrating newly acquired skills in proportion and tone. Also included in Year 4’s exhibition was a collection of striking symmetrical patterns fashioned by the layering of complementary coloured papers. Adding to the display of observational skills were Year 5’s carefully studied drawings of the forms and features of faces. Finally, Year 6 provided us with an idiosyncratic blend of creativity and imagination with their eccentric and meticulously crafted hats and masks. All of the school was invited to visit the exhibition at their convenience, and the feedback they gave was exceedingly positive.

Mr Mark Williams Primary Art Coordinator

Portrait drawing Year 6.

38 Newsblast

Portrait collage based on Vik Muniz’s art using recycled materials by 4W.

Contour based observational drawing of a hand by Year 4.

Issue 5 2012 39

Primary Science Day KS1, KS2 and EYFS took part in Primary Science Day. The theme was ‘Real Life Science’, with the idea being what the children learnt and did in the classroom they would be able to take home and show parents and friends.

In the morning the KS1 and KS2 children had lessons with different teachers. There was a huge range of scientific skills and investigation techniques they needed to use. Some of the KS1 children looked at ice balloons to see how frozen objects melted with heat and salt. Others had great fun making rockets from balloons and investigating which shape travelled the furthest along a string. They were also lucky enough to have a demonstration by Mr Farell and some of the secondary students. In KS2 some of the activities children were involved in included: surface tension, floating and sinking, chromatography, optical illusions, water rockets, environmental studies and static electricity. EYFS also joined in the fun and looked at weather and dressing up a teddy bear for the correct season.

For the afternoon KS1 and KS2 were involved in House Competitions that used both science and geography skills. KS1 worked in house groups to complete a series of activities such as: using playground equipment to demonstrate pushes and pulls, reading a story about nocturnal animals, making simple circuits and identifying baby animals. While the whole of KS2 joined together to complete an orienteering course set up in the school grounds. The children were in house teams and used a map to locate different points, each one having a science question that needed to be answered.

A big thank you to everyone who helped out during the day and the parents who came along and joined in. There were some amazing experiments and investigations going on and the children had a great time.

Ms Vanessa Broadbent Primary Science Coordinator

Red hot fun with Mr Farrell.

40 Newsblast

EYFS dressing for the weather.

Investigating ice In KS1.

Investigating which organisms live in the pond.

Mr Bradshaw making a splash with water rockets.

A fantastic reaction to surface tension experiments.

Issue 5 2012 41

At the zoo I saw a ...

The Year 1 classes visited the zoo as a follow up to our Carnival of Animals theme. The weather was perfect for being outside on what is a rare occurrence in March, the sun was shining! We had a great time learning more about animal habitats and seeing all of our favourite animals up close. As we have been learning about nocturnal animals during Science, the children were eager to visit this area of the zoo.

The children all agreed that the lion and lioness were the stars of our Baneasa Zoo trip.

Helping hands working together to carry our snack to the outdoor picnic tables!

42 Newsblast

Our trip ended with everyone taking a few minutes break to have an outdoor snack and to take part in a lovely photo session. Here are some of our pictures from the zoo!

Mrs Priscilla Varban KS1 Coordinator

We love the zoo!

Year 5 visit the Geology Museum On a beautiful spring day all the members of Year 5 travelled into the middle of Bucharest to the Geology Museum. We were going to have a look around and to learn all about various types of rocks which were found around the world. This trip was part of our science topic work, driven by he idea of investigating space and the planets.

At the museum we were able to look at some examples of different types of minerals and sediments from around the world, and our guide explained how the formation of rocks and crystals was linked to the way that the earth, and other planets in our solar system, were created.

We enjoyed exploring the igneous rock and crystalline mineral exhibits on the first ground floor, and were very impressed by the bizarre shapes and shocking colours of some of the minerals which can be found on our planet.

After that we climbed the stairs to look at some of the paleontological

exhibits. There were several examples of dinosaur bones and reproductions of what dinosaurs might have looked like. We enjoyed looking at these because they seemed quite life-like to us.

When we returned form the museum we were able to use our experience of the ways in which rocks and minerals are created to examine landscapes from other planets and speculate on how the geology on these other planets was different to our own.

We really enjoyed our trip to the geology museum and would recommend it to anyone who in interested in rocks.

Year 5 Class Teachers

Our guide explains how rocks teach us about the formation of the planets.

There are a wide range of rocks to examine.

Issue 5 2012 43

Year 3 Trip to the Museum Year 3 went to the Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum. We went there to study different animals from around the World.

When we arrived at the museum we met our guide. She was called Anan Maria. First we went to the basement. In the basement we saw interesting Romanian animals. I was surprised to see how huge snakes could be! It was difficult to hear, but I think she said some of the animals could also be found in other countries. After we looked at all the animals we went to see the cave.

In the cave we saw stalactites that were dripping water. In the cave, there were many animal bones.

Next we went to the first floor. There we saw Arctic animals. In the first exhibits we saw tiny fish, huge fish and some penguins taller than their parents! The animals after the fish were the polar bears.

My favourite part was the cave. I didn’t really like the dinosaur at the front. It was a great day.

By David, Year 3A

The children in Year 3 listen carefully to the guide.

Children had a fascinating experience at the museum.

44 Newsblast

Year 2’s Trip to the Chocolate Factory The children in Year 2 have studied some very interesting topics this year, but surely one of their favourites must be their recent Chocolate topic!

The children have learned all about chocolate, including how it is made in factories. On Wednesday the 2nd of May, they were lucky enough to go on a trip to Ana Pan chocolate factory in Bucharest.

Children showing off their confectionary skills.

