TIV Issue 1 2021 by International British School of Bucharest

IBSB News & Views by the students for the students

January 2022 Issue 1

The International Voice

WHITEBOARD pg. 36 Primary School Winter Show SCHOOL EVENTS pg. 62 A Visit from British Ambassador ALUMNI pg. 110 Reflections from UCL

Table of Contents

contents 1. SPOTLIGHT

6. SCHOOL VIEWS

3. CAS

Student Editor’s note

Term 1 Review

Unlocking Student Potential

Head Girl’s Message

Back to School Collection

Summer Exam Results

Head of School Message

DOEIA Award Trip to Sovata

University Destinations 2021

Student Spotlight

Remembrance Day

Student Counselor News

CAS Winter Fair

New Staff Interviews

Book Review: Unthinkable

Some of my favourite Recipes

The Dolomites

Head of Secondary School Message 10

Virtual Vending for Animal Welfare 54 Speranta pentru Tine Workshops

2. WHITEBOARD

The Christmas Truce

Head of Primary School Message

What if there was no sun

Year 1F

Year 2O&2C

Year 3T

Year 4S

Year 5H

Year 6W

Year 6M

Romanian National Day

Spanish Tour Guides

German National Day

Y2 - 6 Kangaroo Math

Odd Socks Day

World Sight Day

Remembrance Sunday

HPL - Begins with a Question

House Games

Winter Show

Primary School House Captains

IBSB Ambassador

4. SCHOOL EVENTS United Nations Day

COBIS Virtual Debate

A Visit from the British Ambassador 62 Staff Professional Development

Parent Meetings

5. SPORTS U14S Football Cup Final

Romania VS Armenia

European Day of Languages

100

German National Day

104

Spain National Day

105

7. ALUMNI My Story @ SCAD

106

My First Semester @ KCL

108

Reflections from UCL

110

Fashion Marketing @UAL

112

Life @UCL

114

8. CREATIVE CORNER Return to the SWAT Valley

116

A Senator’s Diary

119

Molly’s Diary

121

Zero’s Return

124

Light’s, Camera, Action

126

S P O T L I G H T

Spotlight

Student Editor’s Note by Maria Sticlea, Year 12 Flicking through a few of the previous TIV issues, searching for inspiration for my first editor’s note, I couldn’t quite believe what the numbers on the front covers were telling me: my first article was written 4 years ago, my Year 6 residential trip was 6 years ago, and the pictures with my class in Year 4 were taken more than 8 years ago! I virtually skimmed through half of my life in a matter of

we’ve achieved together these past few months, despite the

minutes, seeing myself and my colleagues growing up before

challenges the pandemic, among other things, has thrown in

my very eyes. I was amazed by how much has changed, by

our way. You are all incredibly gifted writers, and it has been

how much I have changed, in what feels like such a short

an absolute pleasure to work alongside you. I hope you find

period of time. It’s almost unbelievable that 8 years ago I was

some joy in seeing your articles published.

just settling in at a new school, reading TIV for the first time, and now here I am, overwhelmed by a sense of a melancholic

With the New Year fast approaching, and in keeping with

happiness, trying to fill the big shoes left by previous student

tradition, I would like to urge each of you to take the time

editors, only a year and a half away from graduation.

needed to reflect on how much you have grown as a member of the school community, setting new inspirational goals for

Time: something we all struggle to manage, something we all

2022. I hope we will be able to further develop the school’s

want more of, and are ever at the mercy of. It seems to pass

creative and journalistic writing department, even if many

so quickly, forever speeding up as we grow older, stealing

students, myself included, will be spending more time revising

our fleeting moments, burying our memories in the past.

for exams.

This edition, thankfully, will forever serve as a time capsule to remind of the key events shared this term, including the

Having finally arrived at the end of my (admittedly rather

UN Day (Virtual) Celebrations, the COBIS World Debate

long) student editor’s note, I can only hope I have done my

Competition, and the CAS Winter Fair, to name just a few of

role justice in tempting you to spend some of your most

the many notable articles available for your reading pleasure.

valuable resource, time, flicking through the pages of this edition, which I trust will serve as a source of happiness and

Thank you to the many contributors for finding the time in your busy schedules and lives to immortalise the wonderful things

inspiration in the coming year.

Spotlight

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Head Girl’s message by Melissa Aydogan, Year 13 Hi everyone! I would like to start this contribution to the first edition of The International Voice for by saying that it an absolute honour and a privilege to have been selected as Head Girl this year. As Head Girl, it is my role to oversee the Prefect Body and Student Executive, as well as represent the school at various events.

However, I must give credit where credit is due and mention

burnout would be inevitable without a healthy balance of

that I would not be able to fulfill my duties to such a high

personal and academic life, and the Student Executive is proud

standard if it were not for the immense amount of help I get

of our accomplishments in this area so far.

from our Deputy Head Girl, Ana Cristescu, as well as the reliable prefect team!

I am so pleased to see us all in school for the first term this year, with the exception of two weeks. Being in school has

During this first term, we have been able to organise a variety

meant that the student body has become more tight-knit,

of events thanks to the collaboration between the Prefects

which is important to reestablish a sense of community. It

and the Student Executive, which has helped us achieve

certainly seems that everyone is happy to be back, enjoying the

what I believe to be the most important core value at IBSB:

experience of interacting face to face: perhaps distance really

happiness. By hosting activities such as the art and music

does make the heart grow fonder. For me personally, it has been

competitions, we are able to cultivate the social aspect of

especially nice to see everyone interacting so positively, helping

school, extending our educational experience far beyond

each other when and where needed, including the prefects

the classroom, maintaining a better sense of health and

visiting their classes, which almost feels like an air of normality

wellbeing, whilst acquiring additional skills and attributes to

returning to the school as a whole.

support us in our future careers. While studying is important,

S P O T L I G H T

Spotlight

Head of School Message by Kendall Peet In many ways, TIV is the measure of life at IBSB. In many ways, TIV is the measure of life at IBSB. It is also

Secondary School Winter Ball and CAS Winter Fair, to name

a good source of evidence to show that despite the many

just a few.

challenges faced by COVID19, life goes on, with the staff and parents working closely together to provide as much a sense

ENQUIREY based learning and OPENMINDEDNESS have

of normality and continuity as possible for our students.

also played a central role across the Curriculum, as evident in the article ‘HPL Questions’, and more specifically in the

I am extremely grateful therefore to all our staff – not just the

class focus articles, including the EYFS students enquiring

teachers, but also our support team: the cleaners, drivers,

what life would be like on planet Earth, if there were no sun,

and the admin team - for their commitment and flexibility

and 1F considering what life would be like in the time of the

shown in Term 1, with numerous changes to the school

dinosaurs, in answering the question, ‘What if my teacher

schedule, and more than normal amounts of cover needed.

was a dinosaur? We can also follow 4S, as they conduct an experiment to discover the effect of different drinks on

I am also appreciative of the effort the students have made to

enamel, concluding that H2O is by far the best drink for our

simply get on with the job of learning, showing a great deal of

teeth (and all-round general health).

PERSEVERENCE and RESILENCE - two very important HPL competencies that we have been working hard to instil in our

To look for evidence of CONFIDENCE developing within our

students across the curriculum in recent years.

programme, we need look no further than the article on the newly elected ‘Primary School House Captains’, or read about

Flicking through this issue, it is clear that the learning

the Student Ambassadors taking the British Ambassador

journey has continued with a strong focus on developing

to Romania, Andrew Noble, on a tour of the school, and

the core HPL competencies. Students have developed their

reflecting the will of the student body in tackling key issues as

COLLABORATIVE SKILLS through increasing amounts of

members of the newly formed Pupil Parliament.

project-based classwork and the extracurricular programme, participating in one of the many clubs on offer, such as

We also see many examples of CREATIVITY being actively

Young Voices Choir, Debate or MUN, competing in the half-

encouraged and nurtured within lessons. We see the

termly House Games, and by organising events such as the

Y6W students writing and directing their own John Lewis

Spotlight

type Christmas ads, can read the various entertaining Christmas Craft Workshops organised by the Y12 students as a part of their Community Action Service Programme. We see students involved in RISKTAKING, when learning something new or trying something for the first time, as happened in 5H, when documenting the discovery of a new found land, and 6M, when the students wrote and then shared their poetry in class, or perform in the weekly primary school assemblies, in front of their peers and teachers, further developing their CONFIDENCE. There is also plenty of evidence reflecting a sincere CONCERN FOR SOCIETY, as seen in the success of the Back to School Collection, the Shoebox Appeal, the 12 Days of Kindness Collection, the Winter Clothes Collection, World Sight Day, the work being done to support Animal Welfare, including Virtual Vending, and the many other activities written about in the ‘CAS Overview’. Finally, there is PRACTICE, again present in every single lesson, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, as practice makes perfect, but slightly more pressing for the Y11-13 students as they prepare for their Midyear Mock Exams, which take place at the start of Term 2a. Thank you to the many contributors of this issue of TIV, and to our core TIV Team, namely Maria Sticlea (Y12), Student Editor, Alina Caldes, Whiteboard Coordinator, Peter Ennion, TIV Chief Editor, and Andreea Strimbeanu and Lea Cohen, for their creative skills evident in Formatting and Design. In so many ways, this is an issue we can all be extremely proud of, not just because it chronicles the life and times of our school community so very well, but, equally important, because it serves as a tribute to the incredible sense of community we all share, and a testament the indomitable IBSB spirit that is alive and well, forecasting a future we can all to look forward with a sense of optimism and excitement.

S P O T L I G H T

contributions in the Creative Corner, and find out about the

S P O T L I G H T

Spotlight

Student Spotlight: Tomas Horobet Tomas Horobet, Year 3T Tomas is one of the many IBSB students in the Primary School who has a special talent. In this case, his special talent and creativity relates to his achievements as a young author and illustrator. The Writing Journey, supported by Cartea Copiilor Scriitori, is his most recent project.

The Writing Journey Every year, from June 1st, Cartea Copiilor Scriitori publish a book written by children between 5 and 12 years old from Romania or children settled with their parents abroad (Austria, France, Germany), with the stories collected ready to go out in the run-up to International Children’s Day. Tomas had the privilege of being invited to provide the illustrations for this book this year. The first volume of the series includes 16 stories from young authors, who created stories to inspire all Romanian children to put their fantasy on paper They also provide examples of how they cope with the trials they face, putting the challenges they have faced into words as an example and role model for others. The book can be purchased here:

S P O T L I G H T

Student Spotlight: David Rusu David Rusu, Year 4S Congratulations to David Rusu (4S), author of “Cei 10 Hamtastici”, a story about a detective named Marco who receives a large reward for solving a case and decides to treat himself to a trip to New York. His loyal dog Jefi, having been left behind, decides he will also visit his dream city, Paris, and hatches a plan to start a dog detective agency to fund his trip. The story follows Jefi on a whirlwind adventure, that is a journey into the imaginative world of childhood, delivering Jefi to every corner of the globe, from the North Pole to the Pyramids of Egypt, from the Grand Canyon to the Atacama Desert in Chile, travelling through the Sahara Desert and the Jungles of the Amazon, fighting the Minotaur, pirates, and the Vikings, escaping piranhas, and being saved from a pack of wild boars by a dog with a jetpack, Jefi eventually finds true love and is reunited with his owner Marco.

Spotlight

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10 Spotlight

Head of Secondary School Message by Matthew Tansley Welcome to the first edition of the TIV for this academic year.

should take place in March 2022. As you can see, we don’t

There has been a great deal happening within the secondary

like to make things easy for ourselves, but these accreditations

school this term, with only the most minor of interruptions due

are an important part of demonstrating what a great school

to “you know what”! It has now got to the stage where COVID

IBSB is, and a way of indicating this to the outside world.

is the viral personification of “he who should not be named” from the Harry Potter novels. As we have spent so much of

As we approach Christmas and the New Year, we hope that

our time worrying about, and thinking about, the impact of

an increasing sense normality may return, although as I write

COVID-19, I am going to try to avoid mentioning the C word

this, new variants are being discovered, which may temporarily

for the rest of my article!

put a stop to this. We have just had our first secondary school social in two years, in the penultimate week of the first term,

The term began with face-to-face assemblies for the first

and while it may not been in every reflective of past socials,

time in around 18 months, before we had to move our

it was in still all regards a very successful event, and an

assemblies online again, which is ironically due to our success

important step toward ensuring that we remain connected as

as a school, as the increasing enrolment of students in the

a community during the difficult times synonymous with the

secondary school has meant that it would not be advisable

ongoing COVID pandemic

to have us all in the sports hall at the same time currently. The hope is that after Christmas we will be able to start physical

It appears that I have not quite managed to achieve what I

assemblies again. You will see from the articles written by

mentioned in my first paragraph, but I have only mentioned

our students that we have been able to celebrate UN Day,

COVID a few times! In all seriousness though, COVID-19

and also Romanian National Day, with contributions from all

has had, and continues to have an unprecedented impact

of the student body, and whilst these may not have been as

on our staff and students, and no-one at this current point in

enjoyable for us all as they are traditionally (I am thinking about

time quite knows whether there will be a fifth or sixth wave,

the dancing and the food here!), they to a great job reminding

and what effect the interruptions to education and social

us of how diverse and talented our community is.

interactions will have on our young people in the long-term. All we can do is continue to support each other, to be kind to

High Performance Learning continues to be a focus for us

one another, and remain positive in the belief that there is light

all, as we move towards our accreditation visit as a World

at the end of the tunnel.

Class School in the spring of 2022, addition to our next BSO inspection from ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate), which

11 Spotlight What is a Nestler?

When global talent needs a new nest to settle, to take root, to thrive, we make sure every detail is taken care of. In corporate mobility, every new posting is a rite of passage. We are the ones handling the unfolding of these rituals, be them legal, cultural, organizational or simply regarding day-to-day life. We are the Nestlers.

What can a Nestler do? We help expatriates nestle up into their host country by offering comprehensive first-class immigration, taxation and relocation services to our corporate clients. Our team has over thirteen years of experience in the field and is highly professional and dedicated, as we know that through our shared commitment we offer valuable support to hundreds of families who choose to go through the complex process of relocating from one country to another, worldwide. Our team is well-versed in taxation, labor law, immigration, payroll, global mobility coordination. Our experts can offer clear guidelines for even the most intricate of problems, but their professionalism goes beyond pure expertise and adds a much-needed human touch.

