TIV Issue 1 - 2019-2020

WHITEBOARD PG.25

SPORTS PG.16

SCHOOL VIEWS PG.84

SCHOOL EVENTS PG.50

Celebrating the German National Day

Students Strike for World Change

Swimming the English Channel

Sir Winston Churchill Debate Competition

contributors Abby Opperman

Ioana Balan

Rex Cooper

Adrian Dietrich

Irina Chemencedji

Roman and Antonis

Alan Cornish

Jaime Baker

Roman Tiderle

Alessio Gelmetti

Kerem Erkaraca

Sonia Marta

Alex Oltean

Lucretia Gabroveanu

Tamara Minea

Alexandra Sandu

Maia Bucura

Victor Popa

Ana Nanau

Maria Lin

Victoria Mocanu

Andrada Samoila-Zamfir

Maria Sticlea

Vlad Iliescu

Andrea Comusi

Matei Bitu

Xin Yi Jiang

Andreea Albu

Matthew Tansley

Zoe Popovici

Andreea Stanescu

Merel Koek

Andrei Georgescu

Milena Vergara

Andrei Vernon

Mr Hawkins

Aya Menner

Ms Irina

Christie Vernon

Ms Sanders

Clementine Cooper

Orla Tansley

Cristina Capatan

Philip Orme

David Martin Murillo Dinu Pietruschevici Balan Elena Belu Elena Stefan Eva Wahler George Platt

in this issue...

SPOTLIGHT Head of School Message......................................pg.2 Editor's Note & Prefect Introductions.................pg.3 Head of Secondary Message.............................pg.4

COMMUNITY ACTION SERVICE First Aid Training Saves Lives............................pg.7 Punctul Nordic Charity Connection MG............pg.8 Duke of Edinburgh Award...............................pg.10 The CAS St Nicholas Fair.................................pg.12

SPORTS Sports Day.........................................................pg.16 Swimming the English Channel.......................pg.18 Mamaia Tri Challenge..........................................pg.20 Running the Bucharest Marathon.....................pg.21

WHITEBOARD Head of Primary Message....................................pg.25 EYFS Class Theme Solar System.........................pg.26 EYFS National Park Adventure.............................pg.27 Year 1 set up their very own hospital..................pg.28 The importance of being kind............................pg.29 Year 3O Skeletons Project....................................pg.30 Year 4S Project Sounds........................................pg.31 Year 5 COBIS Poetry Writing..................................pg.32 Tolerance and Bravery.........................................pg.35 National Military Museum Trip...........................pg.36 Nuestro Mundo Spanish Project.........................pg.38 Predeal Team Building Adventure.....................pg.39 Romexpo Trip.....................................................pg.40 Year 6 Project Rockets.........................................pg.42 Celebrating the German National Day............pg.43 Halloween Party Primary School........................pg.44 World Sight Day..................................................pg.46

SCHOOL EVENTS Romanian National Day.................................pg.50 Halloween Party Secondary School................pg.52 Prefects Halloween Message..............................pg.54 Light into Europe Bonfire Night...........................pg.56 Parent Teacher BBQ.............................................pg.58 Caledonian Ball...................................................pg.60 UN Day...............................................................pg.62 WordFest............................................................pg.64 Sir Winston Churchill Debate Competition......pg.66 Talent Show......................................................pg.69 U16 Debate Competition..................................pg.70

An Evening with the Bard.................................pg.72 Winter Show......................................................pg.74 UK University Trip.............................................pg.74 British Council University Fair.........................pg.78 Science Fair.......................................................pg.80

SCHOOL VIEWS Black Sea Interschool Relations......................pg.84 UK University Trip .............................................pg.86 A Summer of Wildlife Conservation...................pg.88 University Applications News.............................pg.89 Four Movies That Came Out in 2019...................pg.90 La Cordillera de los Sueños..................................pg.92 The Brilliant Mind of Salvador Dali.......................pg.93 The Carpathians...................................................pg.94 Cosmic Horror.....................................................pg.96 Basketball Sneakers............................................pg.97 Arts & Crafts Club................................................pg.98 Laptaria Cu Caimac.............................................pg.99 Students Strike for World Change....................pg.100 Dungeons and Dragons CV............................pg.102 Teachers Interviews.......................................pg.103 A message from the PTF................................pg.104

CREATIVE CORNER The Journey of Little Red Riding Hood...............pg.107 Shakespeare's Famous Poem.............................pg.108 Romeo and Juliet’s Agony Aunt........................pg.109 Letter from The Book Thief................................pg.110 The Tale of Ragnar the Red................................pg.111 A Halloween Tale...............................................pg.112

head of school message

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Student Editor's Message As always, the fall term has been bustling with activity, from CAS events such as the St. Nicholas Fair, to exam retakes, to hosting international debate competitions and participating in various sporting events. Both the Primary and Secondary Schools’ plays, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and An Evening with the Bard, respectively, have come and gone, along with UN Day, the Halloween Party, and much more. After this whirlwind term, the winter break will provide a much needed moment of peace in the lives of students, teachers, and other faculty members.

At the end of this holiday, we will emerge into a new decade.

Before we embark on this next adventure, which for many of us will be the years when we enter adulthood, finish university, and begin our own lives, we should look back on the past ten years.

For sixth formers and Key Stage Four, at the beginning of the 2010s we were in our first few years of Primary School, which many spent here, at IBSB. For those in younger classes, the 2010s is when they entered school, and the years spanned by the majority of their childhood. For some of them, the 2020s will be their Secondary School years, a time when they will grow into themselves, and learn more than they ever have before, both inside the classroom and out.

So, as we say goodbye to the 2010s, take a moment to look back on what these 3,650 days have meant to you. I wish everyone a wonderful winter break, filled with family and friends.

Events Prefects’ Message

By Milena Vergara and Tamara Minea Hello!

Our names are Milena and Tamara and we are your Events Prefects. We are very excited to bring you great events throughout the year such as the Winter and Spring Balls and more.

Over the years we have helped organise previous balls and special dates; we have always found ways to help improve them because we have a real interest in making them fun for students. We want the school events to be enjoyable for everyone and that each time they are better, so

please let us know your feedback via prefects@ibsb.ro and if you would like to help the team as it requires a lot of work.

Stay updated with the new events coming and make sure to attend!

Happy Holidays, Your Student Editor, Christie Vernon

Head Prefects Message

Andreea Stanescu and Victor Popa Head Girl and Head Boy

Hello everyone!

We are Andreea Stanescu and Victor Popa, Head Girl and Head Boy this year. As Head Prefects, our role is to oversee and help the senior prefect body, represent the school at events, and to act as role models for other students. Our aim is to showcase IBSB’s core values, which are: Brave, Respectful, Innovative, Tolerant, Integrity, Sustainable, and Happy. Both of us have come to understand their true meaning since we became Head Prefects, and why the school puts such an emphasis on adopting them.

Bravery is the one which comes up the most during our day to day life at school, during assemblies when students put on performances in front of the entire school, or when they stand up for what they believe in. The prefect body is a selected group of students who were chosen as a result of them displaying bravery, as well as the rest of the core values. Every student should aspire to adopt the core values and become a prefect, as not only does it help with university applications, but, more importantly, it shapes you into a responsible, involved, and respected young adult.

It is important to note that the prefects should be an active presence throughout the entire school. The way in which we achieve this is through the mentoring programme, which prefects have to take part in. Each prefect is assigned a year group, starting from Reception going up to Year 9. Most of the prefects visit their mentor group weekly. When visiting, we get to know the students, and involve ourselves in the lesson. We also offer our support and guidance. Through this, the younger children have somebody, apart from their teachers, who they can connect with and talk to.

We wish to pave the way for future aspiring prefects and to involve ourselves as much as possible in the IBSB community.

Parents, if you have any concerns, you can also find us on the school campus anytime during the day.

Please do approach us or write to us directly via prefects@ibsb.ro!

Wishing everyone a wonderful year.

head of secondary message Every year, I get asked by the editors of the TIV to write an introductory piece regarding what has happened in the secondary school during the first term. It is always a difficult process as I am never sure where to start due to the huge amount of activities that our student body and teachers take part in every year.

What you will see written here is just a snapshot of what takes place within our fantastic school.

The school year started with our annual Parent Coffee Mornings for KS3, where I had the pleasure of meeting some of our newer parents and taking the time to explain what our vision for IBSB is and how they can be involved in bringing that vision to fruition. It was also fantastic to see so many of our new parents both at the Parent Teacher BBQ, as well as at the new parent’s dinner which took place at the JW Marriott. This was a great evening to get to know parents on a social basis, as well as enable people to make new friendships and connections.

Debating continues to be a strength of our school. The teams, both at U16 and U18 level spent a lot of time working to get ready for the competitions with IBSB hosting both the Sir Winston Churchill European Debate Competition for the 11th year for the older students, and the U16 European Debating Completion for our younger team, in its 2nd edition. There were teams participating form around Europe, with the standard of debating expected to be very high, and so Mr Peet has been hard at work providing opportunities for our aspiring debaters to practice.

Both teams went into the competition hoping to repeat last year's performances, winning both competitions, and did very well again this year making it through to both finals against some tough competition, with St Georges Sofia winning the U16 Competition, and arch rivals BSB lifting the Sir Winston Churchill trophy this year. All of this is good preparations for the upcoming COBIS debate competitions that take place in Marbella, Spain in February for the senior team, and in in Bucharest, with IBSB hosting in March 2020 for the U16 team. We wish all students taking part the very best in their final preparations.

In the sporting arena, we have again punched above our weight.

We have had students competing in the Bucharest Marathon team relay, as well as students participating in triathlons. Our senior girl’s football team came third in the BSB Autumn Cup, as well as performing with great distinction in the football tournament organised by the Lycee Francais in the previous week, achieving another bronze medal. The boys had a little less luck, but showed great promise and will hopefully do better in the Lumina Cup later on in the year.

Matthew Tansley

Over the last few months, we have also held our annual mini university fair in conjunction with the British Council. This has again proved to be extremely successful with even more institutions attending, where we also used the sports hall for the first time. Our aim for the future is to continue this developing link with the British Council to further develop the fair, and to hopefully invite some local schools to attend in the future. We are also hoping to develop our careers programme by hosting our first careers fair, in conjunction with the PTF, with further information about this will be shared with you in coming editions of the TIV. For the first time in a few years, we had a university visit to the UK taking place early in November, which you will read more about in this edition. I had the privilege of accompanying the group of 8 students, along with Jayne Baker, as we visited some of the best universities that London has to offer, ranging from LSE to UAL, as well as a short trip to Oxford. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting some IBSB alumni who were willing to give up their own time to meet with us, a sign of how much their time at IBSB means to them. Thank you Luiza and Qian Qian!

Charitable donations and work have been a cornerstone of the IBSB curriculum over many years and this has continued to be the case this year with students working with a variety of different charities and organisations through CAS in the 6th form and the CAS Club in the lower school. They have done themselves proud with regards to the money that has been raised so far, as well as the hard work that they have put in. This could be seen in the effort that went into turning the secondary school into a haunted house for the Halloween party and the CAS Winter Fair which was supported by the PTF for the first time, and was the best yet.

The ‘ISBs Got Talent’ show, and our inaugural Shakespeare 'An Evening with the Bard’ performances added a bit of culture to finish of the year. As always, the talent show is a fantastic evening, and it is through the effort of our teachers, Ms Laiou and Mr Orme that our students have the opportunity to strut their stuff, and play roles that they would otherwise not be able to take.

Finally, we are all looking forward to the new building that slowly but surely is taking shape. It will be fantastic to have a bright, shiny dining room to eat in from January , as well as enabling us to turn the current eating space into a brand new drama studio as we give Mr Orme the space to develop some of the budding thespians that we now we have.

Having read back through what I have written, it amazes me that we have enough time to actually do any teaching!!

community action service

first aid training The last step of the induction to the CAS programme for the KS5 student volunteers were the Basic First Aid workshops led by the Romanian Red Cross volunteers. For two hours the students learned about the responsibilities of the first aider, the primary survey, resuscitation, the recovery position, asphyxia, wounds and bleeding. They also had the opportunity to practice the procedures demonstrated and ask questions. We are now ready for the CAS visits.

saves lives

punctul nordic shoebox appeal

When the Sixth Form went through the interview process, some students felt instant connections with charities. That is what happened between Punctul Nordic and myself.

Immediately, I was drawn in by the cause they support and how eager Ms Cristina Capatan was to make a difference, despite being a relatively small charity.

Since I saw that I could be of great help, my decision to change Punctul Nordic to my first option was quick. I was delighted and humbled to know that Ms Capatan wanted me to help lead the charity at school. Together with my friends Max, Valeria, and Ms Stroescu, we are helping Punctul Nordic build a website, launch new initiatives, and establish an image through our polar bear mascot and newly designed logo. Although we are a small team, we are very motivated to help Punctul Nordic help the children most in need.

We were very excited to work with primary and secondary on the new Christmas initiative. Briefly, it involves every year group ‘adopting’ three to four children by ensuring they have a pair of winter shoes, clothes, presents and a personal letter. Small details about the children such as their hobbies and dreams were given out to the classes, so they get to know the children better.

Children from Punctul Nordic as well from other charities tend to feel disconnected so we are hoping that establishing a more personal relationship will be helpful to both them and the children of our school. We recently also had a very successful polar bake sale also thanks to some helpful year eight students, from which we managed to raise funds for a boy’s eye surgery.

I have also established a relationship between Punctul Nordic and a UN organisation I work with, outside of school, called GirlUP. Together, we will help the children of Corbeanca build their self-confidence and organise life-skills workshops with them regarding things such as: respect, self-worth, toxic relationships, and the risk of human trafficking. Overall, working together with this charity has been a great decision and I am personally very eager to make Punctul Nordic a name that people will recognise.

Milena Vergara (Y13) and Cristina Capatan from Punctul Nordic

For more about Punctul Nordic’s story and the goals they hope to achieve as a charity I asked Ms Capatan to take over: Asociatia Punctul Nordic has developed very organically starting with one child. While my husband was a Pastor, a group of children that were visibly in need came to church one day and we got to know them and found out that they were very poor.

One girl approached me, afraid, ashamed, and shakily told me that her mum does not have a stove and she needed to light a fire in the courtyard in order to cook. I visited the family that same night to drop off some food. It was heartbreaking: a single mother, 5 girls.... no proper home, or food. The mother arrived home with just bread and salami after working all day, but the kids were starving. Many of the children are criticised by their teachers for their inability to concentrate at school, but many of them go to school on an empty stomach.

We found space in our charity and decided to help these girls with education. The older girl was raising the girls at the age of 12. We bought school supplies and decided to meet once a week. But when they came, others asked if they could come, and that is how we grew as a community.

At the beginning we played games, read stories, and did everything we could to encourage education. We asked them to bring their report cards and made a deal: if their grades were better after two months they could ask for nice school supplies or the shoes they wanted. Then we decided to start a reading club in partnership with the school. Before we knew it, the number grew and we had 57 children attending. Some of the children were year 3 and could not read. Those who read well were became mentors for the ones who could not read. When a child had reached a new level in reading, they were presented with a certificate and a chocolate.

The tears in some of their eyes for their first public recognition made it all worth it! They could not believe it.

what we do now:

two mothers are able to read and write and 3 have found jobs

educational programmes

food, clothing, and shoe support

at least thirty children are still in school and did not abandoned because we were there to help

mothers with many children are provided with a washing machine, stove, and refrigerator

sometimes when we are offered furniture, we deliver it to the families

sandwich in school program- supports families with the day sandwich for school

at the moment we work with the government/ school and minister of education to bring the second chance program to the area because there are over fifty young people who have abandoned school and want a form of education to complete their studies.

twelve children have food and tutoring after school

over eighty children have their school supplies, clothing and shoes needs met

over 120 children have some kind of help

with the help of IBSB over 150 Christmas gifts were distributed in the last three years

Fun is another thing we are trying to provide! Once in a while, we will have a pizza day with games and laughter.

I personally meet the mothers, have coffee, discuss difficulties and agree on action to help them as a family, as long as they keep the children in school

We believe that the only way out of poverty is education! We supported six children in High School by paying for transportation and books. We also took the girls that had dropped out of school, helped each of them make a C.V. and helped them get jobs.

In order to help the families daily we need constant donations. We hope to increase education levels to help tackle the poverty cycle. We have promised the children we will be there for them and we invest all our time and effort to ensure we keep our word.

the duke of edinburgh Ioana Balan Y13 The Duke of Edinburgh programme in our school has yet again had a team successfully finish their Adventurous Journey this summer. Team ‘Jukebox’ - comprised of Lisa, Silvia, Eva and me - completed the Gold Award exploration in the Ceahlau mountains. It took a foggy, rainy preparatory hike on a demanding route in the Bucegi mountains for us to understand the difficulty of our journey but also appreciate the wonderful synergy of the team and the various skills each member had to offer.