This trip really brought the topic to life for the children. They were taken through all the different parts of the factory and saw how all sorts of chocolates, sweets and cakes were made. Some of the demonstrations were very impressive and the children were amazed at how skillful the chocolate makers were. At the end of the trip, the factory owner told us a little bit about the history of the business - perhaps some of our Year 2 children will open a factory of their own one day! And of course, no trip to a chocolate factory would be complete without some samples to take home. This was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational trip which was enjoyed by children and staff alike.

Mr. Andrew Johnstone Year 2 Class Teacher

Making croissants.

The Year 2 children pay close attention as they watch how cake decorations are made.

Children from 2F can’t wait for a free sample!

Issue 5 2012 45

Around the World in 80 minutes well a bit longer to be honest.

To support some of their exam preparation, Year 6 visited Bucharest’s wonderful Natural History Museum. The recently renovated site provided an excellent backdrop for the children to research the wide variety of creatures that inhabit our planet.

The museum is well worth a visit, as it houses a wonderful collection of exhibits, each of which display the native creatures of the World’s various climates and terrains. Starting locally, with the creatures native to Romania, you are soon on the plains of Africa or the rainforests of South America.

An interesting and particularly thought provoking exhibit, is the extinct creatures of Romania. It demonstrates the huge impact we have had on the ecology of the region. It highlights to the children, and any other visitors, just how much damage we can do if we are not sensitive to the needs of local habitats.

On the day, the children were set the challenge of selecting two creatures from each continent and two from the seas and oceans. For each, they used the information at the exhibits to make research notes, which they could take back to school. They were also encouraged to make observational sketches and notes on the appearance of the creatures.

Throughout the trip the children demonstrated fantastic levels of independence and high level questioning skills, asking intelligent questions that would have challenged the most able naturalists.

Once back at school, the children used their notes to write some excellent non-chronological reports. A thoroughly enjoyable visit, producing some excellent work.

Mr Robert Bradshaw & Ms Vanessa Broadbent Year 6 Class Teachers

Busy collecting information.

46 Newsblast

It’s behind you.

Comparing notes.

All ready to go.

Issue 5 2012 47

Chef Florin was interviewed by some of our Primary AG & T students

Chef Florin Interview The winners of our recent cooking competition had the opportunity to cook with Chef Florin Dumitrescu, the youngest juror from the Masterchef jury worldwide. When he arrived at school he was interviewed by some of your Primary AG&T students.

Q : What was your biggest culinary challenge so far?

A ‘My biggest culinary challenge so far was to cook for 2000 people at an event. We were 6 chefs and it was a lot of work, but we managed to pull it off in the end. ‘

Q: When did you first decide that you wanted to cook for a living?

A: At 14 years old. Until then I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and after seeing this cooking show on television I told my parents that I want to become a chef.

Q What is your opinion on Romanian cuisine?

A: It’s a bit oldie, and I was hoping that with these guys that managed to go through in Masterchef we could change the face of Romanian cuisine.

Q: What did you find abroad that Romania couldn’t offer you?

A: Abroad I was able to find the respect for this job - it will be some time until people in Romania are going to look at it from the perspective that they should.

Q : What was your most difficult moment in the kitchen and was there a time in your life when you ever doubted the decision to become a chef?

A: I remember in the beginning it was very tough. Too tough I might say. I was 14, literally a kid and it’s not easy to cope with the tension and the amount of work at that age. But it was ambition, striving for the thing that I loved more that go me through those times.

Q: What is your favourite cuisine and why?

A: French cuisine. I consider this to be the mother of all cuisines - it’s like all great dishes were either created here or started A as a base point for other cuisines. It’s the most complex, but also the most refined.

Q : What was your most successful dish that you prepared? What about the least successful?

A: The most successful dish that I’ve ever created was Escargots à la Bourguignonne - there’s not a single person that tasted my dish and never returned for more. The least successful I have to say desserts.

48 Newsblast

Q : If you have the opportunity to start your life all over again, would you still make the same decisions?

A : Same decisions, same mistakes, no doubts about it whatsoever?

Q : Do you have any advice to everyone out there who wants to take cooking to the next level?

A: Try to do this with passion and don’t be afraid to be inventive, don’t be afraid to mess things up. Experiment! Everyone has to start somewhere at some point. Always look for new tastes, new combinations, that is what cooking is all about. Everything revolves around passion, if you don’t have passion for what you are doing, you don’t have anything. You have to love what you do and every day to try and push yourself over each limit. That is how you become the best. You need to want it, put a lot passion into it, work hard , basically have the biggest ambition you can imagine. That is the key to success. Do all these, and there’s no way you can fail.

The BSB chefs took on the Mystery Box challenge, they had an hour to cook a dish using the contents of the box.

Chef Florin and Mr. Alex taught them essential skills in the kitchen, from a perfect cut of a knife to the perfect ingredient balance.

In the beginning, the children were feeling a bit nervous, because they knew that they had to rise to the expectation level which was pretty high, but also quite excited because they knew that it would be a very good opportunity for them to show what they are really made of.

Chef Florin: I never imagined that these children could perform in the kitchen so well at such a young age. Some of them are only eight years old and they’re already cooking at this level.

Chef Florin then went to the Ks2 assembly to give a talk to the children about what it is like to be a chef. His dish was then judged by our student judges.

Issue 5 2012 49

First of all… the dish is cold. You can’t come here and serve me a cold dish.

Second of all, the chicken is overcooked. And do you call this a plating arrangement? This is not a dish worthy of Masterchef.

There’s the door, I suggest you go while you still can.

Ioana

I have faith in you, I think there’s more to see from you and I will grant you that chance. From me it’s a yes too! Joanna

I like the way you’ve prepared the chicken, the texture is correct - I just wish you could’ve been more creative with the sauce here. A very positive thing is also the fact that you’ve managed to use most of the ingredients from the mystery box.

Joanna 50 Newsblast

At the end of the assembly the students presented Chef Florin with a BSB apron signed by all the children from Primary.