Our vision, our values Each of our experts is a nest weaver for expatriates. The raw materials like straws and twigs are the legal bounds and the binding earth is the cultural and organizational framework within which the expatriate is posted. And of course, there are many other things that help expatriates claim this nest as their own, and it’s no wonder, since we tailor everything to their needs: immigration essentials, tax assessments, area orientation, house hunting, intercultural training and legal support for their spouses. Our mission is to help expatriates nestle up in their host country and provide them with all the requirements they need to make the best out of such an experience. We dream of a world of diverse mobile workforce for which legal, geographical, social and cultural constraints can turn into opportunities with our help. We want professionals to fulfill their dreams, but most of all to pursue the career that can turn their expertise into vision, innovation and change.

we are the

W H I T E B O A R D

Whiteboard

Head of Primary School Message by Alan Cornish Welcome to the Primary School section of TIV 1 2021. I wish to start by thanking all the contributors and the Primary TIV editor, Ms Alina Radu, for their endeavour creating and editing our section. We hope you enjoy the articles and appreciate the effort of our budding journalists and supportive editor.

Other competitions coming up in Term 2 are the ESU Public

Big news for this term was that we were in school for most

media platforms. We have been publishing the amazing

of it! Thanks to parents and kids for supporting us with the

exploits of our children every day on social media, so you our

protocols, coupled with the continued efforts of our nurse,

parents, and indeed the wider school community, can see

Mihaela, and our excellent cleaning team, which enabled us to

how brilliant they are. Please be sure follow us on Facebook

keep the school open for the vast majority of the term. This is

https://www.facebook.com/fibsb or our website www.ibsb.ro

important for so many reasons and not all of them academic.

to ensure you get all the updates on the brilliance that we see

We cannot underestimate the powerful effect of being in

every day and an have the opportunity to interact with daily

school on our wellbeing and having routines and certainty for

life in the Primary School at IBSB.

Speaking Competition, open to all children in Year 4 and above. We will be hosting it again this year and hope to equal, or even better, our excellent results from previous years. We will also continue our Spelling Bee Competition during the World Book Day Celebrations in the Primary School as we continue to focus on good spelling for all. Many of these events have been captured on our Facebook page, on our new and improved website, and on other social

the children. Let’s see what else we can achieve next term, as we look to Being in school has also given us the chance to take part in

another brilliant year in 2022.

various interschool competitions. Ms Andreea organised the Kangaroo Maths test with 40 children taking part (one of our biggest cohorts yet), and Kangaroo French took place at the end of term organised by Ms Dana. We look forward to the Romanian Kangaroo and UKMT Maths Challenge coming up next term.

Although we have achieved so much as a school community, I find myself waking up each and every morning excited by the journey ahead, feeling we have only just started…

What if there was no Sun? by Madalina Soare This is one of the interesting questions that we all tried to answer in Early Years programme to inspire creativity and develop HPL thinking skills. We all agreed that the sun is very important for us. It gives us light, warmth, and keeps everything alive. Now, can you imagine life without it? The children in EYFS had some very interesting answers and, some of them, even tried to look at the positive aspects of the problem. Like, for example, nobody likes to squint when the sun is so bright and you forget your sunglasses at home. As a class project, the children worked to create a new display wall portraying a sky without the sun. They used the pointillism technique to make all of the stars and a range of different fabrics to give a very interesting texture to the moon. We have amazing collaborative skills and a great deal of imagination in our EYFS class. Well done, everyone!

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Year 1F What if my teacher was a dinosaur?

This was a very fun question, which set us off on a wonderful journey into the world of dinosaurs. We learned the names of the dinosaurs, their habitats, and what they ate. It turned out that they all agreed that Ms Fay was an herbivore dinosaur, which made her happy! We then began to look at how we know so much about

This term in Year 1 our ‘’What if” question was “What if my teacher was a dinosaur?”

these ancient creatures and how they became extinct. We learned about fossils and the scientists that study them, who are called ‘paleontologists’. We then made our own dinosaur fossils and became paleontologists ourselves, excavating, cleaning, and examining our fossils with magnifying glasses.

by Victoria Fay

We definitely have future paleontologists in our midst. Overall, we had a great learning experience and lots of fun and are now looking for to explore our next ‘What if” question in Term 2!

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Snow much fun in Year 2O! by Alina Radu Year 2O began the month of December by watching a Christmas classic, The Snowman. The film provided a starting point for Year 2O to think about the significance of the friendship between James and the Snowman in the story and also reflect on the importance of friends in their own lives – helping to create a warmer, more inclusive classroom environment. After discussing the importance of including everyone, we thought of three examples for how you could make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging in the classroom, playground, and lunchroom. We ended our lesson by sequencing the story and writing our own sentences to match the pictures.

‘’Shop ‘til you Drop!’’ Year 2C enjoyed working with money in Maths this term; it was their favourite maths topic - and I think I know why… We turned our classroom into a Mega Mall! We prepared our shops, presenting our items to tempt our customers from next door and thinking about the prices (much cheaper than other malls). We got our change ready and with some excitement opened our doors to start the buying frenzy: think Christmas Eve toy shopping! So, our budding shopkeepers had to sell their produce and work out the change using the correct coins. Within 10 minutes, we were sold out and a little worn out too. But we put our skills to the test and made a little profit too.

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YEAR 3T The Ancient Greek civilisation by Alison Tansley In Term 1B, Year 3 have been learning about the Ancient Greek civilisation. Our guiding question for this topic was ‘What if I were a character in a Greek myth’. The Ancient Greece topic provides some wonderful linking opportunities with literacy because their traditional stories (myths) are so engaging for students. They are full of fascinating characters, such as Gods, Goddesses, and heroes, and we meet many terrifying yet captivating mythological monsters. We introduced a class novel that we read together in class: ‘Beasts of Olympus: Beast Keeper’ by Lucy Coats. This entertaining and engaging fiction novel told the story of Pandemonius (otherwise known as ‘Demon’), who is a demigod and the son of Pan. On his tenth birthday, he gets taken up to Mount Olympus, the kingdom of the Gods to look after all the mythical creatures that belong to the stables of Olympus. Some of the mythical creatures were those creatures we had already met by reading and analysing some of the famous myths and reading the ’12 Labours of Hercules’ stories. The students were delighted to discover that in this novel, Hercules was the villain who keeps attacking some of the poor mythological creatures that Demon is responsible for taking care of after their ordeal. Creatures we met in the story included the flatulent Cattle of the Sun, the Nemean Lion, the Stymphalian birds, a very grumpy Griffin, and the Hydra. The students loved the novel and were relieved to find out at the end that Demon narrowly avoided incurring the Goddess Hera’s wrath. Miraculously, Demon was able to help heal Hera’s favourite pet ‘Hydra’, who was one of the creatures viciously attacked by the hero demi-God Hercules.

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Hercules from our literacy lessons. Hercules is an interesting hero because not only is he strong but he was also very clever and cunning. In our English lessons, we learned about the features of narrative writing, paying particular attention to the importance of describing characters and settings. Next, the students had to create their own mythological monster; this was a task they loved. It was a great opportunity to let their imaginations and creativity run wild and create a fun (mostly gruesome) creature. Their creatures ended up appearing as a starring character in a descriptive narrative story alongside Hercules as a 13th labour for him to complete. Wherever possible, we endeavour to plan for cross-curricular topic links between subjects such as literacy, maths, and science. This enables the students to use and apply aspects of learning from one subject to another; it is useful because it helps engage students and enables them to make connections and become more agile learners. In science, we have been learning about nutrition in the ‘Animals including Humans’ topic. Our objective was to identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition and that they cannot make their own food’ they get nutrition from what they eat. It is therefore important to build a healthy, balanced diet. We learned about the Eatwell ‘healthy plate’. The Eatwell Guide divides the foods we eat and drink into 5 main food groups; fruits and vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, dairy, and fats. The ‘healthy plate’ idea provides students with a visual picture to help them understand how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy balanced diet; the images help us make the best eating choices. Along with filling almost half of our plate with colourful fruits and vegetables, we should split most of the other half between whole grains and healthy protein. Dairy foods are only needed in small amounts compared to other foods on our plate. It’s also important to remember that fat is a necessary part of our diet, but what matters most is the type of fat we eat; it should be healthy unsaturated fats such as fish, nuts, seeds and healthy oils from plants.

Eating a variety of foods keeps our meals interesting and flavourful. It’s also the key to a healthy and balanced diet because each food has a unique mix of nutrients. We must learn how to appropriately balance the appropriate amount of different foods from each of the groups to help get the wide range of nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy. Water should be the drink of choice with every meal and snack, as well as when we are active. Finally, just like choosing the right foods, incorporating physical exercise into our day by staying active is part of the recipe for keeping healthy. To link this topic in science together with other aspects of our learning, I set students the task of becoming Hercules’ fitness and lifestyle instructor. Hercules was famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures and seemingly impossible tasks tackling and defeating many dangerous monsters. To keep up his strength, he would have required a healthy diet and a challenging exercise regime! Students created a ‘healthy plate’ of items, albeit in larger ‘demi-God appropriate’ size portions for Hercules to eat, as well as planning a suitably challenging fitness workout for him to complete. As he is a demi-God, he would have needed to be pushed to his limits, which would be far more than the average human could achieve. The students enjoyed being able to work together in groups to practise how to build a healthy packed lunch before creating their menu and exercise plan for Hercules. A final plenary activity was to create posters of Hercules surrounded by ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ food choices, to reinforce the important message from the Eatwell guide.

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Students were already very familiar with the demi-God hero

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Year 4S Egg-cellent Egg-speriments by Aliviana Sanders Year 4S focused on biology this term. We began with learning about food chains, including their parts and how to categorise and label each plant and animal. The students created multimedia presentations that included PowerPoints and videos to showcase their learning.

Next, we studied the parts and functions of the human digestive system. Students researched the various jobs of each organ and then worked collaboratively to create lifesized diagrams of their own digestive systems. Finally, we learned about human teeth, including the function of each type of tooth as well as how to keep our teeth healthy. The students created an investigation to find out which types of drinks are healthy and unhealthy for our teeth. We learned that an eggshell is made of very similar material to the enamel on a human tooth, so we left six different eggs in different types of drinks. The students excitedly checked their eggs every day. It got pretty disgusting, but we learned that drinks with sugar and high acidity are especially bad for our teeth. The healthiest option we tried was water, so now we are all trying to drink lots of H2O!

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Year 5H The New World During term 1A, Year 5 learned all about the discovery of ‘The New World’ (Columbus landing in North America). We learned about the journeys taken, the impact on natives, and how the introduction of Europeans changed the course of history. by Lee Hawkins With all of our new knowledge, I asked the students, “What if you discovered an uninhabited island?” A class discussion ensued, before I gave them a brief. The instructions were simple: you must ‘document’ the discovery and subsequent decades of your newfound territory. The students worked well in groups and formulated a plan. The plan was to document the following: mapping of the new land, creating an identity for the new country, explaining the history, describing the topography, natural resources, and the biomes of their island, detailing the wildlife that inhabits these biomes, creating a new language, and discussing the natives and their beliefs and traditions. The students had a mammoth task ahead of them; one that they would need to plan. We spent a lesson planning the next 5 weeks, considering when each lesson would be completed and how long we would need to spend on it. We had a brief, we had a plan, and now we needed to get started!

Following the plan that we had made, we all started with the map. Over the course of the next few weeks, we worked towards a deadline and needed to self-regulate and manage our time wisely. This was easy for some and difficult for others, but in the end, we all successfully completed our ’text book’ detailing everything you may need to know about our new country and its founding fathers (and mothers). You can see some of our work in these images, as well as on the display board outside our classroom. We hope you enjoy learning about our new lands, as much as we enjoyed creating them!

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year 6w Christmas Adverts

With our Winter Show being online this year, we discussed as a class what we could produce and one of the suggestions was to make a Christmas advert. We spent time watching inspiring John Lewis adverts, which are extremely popular in England, that helped to bring the spirit of Christmas into the classroom. by Thomas Wilson

We then decided that we would use stop-motion technology to create our adverts. In order to do this, the children went into groups and used their creativity and design skills to make the settings and characters for their advert, as you can see in the pictures attached. It was important that each group came up with a theme and a Christmas message for their advert. Some of the messages were ‘Christmas isn’t about getting, it’s about giving,’ ‘Family is more important, be happy with what you already have,’ and ‘Small presents with great meaning.’ After the groups had created their settings and characters, they were able to video and then produce their own Christmas advert. The children all showed brilliant collaborative skills throughout and I was very impressed with the final outcome of the adverts.

year 6m The Power of Imagery in Poetry

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In Term 1b, our focus was the Power of Imagery in Poetry. Students were tasked with writing and then reading out their own compositions. Here is what three of the students said about the work. In the images, you can see the students reciting their poems in the class. by Robin Morrison

We focused on personification, similes, metaphors, and hyperbole. I enjoyed writing my poems. I also liked the haiku (from Japanese Culture) we did, even though it was short. I wrote about seasons, and described landscapes and people.

Arianna Pana, Year 6M I like to write poems, but I prefer to do haikus instead of normal poems. The thing is that we focused more on doing normal poetry, but it was still fun for me.

Cezar Marinescu NEtoiu, Year 6M I enjoyed the poetry that we did, because we did different types of poems instead of the ones that rhyme. We did poems with structured patterns, similes, metaphors, and personification. We also did Haikus, a Japanese type of poem. Even though they were short, I enjoyed doing them.

Stefan Popa, Year 6M

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Primary School Romanian National Day Celebrations by Andreea Cazacu In the morning of Friday the 26th of November, each Primary School class had one final rehearsal of their performance before the official “Lights... Camera... ACTION!” moment. All students came to school wearing beautiful Romanian national costumes and proudly had their performances videoed for their parents. Then, in the assembly, they enthusiastically performed live in front of their colleagues. The video was released on the 1st of December, so parents could enjoy our celebrations too. As you can see from the video, the Romanian teachers once again managed to organise a great show under Ms Ana’s magic wand. A big thank you to all the other teachers involved in rehearsals, sound, choreography, writing scripts, and many other admin tasks backstage at the show. On the following page you can find a few opinions shared by some of the students about their Romanian National Day.

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On Romanian Day, I really enjoyed dancing with my colleagues and seeing a new side of them. I truly love dancing, it’s like meditating, but for your body. I felt free and happy dancing with my friends and I really enjoyed other dances from the younger years. And the assembly was super awesome! I actually didn’t mind waking up in the morning on the weekend to see our wonderful assembly. I learned joyful traditions that people do on the 1st of December, and I also learned a traditional Romanian dance, so I’m pretty proud of myself! I was glad that everyone danced and found out how fun it was.

Eva Nica, Year 6W I really enjoyed the live performance and that Year 5 had a script to explain what Romanian National Day is all about. It was really fun dancing and singing on “Moldovenii s-au nascut” and also looking at other people doing a different performance than us. I liked how people weren’t embarrassed to show what they learnt without worrying what others might think. I think the nursery did a great job even though it was their first performance.