The goal we set was to explore the flora of the Ceahlau mountains, with the purpose of creating a digital herbarium comprising 100 exhibits.

Silvia, our professional photographer, and Lisa, our navigator, were able to collect almost double the target number of plants and numerous fungi, completing the goal with plenty of time to spare. Camping allowed us to witness a most spectacular sight: a clear night sky filled with millions of stars, a branch of the Milky Way, the ISS, and a meteorite shower. All of us worked together superbly, breezing through the journey, making new friends from another gold expedition team and - most importantly - laughing wholeheartedly and creating wonderful memories.

It is of interest to mention the Bronze/Silver Expedition that took place in the summer of 2018, in the Bucegi mountains, where teams ‘MARS’ - Anton, Radu, Mario, Milena, Č˜tefan and ‘4 Beri cu Lamaie’ - Irina, Eva, Emmy and myself- ventured to the Malaiesti cabin for the preparatory journey (any of us could confirm we were not sure the path would ever end). For the qualifying journey (in the Southern part of the Bucegi), the teams had different goals to achieve; for instance, one explored the tourist attractions on our way, such as the Ialomitei cave, Seven Izvoare waterfall, and Piatra Arsă chalet, and created an informative leaflet. The route presented some challenges on the second day, where everyone’s orientational skills were put to the test to find our way back

on the track after we all deviated slightly from the path.

Nature did not disappoint us and displayed quite a light show during the sunset of the second day, after finally reaching the Valea Dorului cabin. Personally, this particular journey allowed me to get to know people I always saw on the school hallways but never talked to, while helping reinforce past friendships I had.

Until now I talked about the fun part of the programme, but the planning and preparation that goes behind the scenes is huge and of crucial importance; everything is done by the team: planning the journeys, assigning everyone equipment to care for, determining transport, assessing risks, taking safety precautions, and so on.

In fact, DofEIA participants must attend first aid courses delivered by Red Cross experts to be deemed fit for the journey. This year’s first aid training ensued smoothly, as many of DofEIA ‘veterans’ were present and were able to assist the trainer and other students, with demonstrations of CPR, safety position, and other useful information. The club also hosts multiple sessions where a lot of safety-related topics are discussed, two examples being ‘What to do if you are caught in a thunderstorm’ and ‘How to act if you get lost during your expedition’. The long-awaited event, after you finish all your sections and the Adventurous Journey, is the award ceremony.

Last year’s graduation ceremony also included the Duke of Edinburgh International Award ceremony in its programme, where Eva Spiru Dakas, Tamara Minea, and Andreea Stanescu received their certificates for successfully completing the Bronze level.

We congratulate them, and we hope to see more young people achieve the Bronze, Silver, and Gold standard in the future - a true recognition of their perseverance, involvement in the community and desire to achieve excellence.

the cas

ST NICHOLAS fair

The IBSB community came together on the 6th of December to support goodwill causes showing that with a kind heart, good spirits, and working together, we can bring joy to everyone within reach.

Why did we name our Fair in honour of St Nicholas? First of all, because the fair actually took place on the day St Nicholas was being celebrated by Christians around the world, and second of all, but very importantly, because he remains a model of generosity, kindness and charity for Christians and non-Christians. The Bishop of Myria was born into a rich family, but became an orphan early in life. He is known to have used his fortune to help others in need, most of the times in secret, without them finding out who helped them.

This is why many countries still preserve traditions related to giving shoes and sweets to children on the eve of St Nicholas' day, and it is believed that the figure of Santa Claus has emerged in relation to the same saint.

This year, our students came up with many original ideas so that our CAS fair visitors enjoyed activities such as a treasure hunt, old fashioned games, and origami folding amongst others. They could chose to take festive pictures at our official Photo Booth by the Animal Rescue volunteers, or watch The Grinch at the ad-hoc Light into Europe cinema. They could opt for the delicious treats available, or for shopping for eco-friendly gifts and decorations at the Paper Tree stall. Dressed in holiday jumpers, adorned with festive headbands and hats, and with smiles shining on their faces everyone seemed to have a great time!

We would like to wholeheartedly thank everyone who attended the fair, helped with setting up, with organising and preparing the goods and activities, and so much more!

WE MANAGED TO RAISE: 1,037 RON for Help Autism (the equivalent of over 40

therapy sessions for children with autistic spectrum disorders).

1,004 RON for Light into Europe as direct donations and 781 RON from the various activities and sales 1,045 RON for Punctul Nordic Corbeanca, along with presents for 65 children in need

1,336 RON for Speranta pentu Tine

(will go towards medication for children hospitalised at Fundeni)

850 RON for Touched Romania 1,450 RON by the Animal Rescue Group (this will

be split between a conservation project and the Bruno Animal shelter)

1,520 RON for WWF by the Paper Tree group ... and just as many acts of kindness and good will to inspire everyone in the new year!

A special THANK YOU to the PTF who advertised the event, joined us in the preparations and decorations several weeks in advance, and organised a stall with proceeds spread evenly between the CAS projects. The proceeds of the fair will be donated to our charity links bringing much needed joy and relief.

BĂNEASA SHOPPING CITY • BUCURESTI MALL PLAZA ROMANIA • IULIUS TOWN TIMIȘOARA

UNIFORME PREGĂTITE PENTRU ORICE AVENTURĂ

sports

Every year, IBSB organises a Sports Day where all the students have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of sporting activities in the sun. This year, the event took place on the 11th of October at Lia Manoliu Stadium, with students from both the Primary and Secondary School competing in various athletics events.

The Friday morning started cold and damp, which initially made the running track a little slippery, but end of the World Class warm up session the sun was out and the track was dry ready for the first races to start and a gloriously bright day ensued.

There were many events including the High jump, 400M single and relay race, 100M race, long jump, shotput, and football dribbling. The participating students were divided according to their year groups, with the three houses - Dobrogea, Muntenia, & Transilvania - participated in a relay race at the end.

Mr Ciprian Iacob and Mr Paul Georgescu conducted all the events with the help of the teachers. The day started at 8:30 am with a 5 minute warm up coordinated by a special trainer from World Class.

At the end of the day, the students with the most points from each class were given medals and certificates. Even the ones that didn't get as many points were congratulated for their participation in the events. Danone was one of the sponsors of the day so all the participants, whether winners or not, enjoyed their products!

Sports Day ended around 1.00pm in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere, which seemed to say that sometimes to win is less important than to participate and have fun.

sports day results Secondary School

House Competition Results - congratulations to Dobrogea!

swimming the english channel

Andreea Albu

Swimming the English Channel was a huge challenge. It was also a unique experience. I can’t really say how many hours I put into training and preparing for the crossing, but in the end I can honestly say that I felt like all the hard work and sacrifices paid off.

In the morning of the swim, I packed my bag and prepared the food for the day. I had no idea of what was coming. It was uncharted territory for me, for everyone. We had talked about it, trained for it, but actually doing it was a something totally different.

In the pictures the team made before the swim, I was smiling, but under that smile, honestly I was a frightened.

We all meet and the marina at the southern end of Dover Beach.

The boat captain of the boat we had booked to complete the swim, Sea Leopard, Stuart Gleeson was waiting for us, and as we boarded the boat it really didn’t feel like we were about to swim from England to France. But as we slowly made our way to the starting point, it all started to become very real as our coach Mr Georgescu starting reminding us how we should swim and in what style to not get tired.

Anton was first to swim, and jumped into the water with a big smile, turned briefly to give us all a short reassuring wave that he was okay, and swam confidently to Samphire Hoe Beach, the start point of our long awaited journey. The start was then officially announced and Anton pushed off from the beach, beginning the journey and I could feel the hopes and fears of everyone on the boat. Everyone was looking at Anton as he was swimming. You could feel that he was confident, as he had swam in the open water many times before.

Up next was Ana. She was calm and before she hoped into the water, we assured everyone that everything was alright and that she was looking forward to her swim. I knew that after Ana it was my turn and I could feel the nerves starting to rise. I was scared thinking that anything could happen to me. While my teacher was putting some kind of protective cream on my skin, he told me that everything will be alright and that nothing could happen. I wanted to believe, but deep down I really wasn’t so sure.

Then suddenly the call came, I took a big breath and without thinking jumped into the cold water. My surprise was that instead of feeling a sense of shock, I immediately had this feeling that everything would be alright, just as my teacher had told me, and to I headed off in the direction of France. While I was swimming, the only thing I was thinking about was what would happen if I touched a jellyfish. Thankfully, I had the luck to meet only one jellyfish during my first swim and it was approximately 2-3 meters away so again I felt an incredible sense of relief.

During my first swim, the atmosphere on the boat was crazy with excitement.

Everyone was jumping up and done and singing, and I was kind of jealous not to be on the boat at that time. On the positive side, all the excitement and positive atmosphere on the boat helped to distract me from the fact that I was swimming alone in English Channel and it actually helped me to relax and swim better and easier. The water also helped me as it was actually really peaceful

why I was swimming so fast. At the next break I had to drink water, and explained to him what was going on and he said that we had entered the current and it is not actually pulling me toward the sea, but is in fact pushing me toward land. I didn’t understand the feeling and so I was terrified. The hour eventually passed and I was soon back aboard the boat resting.

After me it was Mr Georgescu’s turn to swim and after him was Alice and then Sergiu. Mr Georgescu and Sergiu swam the final section, with Sergiu eventually being the one to reach the French coastline. When he finally did reach the French coastline, in a time of 10h 25 minutes, everybody was shouting with excitement and I felt an incredible sense of relief. We had achieved our goal!

and clear and then before I knew it my time was up and it my turn to get back onto to the boat with the next swimmer ready to enter the water.

Before starting my second swim, my teacher, Mr Georgescu explained to me that we were near a strong current that would help us get to the shore faster, but that I had to keep the same speed as the teammate before me to ensure we made good progress and caught the current. I felt a lot of pressure at that moment, before jumping in the water, because I had to catch that current and if I didn’t, I knew we would have a many more additional hours to swim. I entered the water apprehensively and immediately began to swim as hard as I could. As we moved forward slowly, I could sense the water slowly growing stronger around me and my confidence grew as I knew we would be able to catch the current.

Five minutes passed and I could feel the powerful sea roaring beneath me. Then a suddenly, a few moments later, I felt like the sea was pulling me backwards in toward the middle of the channel and I panicked.

I started to swim faster and my teacher was shouting at me, asking

After our success, we all cheered and congratulated each other, and then my teammates I went to sleep and that was that. I was out like a light. The next thing I remember is that the boat had stopped, someone shook me awake, and I rose have asleep, with some difficulty, collected my things, and headed to the hotel.

That night, I honestly had the best sleep of my life, slept more soundly than I have ever before, waking the next day for breakfast feeling completely refreshed and alive. My teacher told me over breakfast that I had swam 3.8 km in the second swim, the third best swim in the second round, even though I felt I was struggling I struggled with the current. I remember that I have huge smile and felt really lucky to have been a part of the relay and honoured at the same time.

A few months later we were invited to attend the English Channel Awards Ceremony in England and we were all really excited to discover that we were to receive two trophies: The Mrs Garnet Martin Trophy for the fastest six-person relay team time for the year, and the ‘Ray Scott Trophy’ for fastest six-person mixed relay team time.

It was more than we hoped for, and a wonderful way to bring our long journey to an official close.

mamaia tri CHALLENGE Following on from their recent success crossing of the English Channel, Ana N. (Y8) and Andreea A. (Y9), joined forces with another junior member of their English Channel swim team, Alissa P., to achieve a 2nd Place podium finish in the Women’s Open Sprint Triathlon Relay over the weekend - 750m Swim, 20km

Cycle, 5km run.

Well done to the entire team and to all those IBSB participants, who participated in the Mamaia Tri Challenge, including IBSB parent Andrei Pietruschevici (placing 3rd in the Sprint Triathlon in his age category).

running the 12th edition of the bucharest marathon Ana Nanau and Ilinca Dutu Y8H

The Bucharest Marathon has been an annual event since 2008 hosted in Bucharest at the start of October. This means that this year’s edition was the 12th. 20,000 participants, including children, teens, and adults from 50 countries around the world come together to run for fun and to stay healthy, alongside the professional athletes competing for prize money.

The time limit for the Half Marathon is 3 hours, with 7 hours set as the maximum finishing time for the full marathon of 42.6 kilometres.

The current records for the Bucharest Marathon were set by Hosea Kipkemboi, with 2 hours, 10 minutes and 51 seconds in 2019, and with Marina Kovaleva holding the women’s record with 2 hours, 32 minutes and 20 seconds.

Every year we see many children from our Primary School taking part in the kids’ races, consisting of different distances for the

various age groups. I have participated in this marathon for more than three years, running in both the children's and adult’s races, returning every year because the atmosphere is so mesmerizing with the streets lined with people and even contestants cheering you on.

The adults’ race took place this year on Sunday the 13th of October. Parents, senor school prefects, teachers, and other staff from IBSB took part in the relay event in teams off our, with each member running approximately 10km, each passing on to the next, which is always great fun!

Running is not just about winning and losing races. Everyone actually wins in the end, because running brings many health benefits, helping to build strong bones and strengthening muscles. It also improves cardiovascular fitness and helps maintain a healthy weight, meaning you'll not just be healthier but also live longer.

Even though running long distances can be hard at times, I always push myself to create new limits and break old boundaries.

Ana Nanau

Congratulations to all those who took part in the marathon this year! We hope to see you all back again next year!

whiteboard

head of primary school

Alan Cornish

Thanks for taking the time to read about our exploits this term, created by Ms Alina Radu and our talented team of teachers.

welcome to the primary school section of the winter tiv.

I want to start by thanking our parents for your involvement in many of the events you will see in our section. Sometimes they come thick and fast at IBSB and you’d be forgiven for having event fatigue; especially new parents who are not used to the pace of our busy school. However, it is something we are very proud of as it builds our sense of community and trust. I know it is not easy being a parent of children involved in so many projects; whilst juggling their homework, their clubs, and social calendars. Their lives are full and richly diverse, we are just happy to get them to school on time. So, for this simple task, I want to say thanks.

Thanks for delivering your children to us each morning, and even more gratitude is deserved for picking them up again at the end of the day. I read recently that parents can either have a good morning or get their kids to school on time – they can’t have both.

There have been many moments to celebrate and be proud of during the first term. We have continued to take part in lots of competitions and events- too many to enumerate- performing superbly to bring home more trophies, certificates, winner’s medals and great memories in a vast array of areas. This takes confidence and bravery, to put yourself out there to perform, and bravery, our core value in Term 1a, is something we have in spades at IBSB. We celebrated Romanian National Day in style and had yet another wonderful Winter Show, which was enjoyed by a packed house, so much so that we needed to bring in additional chairs to accommodate everyone.

But whilst it is only right to applaud our wonderful children, it is important to note that none of this would be possible without the dedication, skill, creativity, and commitment of our Primary School team.

There is much to look forward to next term.

Let’s see what else we can achieve.

eyfs class theme solar system

In the first week of Term 1B, the children from EYFS learned about ‘Day and Night’, ‘The Solar System’, and ‘Sources of Light’.

They investigated day and night, light and dark, observing, discovering, and identifying features in the places they live and the natural world. We talked about various sources of light, such as the sun, moon, stars, lamps, matches, torches, and candles.

We also talked about the planets in our solar system, learning that Earth moves around the Sun in an anti-clockwise direction, and that Earth also spins in an anti-clockwise direction called Earth's rotation.

Did you know that it takes 24 hours for the Earth to complete one rotation? This is why we have day and night. It also takes 1 year (364 days) for Earth to travel around the Sun.

In Literacy, we read stories related to the theme: ‘Laura’s Star’, ‘Light and Dark’, ‘ Fly by Night’ , ‘ Light and Shadow’, ‘Chickens Can’t See in the Dark’, ‘Oliver’s Wood’, ‘Night animals’, ‘Night Monkey’, and ‘Stellaluna’.

In Maths, we were introduced to 2D and 3D shapes, and again explored these shapes within the context of our weekly theme.

We also enjoyed singing a variety of songs, including ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’, ‘Zoom, zoom, zoom’, and ‘Mr Sun’ The highlight of the week though was when the children had fun playing with torches in their tepee tent!

eyfs national park adventure On the 15th 0f October, the EYFS students visited the National Park as part of our Autumn topic: the park is one the most widely visited parks in Bucharest due to the beauty of the flora around the lake and the many attractions on offer for people of all ages.

When we arrived there on a fresh autumn morning, the children were all very excited and immediately started excitedly to collect leaves, sticks, and other natural objects.

This adventure gave the students the chance to observe nature in all its glory, including watching the ducks on the pond.

The park is also well known for an amazing playground area, where the children spent some time exploring its many attractions, playing on the slides and climbing frames and hiding in little wooden houses.