Baku Conference I recently attended British School of Baku ‘s 5th Anniversary Conference in Azerbaijan. Unfortunately the conference began on Monday 28th June so I missed the Eurovision song concert that was also held in Baku the previous weekend!

The conference was a fantastic opportunity to get together with other Headteachers and representatives from COBIS. It is invaluable to have the chance to share experiences and ideas. It was also very interesting to see another British International School and how it has developed over the past 5 years.

I was also delighted to be shown some of the beautiful city of Baku in the evening time and sample some of the hospitality of the country.

Thank you to the British School of Baku and COBIS for organising the conference.

Ms Tiffany Moorcroft Head of Lower School

Ms Moorcroft and the other members of the conference.

Queen’s Jubilee Although the Queen of England is old, she wears very nice hats!

David S 3A I saw her on the television and she was wearing a blue skirt, a blue little jacket and high heels…of course!

Thea M 1s If you reach 100 years of age you can get a letter sent to you by the Queen of England.

Anthony 2B The Queen lives in a big house and has to sit on a big chair.

Enayah Preschol C I’ve never seen the Queen but I have seen her palace. From what England looks like she’s done a good job!

Beatrice Yr 9 I saw her when I was 4 years old and she was celebrating her Golden Jubilee she came to Scunthorpe!

Iona Yr 9 She wears nice dresses and has dogs called corgis. I think she probably eats spaghetti for dinner.

Alan 2J She has ruled over England for 60 years and has done it very well, so far. She has very good taste in dogs Catriona 6B Queen Elizabeth was born in 1926 and her father was King Edward VIth. Gregory 3A

Thank you to our PTA for sponsoring the jubilee coins.

Issue 5 2012 51

SECONDARY REVIEW Leaving a Legacy Every one of us is going to leave a legacy at some point. It just depends on what kind. So what kind of legacy do you want to leave? I will be embarking on a journey shortly and the outcome is unknown. For my last article in the newsblast I want to encourage you to think about your legacy because knowing how you want to be remembered helps you decide how to live and work today. Perhaps you could consider the following ways to leave a legacy and then identify other legacies you can share…….

A Legacy of Excellence - To leave a legacy of excellence is striving to give your best every day. As you strive for excellence you inspire others. You serve as a role model for your friends and your colleagues. One person in pursuit of excellence raises the standards and behaviours of everyone around them. Your life is your greatest legacy and since you only have one life to give, give all you can. It’s tough to strive to be excellent all the time and sometimes it is not always possible, but trying your best is all you can ask of yourself.

A Legacy of Encouragement - You have a choice with this one. It is easy to lift others by being energetic, friendly and positive to give them a boost of confidence or make them feel good but it is just as easy to bring them down with your choice of words or the way you act. Twenty years from now when people think of you what do you want them to remember? Twenty years ago my Mum was my encouragement, she told me I could be absolutely anything I wanted to be, she inspired me to try new things at least once to know if it was for me or not. Mr Monaghan did the same in an assembly recently about “Heroes”. Who will you encourage today? Or who will be that person that you call or think about in five, ten or twenty years from now and say “Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students and staff at BSB who have encouraged and inspired me during my time at The British School of Bucharest

A Legacy of Purpose - People are most energised when they are using their strengths and talents for a purpose beyond themselves. To leave a legacy of purpose, make your life about something bigger than you. While you’re not going to live forever you can live on through the legacy you leave and the positive impact you make in the world. This is a great one particularly when you consider those who are less fortunate as you. Doing that little bit extra can make a huge difference to somebody else. The self-less task that may take you seconds could have a massive impact on someone elses life.

Do you want to be remembered for using your skills and talents to have a positive impact on the world!

Why not try to think about your legacy today?

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students and staff at BSB who have encouraged and inspired me during my time at The British School of Bucharest. I was talking to some Year 8 students about leaving recently and they were working on presentations about taking responsibility. The students are truly inspirational and this is why….

“Dream big, it can’t hurt you, as long as you are able to wake up and see reality. You are the only one who can control your future, take risks, because in the end your only regrets are things that you did not do. If you make mistakes it’s okay, everybody does, we are human. Nothing more” Illinca Yr 8 “Goals and ambitions are what you must care about the most. They are what shape you, and what your life depends on. I personally think that it is perhaps one of the only aspects of life that you can completely have control over. When you want something you must work for it” Yasemin Yr 8 Ms Jen Kemp Head of Secondary

52 Newsblast

Gallery Visits in Bucharest On March 20th Mr Walker and I went to visit some art galleries in Bucharest with our Key Stage 4 and 5 art students. ’’It was good that we had the opportunity to see both the Zambaccian Museum and the Ann Art Exhibition...’’ Iulia remarked”,as we saw a wide range of styles and techniques’’ We visited the Zambaccian Museum in Dorobanti, where there are paintings exhibited by renowned Romanian artists including Nicolae Tonitza and Nicolae Grigorescu. There is also a small room at the back of the museum that houses the work of French painters Paul Cezanne and Henri Matisse as well as Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The museum is the former home of Krikor Zambaccian, a businessman and art collector. It was closed by the Ceauşescu regime in 1977, and re-opened in 1992. It is now a branch of The National Museum of Art in Romania. The students enjoyed this visit admiring the thick impasto paintings of the Romanian artists and expressing delight in the discovery of a selection of masterpieces hidden in a ‘pocket’ of the museum.

We then went to visit the Ann Art Gallery, where there was an artist-led exhibition tour. Romanian artist Francisc Chiuariu, discussed his innovative technique which combines photography and oil painting on backlit film canvas. Students were encouraged to investigate the artist’s work and were given the opportunity to ask him about his experiences as an artist so far.”

We understood the artists techniques because we had the chance to meet and talk with him’’, Iulia.

Chiuariu speaks to the students about the development of his ideas.