Karina Nitescu, Year 6M I liked the Romanian National Day show, because it reminded me of the old times before we had to wear masks. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful performances that were made by the other classes, but also enjoyed dancing at our performance. I think everything turned out very well and everybody enjoyed the day. It was also very nice having the Early Years join us and singing “Am o casuta mica”. Fia did a beautiful solo at the end and it was great.

Petru Pirtea, Year 6M I love wearing traditional Romanian clothes and I love that we sometimes do a live performance on the stage.

Lisa Savu, Year 6W

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I enjoyed dancing to the music and being in sync with my colleagues while I was dancing. It was an interesting dance because it had many moves. I also enjoyed watching the others performances, because there was a big variety of songs and dances. I liked that Year 5 included some facts about Romania’s/Romanian culture. And Early Years did quite a fun dance for everyone to enjoy. I liked how Year 6W had more modern music for their dance, performing on SubCarpati, and overall it was still Romanian music. I also found it nice how they recorded the dances and sent them to the Parents.

Diego Martin Murillo, Year 6M I like wearing Romania’s traditional clothes and that we had a live performance instead of having an online assembly. My favourite part was performing and seeing the other classes perform.

Fia Cornish, Year 6W My favourite part of the Romania Day celebrations was performing a traditional song and watching other classes perform. Even though we had to wear masks and take COVID precautions, it was still a great assembly.

Victor Sandu, Year 6W

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I enjoyed dancing and watching the performances; they were all very good with unique songs. Every class danced well and had fun. Most of the people had national costumes and looked perfect in them. It took a lot of practice to perfect the dances, so I hope the parents enjoyed them, as well as us. The nursery kids were part of the assembly and danced to a song called “Am o Casuta Mica”. I was actually curious to see what the other classes had planned.

Stefan Popa, Year 6M I liked dancing, but my favourite part was seeing everybody in their national costumes. I also enjoyed seeing the other performances and listening to the songs they had chosen as I like getting more involved in Romanian culture. I also liked that year 5 did a different thing from the other classes by also including some facts about Romania. It was fun rehearsing with my colleagues, as we probably made a big list of bloopers! I enjoyed it all. Also, in a pandemic, the school organized a very fun day for (I think) the whole school.

Matteo Bianchi, Year 6M My favourite part of the Romanian National Day celebrations was when we did the dance. I also really enjoyed taking part in the assembly. I think it was a great idea to celebrate the 1st of December through a semi traditional dance. I noticed Year 2 sang a lovely song “Drag mi-e jocul romanesc” that seemed to be so traditional and yet appropriate for their age.

Malina Stoica, Year 6W Our dance was really good because I could see everyone in sync. In the Early Years, everyone was dancing along and it was so cute. In Year 3, I was laughing because I found the lyrics of “Zis-o mama ca mi-o da” really funny. The Year 1 boys were good singing and dancing “Alunelul”. I was impressed to see a group of young boys performing without anxiety in front of the audience. Year 4 did the song “Trandafir de la Moldova” and Ana Sophie had a solo performance while the other kids joined in as a chorus. I am looking forward to participating in the next Romanian National Day Assembly in the Secondary School and I hope that the Primary Students will keep the bar high in the future.

Tudor Carstoiu, Year 6M

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IBSB Spanish Tour Guides This term’s focus was the question, ‘What if I was a tour guide?’, and we discussed different places in town and ways to describe them. Our lessons took us on a virtual tour of Spain and its main attractions! Our students had the chance to practice their language skills in a real life situation as well, going for a scavenger hunt around the campus. We are a community after all, so the children imagined this could be an ordinary stroll in their own neighbourhoods! Each of them took the lead at some point and guided the rest of the team by giving directions in Spanish. It was a fun experience which proved once again that one can learn so much through the act of playing. As we are implementing the HPL values within our teaching methods, the students had the opportunity to use strategy planning, intellectual confidence, as well as collaboration and resilience in order to reach the final destination of their journey. We are now ready to become tour guides for our families, whenever we have our next trip to Spain! Maybe Santa will appreciate our great results in school and will surprise us with a plane ticket! :)

¡Hola a todos! We don’t know what your favorite hobby is, but our common one in the Year 5 Spanish group is travelling and discovering new places, cultures, and mentalities.

by Alexandra Ivascu

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Celebrating the German National Day of Reunification! by Lucretia Gabroveanu

German students know that the arrival of autumn also means the arrival of the National German Day, with the opportunity for all the IBSB German students in the primary school to spend a lovely time with their teacher, having fun and enjoying this special occasion. The younger children made cute traditional German dolls for boys and girls and drew personalized small flags. A variety of German flags surrounded them during this process and the result was great. All of the children did their best to make authentic and interesting dolls with different German costumes, and when we were all finished, we took pictures and danced to German songs. For the older groups, we watched some special videos in German during our lesson, commented, laughed, and enjoyed the moment. The students also had some challenging activities to complete making famous buildings out of different online puzzles, which they totally loved. Finally, we went outside and took funny pictures, posing like superstars, which was a great

Congratulations to all for contributing to make the day a

opportunity for children to show off their traditional German

success for everyone– including your teacher!

clothing. Thankfully, the weather was our ally – still warm, and very sunny!

Happy German Unification Day everyone!

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Y2-6 Kangaroo Maths by Andreea Cazacu On the 26th of November, the students and teachers at IBSB were extremely busy. It was the last day before the long weekend, and both children and staff were busily involved in two important events taking place in the Primary School – The Maths Kangaroo Competition and the Romanian National Day Assembly. Kangaroo Competitions are a long standing tradition in our school, with many students eagerly participating in Maths, Romanian, or French competitions every year, often achieving outstanding results. On Friday the 26th of November, the Maths Kangaroo Competition took place. It was the first time the exam was completed online, due to the ongoing issues faced by COVID-19. With a great number of registered students (a huge proportion of whom were non-native children), Ms Cristina Marascu, Ms Andreea, Mr Cornish, and Mr Dan (from the IT Department) were all present to welcome the participants into the lunchroom early in the morning in order to be ready to begin their test at 9:00am. It was impressive to see the level of independence, patience, and resilience developed by the IBSB students over the past year and a half of online/offline learning. Though the platform used by the Maths Kangaroo organisers was not the most user-friendly, our students patiently waited to receive instructions or technical support to enable them all to go through the logging in process successfully. From the beginning, all the way to the end of the contest, we did not have anyone give up; it was a room filled with perseverant, risk-taking, resilient children. To participate for the first time in a Maths competition in Romanian, at 6 years old, not having

Romanian as first language, is an act of risk-taking and bravery - and there were many students in this situation. What else is there to say, apart from a big congratulations to all the participants and a big thank you to the parents who supported their children at home to access the platform, even if they were in a different time zone! We look forward to sharing the official results with you. Good luck also to all those students who will test their skills in the other subjects still to come in 2022!

Odd Socks Day

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This is a day in which we encourage all students to express themselves and celebrate their individuality and what makes them all unique, because it is a well-known fact that encouraging acceptance of individuality at an early age can help prevent bullying in later life. All we have to do to take part and celebrate this day is wear odd socks.

by Orla O’Dwyer

On Tuesday, November the 23rd, IBSB celebrated Odd Socks Day.

This day shines a spotlight on bullying and highlights ways of preventing and responding to it and fosters mutual support and cooperation among students. The message behind the day for 2021 was ‘One Kind Word’. Each student got the opportunity to write messages of support and respect on our community wall in the primary building, and at the end of the school day, the wall was full of kind words and beautiful drawings of odd socks!

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World Sight Day by Orla O’Dwyer

On Tuesday the 16th of November, IBSB celebrated World Sight Day. The students arrived in school wearing sunglasses of various shapes, sizes, and colours to mark this significant day.

Throughout the day, each class learned about the fantastic work that Light into Europe do on a daily basis, such as assisting people who suffer from severe visual impairment to gain mobility, freedom, and independence. We had fun in class playing sensory games and learning all about the braille alphabet and each student also wrote a message of support and encouragement on our community wall in the primary school, promoting togetherness and respect. Each child made a 10 lei donation to Light into Europe to help support them in the work they do training the guide dogs and providing canes. The key message each child received on this special day is that a visually impaired person has the right to go anywhere with a guide dog, and sensory impairment must not lead to exclusion.

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Remembrance Sunday by Orla O’Dwyer Remembrance Sunday commemorates those who died on battlefields in all wars. It first started, however, as a way of remembering those who died during the four bloody years between 1914 and 1918 that came to be known as the years of The Great War, or World War One.

At IBSB, we celebrated Remembrance Day on Thursday, November 11th. During our school day, we learned about the history of the poppy, the significance of wearing this flower, and wrote acrostic poems on the theme of Remembrance. All the students observed one minutes silence at 11.11, as a mark of respect to the soldiers who fought and died in wars. Each student then had the chance to draw poppies, write messages of support and encouragement, and express their wishes for world peace on our community writing wall.

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HPL Higher Order Learning begins with a Question At IBSB, we know that when it comes to academic performance and pupil engagement, that it is not just WHAT is taught, but also HOW it is taught that makes learning meaningful. Our topics begin with a central question, a ‘What if...’, designed to actively engage our children in the learning process, leading into an Enquiry-based Learning (EBL) Approach, where we frame all subsequent work as an exploration of discovery to answer the question. It is an approach that has already resulted in noticeably higher levels of pupil engagement, and is also a lot of fun for the teachers coming up with the leading questions.

Albert Einstein: “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask… for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”

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Primary School House Games by Maria Orban

We got to know them much better as we helped them during the challenge. We know that they enjoyed it too, and so we hope that one day they will happily say “I WANT TO BE A

In October, our PE hall hosted the Primary School House Games for Term 1, a day with positive and good vibes, when our LPS kids enjoyed some organised specific games. This day is a tradition for our school and we were happy to see the

HOUSE CAPTAIN TOO!” We certainly hope we get another opportunity like this, and we’re really looking forward to being House Captains for the remainder of this year.’

young kids having so much fun.

We are already looking for the next House Games event

The games were about racing, jumping, throwing, and

important and amazing competitions in year ahead.

overcoming obstacles, and everybody succeeded in a great way. The Primary School House Captains were all on hand to help our PE teachers keep score and calculate the points, and were very happy to take part in this action also. Some of their thoughts: ‘The 8th of October was the best day as House Captains. We found out what it’s like to work with kids at a young age. We found it really fun and entertaining to help with the KS1 activities and think they all did brilliantly!

and hope that the COVID situation will let us organise these

May the best House Team win!

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The Primary School Winter Show by Mairead Lonergan The students of IBSB Primary worked incredibly hard preparing for this year’s Winter Show. Every single class from Early Years right up to Year 6 brought something different to this year’s show and I was very impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and willingness to participate and perform. We used the time during our Music lessons to prepare a song and each class was given the opportunity to choose which song they would like to sing. There were lots of great ideas and suggestions made by the students and in the end, we had to hold a vote to decide on which to choose – there were just too many options! From Early Years up to Year 3, we had been focusing on developing our singing and performing skills in music throughout Term 1 and I have to say, I think everyone made a wonderful effort singing and performing their songs on film. It can be nerve-wracking to not only sing, but perform actions on film, and the children made a wonderful effort to portray the festive spirit in their songs. There are many natural performers and enthusiastic singers across these year groups, and I am looking forward to seeing what Term 2 brings! Year 4 brought something different to the table this year. They had been working on understanding basic rhythms and on practical music, so their performance incorporates the use of four different instruments: ukulele, keyboards, xylophones, and glockenspiels.

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Over 4 lessons, each student got the opportunity to try

It was amazing to see the students collaborating, problem-

out each instrument and to play along with their chosen

solving and incorporating inventive ideas to create an

Christmas song ‘Feliz Navidad’. I think the students did

amazing music video. The showbiz life is not all glamour and

a fantastic job learning to play these instruments with

glitz, as the students quickly realised. Costume changes,

confidence and learning this song in such a short space of

takes, and re-takes of songs left students standing for

time; I am so proud of their hard work and effort throughout

long periods of time throughout the lesson until we got the

our lessons. Keep an eye on these rock stars as the year

recordings just right. But I am sure the students will agree with

progresses!

me in saying it was all worth it in the end.

Year 5 and 6 were tasked with the responsibility of creating a

I am thoroughly looking forward to seeingthe product of these

‘music video’ for their chosen Christmas songs. They split up

brilliant students’ efforts and I hope you enjoy what we have

into groups, divided the roles and responsibilities of creating a

put together this festive season.

music video and began to choreograph dance moves, create, and design costumes, and incorporate props into their music video – as well as sing the song of course!

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Primary School House Captains by Robin Morrison One of the most exciting aspects of starting Year 6 in September was the opportunity to become a House Captain and lead your House to glory, culminating in lifting the House Trophy at the end of the year. This is a very privileged position at IBSB, as students in each House choose who will represent them. There were some outstanding applications received this year, with posters plastered all over Primary School trying to gain votes. Only 6 could be chosen: Iulia and Deva representing Muntenia, Victor and Matteo representing Transilvania and Eva and Tudor representing Dobrogea. Here are a few comments from our newly elected House Captains talking about some of their responsibilities:

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One of my responsibilities is going around collecting the house points. Also, at assembly, all of the house captains say the house points and then the whole process repeats itself.

Tudor Carstoiu, Dobrogea House Captain

As House Captains, we try to take care of our school. I definitely enjoy completing my jobs. We organise the house games and weekly house challenges, which I like the most. With every job, we get to do as house captains, I feel more confident in communicating with other kids and teachers. I love being a house captain.

Eva, Dobrogea House Captain As House Captains, we have to make sure all the playground equipment is there by the end of the break and make sure there are no missing balls. Also, each week on Friday at lunchtime, we have to go in groups of 2 around the school to collect all the house points and then insert them in a google sheet to see who is winning.

Victor Sandu, Transilvania House Captain We have a weekly meeting with the teacher who is in charge of the house competition to discuss any problems we may have. Or, if there are going to be house challenges for the week, another very important job is to encourage your house to gain points!

Matteo Bianchi, Transilvania House Captain We have all types of responsibilities. One, for example, is taking care of the P.E equipment box. We have many different jobs to do. The goal, however, is to win the House Cup at the end of the year. We win by having the most house points.