It really was a wonderful morning adventure, and the children all had a fantastic time!

year 1 set up their very own hospital

It has been an important start to the year for everyone in Year 1, being a time of transition for the children coming from kindergarten and the very first day at school for others. It's incredible just how much progress they have all made, making us all so proud!

We love to give our children the opportunity to put what they have been learning about into practice, and this is exactly what we decided to do with our 'Hospital Day' project.

Our first theme of the year was 'Inside Out', where we learnt about the body and the world around us and the UK in particular.

All the children became mini doctors as they had to solve problems around the classroom.

Firstly, they had to remember all the new names of the body parts in English, which was a real achievement for our EAL children who did not know any English when they joined us.

They then had to use their Maths skills to add together how many plasters and bandages each patient would need. It was then time to use what we learnt in Cross Curricular about the UK to figure out where each patient came from by looking in their passports. Who could possibly come from a country where a daffodil is the national flower? Or how about patient two who lived in the same country as the Queen? Or patient three who believed that the Loch Ness monster lived in their country?

Finally, it was then time to use our phonic knowledge to write up some doctor’s notes about our discoveries.

The children were great at working together, putting what they'd learnt into practice. They really showed us how far they've come in such a short term!

year 2 teach everyone about

the importance of being kind In Year 2, we had a lot of fun performing our assembly in front of our peers and parents all about kindness, considering the importance of being kind and the difference that kindness can make to people’s lives.

We showed everyone in the assembly a video titled ‘Colour Your World with Kindness’, which began in monochrome, becoming increasingly colourful every time someone was kind. We also shared many helpful and kind words, such as sharing, honesty, and joyful, and looked at their corresponding antonyms.

We learnt that we all have a canvas to paint on, and that this canvas is every day of our lives.

We can write on the canvas with good or bad thoughts, good or bad words, and good or bad actions. Our canvas can be full of colourful acts of kindness.

We can all colour our school with kindness every day by doing kind acts and speaking kind words to others.

year 3o skeletons project

As part of the ‘Animals and Humans’ topic, teams of children in Year 3 were given the task of creating a human skeleton with strips of paper, glue, and scissors! There were several objectives: to have fun, to learn, and to work as a team, cooperating with each other to produce a great result.

The children enjoyed it so much that they unanimously voted to carry on their work rather than take part in their afternoon break time!

With no model to work from, the children produced interesting, accurate, and varied results, as can be seen from the photographs.

The next task was to label the individual bones and prepare their skeleton for a pre-Halloween display.

I am sure you will agree, they make for a rather terrifying display!

sounds with year 4s

In Term 1, Year 4 learned all about sound, conducting various experiments and activities involving different properties of sound.

We learned about how sound changes depending on the strength of the vibrations, and that certain materials produce better vibrations than others.

Because we were also studying rainforests, we learned a bit about the traditional culture and music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and then used cups, papier-mâchÊ, and balloons to create our own djembes.

We also used cans, elastic bands, and glass bottles filled with various amounts of water to create musical instruments, and learned that air can vibrate and create a sound as well as solid materials. Different sizes of elastic bands and different amounts of water resulted in higher or lower pitches.

Finally, we used paper cups and string to create our own telephones, and discovered that sound can travel through different mediums to our ears.

the cobis poetry competition

As a COBIS member school, we were invited to highlight our students’ creative talents by submitting entries into the COBIS International Poetry Competition 2020, in partnership with Pobble.

Poetry is the art of words. A poem is a piece of writing that expresses feelings and uses words to create images for people to picture and think about whilst reading or hearing the poem. Poets choose their words very carefully and their poetry may include figurative language and imagery to suggest ideas and create images in the reader’s mind.

The theme of the COBIS 2020 competition is 'Today's actions shape tomorrow's world'. Students were permitted to interpret this theme in any way they wished, as long as this message is reflected in each poem.

Over a two-week period, all the students from Year 1 to Year 6 had a poetry focus; this enabled the students to learn or have a refresh on the key components of a good poem, such as a powerful message and the use of figurative language.

The students really impressed all their teachers, producing great results showcasing their creativity and literacy skills. The students themselves really enjoyed the freedom that poetry writing can provide; poetry is a very different style of writing to a narrative or informative text. You can play with your words and even break a few grammar rules now and then!

The following Year 5 students were asked their opinions about learning poetry:

Clementine Cooper Learning about poetry for me was fun as I liked to add lots of similes and metaphors. Learning about this topic helped me with writing poetry. The first time I started writing a poem, it was more like a story, but then my teacher helped me.

Dinu Pietruschevici Balan I liked this topic; it was fun and easy to understand. At first what I wrote was not a poem, but after a while I could write poems quickly and they are good. Overall, I liked the topic.

Andrea Comusi I like poetry because it is like a challenge to me and I like to be challenged. When you get used to it, it is easier. When I started

writing poetry, it was written more like a story, but my teacher helped me know how to write a poem and then it was easier.

Adrian Dietrich I like poetry and now I know how to write poetry more easily. My teacher helped in the beginning, but now I don’t need any more help, which is good as I learned something new. I used a lot of metaphors and similes and lots of alliteration!! The first time I started writing a poem, I actually wrote a story or a comic book, but then my teacher helped me and I got better at writing poems!

Andrei Georgescu The topic was actually really fun. I loved writing poems; it was wonderful. The performance poems that we watched were fun; everything was fun. Poetry is one of my favourite English topics.

The Primary School asked Mr Ennion, now an IBSB Secondary School English teacher, to judge some poems that had been nominated from each year group and choose which three to submit for the COBIS Poetry Competition. Mr Ennion really enjoyed reading the poems and provided some constructive feedback to explain why he had chosen the three overall winners from the Primary School.

dear future generation

By Roman Tiderle We’re sorry about the millions of trees cut every day We’re sorry about the ocean whose tides once danced like a ballerina We’re sorry about the melting ice and the higher seas We’re sorry about all the extinct animals that you never got to see But we can’t help it; sometimes things can only be changed once We’re sorry about the energy we wasted Our eyes didn’t see the future Our time will go as fast as the blink of an eye We’re sorry about how we treated you We’re sorry about how we treated our loving planet that was given to us to take care of We’re sorry about climate change We’re sorry about the amazing trees which burned in horror We didn’t know what we had until it was gone We’re sorry about the powerful storms We didn’t think about tomorrow Our trees, our ocean, the ice, the animals, the energy and the whole world belongs to you Hopefully you will treat it better

the furious turtle

the excavator

By Alessio Gelmetti

By Victoria Mocanu

As cute as a button Even more upset than a starving child Cute, cute, cute

As tall as a skyscraper Groans as it cuts through the trees Yellow, black it’s a confused mole Blindly scrambling through the dirt Without realising the devastation it’s causing

There’s an emerald in the blue, dark ocean; that’s me!

I am brave, like a soldier in war Brave, brave, brave Splash! Goes the plastic into the ocean Crunch! Munch! I go devouring the plastic Suffering, suffering, suffering As selfish as Thanos As dumb as a Goldfish Why are you doing this to me?

Why? Why? Why? Mother Nature is as furious as an erupting volcano, Polluting, ruining, destroying Think, think‌think!!!!!

The red, white light Sparkling in the disappointed night It wants to build skyscrapers That will reflect the daylight CRASH! BANG! WHOOSH! Whoosh! It throws the trunks Bang! It lands Crash! Another tree smashed into sawdust and splinters Marching confidently Unfeeling, unconcerned By the appalling and shocking damage Why nature why not plastic?

Why create buildings?

Why not plant trees; or is this pointless since you’ll destroy them?

Why, Why, Why?!

CRASH, BANG, WHOOSH! Sawdust and splinters

tolerance & bravery One of our core values in our school is tolerance. Each week, in our class, we have a tolerance champion that we all vote for. It is a person who has set a great example for us to learn from.

It is important to be tolerant because everyone is different and that is not a problem. I think that tolerance is especially important at IBSB because the students are from all around the world and we all have different personalities, religions, and cultures. We should all show tolerance towards each other accepting that we are all different and all equal.

Maia Bucura, 5H

I think bravery means overcoming something you might have been afraid of. It is very important because it can help you become more calm in situations and help you face your fears.

I see bravery a lot in school. Connor in 5T is a great example because he has moved to a new country, and even though he doesn’t really understand English, he tries his best every day. Other Bravery champions in our class would be Emma, for always trying challenges, even when they are really tough for her, and Alex who is always trying to learn. These children are brave every day.

Eva Wahler, 5T I think tolerance means that people should accept each other for who they are and never judge others because of their skin colour, religion, or anything else that makes them different.

I’ve seen tolerance everywhere around our school as people are accepting of others. We have tolerance champions in our class and Emma and I have won most weeks. This is because we accept people for who they are and never judge them.

Alessio Gelmetti, 5T

Tolerance is accepting people or things around you. It is the ability to accept. Tolerance is one core value we have at IBSB. The way we show it is by being patient and kind to one another, but also trying our best. If we fail in a test, we don't give up, we accept it and try again. Or, if your friends say something you don't agree with, instead of getting angry and upset, we accept it and try to be rational and reasonable. I believe tolerance is important and that we can all be better at it by being more accepting toward everyone and everything.

George Platt, Y6

Bravery is not something you get, it’s something you find in yourself by not giving up in tough situations, facing you fears, and challenging yourself. You need to believe in yourself. You’ll never be able to overcome a fear without being brave. We have many examples of bravery in our school: a good example is Julia in my class, because she is being brave by moving to a new country and school and learning another language that she does not know. She is brave every day!

David Martin Murillo, 5H

Bravery is having or showing courage: this includes trying something new. Bravery is one of the seven core values at IBSB. Some examples of bravery are: taking part in school talent shows, performing in front of the whole school for National Romanian Day, or playing football to represent your school, etc. All these things take a lot of courage. I believe that, if you are brave and take risks, you can achieve more and good things will come out of it!

Kerem Erkaraca, Y6

year 5’s visit to the national military museum In Year 5, we are currently studying WW1 & WW2 in our cross-curricular lessons. On the 13th of November, both year 5 classes joined forces and had the pleasure of visiting the National Military Museum to see, first-hand, some of the equipment and transport used during these conflicts.

The museum itself is a wonderful, old, graceful building with stunning and immense grounds. We were greeted by a soldier, who thankfully allowed us to enter unchallenged. We began our tour in the amazing grounds of the museum, which is home to a spectacular collection of civilian, military, and even royal vehicles.

Some of them were extremely old, some from during the two World Wars we are studying, and some from more recent conflicts.

All of them were majestic in their own charming way.

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered every question we could think of. The students (and the teachers) certainly learned a lot from this visit. For example, we found out that the museum was established by King Ferdinand in 1923 (you can see his bust outside as you arrive).

We didn’t only hear about Romania’s part in the World Wars, but also, it’s entire military history. We looked at artefacts from periods such as; the pre-Roman period and the Ottoman Empire, through to the more recent communism years.

The star attraction was the aircraft hangar, for sure! We saw lots of different aircraft and even a capsule and space suit from a Romanian mission to space. I think this experience will last long in the memories of the students. Connecting what we learn in the classroom to the wider world is an integral part of our learning and educational experience.

nuestro mundo primary school spanish project

Rivers, oceans, continents: what do they all have in common?

Nuestro mundo (Our World) is the topic we are covering this term in Year 6 and our students are more than happy to learn about all of the aforementioned. Once they had mastered the vocabulary and the new grammar structures, they wanted to challenge themselves and create something fun and educational at the same time.

As you probably know, our school is using ‘blended education’ in teaching and learning, and as a part of this process the Year 6s are mastering the use of technology in class, especially Google Classroom. This is exactly what they did for a Spanish teamwork project called ‘’QuiĂŠn quiere ser millonario?’’ The students used their knowledge, added to by internet research (done in Spanish, of course) to come up with a set of questions for their classmates. It started with easy questions and went on to more difficult ones.

I am pleased to say that the Year 6 students are very keen on Geography and so they got almost all the questions right. They were the ones in charge of this project and had the freedom to choose the reward for each correct answer: 1 Dojo Point, 2 House Points, and a maximum of 5 for the most difficult questions.

It was a fun activity done in class with many benefits for our students: improved productivity and communication, increased motivation and collaboration as well as creative thinking.

We definitely encourage this type of activity so that learning can be fun and easy, with the children in charge, both actively engaged and participating.

If you want to test your Geography skills, you can try to answer the following questions

by Roman and Antonis: ÂżCuĂĄl es el continente mĂĄs grande?

What is the largest continent? ÂżQuĂŠ continente tiene la mejor base militar?

Which continent has the best military base? ÂżEn quĂŠ continente hay guerra?

In which continent is war? ÂżQuĂŠ continente tiene la mayor cascada?

Which continent has the largest waterfall? ÂżQuĂŠ continente tiene la mayor fuente de agua?

Which continent has the largest source of water?

Stay tuned for more interesting projects!

predeal team building

ADVENTURE The team building trip to Predeal has become an annual event for children entering the final year of Primary School, and this year was no different. The two new Year 6 classes set off for another fun filled few days at the base of the mountains in Predeal. The purpose of the trip was, once again, for the children, and teachers to get to know each other and build strong, healthy relationships to help them face their final challenge.

The teachers prepared a number of fun, teambuilding activities for the children, and luckily the weather was brilliant allowing us to spend a lot of time outdoors, in the woods.

The children took part in several parachute games where they had to work as a team to score goals, save each other from sharks, protect each other from cats and other fun-filled games.

They also had to work together to guide one another through the woods – blindfolded! This was highly entertaining for the teachers to watch!

The main day of the trip saw the children test their nerve, fears, and limits at Parc Aventura. Here the children attempted and succeeded at negotiating the high ropes and challenges along the way. The morning was brought to a close with a superb zip wire that passes high above the lake at Parc Aventura. Several children had a go if they were able to and all left with a smile on their face, having experienced a superb morning.

Once lunch had been devoured, the group headed towards Paradisul Acvatic for a swim and a splash! Here they were able to fly down the slides, swim with friends, and even relax in the Jacuzzi!

Each evening, the children were set the task of completing their journal, having the chance to reflect on their day. They were also tested on their general knowledge with traditional Predeal Team Builder’s Quiz! Some interesting answers were given – along with lots of laughter!

On the final morning of the trip, the teachers handed out certificates for those that had surprised, entertained, cleaned, tidied, impressed, and were just simply a good laugh!

The team is now looking forward to the final group trip of Primary School when they will head off to England for the UK residential in June.

visiting the romexpo

This year marks 50 years since Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin made history by becoming the first men to travel to and from the surface of the Moon.

To coincide with this, Year 6 have been looking at the events leading up to and following NASA’s triumph. They have explored the history of space travel, the technology that was required, and the details of how Man set foot on the Moon.

As part of their topic, the two classes also travelled to RomExpo where an impressive Space Exhibition was on display. The children were able to find out the finer details from the experts at the Space Exhibition and were able to ask intriguing questions to broaden their knowledge of that wonderful day back in 1969.

Back in school, they then followed this up with several presentations and pieces of writing. They also looked at the International Space Station and the benefits it has brought the human race, as well as the actual task of getting it into orbit!

year 6 rockets As part of their holiday homework, Year 6 were set the challenge of creating their very own rocket. An extension to this challenge, was whether or not they could make the rocket take off! Several impressive rockets were brought into school with a couple of them having the potential to fly!

With the whole of Year 6 watching, the creators set up their launch pads and hoped for lift off! New ingenious ways were attempted, along with some tried and tested vinegar-based reactions.

Although there was only a small number that flew, Year 6 had a great time designing, researching, and building their rockets, and the teachers appreciated the considerable effort made by the children.

Lucretia Gabroveanu, German Teacher

What crosses your mind when you associate October with Germany? Of course, the German National Day! This year, our Year 5 and 6 German groups went to a traditional German restaurant to celebrate die Deutsche Einheit. They loved the idea of eating delicious German food while chatting and taking pictures.

The place we went to was specially decorated for us in the spirit of Oktoberfest, with the warm, friendly atmosphere making the children feel very relaxed, like being at home, so the time flew by quickly with everyone having a lot of fun.

The cooks prepared a warm buffet, which tasted so good that by the end of our visit there was no food left. “We should go to a German restaurant every year; I love this kind of trip!�, was a remark made by one student whilst eating his schnitzel, which summed up the general spirit of everyone perfectly.

Well, who knows? Maybe if the students are lucky, they'll get their wish, and we'll go out to eat and celebrate the German National Day again. There’s plenty of time to prepare for our next visit and lots of new places to choose from, which is great because each year we plan to go to a new location!

Bis bald!

world sight day On Thursday, October 17th, IBSB celebrated World Sight Day. The children arrived in school wearing sunglasses of various shapes and colours to mark this significant day. Throughout the day, each class got a visit from two University of Bucharest students, Mariana and Matasuka, and a guide dog, Cleo. Ms Camelia Platt from Light into Europe told the children that

there are 100,000 children and adults in Romania with eye problems.