This was a very enjoyable day and a wonderful opportunity for the students to celebrate art from different time periods and in particular focus on how art in Romania has evolved over the decades. It was also wonderful that they had the opportunity to meet with a working artist and share his artistic experiences with him.

Ms Martina Greaney Creative Faculty Coordinator

Francisc Chiuariu combines photography and oil painting.

Chiuariu’s interpretation of shadows.

The students investigate Chiuariu’s technique.

Issue 5 2012 53

BSB’s Mural Project Andreea Prasacu Year 13, has been busy managing the Mural Art Club. ’’Students are working together and it is really nice to see that people are sharing ideas and working together as a team’’. Andreea has worked with students from Year 7 upwards, designating specific jobs to each individual and demonstrating techniques on paint application, so that students are not only involved in an exciting project, but they are also further developing their painting and drawing skills and working on a much larger scale. ’’It’s really fun and you get to know the older artists in the school’, Calista Year 7 remarked. ’’Its very interesting to work with students from different year groups’, Mena Year 7 added, and I’ve had fun painting the giraffes, we have even named them!’’

Andreea has collaborated with Tudor Year 12 on the mechanics of creating a pendulum that moves. Tudor and Andreea have worked really together sharing innovative ideas and working out the most effective ways of constructing the pendulum. ’’Its been a great experience for me so far’’ said Andreea ‚’’and I look forward to giving the project my full attention for the next month’’ Ms Martina Greaney Creative Faculty Coordinator

Andreea guides her team through the design process.

Calista and Ana Maria add vibrant colours to the mural.

First part of the mural is now complete

Detail of Andreea’s planning for the project.

Raphaela adds a splash of red to the clock template.

54 Newsblast

Secondary’s Easter Art Exhibition

On March 29th, BSB’s Secondary Art Exhibition displayed a variety of work that students have been working on in Art and Design Technology including; design sheets, models, paintings, sculptures, puppets and masks. ’’It looks really good because it has a lot of colourful displays, sculptures and paintings from people in the school’’ Athanasios remarked.

Julia echoed his sentiments by saying, ’’I love to see the amazing artworks every time I walk through the library, it makes my day brighter’’ Mr Walker, our Art and Design Technology teacher collaborated with me for this exhibition, displaying work completed by students from Year 7-13. ’’It is good that people get to see the art work created in the school and can appreciate the work completed by students’’ Iulia Year 12. Laura agreed saying ’’It is very interesting to see the different types of art and creative thought’’ I would like to congratulate all of the students who dedicated their time to producing exciting work, that reflects their commitment to their artistic progress. It has been a pleasure to see the innovative ideas and creative compositions evident in all of the work on display. I have no doubt that the students will continue to produce wonderful work for the remainder of the year and I would like to take this opportunity to wish the GCSE and A’level Art students every success in their examinations. A special thanks to all who attended the exhibition. Thank you for your continued support.

Ms Martina Greaney Creative Faculty Coordinator

Issue 5 2012 55

Alexandra’s turtle sculpture.

Ceramics on display.

GCSE and GCE coursework.

Swan Sculpture by Elena.

Students celebrate their achievements 56 Newsblast

Architecture Workshop Catalin Dobre, a graduate in architecture and working artist, held a technical drawing workshop with students from Key Stage 4 and 5 last term.

It was a wonderful opportunity for students to explore this subject with a person experienced in this area.

Some of the students are contemplating studying architecture in the future, so this workshop gave them an insight into what they can expect in university. It was a benefical process for all present, as they were allowed to develop their current design skills through class discussion and develop their technical skills further, by reflecting on the precision and detail needed to record accurate information, when completing models based on a small or larger scaled structure. I would like to thank Catalin for his contribution to the students academic development in this area.

Ms Martina Greaney Creative Faculty Coordinator

Catalin discusses the evolving designs of contemporary architecture.

Winston Churchill ‘Future Leaders’ Debating Contest During April the Secondary debating team traveled to ISB to take part in the 3rd annual Winston Churchill ‘Future Leaders’ Debating Contest. After clearly winning both qualifying debates, they managed to secure second place in the final. Congratulations!

Mr Kilcullen-Nichols Debating Coach

Tudor delivering his speech in the final.

Mihnea preparing to deliver his speech in the final.

The finalists busy preparing.

Issue 5 2012 57

Year 7 English Presentations - Skellig The phrase “it’s a modern classic” is overused in literature, but if it can be used to describe any children’s book of the last fifteen years it’s Skellig.

Always a firm favourite with the students it explores themes of life, death, light, dark, reality, mythology and introspection. One of Mr Murchison’s favourite parts of the scheme is to get the students to do a presentation with a difference. They have to create an artefact based on something in the novel, but they do not show it to the audience until the end. The audience must ask closed ‘yes/no’ questions based on the themes and characters of the book to try and work out what the artefact is, then the student making the presentation unveils his or her creation.

In January Mr Murchison and I did this event together with both of our Year 7 classes and spent three lessons viewing the presentations and exploring each and every aspect of the novel. The artefacts ranged from interesting to powerful to funny to absurd. They all displayed a good knowledge of the book and got the students talking in a focused and productive way. All in all a teaching highlight of the year.

Guessed and revealed.

A teaser for the audience.

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Finding out about Study Opportunities in Germany - the 6th Form German Career Trip Im Rahmen der Schnuppertage der deutschsprachigen Studiengänge in Bukarest haben wir, vier Sixth-Form-Schülerinnen, am 5. April 2012 die Gelegenheit gehabt, auch dabei zu sein.

Am Vormittag haben wir an einem Projektmanagement-Seminar der Wirtschaftsfakultät (Academia de Studii Economice Bucuresti) teilgenommen.