Iulia Daianu, Muntenia House Captain I will never regret my decision to apply for this job, because it is really great. I feel joy and happiness when I walk around the corridor and kids hug me and tell me that they voted for me. Thank you for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Deva Stanca, Muntenia House Captain

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The NEW IBSB ‘Ambassadors’ by Tom Wilson This year, we decided to change the name of our ‘Prefects’ to ‘IBSB Ambassadors’ looking for children who are reliable, committed, and inspiring role models. Some of the roles that the children have carried out so far this year are: meeting the British Ambassador to Romania (Andrew Noble) and giving him a tour around the EYFS Centre and Primary School; assisting with assemblies every week; and helping children find their lost property. Here are a few comments from our IBSB Ambassadors:

‘I really like my role because I can help others in school and guide children to be kind.’ ‘I enjoy my job for assemblies as we collect in the Star of the Week certificates and change the display board showing which children have impressed their teacher that week.’ ‘I am the ‘School DJ’ and ‘ICT Man’ for assemblies. I have to sort out the music, which a different teacher picks each week and the rest of the school have to guess the teacher who chose the song.’ ‘It’s fun being an Ambassador as I like to help the smaller children in school when I can, or help new children when they first join the school so that they settle in and make friends.’

T H E R I G HT

AGENT

TH E C A N LE A D

WAY

remax.ro

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Community Action Service Term 1 Review Animal Welfare This year, the Animal Welfare Team decided to expand their reach; they will continue to support the Bruno Shelter, rescue animals in need, neuter them if needed, and support local vets who have agreed to help animals even when, during the pandemic, the pets’ owners can no longer afford the treatment. There are some kindhearted people who go out of their way, often making personal sacrifices and taking risks, in order to help animals in need, and these people deserve our appreciation and help to fulfil their noble mission. We’d love to offer them a helping hand and financial support where possible as a way of “thank you” for the work they do. As way of raising money, the sixth form volunteers set up a virtual vending business in the IBSB College Campus. We restock every Wednesday and have been impressed by how quickly the merchandise sells! We’re really pleased with our progress so far! Thank you to everyone for your continued support! Akexia, Year 12

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Light into Europe Light into Europe is a charity delivering essential services to children and adults who are blind or deaf. The sith form volunteers started the year with great hopes to visit

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our friends at our partner School for the Deaf. However, during the first term, visits were not possible due to Covid restrictions, and so the volunteers had to settle for communication at a distance. Ame continued sending the School for the Deaf arts and crafts video tutorials and the rest of the team came up with ingenious fund-raising initiatives: Maria challenged the secondary school students to guess the number of pasta pieces in a jar, while Patrick organised a general knowledge quiz and recorded audio books. Our final job this term was to translate information about best practices in making technology accessible to people with hearing and sight impairments in order to contribute to an Accessibility Handbook for the Ministry of Education. A pen pal programme will be launched after the Christmas break.

Speranta pentru Tine Speranta pentru Tine is an organisation that offers support to children who are hospitalised with serious, and often terminal, illnesses at the Pediatric Oncology Department of the Fundeni hospital. This charity manages a playroom at the hospital, offers legal counselling to the families of the little patients, and organises activity camps for the beneficiaries who are mobile. The sixth form students who volunteer for Speranta have worked very hard this term setting up Christmas Creations Workshops for the primary and secondary school students. Each class was invited to join; the primary students had fun painting clear baubles, that were later filled with candy, as well as colouring wooden Christmas figurines. In the secondary school, the volunteers helped the students make bracelets, rings, and tie-dye t-shirts. We have an excellent team and a very dedicated team supervisor. Everyone contributes time and effort to all the activities we develop. The

students also enjoy the activities that we offer. This is the secret to our success! Ioana, Year 13

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Paper Tree Our environmental protection group continued to collect paper from the school premises and deliver it each week to the recycling site. Collecting and sorting paper takes up pretty much all the time available during our CAS period. It is hard to believe how they manage to do all the physical work and also be well-prepared for events, such as the CAS Winter Fair. Also, there are

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some big plans coming up for the second half of the year: a series of conservation awareness events in collaboration with the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award team and the House Competition. We’re looking forward to this!

Punctul Nordic This group was probably the one of the most visible to the students and parents this term, organising several fund-raising events for a community of underprivileged people in Corbeanca. Starting off with a very fruitful ‘Back to School Collection’ of school supplies, continuing with a drive for warm ‘Winter Clothes Collection’, acting on a parent’s suggestion , and, finally, organising the annual ‘Shoe Box Appeal’. Most of the first term was spent sorting donations, making lists and checking them twice, and collecting the donations from the main school gate and transporting them to the sorting and storage areas on the College Campus. We are very grateful for the generosity of our school community. We did much better than last

year in terms of raising money and donations and are very happy that we were allowed to do more

activities than last year. The fact that we were able to organise these fund-raising events and the Winter Fair makes me feel that things are slowly returning to normal. Kathleen and Ana, Year 13

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Touched Romania Touched Romania is a charity that helps children and mothers in difficulty get back on their feet, by offering and basic education programmes. This allows the mothers to gain the necessary skills and qualifications to start an independent life and look after themselves and their children; the main goal of this organisation is to prevent the separation of the children from their mother. The students who signed up as volunteers for Touched Romania collected school supplies for the school-age beneficiaries. The next step was organising the 12 Days of Kindness donation drive. We were so happy to see the large amount of food products that were donated. This was a great helping hand to the women and children who left the Hagar maternal shelter just before the Christmas holidays!

CAS Club The CAS Club was a welcome addition to our Term 1 extracurricular programme. I knew that many students from years 9 and 10 were eager to help our goodwill causes, and my expectations were confirmed. Aya, Ecaterina, Liya, Natalie, Sarmiza, Aughad, and last, but not least, Titi, were extraordinarily helpful sorting and delivering donations, creating awareness materials for the World Sight Day to be shown in assembly, coming up with excellent ideas for activities and setting up their own stall at the Winter Fair. I hope their enthusiasm diffuses to other colleagues and that more students become aware of the charity work we do at IBSB and get involved!

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temporary shelter, material support, emotional counselling,

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Back to School Collection by Johanna Croci On Wednesday, the 22nd of September, the members of the CAS Club represented the IBSB community in delivering part of the ‘Back to School Collection’ to community partners Casa Agar, Touched Romania’s maternal shelter. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the staff and a couple of residents, including Alexandra, who is eleven years old, and was very excited to receive the donations on behalf of the other resident children at school at the time of our visit. She was also very happy to receive Vlad’s illustrated letter (Y2), which read: “Draga invatacelule, iti urez noroc la invatat, sa fii cuminte ca mine si sa iti faci multi prieteni.” (translated: Dear little learner, I wish you good luck with your studies, be just as good as I am, and make lots of friends). An IBSB student present, helping with the delivery, Qichao (year 10), said he was really impressed by how many people donated to the charities- as sorting the donations into categories took an entire club session. The donation visit itself was quite short, but rewarding, according to Augadh (Y10) who said, “I loved delivering the donation to the children, and I look forward to doing so again in the future.” The rest of the donations were delivered on the same day to Punctul Nordic Corbeanca. Thank you to the entire IBSB community for all your support and generosity! These small acts of kindness, joined together, make a considerable difference to the lives of those in need of our support. Well done IBSB!

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Duke of Edinburgh International Award Trip to Sovata by Patrick Tansley, Year 12 At the beginning of the school year, when things are always rather hectic, it is not uncommon to find oneself thinking wishfully how nice it would be to revisit the fun times of our summer vacations. Fortunately for me, I was a part of the team of Year 12s, accompanied by Mr Hudson, that participated on the Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey Award Camp in Sovata, in which we talked, climbed, and hiked all the way through the entire weekend we were there, being the very next closest thing to the summer break we all longed for! The camp in Sovata was run by Outward Bound, in partnership with the Award Programme, that provides fantastic challenges to get you to the Silver Level of the DofE International Award. But what is the Duke of Edinburgh International Award? It’s an opportunity to learn new skills, to get outside your comfort zone, and get active. Founded in 1958 by Prince Phillip, it has now expanded into 144 countries and has educated more than 10 million youths worldwide. The Award was first introduced in Romania in 1991 by a small church in Motru, and since 2013 has expanded nationally, now having over 10,000 active participants with 2,000 adult supervisors and volunteers. Activities started the day after we arrived in Sovata, with icebreaker exercises organised to help introduce us to all the other students there, and a night time hike up to a nearby hillside chapel. As we approached the church, candles were being lit in a row down the hill, providing an unforgettable view of the nearby town. The guide mentioned that fireflies often ‘give a show’ in the spring, but sadly we missed them by visiting in September. The next day was the day of the final hike itself, lasting the full day up until the late afternoon. We were first mixed into groups and then split into smaller teams, before setting off early, initially following the path we took the previous evening. Eventually, we took a different turn at a crossroad to start climbing higher up into the mountain, even approaching the peak at one point in the ascent. Unfortunately, as we approached the top, we were informed that we had taken a wrong turn and needed to head back down: it turned out that the ‘right’ path was following a thin cliff that you could only find if you knew exactly where it was, and the guides apparently used this as a fun test for all the groups they had. Exhausted and confused, we didn’t see the funny side at the time. Throughout the day though I am happy to report that our team maintained high morale by singing along to music, with hits from The Beatles and Abba being masterfully recreated by the group after Andrei caved in to playing music that other people

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requested. Our team honestly performed really well, with each and every member thinking about the common goal rather than themselves, offering a hand to each other during difficult times and sharing funny stories to keep the mood light. We weren’t the fastest, nor the most efficient, but everyone had a fantastic time

On the final day, despite every single person at the camp being really tired from the previous day’s activities, the camp coordinators urged all of us to attempt the two climbing activities they offered: Jacob’s ladder and crate stacking. Jacob’s ladder involved climbing up a giant log ladder with increasing space between the rungs, and was far more challenging for the shorter members of our group; while the crate stacking activity had us stack rows of crates higher and higher while we stood on top of them, requiring incredible dexterity and vast amounts of balance that I personally did not have. One pair reached a height of 19 rows of crates before the camp ran out of crates to give them! Simply amazing! After the climbing was over, we all received a certificate of attendance to prove we had persevered and overcome all the challenges faced. Goodbyes were then said, and we all headed our separate ways, returning to the places across Romania that we had come from.

Unfortunately, this article really doesn’t do the trip justice as it was a far greater experience than I can possibly put into words; you can ask anyone that went on the trip and they will say the same thing. I would therefore highly recommend participating in any similar camp, as well as the DofE program itself, as it is unique in the experiences it can offer to anyone who completes it.

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Remembrance Day by Ana Cristescu, Year 13 - Deputy Head Girl Remembrance Day takes place every year on the 11th day of the 11th month. As well as commemorating the Armistice of the First World War, it has become a symbol of honour and bravery and an opportunity for people to remember the service and sacrifice of fallen soldiers all over the world. This event is famously symbolised by the poppy. This year was no exception when it came to IBSB honouring its traditions linked to this Memorial Day. Throughout the week leading to November 11th, our wonderful team of Secondary School Prefects started going around the school selling poppies, with the money raised going towards the Poppy Appeal: a fundraising campaign supporting war veterans and their families. It was incredibly endearing to see our school community wearing their poppies throughout the week. All of this culminated on Thursday, November 11th at 11:11 AM, when all lessons and breaks halted for one minute of silence and reflection. To pay our respects even further, Melissa, Kathleen, and I, along with Mr Tansley and Mr Peet, attended the Remembrance Ceremony at the Tancabesti War Memorial, laying a wreath on behalf of our school. This year, there was a record number of people gathered, which made the Remembrance Sunday Service even more meaningful. Listening to diplomats’ speeches, hearing the “In Flanders Fields” poem being recited by the Armed Forces, and witnessing so many children laying flowers at fallen soldiers’ graves was extraordinarily touching. All of the service attendees were then invited to the Residence of the British Ambassador, Andrew Noble, with whom Melissa and I were already acquainted due to his visit to our school back in September. The atmosphere was delightful, being filled with interesting conversations, as children ran happily around the sun-kissed garden.

As someone who has attended the service, I wholeheartedly urge future IBSB students and their families, regardless of their nationality, to follow in our footsteps and experience this unforgettable ceremony, as there is nothing more moving than people coming together to commemorate courage and sacrifice of those that fought to protect our democratic rights.

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CAS Winter Fair by Ioana Aizic, Year 12 Before the Christmas break, the yearly Winter Fair took place,

their kids. These mothers usually come from abusive

having missed this event last year due to the pandemic.

households or cannot fend for themselves, gratefully

Needless to say, the event this year was a great success: the

accepting help and a place to live in safety at Casa

PE hall was full of Christmas decorations and Christmas spirit,

Agar. At the Winter Fair, the CAS group sold most of the

and 6th form students, together with our teachers, had the

products on offer: the students were so excited about

opportunity to spread joy to all the students in the school.

the hot chocolate that the volunteers had to refill their stock 3 times and still sold out! They also printed several

In preparing for the Winter Fair this year, the various CAS

posters with different bands or movies which, to most

groups came up with new and creative ideas to raise money

people’s surprise, also sold out. Other items sold included

for different causes, allowing students from both the Primary

Pringles cans, stockings filled with candy to celebrate

and Secondary schools to enjoy a wide variety of colourful,

Mos Nicolae, and official Touched Romania merchandise,

unique, and fun activities, donating money to good causes in

which included lavender packs and handmade soap

the process.

made by the mothers, most of which were again completely sold out. They also had a big bottle filled with

The Speranta Pentru Tine charity group raises money for 2

candy- students paid to guess how many candies were in

main causes: to help children who suffer from cancer afford

it; the winner won the whole bottle, which ended up being

treatment, and to help improve living conditions in a homeless

Dean Leizer from Y13. Their stand was definitely one of

shelter in Bucharest. Their stand at the Winter Fair brought a lot

the most visited at the fair and made a lot of people’s day.

of smiles to people’s faces this year; they sold milkshakes made freshly on the spot, offered a gingerbread house workshop,

Punctul Nordic raises money for a home for the less

and a workshop for decorating gingerbread cookies - which

fortunate in Corbeanca, and at the Winter Fair they

definitely captured the attention of lots of children. While all

sold boba tea, which definitely made this stand many

this was happening in the PE hall, there was also a Christmas

students’ favourite. They offered face painting, which was

decorations painting workshop taking place in the main school,

especially popular with the primary school students, held

where students were able to paint and decorate baubles or

a cup stacking competition, and sold candy bouquets put

wooden figurines, which could then be put on Christmas

together by the students. Other things they sold included

trees or gifted to parents and friends. They also had a ‘Defuse

eclairs and fortune cookies, much to the delight of many.

the bomb’ game, which was played in pairs, requiring one person a manual to instruct another person how to diffuse the

The Light Into Europe group raises money for the School

bomb. This was a really fun activity for students of all ages,

for the Deaf (Liceul Tehnologic Special nr 3) to help the

encouraging teamwork from the participants. These hands-on

school afford resources for their special education needs,

activities were definitely a way for students to put their bountiful

especially to help maintain their drama programme. Their

energy reserves to good use.

stand at the Winter Fair definitely had a special attraction: the official Light into Europe guide dog, Heidi. The dog

Touched Romania also managed to raise a lot of money for

attracted a lot of attention to the stand, which had a

Casa Agar, a house where mothers can seek shelter with

‘Guess the guide dog’s name’ game, with four winners:

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Priya and Eva from 8V, Sofia from 4S and David M. from 7B. They also had a ‘Pin the star on the tree’ game and a contest where people could throw presents into Santa’s bag. In the main school, there were some rooms set up as a cinema, where they showed 3 Christmas-themed short films. They also organised karaoke, a lot more talent in the school than we realised. The teachers’ performances were definitely the highlight of the afternoon for everyone. The Paper Tree charity group has been recycling paper all year and raising awareness about the effects of climate change and the importance of recycling. At the Winter Fair, they sold reusable plastic cups and bottles, which promoted waste reduction. They also sold soup, noodles, and various other Asian snacks. This year, the Secondary School CAS Club also had a stand at the fair: the money raised will be split equally between the charity groups. Titi and Aughad set up the stand, selling candy canes, clay ornaments, wood mandalas, and bookmarks. By the end of the fair, they had sold out of everything! The Animal Welfare group raises money for the Bruno Shelter, which houses stray dogs and cats, and give money to vets for owners of animals who can’t afford to pay for treatment. Their stand at the Winter Fair included pictures with Santa, which was definitely a student favourite, a ping pong competition, and a bear raffle. They also sold popcorn, which was sold out by the time the fair ended. The PTF was also present at the fair running their own stand. They had a popcorn machine (which Animal Welfare also borrowed), and sold lots of candy, which definitely brought joy to many students! Overall, as the first Winter Fair in over two years (the pandemic restrictions last year didn’t allow us to organise one), I really think it was a resounding success; all of my colleagues from the different charity groups said their hard work paid off, allowing them to raise more money than expected, but more importantly the participating students all seemed to truly enjoy themselves. It was a tiring experience for me and my fellow Sixth Formers, as the first of its kind for us, but definitely very rewarding and so I’m already looking forward to next year’s edition- and I know I’m not the only one!