Each child made a 10 lei donation to Light into Europe to enable them to continue to train the guide dogs and provide walking canes for those who need them, and to provide programmes and opportunities to improve the quality of life for the sight impaired. The message each child has promised to take home and tell their parents is that a visually impaired person has the right to go anywhere with a guide dog and that sensory impairment must not lead to exclusion.

school events

romanian national day Celebrating the National Day of Romania at IBSB It has become a tradition for IBSB to mark Romanian National Day with costumes and a number of Romanian traditional performances. This year we celebrated this big day on Friday, November 29, 2019.

Children from both the Primary and Secondary came together to entertain the audience with wonderful moments, such as a traditional costume parade, a drama show, and a variety of Romanian songs and dances from around the country.

It was then the teachers’ turn to add their piece to the celebrations, surprising the audience with a fantastic rendition of the famous traditional dance “Ciuleandra’’.

The show ended with Hora Unirii - a round dance to a folk tune, joined by the whole audience of students, parents, and teachers.

The round dance symbolizes spiritual communion, equality, and the wish for a common life, which was a fitting way to bring the celebrations to a close.

Happy Romanian Day everyone!

Celebrating Great Union Day The 1st of December (the Great Union Day) is a national holiday in Romania, marking the unification of Transylvania, Basarabia, and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918. It is a day in which we remember what being a citizen of our country means and celebrate our traditions, cultures and history as a nation. Ms Ana, our very own Romanian Language teacher, decided to face the challenge of organising a whole school event in celebration of the holiday, including singing, dancing, and drama sketches, all of which are either famous in our culture or were composed/written by some of the most influential figures in Romanian history.

Attending such whole school events are crucial to adopting the community spirit that our school promotes. I was reading an article about the importance of school events earlier this week which talked about a PhD study that had the primary finding that “events organised for the whole school bear both academic and emotional significance, as they on one hand maintain tradition and on the other are social occasions in which traditions can be rethought and the everyday boundaries of the school transcended.� The core of the study aims to explain why these events are important, which is why I am happy to see so many families and pupils who recognise this importance in our school.

The turnout for IBSB events has risen since I arrived at IBSB almost 12 years ago, and I hope this will keep being the trend in the future!

As the holiday season is almost upon us, I wish you all happy holidays alongside your families and loved ones.

Romanian National Day Revisted After last year’s extravaganza to mark 100 years since the Great Union of Romania, this year IBSB’s celebrations were scaled down slightly, but were no less spectacular!

Parents, students and teachers alike crammed into the hall on the 29th of November to watch and join in with our show. Hosted by IBSB’s Head Boy and Girl, Victor Popa and Andreea Stanescu, the show kicked off with a parade of traditional costumes from various regions of our country, modelled beautifully by primary school students. As ever, MC Dan Boboc was on hand with the music.

Dan had a break for the next performance, because Anastasia Iortoman played the piano (ably supervised by Ms Magdalena) to accompany Year 3’s rendition of ‘Povestea Unui Ciobanas’, with Fia Cornish on lead vocals. Fia handed the microphone to Ana Sophia Cioaca, who sang Çoborai din deal in vale’ while the rest of her class danced along brilliantly.

In a short diversion from the music, Ms Ana had students from Year 6 perform some classic comedy sketches from celebrated observational playwright Ion Caragiale. There were several ticket inspectors, a couple of policemen, some spoilt children with their parents, and one particularly aggressive dog to keep us amused.

Nina Culea of Year 8 took to the stage to get the whole room clapping along to her version of ‘Acasa’ by Smiley, before Felix (Y6) gave another solo performance, this time ‘Hei, tramvai’.

IBSB teachers had prepared a dance called Ciuleandra, which was a simple hora made to look difficult by our staff. However, their efforts were much appreciated by the crowd and provided a touch of unintentional comedy to proceedings...

Thankfully, the teachers’ dance was quite short, and the baying audience could be calmed by two instrumental performances: Stefan Neagu (Y6), who played Burgmuller’s ‘The Return’ on piano, and Serban Popovici (Y6), who gave a violin recital of Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’.

Ms Lucretia had prepared a lively dance (‘Fir-ai tu sa fii de murg’) with Year 5 to bring the show to a close, before everyone in attendance was invited to join in with some extremely large horas to provide an energetic and joyous end to another wonderful Romanian Day celebration. Thanks to MC Dan, Ms Elena, Ms Alexandra, Ms Lucretia, Ms Madalina, Ms Oana and Ms Ana, for putting so much time and effort into making it another memorable event for our school.

halloween party secondary school Fright Night at IBSB!

By Elena Belu and Andrada Samoila-Zamfir, Y8H Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the 31st of October. At IBSB, we celebrate Halloween by dressing up in scary outfits and having a Halloween party. This year, we had the best costumes yet - with some being particularly terrifying!

History of Halloween Halloween is a special day celebrated each year on October 31st. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory the 3rd designated November 1st as a day to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day contained some of the traditions of Samhain, the evening before All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities such as treat-or-treating, carving Jack-O-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.

In America, Halloween stands for a consultation of both religious and agnostic beliefs, rituals and traditions.

Irish immigrants were the ones to bring the celebration to America. In Ireland, where Halloween originated, the day is still celebrated much as it is in the United States. Children get dressed up in costumes and spent the evening “Trick-or-Treating� in their neighborhoods. After “Trick-or-Treating�, most people attend parties with neighbors, friends and family members. In Romania, it is a time when special Halloween-themed tours and shows are popular.

Over the years, countless numbers of fearless tourists travel to Transylvania to celebrate Halloween with costume parties, storytelling and actors playing out Dracula-inspired scenes. While some Romanians observe Halloween on October 31st, St. Andrew’s Night - November 30th - is when garlic is traditionally brought out as a form of protection against ghosts and bad spirits.

This year, our Halloween party was one of the best yet. There were activities and games such as apple bobbing and an escape room. The school got a spooky makeover, making the atmosphere even scarier than before. The cafeteria had purple lights and cobwebs on the wall, and the halls were decorated with orange lights, smoke and giant spiders.

Halloween Trivia In the 1940s, trick or treating was halted because war-time rationing had curtailed the use of sugar.

In Mexico, people celebrate the ‘Day of the Dead’ on November 2nd rather than Halloween on October 31st. The focus is to remember past family members by visiting their graves as a family and leaving small gifts. Celebrants may also dress up as ghouls and roam the streets.

Halloween is thought to be 6,000 years old and was first celebrated around 4,000 BCE.

We listened to songs, danced and played games. There was also a costume competition. The judges had a difficult job, but they ranked Ethan from Year 8 (Dinosaur blow up suit) as third place, Andrada from Year 8 (Butterfly) as second place and Nina from Year 8 (Mad Hatter) as first place.

At the end, we did some karaoke, which was lots of fun and all sang our favourite songs with our friends. We had a great time and look forward to even more people coming next year!

prefects’ halloween message

This year’s Secondary School Halloween Party was organised to raise funds for Speranta Pentru Tine, a charity that works with terminally ill children. The party was carefully planned out by the CAS students, well-advertised and promoted, and as a result was a huge success, with around 60 students attending.

Compared to last year, the students also said that the activities were more engaging and so more students took part, with the haunted house, string maze, and disco being the most popular.

We also had a costume competition. One highlight was the three dinosaurs that arguably improved our decorations! The students who won the String Maze Challenge and the Broomstick Race received some fun prizes, so congratulations to them!

These events are not just important because they support our local community, they also increase the emotional bond between students at our school, so we urge all students to attend them in the future, as they are a fun part of school life! We also raised 2941 RON from the party and the non-uniform day, with the funds already given to the charity, so thank you to everyone for your support of both events and we hope next year that even more students will come!

It was lovely to see how our colleagues from other CAS groups and younger peers kicked in to make the event a success. We want to thank Alex M, Max, Jaime, Maria S, Andrei V, and Ioana A. Special thanks to Ms Blessy, Ms Iona, Ms Johanna, and Mr Tansley for supporting the initiative by giving up their time and staying in school to help us out, especially Ms Iona, who made sure every last student was taken home.

The Speranta Pentru Tine team this year is hopeful to out-do our all-time high record from last year, when we raised over 8000 RON. This year we will be adding different activities and a wider variety of baked goods for the Christmas Fair, with the help of several volunteers from KS3. We are also planning a charity event to be hosted outside the school. We will keep you posted.

light into europe bonfire party Best Bonfire Yet! Light into Europe, one of our charity partners, hosts an amazing Bonfire Night Party at the Caro Hotel every year in early November. This event brings together all the international schools from Bucharest, with people of all ages enjoying the event. The money you pay for your ticket goes to helping Light into Europe programmes to help the hearing impaired, including the guide dog programme. It couldn’t go to a better cause! Therefore, Bonfire Night is not only a celebration, but also a way to show that we care about the work Light into Europe does with sensory-impaired people.

What is Bonfire Night and how did it start?

Bonfire night, or Guy Fawkes Night, is an annual commemoration which takes place on November 5th that is celebrated in the UK. Where does this amazing event originate from? It was the year 1605, and the Protestant James I of England had just become King. A group of English Catholics had a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament, among them a man named Guy Fawkes, placed in charge of the explosives. The plan seemed to be going well as he put the dynamite in the dim, wet cellar. However, the King was suspicious, so he ordered a search of the cells. Guy Fawkes was in position, armed with a slow match to start the chain reaction when the guards broke in and stopped him. He was hanged along with the other plotters, and English people now burn “Guy Fawkes� figures on Bonfire Night every year.

Many families in the UK light small bonfires in their home gardens while other larger ones are lit in a communal space. Firework displays are organised across the UK, but many will also stay at home to set off their own fireworks. Since this happens many safety campaigners call for the sale of fireworks to the public to be restricted as it is a fire hazard to all.  � � � �  ­

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How did IBSB students enjoy Bonfire Night?

As soon as we stepped in the glamorous building, your eyes would fall upon the numerous activities laid out on the white, pristine cloths. As we were staring dumbfounded at the commotion, a whiff of the scrumptious food hit us and guided us outside where the real excitement was happening. People were running around with buckets of popcorn in their hands while others were gathering around the inviting bonfire, trying to warm themselves from the biting cold. We stepped forward to try to look for our friends but were instantly engulfed by the alarmingly huge crowd. Many people were interested in the raffle table, ready to pounce if their number was called! A big cake was placed in a corner and the people attending could bet on how heavy the cake was. I found it hard to believe just how big it was, over 20 kilograms at least, and it looked even tastier than last year’s! The dogs from Light Into Europe were also there, enjoying the feast and getting many pats and strokes throughout the night.

The guide dogs from Light into Europe are specially trained to deal with crowds and noises. They are meant to help people who suffer from sight loss manage everyday life. Willingness to learn, ability to concentrate for extended periods of time, attention to touch and sound, good memory; these are all traits of your average guide dog.

By the time we had regrouped, everyone was waiting for the miraculous moment to happen. Many people huddled around the bonfire as the night was getting colder. The flames were dancing in the slight breeze. The cinders looked like fireflies. At about 8:30, It was time, everyone was staring up into the sky waiting for the amazing show to start. There it went, the first firework. The first rockets shot into the inky sky and burst into explosions of colour that slowly faded away. Everyone was in awe. One after the other was whooshing through the air like a bullet, and then letting off a loud bang. I couldn’t keep my eyes off them. The show went on for a while. Even after the show, I could not keep myself from thinking about them. The air was very misty for the whole night afterwards.

After the fireworks, a big announcement was let out, saying that it would be the time to cut the cake. Immediately a big smile from ear to ear was lit on the face of every kid in the expanse of the vast room. As the one-of-a-kind cake was cut, we all rushed in line to make sure we would get a piece. Once we finally managed to get some, we stuffed our faces full until we couldn’t eat anymore.

Saying that this was the best Bonfire Night yet isn’t an understatement, and it was partially due to the 25kg cake! This was a night that we will cherish and remember for the rest of our lives. We can’t wait for next year!

students’ views on the ibsb ptf barbecue On the 28th of September from 11:00am to 2:00pm, there was a School Barbecue held on the IBSB campus. Teachers and parents (as well as their children) attended the event so the parents could get to know the teachers a little better in an informal social gathering, ask how their children are doing in school, and take a look around the campus, whilst the students meet up with their friends and chat.

In the PE Hall, there was a bouncy castle set up along with some inflatable toys (such as a flamingo and a lot of beachballs!). Most of the primary students were in the PE hall because of this. The secondary students, however, were with their parents talking to the teachers or filming TikToks with other students!

The best thing about the event (in my opinion) was the food provided. There were mouth-watering burgers, sweet and aesthetically pleasing desserts, gourmet ice cream and so much more! One of the sponsors of the event, “Flavours�, is the company who will be catering our school dinners for us when the new school building opens. I tried some of their rich, bittersweet chocolate and nut brownies and I have to say they were very tasty!

Other than the sponsors desserts, there were also desserts kindly supplied by parents and students.

This was my third time going to one of IBSB’s school barbecues and I have to say this has been the best one yet! I recommend going to next year’s barbecue - it will be a lot of fun and who doesn't enjoy free food? ‚ ƒ „

If you didn’t know, IBSB held our annual barbecue on the Saturday of the third week of school. This is a chance for parents and teachers to get to know each other a little better over mouth-watering food and drinks; and when I say mouth-watering, I mean it! Despite being so full after Saturday, I regret not eating more.

While the parents and teachers were chatting, the enormous colourful bouncy castles in the sports hall were a magnet for all the lucky kids in the Primary School. Mr Cornish and Mr Tansley gave their Primary School and Secondary School talks to the parents, informing them about events to look out for. Then, after two hours or so, the event drew to a close. This is definitely an occasion not to be missed next year! � � … €

attending the light into europe caledonian ball † ‡ It was my privilege this year to be invited to attend the 23rd Edition of the Caledonian Ball, in aid of Light into Europe, held in the fantastic Ronda Ballroom at the Intercontinental Hotel. Light in Europe, a charity that is close to the hearts of many of us at IBSB, do a fantastic job to support the visual and hearing impaired in Romania. The Caledonian Ball has become one of the highlights on the Bucharest social calendar and is always well supported by the staff, students, and families of IBSB.

As is the tradition each year, many of our students were invited to take part in the evening's festivities adding to the offering of entertainment, through their involvement in the Scottish dancing. Our students attended dances classes arranged by Light into Europe every Sunday at the InterContinental for both the students and guests for the two months leading up to the actually night, and as a result did themselves extremely proud by starting the evening's entertainment in the foyer of the hotel with a demonstration of a “foursome reel�, as the guests arrived at the hotel. I would like to thank our Head Boy, Victor Popa, as well as our senior prefects Irina Chemencedji, Mario Ghenea, Alex Serban, Max Mihailovici, Milena Vergara and Tamara Minea, along with Ioana Balan, for their participation and for representing IBSB impeccably, as role models of our core values!

After their exertions, we moved on to the actual dinner which consisted of many delicious courses, including some traditional Scottish food, such as the infamous haggis, especially flown in on the day to Bucharest from Edinburgh!

Throughout the dinner, there were many opportunities to see the work that Light into Europe does on a daily basis, as well as hear from some of the guests, such as Andrew Noble, HM Ambassador to Romania, as well as our very own Kendall Peet, who introduced Andrei Dudu, Romania’s three time Ironman Champion who generously donated his participation medal and memorabilia from his qualifying World Ironman Championships race for auction on the evening, raising an additional 3000 euros for the charity in the process.

The next event on the calendar is the Burns Supper, which takes place sometime around the end of January. I am sure that I will see many of you there, ready to celebrate the life and work of the legendary Robert (Rabbie) Burns.

unite nations day celebrations 350 children, 25 different nationalities, 1 school. We have such an incredible family here at IBSB and what better way to celebrate this than to come together to share our traditions and customs with one another.

Mouth-watering food and delicious treats were kindly and carefully prepared by our parents for students, teachers, and parents alike to enjoy. It was great to see so many getting to know each other in this relaxed atmosphere as the flags from many nations were displayed beautifully across the school.

When it was time to start the UN Day Show, the children, teachers, and parents dressed in colourful national costumes filled the PE hall as a buzz of excitement filled the air.

From the RRRRRR dance, to Year 5's skilful hoola hooping, individual musical performances and of course the Primary School students medley, there were so many moments of realisation of how talented our students are.

It is moments like this that we look around and think of how fortunate we are. A former pupil once mentioned that UN Day was always her favourite day of the school year, and I'm sure she is not the only one! I'm sure UN Day will continue to be a treasured day for us here at IBSB, and I for one cannot wait for next year's event!

wordfest 2019

WordFest is a spoken word festival organised for international schools in Bucharest by Mr Cameron Brunke, former IBSB teacher.