Dort haben wir ein wirtschaftliches Simulationsspiel beobachtet; dabei haben die Studenten ihre virtuellen Produkte entworfen und unter realistischen Marktbedingungen promoviert. Am Ende wurde auch über einen Gewinner entschieden. Dieser Besuch hat uns einen Einblick in diesen wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Studiengang beschert.

Danach sind wir in die DAAD-Beratungsstelle (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) gegangen; der DAAD hilft ausländischen StudienanwärterInnen, einen Studienplatz in Deutschland zu bekommen und berät sie bei ihrer Entscheidung. Uns wurde Infomaterial über das deutsche Hochschulsystem gegeben und es hat uns geholfen, über den Bewerbungsvorgang an deutschen Universitäten mehr zu erfahren.

By Senia and Andreea, Year 13 “We were warmly welcomed into a German Business Studies seminar at the economics school. This was an insightful experience as it gave us a look at how the learning system is different from school to university.”

May, Year 12 “After the business seminar, we went to the counselling office where we were introduced to different universities in Germany. We found out about the different requirements concerning grades, language skills, fees etc. We were very well-informed after the meeting. Overall it was an enjoyable and interactive day, all in German!”

Maria, Year 12

Senia, Andreea, Ms Draser, Maria, Dr Irina Bena ( ASE) and May.

The Sixth Form listening to Dr Irina Bena of the economics faculty (ASE), analysing her students’ marketing projects, with help of the simulation software.

The four Sixth Form students talking to a representative of the German Academic Exchange Service in Romania about study opportunities in Germany.

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University Fairs Year 12 students went on morning excursions to university fairs at the American International School. Students from the IBSB, the AISB students and ourselves were introduced to a plethora of different universities across Europe in March, and the UK in April. A representative from each university briefly explained to us about what their faculties had to offer, this gave us the chance to consider different opportunities and pathways in our future. We discovered that many of the universities presented to us had a major focus on one area and were highly specialized, whilst others had a wide range of different studies to follow. The presentations were very useful to clarify what we could potentially be interested in; for the second fair we were given an insight into university life, the application process and how universities operate their admissions procedures. At both fairs, we were then given a chance to speak to the representatives and make personal inquiries. Some options were more attractive than others and we took our time to accumulate information and make connections.

We are now more confident and positive towards higher education because we are more aware of their requirements, services and facilities. Thanks to the hands-on experience we were offered, we can begin to look into universities more seriously and in-depth.

May and Maria, Year 12.

Students wait in the theatre for presentations to begin.

Considering university prospectuses.

Making specific enquiries to a university representative.

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Work Experience Year 8/9

What better way to get first hand experience about jobs and future careers than by trying them out for yourself!

“It has been a great help to me, to better my understanding of how grownups work and how it is possible to understand personal objectives and the objectives of the company. Most importantly it gave me the chance to actually see how my school subjects are used in real everyday life” Robert, Yr 9

Mariam, Basil and Muhammad at a Nuclear Plant.

“Before work experience I wasn’t very confident asking questions and meeting new people. During work experience it wasn’t that bad and realised I was actually ok with it and more confident than I actually thought” Mariam, Yr 9 “During work experience I learnt how a company starts from scratch! How banks operate within a company, how orders are made and how a company promotes its products and services” Andrei, Yr 9 “I met all of my targets on work experience. I learnt a lot about healthcare, I know what types of equipment is used in different fields of medicine. I also learnt the basics of psychology and how to apply it. And I now know what our school nurse does and how important her role is within school” Helen Yr 9 “On work experience I learnt how important it is to stay on task, to listen and communicate with others respectfully and to ask for help when you need it” Elena, Yr 8 “Work experience taught me that people adopt different routes to get to the jobs that they have - some go to university and some start work straight away” Tom, Yr 8

Mariam, Basil and Muhammad at Titan Nuclear Group.

“I learnt how banks operate and my advice is not to be afraid to ask questions, meet new people and involve yourselves in discussions, it’s the only way to learn more!” Dilara, Yr 8 “Work experience taught me about the process of dealing with travel services, travel systems and travel requests! I really enjoyed learning outside of school” Eleanor, Yr 8

Muhammad Learning about Nuclear Energy.

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www.imupro300.ro

www.imupro300.ro

The Bronze International Award Expedition International Award Bronze practice expedition took place at BSB on Friday, 1st June. The students were first given a presentation about Health and Safety and how to avoid injuries from blisters to bear attacks. They then shared tents and cooking equipment which they had to carry in their packs on the walk. We left school heading for Banessa Forest. The students had to use compasses and maps to navigate their way through the forest. After a long hot walk we arrived back at school having completed an impressive 12 km walk. There was no time for relaxing as the tents needed to go up before the rain came down.

Once the tents were up and the rain had stopped it was time to cook dinner on the camping stoves. Dinner was over just before more rain came thundering down and everyone ran to their tents for cover.

Day 2 and the students were up with the sun. Breakfast was another feast cooked on the camping stoves. Tents were packed away in preparation for 2 hours of climbing. It was a very enjoyable expedition and everyone was exhausted by the end of it. The students can now look forward to the real expedition where they will be camping out overnight in Romania and completing a 24 km walk. Get the blister plasters ready.

Mrs Shazia Walker International Award Co-ordinator

You can stir your pasta with a plastic fork.

Joe, Akis and Tudor in their tent.

Packing up the tents.

Working together as a team.

Joe and Tudor are given instructions on how to use a belay device.

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A final word from the Eco Committee It has been a successful year for the Eco-Committee and we are pleased with how well all of the fun Eco activities turned out. The Eco Committee worked hard to promote our Ecoweek and all the staff and pupils embraced it. The water race was a lot of fun but its purpose was not lost as it helped to emphasise how water is a commodity that we should not waste. Another highlight was the singing event ‘Eco’s got talent’. It involved children from all the key stages and proved to a be a big hit.