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Virtual Vending to Support Animal Welfare by Elian Tetruashvili, Year 12 Hello everyone! My name is Elian Tetruashvili (Year 12), and I am a Senior Prefect and member of the Animal Welfare CAS Team. The Animal Welfare Team aims to help animals that are at risk by rescuing them or providing medical care/treatment. Our main fundraising activity is Virtual Vending, for which we sell a variety of products including crisps, noodles, drinks and lots of snacks. You can find the Virtual Vending in the College locker room. Our team members are always ready to offer you a pleasant service whenever you want to purchase a product. Our Virtual Vending is currently aimed towards the sixth form students; however, we would like to try to get involved with the younger students on the main campus as well. The money earned from Virtual Vending is used to help and support animals endanger. For instance, in the last couple of years, the Animal Welfare Team has supported Bruno Shelter, rescued cats, and the Juara Turtle Project. Our team is keen to ensure all animals are in a safe and loving place, and we hope to be able to achieve our goals with your continued support! Thank you very much!

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‘Speranta Pentru Tine’ Christmas Workshops by Ioana Aizic, Year 12 As you may be aware, the sixth form students are required to participate in a Community Action Service (CAS) Programme, which provides support, raises awareness, and also sometimes money for various worthwhile causes. The Speranta Pentru Tine group, which I am a part of, as a part of the CAS programme, organized Christmas workshops this year for both primary and secondary school students to raise funds for a homeless shelter and children suffering from cancer. In the last full week of school, students from the Speranta Pentru Tine project group visited the primary school to run Christmas decoration workshops for each of the classes. More specifically, we offered students a choice between painting wooden figurines and clear baubles: the wooden figurines came in different shapes, including angels, reindeers, and snowmen and more, and it was truly inspiring seeing all the different styles and colours the students used to paint these seemingly simple figures. The baubles painted by students were also incredibly creative, with many students coming up with their own ways of fill them inside, despite the fact that we offered them candy to fulfill this purpose. Some students in the groups that I visited, for example, cut up confetti from coloured paper and put this inside the bauble; others discovered that running the bauble under warm water gave it a foggy appearance.

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The purpose of these workshops with was to ignite the Christmas spirit within the students, whilst developing their creative ability and educating them about the less fortunate, showing them how the ways to help others can be a lot of fun. As 6th form students enrolled in a rigorous academic programme that prepares us for university, it was nice to have the opportunity to be involved in a creative task like this one; helping the younger students with their decorations was a way for us to break our usual routine and do something out of the ordinary, and I can honestly say that it was a welcomed experience for all of us. The children were so incredibly excited to participate in these activities and it means everything to us as a group that we managed to share in their excitement. We hope that we made their day just a little better! It was a wonderful experience for us, as it allowed all of us to take a trip down memory lane, remembering what it was like when we were their age and had lessons in the very same classrooms that we now visited. We remembered how much we used to look up to the older students and how we couldn’t wait to join the ‘big school’. It showed us just how far we’ve come and how much we’ve achieved. We hope in the end that we imbued them with the sense of importance toward helping less fortunate and knowledge that should be grateful for what they have. We also hope that we gave them the confidence to look forward to growing up and inspired them to dream big.

Dr. Leahu Space Academy is a world dedicated to children, dentistry’s Disneyland for the little ones It is for the first time in Romania that such an original idea, exclusively dedicated to kids, has been implemented by a dental clinic. This concept’s universe focuses on the space exploration theme through the use of characters from the dentistry world. Dințică, the protagonist, goes through a multitude of adventures that take place on both the Toothbrushes and Sweets Planets, alongside fellow characters, such as Vrăjitoarea Carie, Lopătarii, Balaurul Tartru and Zâna Zânelor. The concept revolves around a reward system, so that kids can earn pins and badges for each specific activity, such as fixing cavities, extractions or sealings. The first series is comprised of an 8-elements set, which they can only receive if they are quiet, listen to the pedontist’s recommendations and know how to take care of their teeth. The pins and badges can then be worn on the vests they receive inside the clinic, which they can afterwards take home.

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Dr Leahu Space Academy, the first dental clinic for kids with a gamification system The gamification platform is created to both educate and guide children, as well as to keep their interest alive even after leaving the clinic. This specially designed space is comprised of different elements, such as video games, a digital registration and interaction system, as well as a Kinect installation. Dințică’s digital world is directly connected to the clinic’s activity. The kids play these games on tablets, but they can only access them through a unique scannable code that they receive upon their arrival in the clinic. The gamification mechanism also disposes of a digital platform dedicated to the concept: www.academiaspatiala.ro.

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UNITED NATIONS DAY by Maia Bucura & Emma Apostol, Year 7

Every year, IBSB puts on a wonderful show to celebrate United Nations’ Day. Every show is unique, but equably pleasurable and entertaining to watch, with both the students and teachers dressed up in traditional national clothing, singing, dancing, and acting for the enjoyment of all, sharing interesting facts, and much, much more. Unfortunately, this year UN Day had to be celebrated online due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, so we weren’t able to enjoy any yummy food and sadly no parents were able to join un on campus to share this event either. But the show must go on, and go on it did, with each class recording performances to offer a colourful YouTube video from both the primary and secondary schools. From the cute early years’ offerings to the year 13’s presentation about Russia, we explored the colourful history of many nations and shared it with our entire school community on Friday, October 15th. We hope you enjoyed it!

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Primary School UN Day Assembly: All of primary school online UN Day show this year we had songs, presentations, and even a science lesson from Year 2. It was a short yet sweet celebration, and should at least be glad that we can rewatch it on YouTube as many times as we like This show certainly sure put a smile on our faces, but as mentioned before, all of primary’s productions are guaranteed to do that! Every class in primary worked hard to prepare their performances, and all pleasantly surprised us in their own individual way. We are definitely looking forward to the next time we get to see primary school’s creativity in action. We know for sure that every student has worked hard to prepare for their class video, and their work undoubtedly paid off, resulting in one fantastic show, which you can now watch online in the comfort of you ow living room. Enjoy the show!

Secondary School UN Day Assembly The Secondary School’s UN Day assembly was divided into two sections: one section offered informational presentations about different countries and the other a delightful selection of musical pieces from each class up to Year 11. As we were showered with information, we also got to enjoy songs such as ‘Buffalo Sunshine’ and Andrei Ghita’s ‘Best of me’. Ms Lonergan showed how devoted she was to our school by ensuring each class’s contribution was a success. She even composed the Year 7 & 8 songs herself! Next time you see Ms Lonergan around school, be sure to thank her for putting so much effort into making everything perfect. Final thoughts... Even if this year’s event was a little different to previous years, it was still extremely entertaining, and we hope that next year our beloved parents, the yummy international buffet, live stage performances, and colourful costumes will all be back. We can’t wait!

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The COBIS Virtual Debate Competition

We entered two teams, and I can honestly say, as the captain of one of the teams, that everyone did incredibly well, especially being that a half of the students were debating for the very first time and the other half hadn’t had any live debate practice in almost two years because of the pandemic. We began the competition on Friday, December 3rd, debating the prepared motion: ‘This House Believes That (THBT) hosting the Olympic Games does more harm than good. Although some of us had rather strong opinions for or against the topic beforehand, we had to prepare to debate both sides of the motion, not knowing what side we’d end up debating on the day; thankfully for Team 1, this ended up being the opposition, which was our preferred side of

by Maria Sticlea, Year 12

the argument, and we happily debated our way to victory against the International British School of Moscow! Then, after a short lunch break, we were ready for our next

At the beginning of December, after getting back into our regular school routines after the long weekend for Romania’s National Day, the senior school debate teams participated in the inaugural COBIS Virtual Debating Competition, hosted by Debate Mate.

debate, only to find out that, since the other team didn’t show up, we’d be debating Debate Mate staff! And as if this wasn’t already difficult enough, we had to debate the side of the opposition for the impromptu motion “THBT protests are an effective way to bring about change.” A little disheartened by the turn of events, we determined to make the best of the situation, moving forward with our preparation in the hope of gathering enough points as possible to make the semifinal on Day 3.

With our final debate for Day 1 now over, it was not yet time

Debate is an extremely valuable skill to have, especially as

to go home, needing to put in one final effort to complete

more and more jobs require public speaking and negotiation

our preparations for the prepared motion ‘THBT digital

skills It’s also one of those activities where it’s never too

technology has done more to disconnect than connect us’,

early or too late to start. I started quite reluctantly, with a

which we would debate in our first debate on Day 2.

nudge from my parents, but am now very thankful that they pushed me to try it out. I’ve made so many amazing

Rising bright and early the next morning, we were in school

friends, with many wonderful shared memories, and have

by 09:00am ready for another day of debating ahead.

discovered that speaking in public and pouring my heart

Unfortunately, to our great disappointment, we were again

into a speech is something that I actually really love doing.

thrown a curveball: there was yet another mix-up and we found ourselves preparing to debate the same team we

The Sir Winston Churchill Debating Competition, organised

had debated and beaten the day before! This wasn’t a

by our school, will hopefully be happening physically in

huge issue as we got the side of the motion we preferred

February, if the pandemic allows it, so there’s going to

(proposition) and eventually won the debate, but it would

be more and more opportunities to join the team and to

have been nice to debate a team from another school to be discover just how great debating is, while also finetuning able to interact with more students.

your skills and enjoying yourself in the process. And, if I’ve managed to convince you to give it a go yet, please don’t

With two confirmed wins and a debate for points without

hesitate to talk to me, Mr Peet, or any other of the members

a declared winner, we were confident that, if we did well

of the debate club: our doors are open to anyone and

on our final debate on Day 2, that we would have a very

everyone that wants to try it out!

good chance to make it through to the semi-finals. The motion for the final impromptu debate was “THBT children make better leaders than adults”, with the team deciding to take a more definition-focused approach as team proposition, talking about how children can be molded into being leaders more easily, thus making better leaders in the long run. After a fierce debate, we were hopeful about the outcome, but we ended up losing by just 4 points to the team that would eventually go on to win the entire competition, GEMS Wellington International School. I must admit, it was a bit disappointing, given the amount of work we had put in, but it was certainly a relief knowing that we could enjoy our Sunday and a well-deserved break after the intense competition from the last two days. This was the first online debate competition that I’ve been involved in, and although it was definitely a learning curve, with Zoom seemingly having a mind of its own and deciding to quit on us multiple times, it was nice to do some debating for the first time in a while, albeit online and without any of the physical interactions; I feel like our team became much closer as a result of this event, since we spent 3 days working together, arguing different topics, which really made the overall experience an overwhelmingly positive one in the end.

Congratulations to all the IBSB students who participated in the COBIS Virtual Debate Competition, with a special note of congratulations to Maria Sticlea (Team Captain), selected as 1 of just five students from 65 teams to receive the Award for Best Debater in the competition: Maria Sticlea (Award for Best Debater) Thea (Kiki) Iordachescu Millie Badiu Andrei Vernon Sara Josiper Alexia Verdes Haidar Mrad Ana Mihaescu Victor Tvig

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A Visit from the British Ambassador, Andrew Noble On September 22nd we were delighted to welcome the British Ambassador to Romania, Andrew Noble, onto campus as our special guest of honour to formally cut the ribbon, opening our new Early Years Centre. The culmination of three years development, the new Early Years Centre includes bright open work spaces, specially designed to inspire creativity and encourage collaboration between the nursery and reception aged children, with free flow between the indoor spaces and outdoor areas. Whilst on a tour of the Early Years Centre, with two of our Year 6 Ambassadors as his guides, the ambassador had the opportunity to meet some of the teachers and younger students, learning from our Head of Primary, who joined the tour a little later on, how our High Performance Learning programme is equipping the children at IBSB with the skills and learning competencies needed to become successful lifelong learners. Ambassador Noble said he enjoyed his visit so much, that he’s already looking forward to his next visit.

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from our Head of Primary, who joined the tour a little later on, how our High Performance Learning programme is equipping the children at IBSB with the skills and learning competencies needed to become

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successful lifelong learners. Ambassador Noble said he enjoyed his visit so much, that he’s already looking forward to his next visit.

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NEW EARLY YEARS CENTRE NURSERY & RECEPTION FOR CHILDREN AGED 3 & 4

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Continuing Professional Development Preparing for a new school year On Tuesday, August 17, the IBSB staff returned to school to for a two week induction programme to prepare for a new school year, which started on Monday, August 30. In addition to preparing for lessons and classrooms, staff also be received the necessary health and safety training, to ensure the wellbeing of all our students, including every member of the teaching team completing a course on Child Safeguarding, Online Safety, Medic First Aid, Prevent Duty, Equality and Diversity, and Fire and Earthquake Safety, which required staff to practice using the fire extinguishers on campus with the support and guidance of an experienced member of the Romanian Fire Department. For some of our new staff, it was their first time using a fire extinguisher, and good opportunity to build confidence. In the first week of school students and staff will review the fire and earthquake safety procedures and protocols together, with a practice drill taking place each term to ensure students and staff are able to calmly evacuate the buildings and take the class register in under 3 minutes. Fire and earthquake drills are recorded, reviewed, and checked by visiting school inspectors.