The event took place at the Romanian-American University on Saturday the 16th of November. Mr Orme, Mr Ennion and Ms Claudia Marta accompanied an IBSB squad of 14 Secondary School students. There were six competition categories: Group Acting, Individual Acting, Poetry, Persuasive Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, and Storytelling. Although it was just our second year of attending the competition, we did outstandingly well, scooping FOUR first prizes, three second prizes, and two third place prizes.

We hope to return next year as the competition continues to grow! We were immensely proud of the performances put in by our team and they gained a lot of skills on the way.

the 11th sir winston churchill debating competition This year I had the pleasure of attending the 11th edition of the Sir Winston Churchill Debating Competition – an event traditionally associated with the prestige of debating where the very best minds come to hone their public debating skills and test their wits. And while it may seem like an incredibly formal and boring session of back-and-forth clashing around a fairly dry topic to the uninitiated, in reality it is much more interesting – it actually gets you hooked very quickly. Allow me to elaborate: Traditionally, debates are very well-organised and formal: they consist of two teams and a motion (one team supports the motion, the other is opposed to it). Each team in the COBSO format consists of 4 individual speakers, team proposition starts, and team opposition ends. The first 3 speakers speak for 5 to 6 minutes, and the 4th speaker of each team speaks for 3 to 5 minutes. Oh yes, and during the first 3 speaker’s speeches, between minute 1 and 5, the other team is allowed to raise what’s known as a POI (essentially a short question) which the speaker can either accept or not, though each speaker must accept at least two POIs during their time speaking.

Pretty simple, right? Now let me explain what went down in this year’s edition, which was definitely among the most memorable years, at least for me.

As protocol states, we started with prepared motions – motions that were given to each team 6 weeks ahead of the debate. In our case, it was: “This house believes that the writing is on the wall for humanity�, and on the day of the debate we ended up opposing the motion. Being the controversial motion that it is, you can imagine just how tense it was for both teams. The debate was so close in fact that the judges were completely split on who to hand it to (it ended in a draw).

Next up, after a short break with pastries and something to drink, the impromptu stage; it pretty much works as follows: a motion is randomly selected from a High-Tec state-of-the-art good old sorting hat which shuffles the pieces of paper as best it can (or rather we do it), and once the motion is picked, a flick of a coin decides who’s on which side, and just like that a 30 minute timer is set which marks all the time we have to prepare a 5 minute speech. Now obviously no sane person would ever write it word-for-word (except for me, that’s one of my defining traits), and if you speak slowly enough you can just about stretch the 5-minute mark, which is a technique I vehemently perfected as first speaker – it comes with practice. In all seriousness, we had plenty to talk about with the motion “THBT social media is a force for good�, which we opposed – and won. Quite an interesting debate, I might add.

After a longer 45 minute lunch break, with a full buffet menu on offer and enough to time relax a little and recharge our batteries, we headed off to our 3rd debate, which was by far the most enjoyable debate I have ever had the pleasure to take part in. The motion was “THBT tourism is beneficial to the world�, which again we won, and so with 2 wins and a draw we finished second on the table, qualifying for the Cup Semi-finals. The top four teams go into the Cup semifinals, whilst the next four teams go into the silver plate semi-finals. All other teams debate a final debate for minor placings.

In the semi-finals, we encountered our old friends from St George’s Luxembourg, who we debated the previous year in the finals, which we won, so with both teams the same as the previous year, we felt we had the upper advantage. We shook hands and gave each other a pat on the back before setting out to each of our tables ready to do battle. It was quite a heart-breaking moment, but in order to fully commit yourself to debating, you must set aside your feelings, just like our teachers when they write our reports. When we got the motion, my team reacted with a sense of panic, as I remained calm with a smile slowly creeping up my cheeks. I screamed (not literally) “brilliant!�, my team gave me that look, and we set out to defend the motion: “THBT a European super state is necessary for prosperity in Europe�. I think Nigel Farage and his fellow Brexiteers would’ve loved to participate in this debate on the side of the opposition. We were on the side of the proposition and it was yet another win for IBSB. We had made it through the finals once again, undefeated. Game on!

The final, they say, is the most legendary of all fights: it is the culmination of all events, condensed into one all-encompassing battle. Well, I don’t know if I can even call it a battle, because at the end of the day I think we all won.

What? How? Why? Allow me to explain.

Debates at the end of the day are subjective. Once you reach the apex, the peak of debating, you may find that different judges have drastically different opinions on the outcome, as was our case. Honestly speaking (I hope I can speak for all my team members here), it’s not so much about winning as it is about learning something new. Maybe you made a bunch of new friends – I know I did – or maybe you re-discovered yourself and your passions. Who’s going to remember who won what in 10, 20 or 30 years? But I can tell you what you will most definitely remember: it’s the people around you, and if you were truly enjoying yourself.

So don’t come into debating expecting to win, come to debating to enrich yourself and to enjoy it – that’s the only thing, I’ll be honest, which got me so hooked on debating back in Year 7. Oh yes and the motion was “THBT all crimes should be televised� and we were opposing it. And yes, we did lose to 2-1 on this occasion: as they say, good game, and well played. Sportsmanship is crucial, even if you feel like you should’ve won – it speaks miles about any person. In the end, you live to see another day, and for us that is the COBIS World Debate Competition taking place next year in Marbella, Spain, February 5-9. It’s a trip we are all looking forward to immensely, and hope once again to progress through to the final, returning with a trophy in hand for our efforts.

ibsbs got talent In the midst of Christmas rehearsals and the beginnings of our festive celebrations, the annual IBSB Talent Show took place on Monday the 2nd of December. This event often flies under the radar, but is a fantastic showcase of the wide array of talents possessed by IBSB students.

The catalyst for this show is Ms Evi, who gives enthusiastic performers the chance to practice and perfect their acts. She put in many hours of preparation to instill the confidence and level of enjoyment necessary for students to take to the stage in front of a large audience made up of pupils, parents and teachers.

Following the show, but before the winners were announced, Ms Evi gave a speech of appreciation in which she referred to the bravery, diversity, and happiness that was in evidence throughout the show. There certainly was a real sense of camaraderie among the performers which was transmitted to the audience. Although it was a competition, the level of support and mutual respect the participants showed made the whole night a huge triumph.

The school band opened the show with a lively rock’n’roll dance called Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’. This allowed many students to get a feel for the stage before they performed as individuals. The oldest students came first: Jaime belted out an impressive version of Adele’s Turning Tables after Minoru completed a beatbox masterclass. A third musical genre was then introduced when Andrei Peli took to the piano for Benjamin Britten’s Piano Waltz 4.

Between each act, the crowd was kept entertained by the antics of the excellent Year 8 MCs, Alexandra and Rex, who provided the energy and laughter to keep the show moving forward!

Jon dedicated his song to his mother, who was watching on from the audience, before the night’s youngest contestant, Felix, sang the Elvis classic Jailhouse Rock. Matei then took us from the fifties and the birth of pop music to the present day and the outer reaches of dance music with his original DJ set. He even provided luminous bracelets to supercharge the atmosphere – Mr Orme certainly enjoyed it!

Two Year 8 students appeared next. Nina was first; she performed Mad World on piano. Afterwards, Liya wowed the judges with a graceful flamenco dance routine. The piano was called into action again as Maria provided the accompaniment to Antonia’s song Stay, which is a Rihanna hit. Andrei Ghita, who was heavily involved throughout the night as a guitarist, then had the chance to perform two of his own compositions solo.

The night’s only spoken word performance came from Ciprian Rosu, whose stand-up comedy routine about his life story got plenty of laughs from the audience. Another very funny moment followed when Vlad demonstrated just how many pop songs use the same four chords by incorporating all of them into one long number!

The school band came back to close the show with an Ed Sheeran song.

Then, the judges disappeared to deliberate!

There was no doubt that the judges faced a difficult task; the sheer variety of the acts on show meant it was difficult to make comparisons. Ms Gourley, Ms Hawkins, Mr Hudson and Mr Varden eventually made the decision to award the first-place spot to Antonia and Maria. Andrei Ghita came second and Andrei Peli was third, all of whom will go on to represent IBSB in the Interschool Talent Show next year in March.

Prizes aside, there is no doubt that this was a great evening for all concerned, with the audience amazed by the voices, dances and music of the students on show!

under 16 european debate championships † ˆ

When asked to describe debate, many would say that it is exhilarating and intense. This was certainly the case during the U16 European Debate Championships, hosted by IBSB at the Ramada Plaza, where we got to debate with and against students from different schools and backgrounds.

The whole experience started about a week before the competition, when we hosted students from Avenor College for a friendly debate in order to help both teams prepare. After deciding on the motion, “This House Believes That the legal driving age should be lowered to 16�, we had 30 minutes to plan. It was a very thought-provoking debate, and I personally think that it helped us be better prepared for the competition. And as an added bonus, we also made a few friends.

A day before the event, we were lucky enough to be invited to another friendly debate, this time with the French School.

Although the bus ride through crowded Bucharest was a bit of a challenge, it was certainly worth it as we then engaged in two heated debates with both their middle school and senior team.

We first debated the prepared motion for the competition, “THBT all examinable IGCSEs should be compulsory�, which helped both sides refine their speeches for the big day. For the second debate however, there was a bit of a mix up: we had prepared for two different motions! I think it’s safe to say that it was quite an interesting debate, with one side arguing for free university education and the other veganism. We ended up staying for lunch and bonding with their debate team, before heading back to school for the last few lessons of the day.

And finally, after weeks of preparation, the day of the competition arrived. In total, there were 8 teams from 7 different schools, all fighting for the trophy. We started by debating the prepared motion against the Bucharest Beirut International School, and after a tough debate, we emerged victorious. Having scored relatively well, we went into the mixed teams rounds feeling confident. What mixed teams debating is, is having people from different schools mixed together in the same team, and then having to co-operate and debate together. This proved quite challenging, and after the second out of four rounds of debating, we were delivered the news that we weren’t even in the top 4 teams. This fuelled us further to push through in the last round before the finals, and to get scores good enough to place us in the top 2 teams.

We debated our hearts out, trying our very best to score well, and it paid off. We held our breaths during the suspenseful announcement of the rankings, and were euphoric to find out that we made top 2! We were going to be debating the Grand Final against St George’s from Sofia!

Having a bit of spare time to unwind before the final debate, we hung out with the students from St George’s and enjoyed our time together, before having to debate against them. As people started pouring into the room to observe the final, we drew the motion and started preparing.

Our team ended up debating against the motion “THBT the way to solve the climate emergency is population control�. After 30 minutes, our time was up and the debate started. I think I speak for all those debating when I say that it was indeed a very intense debate that challenged us all. We argued fiercely for our side of the motion, but ended up losing very narrowly (by only 4 points!).

I’d like to congratulate St George’s for winning the competition and all the debaters who participated. It isn’t easy to do two, three, even four debates in the same day and all those present did an amazing job.

I’d also like to congratulate our senior debate team, who got second place in the Sir Winston Debate Competition the next day. And finally, I’d like to thank Mr Peet and all the staff present for helping ensure that the competition ran smoothly. It was a great experience and I would encourage everyone to try it out at least once.

an evening with the bard ‚ ‰ Š � � ‹ Š This term, the IBSB Players gave their very first performance, charging through four Shakespearean plays without missing a beat and hardly a second to breathe. Student director, Jaime Baker, introduced the showcase event and was instrumental in its production, both directing and performing. This event is the first of many to come from the IBSB Players and was enjoyed by all, though perhaps not fully understood by a few, which is both the nature and the beast of Shakespeare‌it is often a pleasure earnt. In the end though, is was simply a fun evening with The Bard and a just a small taste of the excellent performances to come. Thank you to everyone who played a part in this production. The IBSB Players look forward to you joining us again soon for more engaging and entertaining theatre.

the winter show � Œ ‡ Š

Our Primary children treated us to another amazing performance at the Winter Show this year. The lights created the atmosphere, the costumes, with the support of the parents, set the scene, the props and backdrops, all done in house by our teachers and Year 6 children, showed our artistic expertise and the children were confident and made us proud.

It was a real team effort and although it was a big success and appeared easy on the night, it belies the amount of hard work and planning that needed to happen to make it seem so effortless. From the youngest to the oldest, there were smiles galore.

The stand out for me was the children’s poise and confidence during their performances and the clear expression of joy on all their faces as they sang, acted, danced and entertained us. It was a special evening and I was happy to see so many of our parents sharing the memories. These are memories that will endure a lifetime.

Thank you for sharing the night with us and a big thank you to the team of teachers who prepared the children to shine on stage and the office, drivers and cleaners for helping to prepare the hall. We will do it again next year!

uk university trip †

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As we are a British school, it is self-explanatory that many of our students apply to UK universities every year. An important step in the application process is visiting the city you want to study in and of course, the universities you wish to enrol in. With this in mind, Ms Baker and MrTansley organised a trip to London University Fair, the largest in the UK, to meet the admissions officers from the majority of the UK based universities, and also so students aspiring to study in London specifically could get the chance to see some universities first-hand and benefit from a personalised tour on campus, which you wouldn’t have access to if you went by yourself.

The visiting of universities commenced the day after our arrival, with a full day’s schedule planned: first up was University College London (UCL). The campus and faculty departments were spread around central London, making it impossible for us to stay indoors when touring the uni. Although not always convenient, we had to come to peace with the fact that this would become something regular if we were to study there. Walking around in bad weather conditions is not an option in London. Despite the fact that all of the university's facilities were up to date and new, UCL as the oldest university in London (1826) tended to lean towards a more traditional approach to university Education. This was especially evident in the marvellous library we visited, showcasing Roman sculptures, century-old columns, and timeless classical architecture.

It’s counterpart was the university we visited next: the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Every detail about it was modern, from the glass walls and exteriors to the design of the library’s staircase. I believe this style of architecture was wisely chosen in order to reflect the fact that the focus of the university, the social sciences, are topics that are ever-changing and require a modern type of perspective in order to be understood and applied to the real world. At LSE, we got the chance to speak to the admissions officer and ask a few questions relating to our desired course, which for me was economics and politics. This proved to be very helpful as I got the insight of a person that is qualified and actually deals with the process of accepting students, along with tips on personal statements and traits they are looking for in potential attendees. Although very different from UCL in terms of design, the two universities are rivals equally ranked at the top percentile of the league tables.

Just a little further down the rankings, but still a top 50 universities in the world is King’s College London, the second oldest university in London (1829), located right next to LSE, and next up on our visit list. This experience was slightly more personal at Kings as we had our very own guide, ex Head Girl Luiza Ruptureanu. As a current proud student of KCL, she walked us around her college and talked about life in London, the struggles of university, and of course showed us the best of what King’s has to offer. Our tour ended with a panoramic rooftop terrace view of London on the last floor of her college building. A sight that makes you want to work hard enough to come see again, but as a student there.

The following day we took a one hour bus ride to Oxford. A beautiful, small town with some of the most incredible buildings and churches I have ever seen. I must admit that on a personal note I was a little disappointed with how tiny the town actually was, but glad I got to understand myself better; I now know I am for sure a city-type of person and modest towns aren’t exactly my zone of comfort. This is something I especially loved about this trip: I discovered things about myself I wouldn't have known otherwise without visiting the universities. Miniscule details that one wouldn’t normally consider, but that make up actually quite a significant role in deciding where you want to study.

On the last full day we headed to the largest University Fair in the UK, where we could chat with representatives from various UK universities to gather any last minute information we needed or get answers to any questions we still had. The rest of the day was consumed with shopping on and around Oxford Street, which was certainly entertaining, as well as very tiring.

From Minoru admiring an airplane in the sky and asking “Is that a chicken?�, to finding ‘true’ love in the airport, this trip was not only very helpful and informative, but also immensely fun. Therefore, on behalf of all that attended the trip, I’d like to thank Ms Baker and Mr Tansley for making it happen and say that for anyone considering studying in the UK, this trip is an absolute ‘must do’.

ibsb/british council

It’s much easier to study if you have answered the big question WHY? Universities fairs are one proven way to answer this question, bringing added meaning to what students do each and every day in the classroom.

Developing a clear understanding of the university application process and the prerequisites for each university and the courses they offer helps connect the work our students do now, as they prepare for their IGCSE and A Level exams, to their future dreams and aspirations.

As our students work around the hall of exhibitors from table to table, speaking with the admissions officers, asking questions and collecting brochures, they begin to understand what is needed to turn their dreams into reality, and in doing so return to their classrooms more motivated to learn, prepared to do the work needed to make their dreams a reality.

university fair

We would like to thank the British Council and the many universities that took part in the university fair at IBSB for being an important partner in the education of our students.

The incredible success of IBSB Student Graduate Programme is a direct result of the IBSB Community and the strength of our community partnerships.

secondary school science fair On Wednesday we celebrated all that’s great about science in our annual IBSB Science Fair. Themed around one of our core values, Sustainability, our budding KS3 scientists were joined by a few established KS4 ones to present innovative solutions to a host of problems faced by the world. Whether it be by using leftover takeaway boxes to construct a solar oven, making an ecosystem in a bottle, or designing an entirely eco-friendly house, our pupils again proved how creative and innovative they are.