The school strives to be as environmentally friendly as it can. We have recycling bins in our classrooms and around the school but through the EcoCommittee we are always thinking of ways to keep improving. The Eco-Reps, who are chosen at the start of the year, have been helping us with this. We

appreciate all the help our reps have given us over the past year and look forward to welcoming them back or new ones for next year. We have some exciting plans for them in 2012-2013.

We still have events coming up with the Eco fashion show which Mr Walker is busy working on for the summer fair. This is a fun and exciting opportunity to recycle and reuse any of those old clothes that have been hiding at the back of the wardrobe.

All of us on the Eco-Committee wish you a good summer break and look forward to seeing what we can achieve next year.

Key Stage One children learning about capacity as part of an activity to investigate how not to waste water.

A Key Stage Two Eco rep leading an assembly educating us on how we can be more Eco-friendly.

Eco-Committee

Teachers preparing to race as part of our World Water Day activities. Although fun it showed the children that it is not as easy for many people around the world to have easy access to clean drinking water.

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Eco Fashion Show It’s all hands to the sewing wheel for creative minds at BSB . Pupils and staff will be given the opportunity to express themselves through The British School of Bucharest Fashion Show 2012 at the Summer Fair. The fashion show will feature BSB students as models and designers to showcase their talent and creativity across all Key Stages. It is hoped that the event will be a memorable occasion as some students help prepare outfits for their teachers.

Students are expected to be inventive and think outside the box using some unconventional materials. Paper, card and sticky tape may not seem the most likely materials for the catwalk. The challenge will be to make these materials strong, durable and aesthetic. But with Mr Walker in charge there will most certainly be a few creative surprises!

Mr Derek Walker Design and Technology Teacher

Display of creativity and talent.

Students carefully planning their designs.

Hard work pays off, first designs are ready.

Students proved to be inventive and think outside the box using unconvetional materials.

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The whole school took part in a yoga session on the front lawn.

Healthy Schools Week The focus for the second Healthy Schools Week of the year was ‘Posture, Poise and Balance’. Many activities and events helped to raise student awareness.

EYFS all got together to develop their balancing skills. They concentrated hard to complete a range of activities outside including balancing an egg on a spoon, walking with a bean bag on their heads, doing yoga moves and walking along balancing beams.

Children from Crib to Year 2 had a special assembly talk about oral hygiene, teeth and going to the dentist with the help of Dizzy the Dinosaur. Dizzy helped to teach children the importance of good oral health and dental care.

All school children were checked by the dentist to help raise the profile of the need to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Key Stage 2 students took part in an Inter-House competition to name as many of the human bones and muscles as possible.

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Key Stage 3 students learnt about the various health problems associated with the regular use of computers. A display in the ICT room helped to remind them of what they should be doing to reduce the risks. They all learnt how to sit correctly using the correct posture. This included using a wrist rest correctly to help avoid Repetitive Strain Injury and how to avoid eyestrain and headaches or stress. Students were shown simple yet effective exercises that can be performed at their computers. In Business Studies, gym balls replaced chairs as students from Year 10 to 13 improved their posture and strengthened their core muscle groups.

Throughout the week all students practiced five yoga moves, in preparation for a whole school yoga session which took place on the final day. The yoga session was part of the week’s promotion of keeping a healthy posture and balance.

Healthy Schools Committee

EYFS students concentrating hard on their balancing skills.

Dizzy is happy with Year 2 students’ teeth.

Students in Year 7 are exercising to help avoid Repetitive Strain Injury.

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Whole School Open Day Open Day provides a great opportunity for prospective students, friends and their families to come to BSB to see the programs and activities the school has to offer.

EYFS classes were very busy during Open Day so there was a lot of action for parents to see. Many parents enjoyed accompanying children to their specialist Library lesson and sharing stories together. In classes parents had the opportunity to see many activities including phonics lessons, art, craft and creative activities, writing tasks and cookery. It was a lovely day for parents to see the EYFS classes in action exploring both the indoor and outdoor environments in a variety of ways.

This year in KS1 we welcomed many parents to our classes who had the chance to learn more about our curriculum and to get a taste of ’A day in KS1’.

It was lovely to see both parents and children working together to complete a task or having school lunch together in our dining hall.

Key Stage One parents got very involved in classes and were excited to join in the children’s learning.

KS2 were delighted to welcome parents to their classes to see at first hand the wonderful work that they do. The classes were very happy to see so many parents in class to help them with their science experiments that day. They were testing whether the strength of the force affected the distance a car travelled. It was great to see so many parents working alongside their children and being given lots of tasks to do which we are sure they enjoyed.

The top floor of the Newlands building saw a number of visitors, though all were a little out of breath from the climb. To help them recover, classes allowed them to sit down and relax for a moment, before the shock of finding out they were to take part in the weekly spelling and mental math tests.

Taking the opportunity in good spirits, the parents ‘competed’ with their own children, demonstrating wonderful recall of both spelling and math skills. Well done to them all.

Ms Claire Cowlishaw, Mrs Priscilla Varban , Mr Rob Bradshaw & Mrs Lisa Ali

EYFS children shared books with their parents during their specialist library sessions, using their imagination and retelling stories.

Key Stage Two demonstrated team work skills, working together to complete their learning.

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Parents joined in with activities in classes experiencing a day in the life of an EYFS student.

Key Stage One students demonstrated both writing and creative abilities during parent visits visits to their classes.

Key Stage Two students remained focussed on their learning and were able to explain to their parents about what they were doing.

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Sports Day Sports Day was a spectacular day at Iolanda Balas Soter Stadium, the four house colours looked incredible, the weather could not have been more perfect and a really amazingly enjoyable day was had by all.

Congratulations to all of the students who participated proudly for their house team, but at the end of the day, when all of the points have been collated, counted and re-counted at the score table, Olt were our overall champions for Sports Day 2012. Well done to the victorious Olt Team and to both Catriona (Year 6) and Jan (Year 10) who represented Olt onstage and got to lift the Sports Day Trophy in front of their Olt team mates, supporters and the rest of the school.