One way you know for sure that a new school year is about to begin at IBSB is the appearance of parents on campus to meet the teachers. After a year of online coffee mornings in 2020-21, it was great to see so many of our parents attending the IBSB Parent-Teacher Coffee Mornings at Casa J in Week 2. These mornings offered our parents the perfect opportunity to chat with the class teacher over a friendly cup of coffee, whilst reviewing the school calendar, the curriculum, the extra-curricular enrichment programme, the online learning platform, parent porthole, and many other important aspects of the student learning experience at IBSB. There is always plenty of time for Q & A at the end, and of course the chance for parents to get to know other parents in their class. It’s the first important step in the ‘Parent and Partners’ Programme, which is traditionally followed by the Parent-Teacher BBQ, normally taking place two weeks later. Working closely together with our Parents as Partners, is the very best way to help our students turn their dreams into reality!

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PARENT MEETINGS SIGNAL THE START OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

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Sports

IBSB U14s battle against the odds to reach the cup final! by Rares Saizu, Year 9K

Our very first U14 football tournament for the year took place at the American School (AISB) toward the end of Term 1. It was, unfortunately, one of the coldest days of the year, with little chance to escape the chilling temperatures, due to COVID19 restrictions in place preventing visiting teams from waiting inside between games. Resigned to the cold, we were determined to give our very best. The competition included the standard line up of schools; AISB alone had 4 teams, we barely completed one. The odds were definitely stacked against us. In our first match, we played AISB 2. Costa scored after my shot was parried, and Milo scored a very impressive solo effort. 1 game 1 win. We were off to a promising start! The challenge was now to try to stay warm in between games. Waiting for our next match against the Romanian - Finnish school, we felt our core body temperature slowly drop as the minutes ticked by. The snow melted on the field had created an icy pond to play on in the

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previous game, causing us to leave the pitch wet, and we

come down to penalties, winds of fortune eventually

were now all freezing to the bone. We had to keep going!

blowing in our opponent’s favour.

In our second match, the Romanian - Finnish school

In the end, we finished in second place, feeling extremely

managed to gain an early 1-0 lead, but not for long as we

proud of ourselves, given the challenging conditions.

bided out time until Costa scored a goal, with Tudor adding another one shortly after, with a quick one-two combination

Looking forward, there is plenty to be excited about,

between Milo and myself, and a good cross towards Tudor.

with more students now joining the football club, which

In the end, however, our opponents equalized and the

means we will have more players on the bench to be

match ended 2-2. We were still top of our group, with 4

able to rotate the tired players., and with Mr Ciprian’s

points, with AISB on 3 points and the Romanian - Finnish

help, and a lot of training and hard work, we plan to be

school on just 1 point. We were in the final!

ready for the Lumina Cup in May.

The bad news was that we had no substitutes and half of

Well done to the entire team for a great result achieved!

the team was by now completely frozen, facing off against

And a special thank you to our team coach, Mr Ciprian,

an opposing team that looked both warm and well-rested.

for training us and giving up your Saturday to guide us

The chance of winning looked low, yet we pressed on

through to the final. Next time we promise to go all the

despite all odds, and started amazingly well with two quick

way!

goals scored by George and Milo, after a good pass left him 1 on 1 against the goalkeeper. Then, as quickly as it has blown in our favour, the winds of fortune changed, handing AISB 1 a lucky goal when our keeper slipped in the muddy conditions in front of our goal. Minutes later, however, their keeper threw the ball in the air: I ran, intercepted it, and shot it toward goal, with a lucky header deflecting the ball into the back of their net. We continued to hold the lead, and dared to dream the impossible. The tension continued to rise, as the pressure steadily increased on both sides. We pressed on, energy waning, growing ever more tired, with David (our goalkeeper) putting forth a superhuman effort, saving goal after goal, unbelievable shots, to keep us in the lead. In the end though, they were simply too fresh, with too many substitutes, resulting in a final barrage of shots at goal, and eventually two quick goals tying the game at 3-3. It would

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Romania vs Armenia by Calin Constantinescu, Year 12

I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to attend this crucial football match for Romania on the 11th of October. This was it! Either we win and go through to the next round, or we lose and wait another 4 years to qualify for the next World Cup – a frustrating scenario considering it has been 24 years since we last qualified in 1998, when legends Gheorghe Hagi and Gica Popescu brought our team to the round of 16. Since then, Romania managed to qualify for 3 European Championships, but have had no chance to shine in the global spotlight. Now was our time! Having had a run of decent results, including a 1-0 lead in the first half of the match against Germany (thanks to a beautiful goal scored by Ianis Hagi - an IBSB alumni) morale was high at the entrance of Ghencea Stadium. The crowd congregated in front of the communist-era gates, with everyone, including myself, attempting to squeeze between the heaving masses to make it to the ticket turnstile. As I entered the stadium, 20 minutes before kick-off, I was met with energy reminiscent of Wembley or some other fabled European stadium, not the Temple of Romanian football. The Steaua Ultras, as always, stood out in their deathly black between the numerous patches of red, yellow, and blue.

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As the players walked onto the pitch, they were met with

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a thunderous applause. The Tricolours were ready to win. I was buzzing with excitement. The whistle blew, and the quest for Qatar was on. 5 minutes in, the Armenians were feeling the pressure, with barely any possession in the Romanian half, however, the Armenian goalkeeper had little difficulty in deflecting the shots. Poor shot after poor shot soon made me think that this was going to be a “classic” Romania performance. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. In the 25th minute, we received a corner kick. The stadium erupted in slow, continuous claps as Razvan Marin walked up to cross the ball through the air. Mitrita - with a height of just 1 metre 60cm - jumped and somehow miraculously made contact, heading the ball toward the bottom right corner of the goal. The crowd erupted. The shortest man in the team had just scored a goal from a corner! Everyone was in a delirious state of disbelief. We had moved to second place in the league, one step closer to making it through. The entire stadium broke out in a chant: “MITRITA, MITRITA, MITRITA!!” After another 10 minutes of sustained Romanian pressure, the ball finally made it out of the Armenian half. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Roma player, captain of the team, was crossing into the box, fast, amid a rising cacophony of boos and jeers. He side-stepped and angled to take the shot, the ball rose into the air, on target, the crowd momentarily silenced, Nita stretched and..SAVED! Unbelievably, we had moved to second place in the group! The whistle blew twice: half-time! The second half began with the Armenians seemingly more alert; they take possession and begin a dangerous offensive. Another shot. Nita saves again. A corner kick. Another save. Despite the threat Armenia pose to our

qualification, Radoi’s soldiers are determined to not give up. We keep going. Soon, the wind is taken out of the Armenian sails, and the worst is over. We managed to somehow keep going, and persevering against the threat of history repeating itself. 3 fouls hands us a free kick. Former IBSB student Ianis steps forward to take the shot. The Rangers player, who had successfully scored many such shots, looks forward intently, the whistle blows, exhales slowly, and throws his body into forward motion. Momentary silence consumes the stadium, the once strong wind now almost non-existent as the powerful strike makes its way for the bottom right corner of the goal. A terrific save by the Armenian goalie. The sands of time continue to descent from the heavens, and finally, as if a gift from the gods, the whistle blows, signalling the end of the match. Romania has done it! Despite faced the difficulty in the second half, we emerge triumphant. We had struggled in our last match against Armenia, conceding 3 goals in 10 minutes, but thankfully this time can out on top, second in the table and hopefully on our way to Qatar! Scenes of celebration erupt out onto the streets. We had elevated ourselves from the despair of losing to Georgia at home, to now being just a step away from qualifying for our first World Cup in 24 years. We have been trying for so long; dare we believe?

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School Views

HPL: Unlocking Student Potential The question to be asked and answered is how do we

by Matthew Tansley

school where the foundation for future success is formed.

unlock the potential of our children? Unfortunately, there is no definitive guide to good parenting, no universally

By the time our children arrive at secondary school, their

accepted manual we can refer to unequivocally to navigate

intellectual capacity will already be self-evident, with

our way through the many challenges and choices we

some children able to communicate in multiple languages,

face as parents during early childhood and adolescence.

and with a reading speed two or three times that of other

We effectively make it up as we go along, doing the best

children. It is in the primary school years essentially, that

we can with the knowledge we have at the time, hoping

you form the base of your pyramid of knowledge, and the

in the end that we are making the right choices and that

wider and deeper your base, the greater the potential for

everything will work out okay in the end.

future growth.

Building Capacity Early

Developing a Growth Mind-set

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes we make as parents is

In addition to starting early, Carol Dweck, a lecturer at

thinking that the most important schooling years are in high

Columbia University and Harvard University, and author

school, when our children are preparing for exams that will

of The New Psychology Of Success, reveals that another

decide which university they are accepted into.

key factor of success is not innate talent or intelligence, as many believe, but resilience, being the ability to persevere

Whilst choosing a good school, with a proven track

and grow through adversity.

record of high exam results and university offers from top universities, is certainly important, secondary school is

Dweck provides compelling evidence to show that it is

not where you build capacity. It is during primary school

not generally the most talented athletes that make it to

that the brain of a child is most permeable, undergoing

the Olympics. Talent itself is not enough. It is individuals

hyperbolic growth and development, and it is in the primary

prepared to do the work day in, day out, through the pouring rain, the biting cold, and soring temperatures, through injury and short-term disappointments, never giving up on their dream, who eventually go on to achieve success.

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important development in education in the 21st century supporting our growing understanding of nurturing human capability. Another corner stone of High Performance Learning is the key breakthrough in understanding that the brain structure and function is not fixed and unchangeable, which is to say that mental ability has little to do with genes or DNA and a lot to do with the learning environment. This is an important belief in HPL Schools, where all students are considered to possess the potential to be High Performance Learners.

Moving Away from the Bell Curve In a High Performance Learning School, students are not placed along the traditional bell curve spread of learners, from low ability to high ability, but rather are placed on a journey moving for the current level of ability for each student toward a high level of ability for all students.

Parents as Partners Another important aspect of High Performance Learning, is working closely with parents as partners. Again, in a traditional school, it is normal for parents to drop their children off at the front gate, handing over responsibility for the process of their children learning to the school. In a High Performance Learning School, this is not the case. The parents are given a manual, and ongoing training and support to become ‘High Performance Parents’ working with the school to support their children on their High Performance Learning journey. The International British School of Bucharest is currently the only High Performance Learning School in Romania, and with 87% of their students being offered places in the top 5% of universities worldwide this year, it is clear that the school is achieving incredible results.

“It is essential that parents are involved in the learning process. Without ongoing parental support and involvement, it would not be possible to achieve the results we do.” Kendall Peet, Head of School

“We are extremely proud to be the first school in Romania accepted into the global community of High Performance Learning Schools, which will ensure we remain at the forefront of teaching pedagogy, preparing our students with the key competencies to succeed, not just academically, but in life.” Matthew Tansley, Head of Secondary School

Join us on the journey of a lifetime The International British School of Bucharest is the only fully accredited AoBSO British international school located in the city centre, on a modern, purpose-build campus connecting their students to the world. To find out more about High Performance Learning, contact the admissions team at admissions@ibsb.ro.

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Developing a ‘Growth Mindset’ is just one of the corner stones of ‘High Performance Learning’, arguably the most

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HPL on track with best set of summer exam results ever by Matthew Tansley

100%Success

with Passing Grade E-A* in IGCSE & A Level Exam Results

Having to contend with challenging circumstances, including the nationwide move from to online learning, and last minute announcement by Cambridge that the School Assessed Grades (SAG) route would be used, our students deserve all the praise they have received and more, for the mature, responsible way they approached both their studies and their exams in 2021, resulting in a very commendable final set of school grades achieved in both the IGCSE and A Level programme. Congratulations to our Year 11 students who have just received their results for the IGCSE summer exam session, overcoming many challenges to maintain the same high standard of grades achieved across the curriculum in previous years, with 99% of our students achieving passing grades, including 90% in the C-A* range, 72% in the B-A* range, and 50% in the A-A*.

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Following on from the IGCSE, the ‘Graduating Class of 2021’ deserves an equal amount of praise for achieving yet another outstanding set of exam results this year! This is the third year in a row that A Level exam results have increased at IBSB, with our students achieving an impressive 100% Pass Rate, including 84% in the B-A* range, and 60% in A-A* range, continuing to maintain the long established IBSB tradition of ‘Excellence in Education’. Refer to the next page article to find a full review of university destinations for the Graduating Class of 2021. Our sincere thanks and appreciation go out to our staff and parents for a wonderful team effort, working together closely in partnership to provide the support and encouragement needed to overcome the many challenges faced this year with hybrid learning and online learning, and the uncertainty presented by the examination boards relating to end of year assessment. Without your incredible level of dedication and unwavering support, these results would not have been possible. And with results like these, given the extremely difficult circumstances, I think it is safe to say that the future for our students looks very bright indeed!

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Final University Destinations 2021

2020-21 was another very busy and successful year for university applications. In so many ways, Year 13 last year were an exceptional year group, both academically and socially. They are credit to the school, with most of them having been IBSB students since primary school; graduating with the IBSB Core Values firmly embedded, which will serve to enrich their university experience and equip them well as they move on to the next stage of their life. As you can see from the list below the courses selected are as diverse as the universities and countries that our students now call home. The prestige amongst this list of universities is also a testament to the students’ hard work and dedication to their studies and future. It was also a very poignant moment for me, as my own daughter Jaime was one of the graduates.

by Jayne Baker, University Applications Officer

We wish all of the families and students well as our graduates move on to being the next exciting stage of their lives. Year 13 – it was an absolute pleasure to have known you over the last 5 years, and I know that I will be able to check up on your progress easily. Good luck and go and smash it!

Luca Dobronauteanu

Mario Ghenea

Athlete turning professional Tennis

King’s College London Economics and Management

Ioan Cazacu

Orel Tetruashvili

Bishop Grosseteste University Psychology and Counselling

La Salle Barcelona, Business Management

Anusha Demta Brunel University London Aerospace Engineering

Valeria Laruccia Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione Corporate Comunication & Public Relations

Hyeonsoo So

Vlad Marinescu

King’s College London Economics and Management

Loughborough University Product Design Engineering

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Irina Chemencedji

Matei Bitu

Savannah College of Art & Design Arhitecture (Scholarship)

Eidenhover University of Technology Computer Science

Milena Vergara IE University International Relations with Business Administration (Scholarship)

Max Mihailovici University College London (UCL) History

Tamara Minea University College London (UCL) Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Theodor Prajisteanu University of Essex International Business and Entrepreneurship

Maria Lin University of Groningen International Business

Andrei Minculete University of Groningen International Business

Rares Nicolaescu

Isabelle Vrinceanu

University of Groningen Genetics

University of Las Vegas Biological Sciences Pre Med (Scholarship)

Diana Raducu

Christie Vernon

University of Groningen Psychology

University of Oxford – Magdalen College Human Sciences

Leo Ye

Jaime Baker

University of Hong Kong Economics and Finance

UWE Bristol Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science

Minoru Kishinami University of Leeds Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence

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Student Counsellor News

With the new school year underway, the IBSB Pastoral Care System is now is full swing to help child settle into the new school year quickly, feeling safe, valued, and growing in confidence and maturity both academically and socially as the school year progresses.