Thank you to all of our enthusiastic KS3 and 4 pupils, our 6th form judges, and the staff for ensuring the science fair was a great success.

DISCOVER BUCHAREST’S YOUNGEST PARK IN LATE FALL!

Hi there, The unusually beautiful weather in November should encourage everyone to enjoy leisure strolls and cool jogs in the park!

Therefore, we’d like to invite you to discover Parcul Natural Vacaresti, the Capital’s youngest park, where we helped with arranging two walkway alleys in full respect of nature and the environment.

Chances are that along your stroll you’ll meet some of the park’s permanent residents – birds, hedgehogs, small reptiles or even otters! Not to mention the more-than-welcome discrete sound of nature at the heart of a noisy city...

So take your parents, your friends, your grandparents, your crush – or just your running or biking gear - and come spend some quality time in the middle of nature, in the middle of the city!

© Helmut Ignat

We are La Fantana, a services company born and grown in Bucharest and we proudly helped landscaping this young park for everybody in the city to enjoy!

school views

head of school message building community I have written a lot about the importance of ‘Community’ this year, from the point of view of the role we play within the COBIS community, the role the PTF play in helping to build a stronger community within IBSB and linking us though the parent network to the various communities outside school, the role we play and the benefits we receive as an active member of the international school community that exists within Romanian, with tri-annual Head of School meetings taking place, the first of which I attended at BSB in September, and which IBSB will be hosting in February, as well as the various other communities that we are a part of.

Bucharest International Heads of School meeting, September 2019

Left to right: Gabriel Sams (BCA), Damian Ward (Verita), Diana Segarceanu (Avenor College), Rita Maalouf (CSB), Peter Welch (AISB), Philip Walters (BSB), Kendall Peet (IBSB)

One community that we have recently joined is the newly established ‘Black Sea Schools Community’, which currently includes 21 members. This community is the direct result of several formative meetings held at recent COBIS conferences in which a number of the listed schools felt the need to form a closer community of schools within the Black Sea region to better facilitate regional student events, teacher training opportunities, and a variety of other collaborative opportunities able to benefit the members.

21 “Members�

Azerbaijan British College ABS Kindercare Centre Anglo-American School of Sofia British School of Sofia St George’s International School British International School of Tbilisi

Acorns Nursery Avenor College BritAcademy Bucharest British School of Bucharest Cambridge School of Bucharest International British School of Bucharest International School of Bucharest

Maria International School of Bucharest Pick Me Academy Royal School in Transylvania Transylvania College British Embassy School Ankara British International School Istanbul British International School Ukraine

On October the 4th, I had the opportunity to attend my first Black Seas Schools meeting hosted by Justin Nichols, the Head of St. George International School & Preschool, which included a tour of St George’s, followed by a meeting with the Heads from 10 schools in the Black Sea region to discuss officially forming this new group, before moving on to topics of mutual interest, such as school accreditation, curriculum development, and recruitment and retention, to name just a few.

It was useful to be able to discuss specific issues relating, for example, to teacher recruitment in Eastern Europe with Heads from various Eastern European countries to better understand the issues schools are facing and the approaches taken, and in some cases creative ways the various schools have sort to improve teacher recruitment and retention. The information shared was based on tried and tested first-hand experience, with each Head able to answer questions directly and in some cases offer suggestions to specific real world problems currently faced by various schools. In this way, it was a collective sharing of best practice which benefitted everyone present.

Black Sea Schools Meeting, October, 2019 One of the key items on the agenda was interschool events and opportunities for students, with each school offering something to the shared Black Sea Schools Calendar for 2019-20. COBIS offer a number of opportunities to its members, but at a cost which is for some is prohibitive, and one aim of the Black Seas Schools Group is to offer a similar range of activities at a much lower cost.

From IBSB, we happily invited the other schools to attend the two European high school debating competitions we host each year, and one of the schools did in fact attend this year, with another sending a staff representative to observe, with a confirmed commitment to bring a group next year.

The British International School of Tbilisi said they would run a Creative Writing Competition and an online Math Competition this year.

The British School of Ukraine offered to run a Creative Arts Festival in February. The British Embassy School of Ankara said they would run a Primary School Games in May 2020, and The British International School of Tbilisi also offered to run a Secondary School Games in April 2020.

On returning from the meeting, I have already spoken with Alan Cornish and Matthew Tansley about my positive experience and great people I met and new friends made, and we hope to be able to participate in some of these events either this year or the next, and to work more closely with these schools in future.

There is a famous English saying that ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. I’m a big believer in this. I’m also a big believer in the concept of synergy and the ideology behind Game Theory, which basically says that we can achieve more working together for a mutually agreed goal, than we can working individually or in opposition for private interest. There is also a saying in English that two hands make quick or light work, and so it is with this in mind that we extend the hand of friendship to our neighbouring schools both in Romania and further afield in the Black Sea region, believing that we will each benefit from any future collaboration, with everything to gain and very little if anything to lose.

uk

university trip Tamara Minea, Y12 Senior Prefect

As we are a British school, it is self-explanatory that many of our students apply to UK universities every year. An important step in the pplication process is visiting the city you want to study in and of course, the universities you wish to enrol in. With this in mind, Ms Baker and MrTansley organised a trip to London University Fair, the largest in the UK, to meet the admissions officers from the majority of the UK based universities, and also so students aspiring to study in London specifically could get the chance to see some universities first-hand and benefit from a personalised tour on campus, which you wouldn’t have access to if you went by yourself.

The visiting of universities commenced the day after our arrival, with a full day’s schedule planned: first up was University College London (UCL). The campus and faculty departments were spread around central London, making it impossible for us to stay indoors when touring the uni. Although not always convenient, we had to come to peace with the fact that this would become something regular if we were to study there. Walking around in bad weather conditions is not an option in London. Despite the fact that all of the university's facilities were up to date and new, UCL as the oldest university in London (1826) tended to lean towards a more traditional approach to university Education. This was especially evident in the marvellous library we visited, showcasing Roman sculptures, century-old columns, and timeless classical architecture.

It’s counterpart was the university we visited next: the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Every detail about it was modern, from the glass walls and exteriors to the design of the library’s staircase. I believe this style of architecture was wisely chosen in order to reflect the fact that the focus of the university, the social sciences, are topics that are ever-changing and require a modern type of perspective in order to be understood and applied to the real world. At LSE, we got the chance to speak to the admissions officer and ask a few questions relating to our desired course, which for me was economics and politics. This proved to be very helpful as I got the insight of a person that is qualified and actually deals with the process of accepting students, along with tips on personal statements and traits they are looking for in potential attendees. Although very different from UCL in terms of design, the two universities are rivals equally ranked at the top percentile of the league tables.

Just a little further down the rankings, but still a top 50 universities in the world is King’s College London, the second oldest university in London (1829), located right next to LSE, and next up on our visit list. This experience was slightly more personal at Kings as we had our very own guide, ex Head Girl Luiza Ruptureanu. As a current proud student of KCL, she walked us around her college and talked about life in London, the struggles of university, and of course showed us the best of what King’s has to offer. Our tour ended with a panoramic rooftop terrace view of London on the last floor of her college building. A sight that makes you want to work hard enough to come see again, but as a student there.

The following day we took a one hour bus ride to Oxford. A beautiful, small town with some of the most incredible buildings and churches I have ever seen. I must admit that on a personal note I was a little disappointed with how tiny the town actually was, but glad I got to understand myself better; I now know I am for sure a city-type of person and modest towns aren’t exactly my zone of comfort. This is something I especially loved about this trip: I discovered things about myself I wouldn't have known otherwise without visiting the universities. Miniscule details that one wouldn’t normally consider, but that make up actually quite a significant role in deciding where you want to study.

On the last full day we headed to the largest University Fair in the UK, where we could chat with representatives from various UK universities to gather any last minute information we needed or get answers to any questions we still had. The rest of the day was consumed with shopping on and around Oxford Street, which was certainly entertaining, as well as very tiring.

From Minoru admiring an airplane in the sky and asking “Is that a chicken?�, to finding ‘true’ love in the airport, this trip was not only very helpful and informative, but also immensely fun. Therefore, on behalf of all that attended the trip, I’d like to thank Ms Baker and Mr Tansley for making it happen and say that for anyone considering studying in the UK, this trip is an absolute ‘must do’.

a summer of wildlife conservation Jaime Baker Year 12

This summer, for my work experience, I volunteered at Juara Turtle Project in the Tioman Islands, Malaysia, as I would like to pursue a career in animal and environmental conservation.

For two weeks, my job was to

inform and educate visitors, complete beach patrols, assist in the process of burying nests, help out with releasing baby hatchlings other important activities.

JTP is a conservation-based NGO (non-governmental) that works towards trying to improve survival rates and the total population of turtles. As well as this, JTP also has a Coral Rehabilitation programme and collaborates with Animal Welfare (a cat shelter that aims to raise money towards neutering and medication for sick cats) As the next few years progress, you shall hopefully be finding out more about JTP through CAS and Eco School.

university applications news Jayne Baker It is university applications season! It is a very busy time of year with Ms Croci, Ms Blessy, Mr Peet and myself working with the students to ensure that their applications are the best they can be.

The early deadline applications are in mid-October. These are for Medicine, Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge), and Veterinary Science. This year two students – Adela and Gekko applied for Medicine. We always have to wait a long time to know the outcome of these applications, but already know that they have received several offers for interviews and so we wish them well as prepare to head to the UK. The following students have applied for their UK based university places at the time of writing: Victor and Alex Serban – both for Economics. Victor received 4 offers within a week – Leeds, Loughborough, Exeter and Lancaster, but he is still waiting to hear from Warwick – his first choice. Alex’s application was only sent a week ago, but I am sure he will receive some offers very soon.

Andreea was the first to apply – she wants to study Business Management and has so far received offers from Birmingham & Warwick, but again, is waiting for her first choice of UCL. Bogdan has received an offer to study Aerospace Engineering at the University of Liverpool, but more importantly has received an offer from his first choice, Imperial College, one of the top science-based universities in the world.

Ioana Balan has also received offers to study Forensic Science at The University of Law in England and Abertay in Scotland.

It isn’t just the UK though, but the deadline dates are usually a bit later for the other countries. Even so, Matei has sent his application to NHL Stenden in The Netherlands to study Event Management and Victor has sent his application and been accepted to Erasmus in Rotterdam.

Maria has completed her application with Institute Maragoni in Milan to study Art and Francisco is working towards his application to study Economics and Management, along with studying for his SATs in the hope of being offered a place at Bocconi, also in Milan.

Both Tudor and Alexia are finding out how rigorous the US Common Application system is, but they are working on their applications to the USA and the UK as we speak.

As always, different students take varying amounts of time to complete this process. As a team we are here to help advise in any way that we can. Some students enjoy the responsibility of doing this for themselves, whilst others need more help, which we are always happy to supply, as long as it isn’t too close to the deadline!

In due course we will release information of the first choice offers of our graduating students. Keep an eye on our social media page in the New Year!

a level results 1

student achieved the perfect score of A*A*A*

70% scored A*-C in Mathematics

66%

achieved over B in A Level Chemistry

77% of students achieved A*-C in 2/3 of their subjects

igse results 94%

of students scored over BB grades in Combined Sciences (Double Award)

90% of students achieved A*-C in all subjects

of students who took French as a Foreign Language scored an A

four worthwhile movies that came out in 2019 Andrei Vernon 10A

once upon a time... in hollywood Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set in 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore.

avengers: endgame A movie that needs almost no introduction, Avengers: Endgame, is the fourth and, possibly, final installment in the series that has taken the world by storm. This movie features a stellar cast and even greater CG, and although it has a runtime of 3 entire hours, it somehow never seems to bore the audience.

There’s little that can be said about the film at hand without at least alluding to some of its twists, but what I can say with certainty, is that Avengers: Endgame is a marvel, both in terms of narrative scale and logistical ambition. It is tasked with tying up all of the 21 films that came out before it, and masterfully delivers.

By this point in the franchise, audiences have come to expect a top-of-the-line experience: iconic costume and set design, cinematography that alternates smoothly between nuanced character moments and epic clashes, and rousing music that underscores both the peril and the gravity of it all. Like Infinity War before it, Endgame delivers these elements at a considerably higher level than Marvel’s less expensive and less expansive lone-hero installments.

While the cinematography, score, CGI and plot are all things that Avengers: Endgame contributes, the best thing it provides tops them all: a truly satisfying sense of closure.

Verdict: Epic conclusion to an epic saga.

9/10

When I first watched this movie in the United States, the audience loved the film and everyone was laughing at all the jokes. When I watched it again in Romania, almost nobody laughed, with a few people even walking out of the theater. What was different? I feel like to really appreciate this movie one must be acquainted with the Sharon Tate murders of ‘69, because of the fact that the basic premise of the entire movie is “what would happen if the murderers got the wrong house?�. Granted, most of the movie is a slow buildup to the actual murder attempt.

The film is crowded with telltale signs of Quentin Tarantino - with movies and shows of the decades after World War II, with the architecture, commercial signage and famous restaurants of Los Angeles, with vintage cars, clothes and cigarettes. Tarantino’s films require the audience’s total attention, bombarding us with allusions, visual jokes, bits of profane eloquence, gobs of premeditated gore and daubs of throwaway beauty.

Though trouble bubbles in the distance and havoc arrives in the final act, this is fundamentally a hangout movie. Above all, it’s a buddy picture about two entertainment industry workers doing their jobs and making the scene over a few hectic, sunny days in 1969.

Verdict: Another great Tarantino motion picture. 7/10

john wick: chapter 3 parabellum

joker

If you’re in need of something exciting to watch on a lazy Sunday night, John Wick is one of your better options. It’s hard to explain to somebody who hasn’t seen John Wick just how satisfying the action it puts forward is. When Wick (played by Keanu Reeves) engages in a fight, he’s less akin to a frantic assailant, but more a ballerina who gracefully bobs and weaves, leaving only destruction in his wake.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, much as its title implies, is the third installment in the action-packed, soon-to-be tetralogy of John Wick films. “Parabellum� comes from the latin phrase “si vis pacem, para bellum�, which means “if you want peace, prepare for war�. And if you’re about to watch this movie, prepare for war you must, as it instantly picks up where the other left off. John is left alone in Manhattan with one hour before he’ll be excommunicated from the worldwide syndicate of assassins he was a part of until just a moment ago. The series is excellent at world building, giving just enough information to be understood, while leaving enough out to still remain ambiguous.

From cinematographer Dan Laustsen’s visuals and prismatic colour palette to the fight choreography and costumes styled to the point of perfection, and Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard’s driving score, the Wick series’ third outing reverberates with rhythm and energy. This movie is a fun watch, and definitely delivers some of the best fight scenes to come out this year.

The clown prince of crime is alive in Todd Phillips' grippingly atmospheric supervillain origin story, Joker.

Starring Robert De Niro and the true star of the show, Joaquin Phoenix, this film gives an insight into Arthur Fleck’s life before he became the villain we all know and love.

While the gloomy cinematography and brooding orchestral score are amazing, this movie is undeniably carried by the performance of the one and only Joaquin Phoenix, who does an amazing job of playing Arthur Fleck. His acting is captivating and realistic, nailing the iconic laugh of the Joker, and leaves you almost unable to distinguish his character from the actor. He brings a much more grounded interpretation of the titular character to the table than those before, which tended to be a lot more cartoonish in nature.

All in all, Joker is an intense motion picture about the decline of a mentally ill man who feels wronged by society and has never had a good break in his life. The violence can get quite graphic, but the movie focuses on what’s going on in Arthur's head, as he steadily disconnects from reality. What's so compelling about the title role, both as written and in Phoenix's full-throttle, raw performance, is that we're encouraged to feel sympathy for the Joker even as he's clearly turning into a homicidal maniac.

Verdict: The movie left me excited and scared as to what would happen next. 9/10

Verdict: Best action yet, but not as iconic as the original. 8/10

la cordillera de los sueĂąos

Film Review

by Milena Vergara Year 12

You may or may not know of the Andes, you may or may not know about the dictatorship in Chile, and you may or may not know about film director Patricio Guzman.

I had three Chilean grandparents who lived through the dictatorship; they talked about the past so as not to forget what happened and to ensure it would not occur again in the future. I am not an isolated case, however, as every Chilean is touched by the country’s history, including director Patricio Guzman. Having lived in exile for forty years, he has loved Chile from afar like thousands of others, who left their homeland through choice or because they were forced out. Guzman’s documentaries have not only moved those who were affected, but have also garnered an international audience; he is now a globally renowned director for films such as “The Battle of Chileâ€? and “Salvador Allendeâ€?. In his latest masterpiece, “La Cordillera de los SueĂąosâ€? - “The Mountain Range of Dreamsâ€? - we follow Guzman as he takes us along the mountain-range to recount the tale of the people through compelling natural imagery and story-telling, narrated by his own soothing voice.