A very special thank you to Naomi and Hyo Min (both in Year 10) for designing the art work on the Sports Day Programme, to all of our Sports Day sponsors, and to our special guest presenters Mr Ilie Năstase and Ms Loredana Groza, for taking the time to come and support our students at the annual BSB Sports Day and for presenting awards to winning students and the house team, we appreciate your efforts.

Final Overall Standings for 2012 Are: 1st - Olt 2nd - Arges 3rd - Danube 4th - Mures

Arges

Danube

Olt

Mures

EYFS & KS1

131

122

139

104

YEARS 3 & 4

194

92

195

115

YEARS 5 & 6

152

89

171

127

SECONDARY TOTAL POINTS

161 638

286 589

245 750

214 560

All of the staff here at BSB deserves a very big THANK YOU!! For all of the support and effort that they put in year after year to make our Sports Day such a success. It really is a whole school wide effort and a team approach. A lot of effort is put in behind the scenes from so many groups of people around the school, and for months leading up to Sports Day. Miss Billie Jones, BSB PE Department

Jumping over the hurdles to earn a point for Olt. 70 Newsblast

Arges aiming for maximum points in the standing jump.

Woah! That is a BIG ball to roll, don’t let it get away from you.

How is this for concentration and coordination!?! This Arges competitor shows us how it’s done.

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Girls race.

Is it Danube or Olt in first place?

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Year 7 & 8 Mixed 4 x 100m relay.

Yr 7 Boys have just come around the corner and are heading towards the finish line for the 400m race who is it going to be in first place?

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Students receiving their medals from Mr Ilie Năstase for the Boys hockey ball throw.

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Yr 5 Boys 70m race.

‌and the BSB Sports Day winners for 2012 are‌.Olt! Thanks to Loredana for presenting the trophy.

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The Summer Fair this year was HOT! Our PTA, maintenance team, staff and BSB parents worked so hard erecting canopies and trying to create shade for our International food stalls, artisans and children’s activities. And so, despite the relentless sun beating down on us, the fair was buzzing with activity and full of fun and enjoyment.

We also had some interesting artisan and charity stalls - some of them have previously shown their wares and are well established friends of BSB and we also had some new stalls and charity contacts to explore. A special thankyou to our sponsors Algida, Pepsi and all the companies who donated prizes for our raffle.

The performers were many and varied - singers, dancers, instrumentalists, acrobats, mime... the list goes on and we enjoyed every single one of them.

We were so delighted to have Loredana to close our Summer Fair. She demonstrated a musical magnetism, dancing and singing around the BSB lawn with children flocking all around her. She took her young followers on to the stage, and along with her band, involved them in the performance.

Magical! Thank you, Loredana! A joyous end to a wonderful day.

The International food stalls were a resounding success - the food was delicious and very busy! Thank you to everybody who contributed and helped to serve - the only problem was what to choose! The children’s activities with an Olympic theme were popular - thank you to BSB staff for organising these.

The children were busy, active and happy.

Rowing was very popular, children had to row 500m as fast as they could. They were very competitive.

The Great Table Race was a super game and really got everyone excited as they competed against each other to win the race there were some super prizes on offer that really added to the fun.

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Students had lots of fun throwing wet sponges at their teachers, Mr Farell was a particularly good sport.

What to choose?

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The very popular Karate club in action.

Leonie was the display of talent and grace.

So many amazing performances on the stage.

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The performers were many and varied.

Well done for the great performance.

The audience was enchanted by the girls’ dance.

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Secondary students interviewed by reporters who were filming the event.

Fun was the word of the day.

Summer Fair is always a great opportunity to catch up with friends.

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Thank you to Alex and his Master chef friends for serving delicious cocktails.

Thank you to evryone who prepared and served the delicious food.

The Queen was spotted at the British stall.

Thank you Loredana for the great performance!

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BSB Summer Productions

Crib roared like lions to rock the audience.

Who said giraffes can’t dance? Our giraffes rocked the stage with their bicycle dance!

Parents joined in the spirit of the show and rock ‘n’ rolled with the classes.

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Dorothy led the way, following the yellow brick road!

The Good Witch saved the day and helped Dorothy find her way back home.

The flying monkeys took to the stage to capture Dorothy and her friends.

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King Louis and his mates the monkeys reciting their poem in our ‘Jungle Story’ Production.

Superkids rock our ‘Jungle Story’ Production.

The 1V wolf pack singing away at our summer production.

The Year 1 children took the audience down in the jungle during our Production.

Year 2 children teaching us how improtant it is to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Year 2 Superkids plan to save the planet by recycling.

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One glass slipper.

The Fairy Godmother casts her spell.

The new venue.

Where is the Prince?

Who is she? We are more beautiful.

Year 7 and 8 Students rehearse the opening scene from their production of Cinderella.

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PGL = Parents Get Lost At the end of May, Year 6 jetted off to the much sunnier (for once) England, their destination was the PGL Activity Centre in Liddington, South West England. An early start was a worry, but everyone made it on time and checkin for 29 people was not as stressful as it might have been. A few tearful goodbyes and we were through security and heading for the gate. A 3 hour flight got us to Heathrow and we were pleased to hear a number of positive comments from the flight crew regarding the children’s behaviour and manners.

Baggage reclaimed, we boarded the coach for the hour long journey to PGL adventure. We were met by our team leader for the week, Vanessa, who like any good holiday rep, had a limitless amount of energy and patience. She was also very well-organised, planning almost every moment we had available.

After a quick lunch, we headed for our first activity, the ‘Giant Swing’. We were surprised to hear that no one in Romania actually heard Engin’s scream. A combination of time difference and travel saw a very tired group of children head off to bed, without a battle, at 10pm.