What is bullying and How Do we approach this important issue? Being a school with many students, there will of course be instances where bullying behaviour is brought to light and addressed. The way that we approach the issue of bullying is from a multidisciplinary perspective, acting proactively to reduce the level of bullying both within school and outside school, and reactively to resolve issues quickly when they arise. Educating our children about the issue of bullying is important As a school committed to maintaining student wellbeing,

Ms Delia Ciobanu IBSB Primary School Student Counsellor

we take the time to teach our children from a young age how ‘to behave’ and how ‘not to behave’. We also teach students what bullying is and what bullying isn’t, so that they each know how to identify bullying if they experience it personally or see it happening to someone else. Just to be clear, bullying is not a single incident of one student being unkind to another student, or for example, pushing him or her while in the playground out of anger or frustration. This is certainly inappropriate behaviour, not bullying. Bullying is the deliberate and intentional behaviour of one student or group of students intended to cause harm and suffering to another over an ‘extended period of time’.

Ms Cristina Latcu IBSB Secondary School Student Counsellor

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whilst empowering those who may on the receiving end of bullying to know how to best address this issue if it arises. Thankfully, the level of bullying at IBSB is very low, with just minor level incidents happening on a less frequent basis, so we are confident that our pastoral care system is working well. Having in mind that children spend more time with their peers than their parents, it is important for parents to know what signs to look for in order to identify if their child is being bullied. You can find comprehensive list of the signs explained here, along with some other useful information: www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/35910. It is also important to understand that childhood bullying can affect a young person’s health in a number ofways: physical, psychological, and social. There can also be serious long-term effects, which may include low self-esteem, social anxiety and agoraphobia, decreased performance, suicidal thoughts, night terrors, addiction, and poor interpersonal relationships. You can find an informative article on the possible long-term effects of bullying here: https:// adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/100/9/879.full.pdf It is of the utmost importance that we work together as a whole school community to provide a safe environment where our children can enjoy the experience of growing up and maturing into young adults. If you have any concerns about an issue relating to bullying as the year progresses, please write to your class teacher and the relevant Head of School to inform them of your concerns. You can also arrange a time to speak with a student counsellor to ask for advice, as we are always happy to help. Have a great year, with many happy memories collected along the way!

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that is also educational toward this issue, seeking to help those who are doing the bullying to understand why it is wrong,

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Students at IBSB are made aware, in no uncertain terms, that IBSB maintains a no tolerance approach to bullying, but one

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An Interview With Mr Ryan: Georgraphy & Humanities Teacher by Rucsandra Curtis and Sofia McGregor, Year 9E Why did you come to IBSB? There are a lot of reasons that attracted me to this school. First of all, I was looking for a change in my life, which is why I wanted to move to a new country. Romania appealed to me as a destination for many reasons. Firstly, I’ve been here before on holiday, and I really enjoyed it, so I always thought that I’d like to come back. I also wanted to be closer to the mountains, as hobbies of mine include hiking and camping, so that was another one of the reasons that brought me to this country. What brought me to IBSB specifically was that I spoke with Mr Tansley about this school, and I really liked what I heard. This school seemed like it had a good community that would focus on helping the students improve and get better, so all those things made it clear that IBSB was the school for me going forward in my career.

What made you become a teacher? That’s a good question. When I was in school, there were three subjects that really mattered to me: PE, Geography, and History. So when I finished school, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do as a career, but I knew that those were the subjects I enjoyed. There was a University close to my home where one of the courses was PE and Geography

Teaching, which ticked the boxes of what I enjoy, so I decided to enroll. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with teaching; I really enjoy the process of helping kids and helping them grow, so that’s basically how I fell into the career of teaching.

If you hadn’t become a teacher, what job would you have chosen? I think I would do something to do with the environment, because I am passionate about helping our planet and sustaining it, so I’d like to think that it would be something along the lines of working as a conservationist trying to

help the rainforests or even doing scientific research in Antarctica. I’d like to think that it could be one of those professions, but who knows. Also, when I was still at school, I had a real interest in becoming a pilot.

What was your favorite subject at school?

Where did you go to school? I went to school in a little town called Newport. The school was called St. Mary’s Secondary school. It was a small school, with about 300 students, and that’s where

PE. I loved PE. We would play football all the time, and we

I learned my trade, so to speak.

really enjoyed it. There wasn’t really much of a structure for

What University Did You Go to?

where we played PE when I was in school; it was the case of “here’s a football, now go play!”. For one hour every week we would run around, sweat a lot, and have a really intense game of football. Although it wasn’t the ideal PE setup, it was perfect for us.

Why did you choose the subject that you’re teaching now? As I’ve said before, I have a passion for our planet, and I enjoy learning about conserving the planet, different species of

I went to the local university; it was called the University of Limerick. Going there was an amazing experience. It was 20 minutes away from my home, which was great for me and my group of friends because we kind of stuck together. They were the same group of friends that I’ve had since I was 4 or 5 years old, and we all went to the same university, same secondary school, same primary school, and yeah. It was an amazing campus, I learnt a lot, learned not what to do on a lot of

animals, biomes and how they all interact with each other,

occasions, but overall, I had a really good time there.

and because I enjoy Geography so much, I decided to start

How do you like Romania?

teaching it.

Is this your first time working outside of your home country? No, not at all. When I left Ireland, I first moved to England, where I taught Geography for one year. After that, I moved to Dubai, in the UAE, where I taught PE for two years, then I taught Geography in a different school there for two more years, and now I’m here. This is the fourth country, including Ireland, that I’ve taught in.

Where are you from? I’m from a city called Limerick, in Ireland. It’s one of 32 counties in Ireland. I lived in the countryside in a rather isolated bungalow, surrounded by fields, forests, paths, trees, rivers, and everything else along those lines, so it was the exact opposite of living in a city.

I love it. As I’ve said before, I’ve been here before on holidays, me and my brother first came here 4 years ago. We went to Bucharest, then we went into the mountains and on to Cluj. I had an amazing experience that time, so I’ve come back and I’m not disappointed. Everything’s been amazing: schools been great, the city’s been really nice. The only problem I have here is that it’s getting quite cold, and having lived in Dubai for the past 4 years, I’m not used to that kind of weather anymore, so we’ll see how that goes.

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How was your first term at IBSB?

What is your favorite book? There’s a book by Tim Martial called Prisoners Of Geography.

Amazing. I really enjoyed it. It’s been hectic, it’s been busy,

I know it sounds biased because I’m a Geography teacher,

but I’ve still enjoyed it. The main thing for me about my job

but it’s an amazing book. It talks about country’s borders and

is interacting with the students, and the students have been

their locations, and it shows us how they are today in terms

flawless so far, so that makes my life much much easier and

of their society, culture, development, and all of these things.

more enjoyable. The staff have been amazing and really

It’s a really, really interesting book. I’ve just finished reading

supportive, so everything has fallen into place nicely and I’ve

Andrei Agassi’s book. He’s a former tennis player from the

settled in really well.

USA, and he’s had a really turbulent life. He says he hates

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? Before COVID, my brother and I were supposed to go to Kenya. We were supposed to climb the mountains in Kenya, do a safari, go to Mombasa and spend two weeks exploring everything that Kenya has to offer, but the day before we were supposed to travel there, Kenya announced all of these

tennis, but he ended up winning 8 or 9 tennis grand slams. It was really interesting to deep dive into his mind and into his thought process throughout his career.

What is your favorite food? Spaghetti Bolognese, easy.

What kind of music do you like?

restrictions, so we couldn’t go there. That was supposed to

I’m not the type of person who likes a particular genre of

happen last year, so if I could be anywhere in the world right

music. I like all genres and if the music is good, then I like it.

now, I would probably be in Kenya.

I will listen to anything as long as I think it’s pretty good. My

What is your favourite city that you have visited? There are so many good ones. This summer, I was in

favourite genres are probably rock and dance. AC/DC is my favorite band. I also enjoy The Killers and Guns And Roses.

Do you have any pets?

Tbilisi, which was quite cool, I really enjoyed it. It was a very

Not in Romania, unfortunately. I would love to have a pet. I

authentic, unique city, but I’ve got to say that my favorite

love dogs, and animals in general, but because I travel so

city is probably Singapore. It’s amazing what they’ve done

much, I’m not able to have one. Maybe I will be able to own

with the place; how they’ve built it so quickly in such a short

one when I have a permanent house to live in, but for now, I

period of time. It’s a really vibrant city; a multicultural society

don’t own one. Back home in Ireland, I used to have a dog.

with a lot of things going on.

His name was Kino, but unfortunately he passed away last

What are your hobbies? Sports is my main hobby. I love playing sports and I love watching them too. I play football, tennis, a little bit of golf from time to time, I go to the gym and I cycle everywhere, as I don’t have a car in this city. Sport is my main hobby, but I’m a geography teacher; I love travelling. Whenever I get a break or a half term, I like to explore someplace new.

year. He had a good long life, he lived until he was 15. We look back at him with loving memories.

An interview with Ms Joy Murphy: Science teacher and Year 7M Tutor by Emma Apostolu, Year 7 What made you join IBSB? I wanted to move to Romania, so I started to search for schools in Bucharest. I found IBSB and I liked the sound of the school. I have always worked in big schools with lots of people, so I liked that IBSB was a smaller, community-based school.

What made you become a teacher? My father was a headteacher for 42 years. Even when I was younger I loved teaching, but I never thought of becoming a teacher. TIt was when I was at university, that I decided to become a teacher to combine the two things I like most: teaching and science.

Is this your first time teaching abroad? No it isn’t. I taught in the UK for ten years and then moved to Dubai, where I taught for four years. This is my 15th year as a

everything in life.

If you weren’t a teacher what would you be? When I was younger I wanted to be a vet, but now if I wasn’t a teacher I would most likely be a baker because I like cooking.

What is your favorite thing about being a teacher?

teacher.

The enthusiasm of the students, especially when I tell them

What would you like your students to achieve?

Do you have any pets?

Most of all, I would like them to enjoy school and science and to gain knowledge of the importance of science to us and to

something new.

I have a cat called Murdock, who has been living in the UK for 4 years and has moved over here to live in Bucharest.

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An Interview With Mr Kirk: Maths Teacher and 9K Form Tutor by Radz and Rucsandra Curtis, Year 9 Why did you come to IBSB? There’s a lot of reasons why I came to IBSB. I was interested in working abroad for a long time. My partner, who is Bulgarian, and I were looking for a place in Eastern Europe, and saw a job advert for a school in Bucharest, saying they were looking for positive people to work in a friendly school with a strong sense of community, so I thought it looked like a great place to work. I visited the IBSB website and read the message from Mr Peet and Mr Tansley, and fortunately, when I made the application, it worked out well and I got the job here.

What made you want to become a teacher?

If you hadn’t become a teacher, what job would you have chosen?

I really enjoyed school and learning, so I thought to myself

I really like crime shows, so maybe a detective or

that being a teacher would be a pretty good job. After University, I tried a few different careers before becoming a teacher. I like that you’re not just working to make money from your boss; you’re working and giving back to other people; whether it’s young people or adults, and I think that’s a nice way to earn a living and I enjoy it.

something among those lines. If I wasn’t that, then I might do something in astrophysics, as that’s what my degree is in, and perhaps I might be working in some sort of industry. Now that I’m finished with all of my studies, I’m teaching myself how to program and code, so if I wasn’t teaching, I could do something related to that.

Maths, physics, and history.

Why did you choose the subject that you’re teaching now? I think maths is nice, it follows a nice logic, and it’s a great introduction to all STEM degrees. I see maths as not just

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? Either Bucharest or Varna, which is in Bulgaria, or Rochdale, where my family is from.

What is your favourite city that you have visited?

learning facts, buts doing puzzles and solving problems

That’s a very good question. I really enjoyed Barcelona and

as well, and it applies to so many aspects of life, so I enjoy

Copenhagen, and now Bucharest, so I can’t decide between

teaching it.

the three.

Is this your first time working outside your home country?

What are your hobbies?

Yes.

Jujiszu, which is similar to wrestling, and that’s my favorite

Where are you from? I’m from England.

Where did you go to school? I went to a place called Hollingworth High, in Rochdale.

What University Did You Go to? I’ve been to a couple of Universities. I started with the University Of Salford, where I got a HE diploma in physics. I then went to the open university, where I got a BSc. After that, I attended Leeds Beckett University, where I got a PGCE for teaching. I’ve recently finished an MSc Astrophysics course

When I was in England, I was doing this sport called Brazillian thing to do.

What is your favorite book? There’s a book called D-Day Through German Eyes. It’s about D-day from a German perspective rather than the allied perspective and it’s very, very interesting.

What is your favorite food? Anything that’s unhealthy. Pizza, burgers, and fried chicken.

What kind of music do you like? Progressive metal. My favorite band is Opah.

at Liverpool John Moores University.

Do you have any pets?

How do you like Romania?

Not currently.

Well, everybody’s friendly, there’s a good cost of living, and there are schoolchildren that want to learn, so it’s a really nice place here.

How was your first term at IBSB? Very good; I’m enjoying teaching here.

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An interview with Ms Fay: Year 1 Teacher by Rucsandra Curtis and Sofia McGregor, Year 9E Why did you come to IBSB? I wanted to live in Europe and I wanted to learn more about Romania, so I decided to come to this school.

What made you want to become a teacher? I love teaching. I became a teacher because I like to travel, I like to be with children, and I like to see how they can develop their skills and grow.

What was your favorite subject at school? My favorite subject was history.

If you hadn’t become a teacher, what job would you have chosen? I think I would’ve probably become a florist.

Why did you choose the class that you’re teaching now? I teach Year 1. I find that it’s a great satisfaction when you see the children come to school without the ability to read or write, but then you teach them and see them flourish throughout the year. When they leave Year 1, they know how to read and write and have developed their own ideas as well. There is a big difference between the beginning and the end, and getting to see the children develop those skills is a beautiful process.

Is this your first time working outside your home country?

What are your hobbies?