The Cordillera isolates Santiago, Chile’s capital, and inhabitants have felt as if it has watched over them and their civilisations for millions of years. One of the Andes’ largest mountain ranges, the Cordillera contains 20,000-year-old tracks from the Quechua indigenous group and served as a shelter for pre-Columbian archaeological sites and wildlife, such as the famous condor. It is in its shadow that the documentary unfurls.

The film reveals the gruesomeness of ‘El Golpe’, the coupe, through personal anecdotes of the fear instilled within people and the ruthlessness of Pinochet’s military regime; Chileans believed to be involved with leftist groups such as Allende’s Popular Unity Party were especially targeted. In the film we meet another director who bravely documented and filmed the brutality during the dictatorship, and he tells us how in ‘suspicious’ sectors of Santiago all the men would be rounded up into a stadium and kept there for days in poor conditions; how doors were not even kept locked since you expected soldiers to break into your house either way, and it would not be unusual for one to be woken up with a machine gun pointed at one’s head. There is a notorious term, ‘desaparecidos’ which means the ‘disappeared’,

and it refers to all the thousands of missing and executed people.

The fear of ‘disappearing’ became so widespread that it was known that if you were taken by the police, you had to yell your name and social security number, so that if you were lucky enough someone on the street could hear you and report you as a missing person.

The torture and execution of activist and artist Victor Jara greatly impacted the nation. On the morning of the 12 of September 1973, he was taken alongside thousands of others and interned in Chile Stadium. There the Guards tortured him and then displayed his body at the entrance of Chile Stadium for other prisoners to see. My friend, Christie, who came to see the film with me, expressed how she knew there had been a coupe and dictatorship as she is a history student, however that she wasn’t aware of just how cruel the regime had been.

The documentary is not only a memorabilia of the past, since it also shows how the triumph of the dictatorship has created a very classist society in present day Chile. It has caused a lot of political tension and inequality which has now led to the current uproar in Chile. Massive Chilean territory is not Chilean, as for example the largest copper mine was sold to foreign companies, and in certain provinces, 80% of the territory is privately owned; Chile is the only country in the world all of its water privately owned.

Patricio Guzman’s powerful documentary is a must-see, and I had the pleasure of watching it at the fourth annual Pelicula event, which shows a multitude of indie South American films. I make an effort to attend every year as each time I am deeply moved. “La Cordillera de los SueĂąosâ€? won the Golden Eye at the Cannes Film Festival 2019, and it is part of a collection of documentaries, the other two focusing on Chile’s other natural wonders such as the Attacama desert and Patagonia. Having watched this film I am not only grateful for the commemoration it gave to Chile’s people, but also because I am free to express my opinions, as I have in this article, whereas previous generations have not had the liberty to do so.

A link to 10 interesting facts about the Andes https://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2017/03/andes-mount ains-facts/

the brilliant mind of SALVADOR DALI Irina Chemencedji Year 12

Art is one of the key things that makes us human.

Although we may not realise it, we are exposed to countless forms of art everywhere we go: whether it is the picturesque scenery of a mountain or the intricate details of a magnificent building, the impact of any of these forms sparks a powerful emotion which can differ in all human beings. One of the most beautiful things about art is that it can be interpreted in such a diverse manner, therefore it can have a unique meaning that makes it special to each individual.

One of the most imposing and complex artists, in my opinion, is Salvador Dali, whose work is renowned for being very eccentric and unconventional, and as a result transmitting very powerful messages to its viewers. To this day, Dali is recognised as one of the most iconic and significant surrealist artists of all time; he successfully released the creative potential of the unconscious mind by creating an irrational juxtaposition of images in his paintings.

Dali is known for playing with the concept of time in many of his paintings. In this piece, for instance, the draped clocks represent what he called the ‘camembert of time’, implying that the concept of time has lost all of its meaning in a dream-like state, which is supported by the idea of the pocket watch covered in ants, further suggesting the decay of time.

In addition, Dali reinforces his bold ideas using vivid colours alongside high contrasts in order to create a striking image to the eye, shocking the viewer at first glance. There are generally a lot of objects and figures, almost in an excessive manner; however, he manages to position them in a way which enables them to effectively tell a story.

Salvador Dali had an extraordinary way of thinking and believed that the true meaning is in the eye of the beholder, which led him to create his revolutionary artwork that can be interpreted from numerous perspectives.

“ the fact i

myself do not understand what my paintings mean while i am painting them does not imply that they are meaningless.�

- Salvador Dali

The bright mix of orange and yellow leaves, the steep mountainsides waiting to be explored and the spectacular views in the Carpathian mountains attract many Bucharesters and other Romanian or international tourists to the area during the autumn period. I recently travelled to Magura, a small, traditional mountain village in the county of Brasov for a small break during the weekend. The townsfolk are kind and excited to chat to any visitors, as well as help with directions. There are many routes which anyone, from hikers with no experience to those who love to climb rock faces, can enjoy.

We followed a winding path through the woods, which after three hours or so led into a superb meadow. Sheep were grazing in a corner of the field, and with the sun setting, the vibrant colours projected on the mountains and sky were nothing short of amazing. The Bucegi mountains were visible from the meadow; the tallest point, Varful Omu, was the greatest sight of them all.

All the tourists and locals have helped to boost the local economy significantly in the past years. The streets in the resorts are modern and the houses have benefited from refurbishments. There has been an increase in the number of shops and the diversification of products and general standard of living has increased as locals can now also take advantage of the newly available jobs. Sadly, all of these come at a cost: long queues on the DN1 (the highway in the valley of Prahova, the main road to use if you are travelling to the area) which can turn a 2 hour journey when there is no traffic to a 5 hour tiring experience; increased air pollution coming from the exhausts of cars, mainly carbon dioxide; and increased littering on the mountains near hiking paths or in the resorts. Even though there are some initiatives to clean up the mountain range, it is quite difficult to look after all of it. This is why we, as a community, should take care of our environment, whether it is a mountain or a city. Never litter, try and travel by train to the mountains or by coach, and increase awareness about how to be more sustainable. The Carpathian mountains in Romania are incredible to behold, so let’s preserve them for the upcoming generations as well!

the carpathians Victor Popa

what is

COSMIC HORROR? Matei Bitu Year 12

Seeing as it is October (at least at the time of writing) and October is the designated “spooky month� of the year, I thought it would be fitting to explore the also very spooky concept of cosmic horror. Let’s start with the very basics and just lay down some sort of description of what cosmic horror is. In a nutshell, it is a subgenre of horror centred around the terror of thinking about man’s place in the universe, the inherent human fear of the unknown, and beings so bizarre and alien that they are quite literally maddening to behold.

A key staple of cosmic horror is the “big unstoppable creature� trope, however where this type of being differs from the Frankenstein’s Monster type of “big unstoppable creature� is in the way that the creature scares the reader.

While a conventional vampire or ghoul may spook the reader through the author’s description, creatures in cosmic horror are usually not fully described. This is by design, of course, as the whole point of cosmic horror is the concept of the unknown, and attempting to describe something in exhaustive detail will do nothing but take away from the experience. In cosmic horror, the author attempts to unsettle the reader rather than directly scare them, emphasising the effect on characters’ state of mind after witnessing the monster rather than the monster itself.

As previously mentioned, a good cosmic horror story revolves around the effects of witnessing something that has the potential to shatter one’s worldview. H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu isn’t scary because of the fact that it is a massive beast with wings and tentacles for a chin, but rather because of the fact that it makes the main character, and reader by extension, feel tiny and insignificant on a grand scale as a result of being exposed to a being of unthinkable strength.

The reliance on unimaginable, intangible entities is also one of the reasons why cosmic horror has not had much success in visual media such as movies, television or video games. It is very hard not to trivialise a Cthulhu-style monster when the filmmaker feels like they must show the audience something, as opposed to creating a sense of emotion.

Should you want to read a good cosmic horror story for yourself, the previously mentioned H.P. Lovecraft’s works are all on the internet (seeing as they are almost 100 years old). There are also collections of his stories that you can buy from your bookshop of choice. I would personally recommend the stories “The Lurking Fear,� “The Dunwich Horror,� and “The Shadow over Innsmouth.� I hope you try them out and have a Happy Halloween!

Maria Lin Year 12

Basketball was my favourite hobby before I had to get ankle surgery a short while ago.

Following that, I found myself searching for something that could replace my passion for basketball. After months and months of looking, I eventually stumbled across the world of designer sneakers, and became a so called “sneakerhead�. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a person who collects, trades, or admires sneakers. It may sound a little weird, but I always felt that the shoes a person wears say a lot about the person and is representative of their style; shoes are also an important part of fashion as a whole, making up an immense part of the fashion industry. You may be thinking, why wouldn’t I take up photography or painting or any other hobby? The answer is that being a sneakerhead is not only enjoyable, but can also be quite profitable!

Being a sneakerhead isn’t always straightforward, as you need to closely follow the dates of releases and where you can get the shoes. Most of the time, the

Air Jordan 1 “Fearless�

Air Fear of God “Oatmeal�

products are not available in Romania. So where is the profit in this? Well, most of you know about the stock market, where the value of the stock fluctuates daily; the same thing happens with shoes too, the resale price often growing to more than double the amount you spent on the initial purchase due to the limited number in which most designs are made.

If you would like to get involved in the sneaker market, below are the top 5 sneakers to be released in the next 2 months: Air Jordan 1 “Fearless�, Air Fear of God “Oatmeal�, Air Force 1 Low “Cactus Jack�, Clot x Air Jordan 1 Mid and Off-White x Nike SB low (which will be available in 3 different colours).

Air Force 1 Low “Cactus Jack�

Clot x Air Jordan 1 Mid

O-White x Nike SB low

arts & crafts club

Aya Menner 7E

In Arts & Crafts club we do lots of creative things that are lots of fun! For example: cards for different occasions, origami and colouring many different things. In this club there is always a good environment to work in; if you ever want to join the club, you’ll have lots of fun!

laptaria cu caimac design competition

Jayne Baker

On September 15, a competition to design a Christmas label for Laptaria Cu Caimac was announced. The prize being offered was both the chance to have your design on their milk bottles over the Christmas period and 1000₏. It was an offer too good to pass on for one of our students, Orla Tansley from Year 8. Now it was time to brainstorm ideas, to come up with a winning idea, and after a little consultation with our art teacher Laura Hawkins, and a lot of hard work, Orla’s entry was ready to be submitted before the October 15 deadline. At this point, there was nothing to do but sit back, wait, cross your fingers‌and toes, and pray!

Then the good news arrived, announcing that Orla has made the short list along with two other designs and that the public would decide the winner by voting on the Laptaria Cu Caimac Facebook page. The design with the most LIKES would be declared the winner.

The IBSB Community jumped into action. Messages went out to friends and family, encouraging everyone to show their support, and the LIKES started to flood in. Orla took an early lead and was heading toward a win, with the comic design of the cow wearing a Christmas wreath a close second. In the end, it was so close that at the point of the 12am (midnight) deadline, both designs had collected over 6000 likes each, with less than 20 LIKES separating them, and so in the best interests of fairness to both artists, the competition organisers decided to declare both designs the winner!

“I originally entered this competition with the mind-set that it was going to be unlikely for me to be selected for the final 3 designs, however I ended up being completely wrong! It took around 3 weeks for me to plan and design the label. There were many unused designs, but I am very happy with the outcome and I am proud of myself for getting this far as well!â€? - Orla Well done Orla! You are an incredible role model for us all, showing what is possible with self-belief and a lot of hard work‌..and the support of the IBSB community behind you. Thank you to everyone who voted for Orla, each of your votes were the ones that made the difference.

when children have to be the adults

Milena Vergara Senior School Prefect

In a moment where the US President is saying that the future is not of the globalists, but of the patriots, we as children are the ones who understand that beyond borders we only have one planet. Young children across the globe have woken up most of the world about the urgency of the climate crisis.

Last Friday, students from IBSB joined the march for our future at Romania´s first school strike. The strike was widespread involving students in 150 nations around the world participating and demanding a system change not climate change.

People on the streets were filming us and cars stopped to observe as we passed with our banners flying high on our way to the Ministry of Justice. A photographer even captured my banner because he found our message so powerful.

Being there with the unwavering support of other teens made us feel like we were part of historic change. At times it can feel like politicians are putting profit over lives, and that adults refuse to listen to the cold facts; this makes us question if we are preparing ourselves for a future we won’t have, but thankfully movements like this are the shining light at the end of the dark tunnel.

It was reassuring to also see adults participating, but we need more. We need more radical change from government policies, we need more proactiveness, and we need more people fighting for our future.

We hope to see you at the next strike, so that our voices will be heard.

dungeons and dragons

What is Dungeons and Dragons and where does it come from?

Dungeons and Dragons is one of the biggest and most popular fantasy tabletop Role Playing Games (RPGs). It also is one of the first ones. Many underestimate this game because it is a tabletop game as opposed to, say, a PC one, but in fact it is one of the few in the world that requires a lot of imagination. This game was created in 1974 - making it over 45 years old - and has been through 15 editions, including the current one. It has evolved throughout the years, sadly becoming overlooked as people forget about board games in the modern era we live in.

How do you play Dungeons and Dragons?

The most common way to play is making or buying a campaign, getting a Dungeon Master, and creating characters. The dungeon master is the storyteller that presents the characters, what they see, how they feel, etc. The players are, as I like to call them, the chiefs; they are the decision makers. They choose what they want to do, where they want to go, how they want to solve a quest, etc.

To play you also require a set of seven different dice: a 6 sided one, a 4 sided one, an 8 sided one, two 10 sided one, a 12 sided one, and a 20 sided one. There are many rules and ways to play the game, and including wonderful homebrewed ones made by the community. For new players I would recommend The Player's Handbook 5e edition and for a Dungeon Master I recommend The Dungeon’s Master Guide 5e edition.

When you play, you could be portraying a certain character. This is a great chance to practise your acting skills, and you will have a sheet where you can develop your character’s personality and backstory, which can be quite exciting.

What is homebrew?

Homebrew is my personal favourite part of Dungeons and Dragons. It is content for the game that isn’t official. There are many faults that the community complains about which can be replaced or modified or even deleted from your game of Dungeons and Dragons. Since you are playing home, you can include or delete as many rules as you want. As your journey in playing Dungeons and Dragons goes on, you will see some rules that aren’t entertaining at all and some situations there are tricky rules preventing you from playing in the most fun way. This is where homebrew comes in. Some of the sources I recommend for Dungeons and Dragons homebrew are Reddit, Pinterest and Amino (a mobile app). When I create homebrew, I just read on until I find a word or a sentence or something that helps me develop an idea.

Who is Dungeons and Dragons for?

There is one thing that I want to clarify: Dungeons and Dragons is for everyone. It is a complicated game, but once the rules become habit, it will be easy as pie. I think a creative person in particular will do great in Dungeons and Dragons because there is a lot of story-writing and backstory making. However, even if you aren’t a creative person, you use homebrew ways to get ideas for storytelling. Either way, Dungeons and Dragons will help improve your creativity.

teacher interviews What brought you to IBSB?

When I first looked at the website, I immediately felt a strong, small community and everyone seemed really happy!

What do you like about IBSB?

So many things! Where to start?! Everyone here is really happy and friendly, the students are awesome and I really like all of my colleagues!

What do you do outside of school?

Outside of school, I like to explore Bucharest – especially the parks like Herestrau. I also love to read and, right now, I’m reading a really cool time-travel series.

Why did you want to become a teacher?

When I was in university, I volunteered at a local school and I absolutely loved it! I decided to get my Masters and I’ve had a blast teaching ever since!

What makes an ideal student?

An ideal student is someone who loves to learn. That makes my job easier because then all I have to do is guide them along their journey.

What brought you to IBSB?

Having decided upon moving to Romania, IBSB stood out as being the best option for me to work at.

The website showed the school looking very impressive and once I’d spoken to Mr Cornish and Mr Peet, I was very excited about joining.

What do you like about IBSB?

There’s a lot to like! The children are superb and my colleagues are great to work with. I also love the friendly atmosphere around school and the direction that the school is currently heading.

What do you do outside of school?

I enjoy exploring! Bucharest is a great place with lots to see and do, and it is easy to get to other places around Europe. I also enjoy socialising with friends and watching Dinamo‌Hai Dinamo!

Why did you want to become a teacher?

I’ve always enjoyed working with and teaching children and I love how every day offers something new – there are never two days the same in teaching. I also enjoy the fact we have the opportunities to travel and explore in our breaks.

What makes an ideal student?

Someone who is willing to learn, comes to school with a positive attitude, is not afraid of challenges and those who bring me chocolate! ;)

What brought you to IBSB?

I had heard only good things about IBSB and had always loved working with children, so I decided that this was the place that I wanted to work.