The next few days saw a packed programme of activities, which challenged both physical, mental and emotional aspects of the children. They displayed some fantastic teamwork and team spirit, which should be congratulated.

Many children met fears head on and overcame them, showing real courage and determination.

Although keen to get home to families, we all agree that PGL 2012 was a fantastic success and a wonderful experience.

Miss Vanessa Broadbent Mr Rob Bradshaw Miss Dalila Danu & Mr Alex Cirtu

Evening entertainment, all together.

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Working well as a team.

Soaked to the skin and still loving it.

Heading into the darkness of the ‘Tunnel Trail’.

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Summer Fun in Sinaia The long awaited trip to Sinaia proved to be so much fun. From the moment we arrived until the time we left it was non-stop excitement, even the weather was on our side.

After checking in to the New Montana Hotel, our first activity was a mountain hike followed by a ride on the cable car. The views from the top of the mountain were breathtaking so we decided to have our lunch there. Despite the drizzling rain we commenced our descent down the mountain which was a lot easier than the way up.

When we got back to the hotel there was no time to rest as we headed for the indoor swimming pool which even had a jacuzzi, a much needed rest for all the teachers I might add. Before dinner we even had time to go to the park which was only a short brisk walk from the hotel.

After all that excitement our energy levels were running low and we were famished so the buffet dinner was just what we needed.

The following morning we were up bright and early ready to head to Peles Castle. The castle was as magnificent inside as it was outside and we were all mesmerised by what we saw and what we heard.

Showing off our cool t-shirts on the way to Sinaia.

Unfortunately we then had to head back to Bucharest. We had been having such a great time we wanted to stay another night. Roll on Year 4 when we can all go on another residential trip.

Mrs Lisa Ali LKS2 Co-ordinator

Year 3 waiting with anticipation for the cable car.

After all that fresh air we were famished.

Riding in the cable car was awesome.

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Year 4 Trip It was raining heavily as the Year 4 children and their teacher drove into the mountains. But they could not have been luckier with the weather, it was blue skies and sunshine all the way after that. The intrepid travelers found the Bear Sanctuary on the first afternoon of their trip. Everyone was fascinated and heartened by the stories of the rescued bears in the Sanctuary. Many children said they liked Max the blind bear best, he had the most wonderful dark chocolate coloured fur. It was wonderful to see him enjoying the forest and so much more freedom than the life he had before. Our guide Marian was passionate about the welfare of the animals and she shared this with everyone who went on the walk through the Bear Sanctuary.

Thursday morning involved a morning walk followed by the visit to Park Aventura and in typical BSB fashion the pupils were enthusiastic and energetic as they climbed around the trees of Brasov.

The evenings in the hotel saw almost everyone swimming, enjoying the food and socialising. There was keen competition to have the tidiest room and the children were happy and full of fun. A great time was had by all.

Ms Andrea Bestel Year 4 Teacher

Pupils were enthusiastic and energetic as they climbed the trees of Brasov.

Year Four visited the Bear Sanctuary on their trip and loved to see the rescued bears in their happy home.

Enjoying the visit to Park Aventura.

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Year 5 Trip - Moeciu de Sus

Our Year 5 students spent a week in the small Transylvanian village of Moeciu de Sus. From our base at the hotel we completed a large variety of activities ranging from arts and crafts to ten pin bowling.

The most physically challenging activity was the 6 hour trek we took up into the surrounding mountains. It was well worth the effort when we reached the summit to enjoy the 360 degree views.

The large variety of activities allowed the students to experience things they have not tried before in a learning environment outside of the classroom. It is a wonderful location in Moeciu de Sus with its natural setting, isolation and wide spaces, where student can enjoy a break from city life and see first hand how different rural life is to theirs in the city.

Here are a few photos of the activities the students participated in.

Year 5 at the half way point on their trek to the top of the mountain

Mr Dan Madsen Year 5 teacher

The local artist helping the students create their own clay pieces.

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Irini learning the art of archery

Year 5 students at the entrance to the Rasnov Citadel.

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Light in to Europe The Light into Europe team would like to thank the British School of Bucharest pupils, teachers and parents for the invitation to this year’s summer fair. It has been a great day and thanks to your hospitality our guide dogs and sight impaired guests were made very welcome. The President of the European Guide dogs for the Blind Federation, Peter Farnworth- was our special guest and he was really impressed with the lovely atmosphere and the interest for the guide dogs amongst parents and children.

Stefan and Gabi had a great day on Saturday at the BSB Summer Fair

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We take this opportunity to thank you sincerely for all your support throughout the year, we look forward to continuing our successful partnership in the community.

Our very special thanks to Jo and the organising team who created such a relaxing feeling at the whole party!

Mrs Camelia Platt

Klint, the guidedog was in spotlight

BSB Summer School 2012 Jump into the Summer!

This year’s summer school is set to be a scorcher, as classes have filled up with children from inside and outside of the school, all eager to pitch in and get involved with one to four weeks of team games, fencing, climbing lessons and swimming. Plus some lessons in various subjects for those in a KS1 group or English language group!

In addition to the highly experienced teaching staff of BSB who need no introduction, this summer we will be benefitting from the expertise of our fencing instructor, who some of you may already know from our very popular after-school fencing club, and the dynamic team of Xcape, safely monitoring and instructing the climbing walls and zip wire.

Our vision for summer school is that children are not merely supervised over the summer, but engaged in a variety of activities that boost their self-awareness, confidence and aptitude in a variety of areas in the shortest possible time. Students should return home tired but happy, bursting with stories about the new skills they have learned, challenges they have overcome and new friends that they have made. That is what a real summer school is all about summerschool@britishschool.ro Mr Bill Ellis Director of BSB Summer School

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Practice and determination win the day at BSB

www.britishschool.ro

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