What do you like about IBSB?

The first thing that I like about IBSB is the dynamic environment. I also like the fact that I get to work with children and teachers from all over the world.

What do you do outside of school?

I like to practice yoga, kickboxing, and I love to read a lot.

Why did you want to become a teacher?

Because I love being surrounded by children and I enjoy trying to help them in their academic achievement.

What makes an ideal student?

The ideal student should be involved in their daily school tasks and should also enjoy their time spent at school.

ptf Term 1 is already over.

PTF engaged has been with many activities and events arranged and supported since the start of the school year in September, that the time has passed so quickly.

The first event was the Parent-Teacher BBQ, traditionally the first PTF Social event on the year, where on the sunny Saturday parents had the opportunity to meet and socialize with other parents and the teachers while enjoying the open buffet.

At the beginning of October, the new families were welcomed with the PTF Welcome Dinner, enjoying Italian food at the Cucina Restaurant at the Marriot Hotel: a great opportunity to make newcomers feel immediately part of the IBSB community.

At the end of October, one of the most beautiful and biggest events of the year: UN Day. As usually, our school was decorated with flags from many countries represented in IBSB, parents organized a rich buffet with dishes from different traditions, and the students officially welcomed everybody in multiple languages and gave a variety of performances: it was a day to appreciate more and more the great opportunity our children have growing up in an international community!

Next up was the Smart Nutrition presentation for primary, about the importance of healthy food in preventing and fighting diseases, and then December was almost upon us.

On the occasion of St. Nicholas, students, and all the staff of the IBSB, found upon their arrival at school a little present from the PTF. The CAS Winter Fair this year also saw the active participation of the PTF with its own stand, a tree of books to be donated to charity and, above all, active help at the stands of the various charity organizations to which all the collected money was then given to the various CAS charities.

A term full of commitments and also plenty of satisfaction, which, we are sure, will continue also in the coming months in Term 2!

On behalf of PTF, I would like to thank all families who have been supporting us this term and participated in our events! We are very thankful to all our volunteers!

Happy Seasons Greetings to Everyone!

creative corner

the journey of little red riding hood Sonia Marta 7E

t

he sun’s rays glanced down at her, softly reflecting off her red cloak as her eyes slowly opened to the sight of green, fresh trees.

Little Red Riding Hood looked to her right, caught sight of something fleecy and colossal, then heard what at first sounded like a low almost imperceptible rumbling, which heightened the senses as it transformed into an unsettling, unwelcomed growl. A strong, pungent smell filled the air.

The image which slowly came into focus before her, was something she had never seen before. An enormous, shaggy bear.

She quickly pulled herself together, and tried to make a run for it, before the muddy brown animal could selfishly eat her for breakfast.

The scared, little girl could feel the bear close behind as she ran through the forest along a narrow mossy path, and then, as if in the flash of a second, it miraculously disappeared. Just like that‌POOF!...never to be seen again‌or so she thought.

As she returned along the mossy-green path, she heard the birds chirping loudly, their pitch becoming more urgent. Branches appeared to grow denser in her way, as the faulty path quickly faded away. She glanced down at herself: her trembling body was covered in mud, head to toe. She was no longer the girl she once was, transformed into the image of an unknown stranger. And more was yet to come.

Traumatized by a wolf that had tried to eat her grandmother, and badly shaken by recent events, Little Red Riding Hood continued on her way to visit her dear grandmother, a basket full of goods she has gathered that morning securely carried in arm.

Passing over a small decrepit bridge that separated the two ‘lands’ (the paltry village and the mystical forest), she again heard a loud deep-chested rumbling growl coming from the direction where her grandmother lived. Stricken with fear and panic, she dropped the basket, and began running towards the house, as fast as her little feet would carry her.

Desperate to find her grandmother safe and well, she looked frantically left and right as passed through the forest with great haste. However, to her amazement, upon her arrival she discovered the door firmly shut and blinds drawn with warm glow emanating out from within. Whatever it was, it certainly couldn’t have been here, as it was exactly as she had left it earlier that

morning.

Then from somewhere close, she heard a twig snap. Something was following her. She looked again to make sure her ears hadn’t deceived her. Again, there was nothing there. Whatever she heard was either her rich imagination playing tricks on her, or she was in real danger from some unseen force.

She tilted her head toward the leafy floor, in search of a big, strong stick she could use to defend herself. Then she heard it again. The bushes behind her started to shake. Something was there. Little red Riding Hood grabbed her stick and waved it at the bush. Then suddenly, out peeked a small, frightened rabbit. What was happening to her?

Then, just as she was about to drop her stick, she caught a glimpse of a big, brown bear running directly towards her. Her hands were trembling, her throat grew dry. Overwhelmed with emotion, she stood motionless, as if glued to the spot where she stood awaiting her fate. It was the very same bear AGAIN. And then, suddenly the sands of time began to flow and Little Red Riding Hood threw her stick down, turned, and ran as fast as her little legs would carry her inside the house, not looking back, slamming the door shut as she entered.

Finally, she was safe and sound at her grandmothers. How good it felt to be inside, safe and secure, away from the threat of the forest and the night, the smell of dinner ready to be served at the table, by a warm inviting fireplace. The Christmas tree was up, newly decorated, the sweet aroma of cinnamon permeating every corner of the cozy cottage, drifting out into the starry night. “Don’t forget to put the plates in the cupboard!� her grandmother called out, as Little Red Riding Hood washed the last of the dishes.

They had finished dinner and Little Red Riding Hood was now ready to head to bed.

She placed the last of the dishes away in the cupboard and walked toward the kitchen door, noticing a soft scraping sound at the frosted window. She looked out see the snow gently falling and there before her was the bear looking forlorn, and alone, in search of a warm fireplace, and hot meal on Christmas Eve. It was at that moment that Little Red Riding Hood understood that all creatures are the children of god, deserving of the warmth of companionship, a warm meal, and a place to rest one's weary head.

shakespeare's famous poem Merel Koek 10H

Alternate Title: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun Published: 1609

I have seen roses damask’d, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

Love is universal known as a strong emotion which can cause immense happiness but can also have a devastating ending. In William Shakespeare's poem “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun.� we see the happiness love can bring. This article will analyse how love can make a person look unblemished through a specific line, and the language of the poem.

Shakespeare explores the idea of affection makes perfect through the lines �I have seen roses damask’d, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks�. The adjective �damask’d� is used to tell us that the roses he has seen have perfectly beautiful patterns. Than in the second line he writes �no such roses I see in her cheeks� here he informs us that he has not seen a flower who is prettier than her. Now if we read the first two lines again, we can see that he talks about the prettiest flowers he has ever seen are nothing compared to her. He illustrates her as the most pulchritudinous woman where you will ever lay eyes on. This way the readers reflects on the saying �love is blind� by the idea of that this lady is more perfect than perfection.

romeo and juliet’s agony aunt Year 10 have been studying Romeo and Juliet. This is a letter to an agony aunt, imagined by Nichita Rosca writing as Juliet. The response to the letter, written by Angi Dobre, is below.

Dear Agony Aunt,

Dear Juliet,

I am Juliet of the house of Capulet, daughter of Lady and Lord Capulet. For the past couple of days I have found myself in a quandary and it is all due to this refined and difficult love. My feelings have become dangerously intense for a fine and courteous gentleman named Romeo. However, my family has already chosen a suitor for me to marry by the name of Paris, one who cannot compare to the fine and kind man I love. Such a pity it is that my only true love will never be considered by my family as kin since he shares the same blood as our enemies.

Freedom of choice is what I seek, and marrying Paris is far from what my heart wants. When I’m with Romeo, it feels as if we were predestined to be together and I truly wish to maintain a long-lasting relationship which would light up both our lives. This convinced me to accept his request of marriage. Why wouldn’t I choose to live the rest of my life in love and close together with the one I feel safe and happy next to? I rushed towards church out of love and sought for Friar Lawrence to make us wife and husband. This was, and still is, kept a complete secret from all my family except my nurse. But how could I have possibly taken such decision without any sort of approval from either of the houses?

I feel bewildered as to what is best to do. I could inform my family but, wouldn’t this mean great consequences for my love for Romeo? I am scared for him and what could happen to him if my dad or cousin find out. He would be lying dead before my eyes and it would all fall upon me! Even more conflicts would arise between our families and the hatred in our parents’ hearts for each other would drastically inflate. Oh, what shall I do? Me and Romeo could always run away and love each other in secret but separated from the world. This could mean not having the chance to see my own folks ever again. Oh, what dilemma! Love is complicated enough, but gets rougher day by day when deep in your heart you know it is forbidden.

How would it be possible to love this man safely and also remain faithful to my family? Please Agony Aunt, help me overcome the problems and find my way to love the man destined to be mine.

I’m sorry to hear all that, but alas, as you very well know, the path of true love never did run smooth. I’ll try to help you as much as I can, but your problem is not one I often deal with.

Firstly, about your families. You say you love each other very dearly, and I don’t think it is anyone’s position to tell you who you can and can’t marry. But then again, we live in very controlling times, and as you might know, girls must obey their parents’ every wish. I guess after all it comes down to this: do you love R more than you love your family? If so, then nothing should stop you from running away together. Change your names and live in the little cottage of your dreams. If not, I advise you to consider what you’ve done and undo it; the more you love your family, the harder it will be for you to disobey them.

Furthermore, your problem about this P sort of links in with your marriage to R. Your parents have already arranged your marriage, so again, them or R? If you truly believe he is the answer to it, then run away and never hear about P again. If you’d rather remain with your family, then unfortunately you will have to proceed with the marriage that has been arranged for you.

I really hope I have helped, but more than this I cannot do. It is your decision after all; it affects your life. But before doing anything so impulsively again, maybe try taking some time to consider it. Hope to hear an update from you soon.

Love, Your Agony Aunt

Thank you in advance!

J

letter from the book thief Abby Opperman Y9 This letter, which is based on Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, was written by Abby Opperman who is in Year 9L. If you know the book, then you will recognise some of the characters and events referred to by Liesel Meminger, the main protagonist, in her letter. In the book, Liesel is taken from her real mother and placed with a foster family. Liesel decides to write to her real mother, not knowing that her letter will never arrive.

Dear Mama, I can write! Finally! It’s all because of Hans Hubermann - my foster Father. Every night when I have a nightmare, he comes into my room and reads me a book. We circle the words I don’t know and then the next day we go down to the basement and paint them on the wall until I remember them. When the wall is completely covered Papa repaints it with a thin layer of cement. We have been doing this basically every night since I got here. It is the only reason I learned to read and write!

I finally got moved up from the midget class to my proper class. I still have a lot to learn though.

I hate being so behind everyone. They call me names and make fun of me. This boy called Ludwig was asking me to help him read his book just to rub it in my face that I failed my reading test and embarrassed myself in front of the whole class. That day I had had enough. I got really mad, and I snapped. I am sorry. I didn’t think about what I was doing. I learned my lesson. I promise it won’t happen again!

I have made a few friends though. My best friend’s name is Rudy. He lives next door. We play football outside with all the kids on the street. That is where I met all of my friends actually, playing football. I was put in goal because I was the new kid. I didn’t really mind it, but Rudy and I made a deal. We would race, and, if I won, Rudy would get me out of the goalie position, but if he won, I had to kiss him. Unfortunately, we both slipped in mud and no-one won. It was a fun race though!

Rudy is quite strange. Apparently, he was really inspired by that athlete that won four gold medals in Hitler’s games, Jesse Owens. He took charcoal and covered himself completely. He then ran around pretending he was in the Olympics. His dad caught him at the finish line and he was in big trouble. We never really talked about it because every time we did we got in trouble. I don’t really understand why it was such a big deal, but I am also too scared to ask anyone.

I just want to say how much I miss you! I miss you more than I can say. I love you and I hope you come to visit me soon. When you come, make sure to ask Hans, not Rosa. Hans is so much nicer than Rosa. She just gets really angry really fast. I have gotten used to it though. She has been making me go with her to deliver and pick up the washing but since people are trying to fire her, she has been making me go alone. She says that people will feel sorry for me, so they won’t fire her. I don’t mind going alone because I don’t have to listen to her insult everyone she works for.

It is nice to just have peace and quiet once in a while.

I can’t wait to hear what you have been doing and I am even more excited to see you when you come visit. You will come visit right? I mean why not? You must miss me to. Please tell me that you will visit soon. I really need to see you and hug you! I love you!

Love you lots, Liesel

the tale of ragnar the red Vlad Iliescu 10H As he got up, he felt disoriented. The sound of arrows whooshing past him was just a faint echo of the fight raging on in front.

“Who am I?�, he thought suddenly. “I am Ragnar�, he said triumphantly after a few seconds of thinking.

The blow didn’t seem to affect his memory very much.

Dazed as he was, he still charged forward, axe in hand and ready to fight. And as the first challenger approached, he felt this sudden urge to keep charging towards them. As he charged, the enemy, clad in armour, got ready to defend himself, but he couldn’t do much when the two meter brute ran full force into him, cleaving him with his axe. Bolts of fire and lightning whizzed past him, the chorus of metal clashing against metal was like music to Ragnar’s ears, the smell of blood filled the air.

He could barely hold his axe as the cold of the mountainy region surrounded him.

But he kept going, full force into the next fight. And so he charged forward, slashing enemy after enemy. Whether human, dwarf or elf, he did not care, as long as they had the empire’s crest, they were an enemy to him. “It’s your fault this war started!� he shouted in a raspy voice in the general direction of the enemy forces. Looking for another target, a blast of lightning struck at his feet, almost blasting them away. Looking in the direction of the blast he saw a floating platform in the distance. There were five wizards clad in robes who were shooting various spells occupying it. Ragnar took a javelin off the ground, tossing it with a loud snarl towards the group of wizards.

As the long javelin rippled through the air it hit one of the wizards straight in the chest.

As the wizard held his hands to his stomach, confused as to how he got hit, he fell off the now staggering platform with a thump. As the platform wavered, it started descending ever so slowly.

Ragnar took this opportunity to charge right into the fight, chopping a few more enemies on his way.

As one of the remaining wizards saw him approaching, he started muttering an incantation, and a ball of red fire was hurled into Ragnar’s direction, hitting him straight in the chest.

As Ragnar got pushed by the blast, he was too numb to feel the pain or the burn of the fire, he was merely staggered in his charge. As he neared the wizards he spun in a deadly whirlwind, cutting up his foes left and right. The wizards didn’t stand a chance, as the spinning savage neared them, as he slashed them all with a single spin. At his most triumphant moments, he fell to the ground, unconscious from all his wounds.

And with a loud thump the barbaric beast hit the hard, dry ground.

By Xin Yi Jiang, Year 8H

With a lamp in one hand, I stood silently on a derelict cobblestone pathway that led to the perplexing forest I had visited many times, but still found blood-curdling. I stumbled over the rocky lane while light from my lamp flickered on the sinister looming trees, causing them to create terrifying shadows that engulfed all the remaining courage I had. Bats took off from the lifeless treetops, flapping their dark wings.

Afraid to take another step, I built up the audacity to pace forwards, towards the towering castle that lay ahead.

When I finally reached the creaking house, it felt like the light from my lamp was starting to slowly diminish. Something about this place seemed odd, and not because of the boarded-up windows and screeching floorboards on the decaying patio. The place just made you feel sad and panicky. I reached for the lion head knocker and as I was about to hammer it the door suddenly swung open, and behind it stood a black silhouette of a young maiden. Her golden hair cascaded perfectly down her dark, fitted dress and along with it, she wore a pair of unbelievably tall high heels. Everything seemed normal except for her piercing blue eyes that shone under the full moon’s radiance. I wanted to back away but something about her just made me stay put. “Good evening! You must be the substitute that Miss Middleton sent. I’m Belladonna, your host.� Her euphonious voice echoed through the empty mansion while it rang in my ears. “Good - good evening! I am Elizabeth Brown and I have indeed been sent by Miss Middleton, my master.�

After introducing myself, everything seemed like a complete blur. She insisted on carrying my belongings for me and as we were climbing up the winding stairs, a strong stench hit my nostrils. It was so potent it was as if meat had been left to rot away. I buried all the gruesome thoughts deep into my mind and carried on.

I followed my mystifying host into an elegant-looking room and came to a halt alongside her. I gasped in astonishment as I gazed at the posh furniture, which included a queen size bed that had silk bedding and two marbled bedside tables. I turned around to thank my hostess but the place where I last saw her was empty! I peered behind the door and into the hallway but there was no sign of her! It was as if she vanished into thin air!

I decided to brush off the supernatural event and stumbled into the great room. I threw myself onto the delicate bed and instantly fell into a deep sleep with millions of thoughts and questions spinning in my head. Was I supposed to be here? How did Belladonna just dissipate?

From just the first few minutes I had been there, I already knew that there was going to be a lot of unusual things happening in the next few weeks.

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