No, I’ve worked in many countries: Japan, Spain, Mexico, and,

My hobbies include reading, travelling, doing yoga, and

of course, here.

learning languages.

Where are you from?

What is your favorite book?

I’m from Dublin, Ireland.

My favorite book is On the Road by Jack Kerouac. It’s an

Where did you go to school? In Dublin.

What University Did You Go to? Dublin City University.

How do you like Romania? I love it. I’m having a great time. The city is big, and there are lots of amazing things to do here, including cultural events and fun things. The country is beautiful as well; I love the amount of nature here.

How was your first term at IBSB? It was great! It’s going very well, thank you.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? I would be on a beach in Vietnam or anywhere else in Asia.

What is your favourite city that you have visited? My favorite city is Kyoto in Japan.

amazing book about the journey of one man from one side of America to another, about the journey of how he grows as a person. It’s an excellent read.

What is your favorite food? I lived in Mexico for a long time, so my favorite food is tacos.

What kind of music do you like? I like all kinds of music. I listen to pretty much everything.

Do you have any pets? I have a dog, but he lives in Ireland. His name is Miller. He’s a poodle.

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An interview with Ms Tara Rose: English Teacher and 7B Form Tutor by Mia Opran, Year 10

Why made you come to IBSB?

What do you think about Romania?

I saw the job listing, I searched the school up, and it looked

I love Romania! It’s very interesting - and I particularly

lovely. I like that it’s a small school, this means you can get to

enjoy papanași! The landscapes and cities are beautiful.

know everyone. Since it’s an international school, I can teach people from all around the world, which is cool.

What’s your favourite food?

How was your first term here?

Pasta.

Everyone is amazing, I love it, everyone is welcoming. It’s fun

Do you have any pets?

teaching year 10!

Are you planning on staying in Romania for a long time?

Two cats, Willow and Cookie.

What’s your favourite book?

I hope I will stay for a long time.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

What are your hobbies?

What was your favourite subject in school?

I have a few. I love painting (art in general), creative writing, video games, and second hand shopping!

English!

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What’s your favourite type of book? I like a mix of fiction and non-fiction books.

Who was your favourite teacher in school? My maths teacher - I hated maths, but he made it fun for me!

Hero of your childhood? Emmeline Pankhurst, the suffragette.

Favourite type of music? 90s pop or Rock music.

What’s your favourite colour? Orange.

What’s your favourite movie? Gladiator.

What’s your favourite TV series? Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Halloween, Christmas, or Easter? Christmas most definitely!

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Book Review: Unthinkable, by Helen Thomson by Alexia Verdes, Year 12S “Unthinkable” by Helen Thomson is truly ‘an extraordinary journey through the world’s strangest brains’, as its subtitle proclaims. It was originally published in February 2018 and is 265 pages in length. I chose this book from a selection of recommended psychology titles and I found it to be a very interesting and captivating book that reveals stories of human experiences you would have never imagined. Psychology students would definitely enjoy reading this book, as well as anyone who has an interest in the workings of the human brain and mind. Throughout this book, we find out about the unique brains of nine individuals and how they cope with a different way of perceiving the world. The book begins by giving a brief outline of the history of neurology; how and when did people start to take an interest in the human brain and realise its importance? Helen Thomson then takes the reader on an engaging journey inside the head, explaining how we use the different parts of our brain in everyday life. Something that would certainly catch a psychology student’s attention is the references throughout the book to famous cases that are familiar figures of the psychology iGCSE course, such as Phineas Gage and Henry Molaison. Their stories are compared to those of

the individuals described in “Unthinkable”. A fun feature of Thomson’s book is that she addresses the reader directly and enthusiastically by suggesting tips to try at home; for example, if you’ve ever walked into a room and forgotten what you planned to do, she suggests trying to quickly look left and right to help jog your memory. It is said that sometimes the best way to look at a ‘normal’ brain is to explore those that are abnormal. Helen Thomson does this by closely looking at the unique brains of nine individuals; Bob, Sharon, Ruben, Tommy, Sylvia, Matar, Louise, Graham, and Joel. Instead of interviewing them in a lab setting, she meets them in their homes or at their favourite restaurant to get to know them and their brain more personally. First, we find out about Bob who has a highly superior autobiographical memory, meaning that he can remember every single day of his life in the tiniest detail. What would you do if you felt permanently lost, in a literal sense? Sharon, the second person we get to know in Thomson’s book explains that her perception of the world flips several times in a single day. Ruben, who is also called “the colour-blind synesthete” is an individual who, despite a physical inability to see colour, perceives colours when seeing people, in a way that he describes as “auras”.

The coloured light he sees around people is different for each person, can change over time depending on how well he knows that person, and is in tune with their main attributes (name, voice, what they’re wearing, the emotion he is feeling towards them). Further on we learn about an individual named Tommy, whose personality completely changed after he suffered a stroke. From an emotionless person with a criminal record, he became a sensitive, compulsive painter with a deep admiration for life. Sylvia, who claims to live in ‘an endless hallucination’ is nearly deaf, but since 2004, she has had vivid and continuous hallucinations of music! In the sixth chapter, we learn about Matar, whose schizophrenic delusion is that he is a tiger. He does not imagine that he is a tiger, he actually really believes he is one and behaves in accordance with his tiger identity, which unfortunately means that his condition prevents him from leading a normal life around people. Louise is the individual we meet in the seventh chapter who wakes up with ‘this unshakeable sense of detachment from her body and the world’. Graham believes he has been dead for three years. His condition is called Cotard’s syndrome, after the neurologist who first documented it; it is a rare neuropsychiatric condition in which the patient can even deny the existence of one’s own body. Last but not least, there is Joel, a physician whose mirror-touch synesthesia means he can literally feel his patients’ pain. While this certainly makes him a more successful and compassionate doctor, he needs to practice some peculiar strategies in order to withstand the intensity of his feelings. Have I managed to pique you curiosity?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to let go of the thought that all human brains are the same and read about how differently our brains can function and what fascinating things they are able to do.

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Some of my absolute fave recipes by Medeea Constantinescu, Year 12S Hey! I’m Medeea from Y12, and a Sports Prefect. Technically speaking, this article is against the healthy lifestyle I should be promoting to you as a Sports Prefect, however, I believe in balance and indulging yourself every now and then is not something unhealthy! Here are my two of my favourite tasty recipes that I like to make whenever I have the time:

Confit Potatoes If you have some spare time on your hands, buckle up because the Confit Potatoes take 16 hours to make! I know it sounds absolutely crazy, but most of the time is refrigerator

Bake at a preheated 145 degrees celsius oven for 2h30 - 3h. Remove. Over the parchment paper on top, add another

time and trust me they are worth it!

baking tin and place some cans in it to apply weight on the

Slice up your washed, peeled potatoes (1kg) using a

then put it in the fridge with the cans still over the potatoes.

mandoline slicer. Add the sliced potatoes to a bowl and season with salt, add 125g of duck fat to the bowl. Beef dripping works equally, well but pick one rather than using both. Mix using (clean, washed!) hands. Line a baking tin with baking paper and layer the potatoes in. Once you’ve added all the potatoes, add a parchment paper over and pop it in the oven.

potatoes. Leave at room temperature for 3 hours or so, and

The next day, remove the potatoes from the fridge, and slice them into cubes. Deep fry and add seasoning to taste. Enjoy! But watch your cholesterol levels, and don’t eat too many!

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Mixed Berry Pavlova If you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth like me, this is the perfect recipe for when you are craving a sugar rush! Whisk 4 egg whites with an electric mixer, until they become more consistent, look creamy and white. Gradually add 250g white caster sugar, while still mixing. Add 1 tsp of the following: vanilla extract, white wine vinegar and cornstarch. Personally, I like to add a bit of almond extract and other flavours too, however, I recommend you try the original recipe before experimenting. Mix well until the mixture resembles shaving cream. Spread the mixture in a circle on parchment paper. Important tip: Put more mixture on the sides than in the middle! Cook for 1h15 at a preheated 130 degrees C oven. After you take the pavlova out, let it cool. For the topping, mix up 350ml of heavy whipping cream, add 30g of vanilla sugar (I use 3 Dr Oetker little packets). Place the topping on top of the cool meringue and add many raspberries and sliced strawberries. Enjoy!

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The Dolomites by Zoe Popovici, Year 10 With astounding views, adventurous trails, and endless peaks, the Dolomite Mountains are one of the most beautiful places to travel to if you enjoy hiking, trailing, or winter skiing. The Dolomites include a total of 18 peaks, some of them above the staggering height of 3,000 meters in altitude, located in the Northern Italian Alps. The Dolomites consist of multiple Alta Vias (high routes in English). This term is used for different mountain trails that take many days or weeks to complete. The Alta Via 1 is 120 kilometres in length and contains 11 stages. The paths have a lot of ascents and descents and occasionally pass through some cabled areas. This trial is very popular, so making sure you find a refuge to sleep in at night can be challenging. The Alta Via 2 is a more difficult route, consisting of several Via Ferratas (very steep, cabled sections that you can avoid if you want), steep stone gullies, and exposed traverses. Consisting of 12,500 metres of ascent over its 160 km, 14 day span, it is said to be one of the most difficult treks in Europe.

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actual departure because we wanted to seize the opportunity to rent beds at the refuges before they ran out. On the first day, we left our car in Brixen (a town in northern Italy), and took the Plose gondola. From there, we walked 2 hours to Rifugio Schatzerhütte, where we enjoyed the beautiful landscape and some delicious food. On the second day, we left Schatzerhütte on a 6 hour journey to Rifugio Genova, crossing a mountain pass that was relatively steep; it was a relief when we finally arrived at our destination. The food was wonderful and we were also able to charge our phones. The next day, we left Rifugio Genova and crossed several screes (masses of small loose stones) along the mountain pass. Having reached the top, however, we descended and climbed our first via ferrata; it was fairly simple, but we needed carabiners to secure ourselves on the cables. We eventually arrived at Rifugio Puez, where we ate and slept. Showers were included, but because water is very scarce in the mountains, even four minutes in the shower is quite expensive. The whole journey to the refuge took about 7 hours.

The fourth day was definitely one of the most challenging

This day marked the end of our mountain trek and was the

for us. We left the refuge and descended on foot to the Pass

most difficult for everyone. Leaving Rifugio Mulaz, we made a

Gardena, where we ate sandwiches. We then climbed a steep

mistake and took a very hard via ferrata route (3+), that could

scree and a mountain side (with cables) to reach Rifugio

not be done without carabiners for security. Unfortunately,

Pisciadu, where we took a break and ate apple strudel. Soon

not all of us had carabiners, so it was a very big risk. One

after, we left the refuge and made our way to the Rifugio Boe,

wrong step would have led to a fall into the abyss. We were

which is situated at around 2900 meters. In total we had

very lucky, arriving at Rifugio Rossetta tired, but safe. From

walked for 10 hours.

there we wanted to take a cable car, but since we arrived very late, we missed it and had to descend on foot for an

Next morning, we left Rifugio Boe and descended with the cable car to the Pass Pordoi. From there we left for a hotel in Malga Ciapela. During our trail, we could see the Marmolada Glaciers in the distance on our right. The whole day took us about 5 hours on foot.

additional 2 hours.

Reflections and Essentials In the end, I have come to realise that my vacation in the Dolomites was a very beautiful, special, and a once-in-a-

On the sixth day, we left our hotel in Malga Ciapela, getting

lifetime experience that I would definitely recommend to

caught in a hail storm caught on the way to Paso San

anyone. My only regret was the humongous muscle soreness

Pellegrino and wet from head to toe. When it was over, we

in my legs that I had the week after!

were privileged to see a herd of about 100 beautiful wild horses. We stopped for lunch at Rifugio Fuciade, feeling

If you are interested in taking a trip to the Dolomites, do not

hungry, tired and wet. Thankfully, a little later, we arrived at our

forget to bring the following: carabiners (absolutely 100%

hotel in Paso San Pellegrino. In total, we trekked for about 7 to

necessary) for mountain climbing, bed liners, chargers,

8 hours.

energy tablets for water, waterproof jackets, and a rain cover (for your backpack), trekking poles, sunscreen and lip balm,

From ‘Paso San Pelegrino’, we took a cable car and went on a

maps, a first aid kit, your own towels (and personal toiletries)

five hour trip to Rifugio Mulaz. We encountered many beautiful and obviously your camera! spots along the way, and passing many horses and cows. At some point, we started climbing a very steep mountain side, with cables. Finally, we arrived at our rifugio, where we had a very good dinner.

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My Parents chose Alta Via 2 over a duration of a week. Our vacation in the Dolomites was planned several months before our

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THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE

“When the Christmas bells sounded in the villages of the Vosges behind the lines... something fantastically unmilitary occurred.” ~ Richard Schirrmann

by Amalia Anicescu, Year 11 It is often said that Santa spreads magic far and wide all over

saved the frosty night and helped build an astounding event,

the world on Christmas Day, ensuring that every person is

as it was not long after the renderings that the soldiers met in

blissful and surrounded by kind-hearted people. This was

“No Man’s Land”. There, where they usually came together to

certainly the case for the night of December 24th, 1914,

shoot bullets at each other or to collect corpses, they were now

when even the despondent soldiers who were fighting

befriending their opponents and even exchanging small gifts of

valiantly at the front lines in the First World War ceased their

what they each had been able to find in their trenches. As the

fire and embraced the wondrous Christmas spirit.

fraternisation ensued, the soldiers even played a football match on Christmas Day. German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch later

After Europe’s countries declared war upon one another

described it as “fantastically wonderful and strange”.

in 1914, starting what would become known as the First World War, five months of treachery, gory battles, and buried

Once the spontaneous moment of human kindness passed

sorrows followed, accompanied by a brief, but solacing

and the war had to resume, both parties returned to their

hiatus along the Western Front, referred to as the Christmas

assigned positions and opened fire without hesitation. Even

Truce. All hope that the war would be over until Christmas

so, the Christmas Truce accentuated the extant humanity and

had faded, leaving the downhearted soldiers with little to look compassion of people even during one of the bloodiest wars forward to.

in human history, as enemies became friends for one day, celebrating both their similarities and differences, while enjoying

On Christmas Eve, opposing British and German troops sang Christmas carols to each other, from the narrow, shabby, blood-soaked trenches which served as their homes during the unfolding of the Great War. In his memoirs, British machine gunner Bruce Bairnsfather remembered feeling hopeless until the singing began, writing: “Here I was, in this horrible clay cavity [...] miles and miles from home. Cold, wet through and covered with mud… so far as I could see, the future contained nothing but repetitions of the same thing, or worse.” However, the merry songs and eager souls of the soldiers

an unusual and spectacular Christmas Day.

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EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES by George Vernon, Year 7B The European Day of Languages was first organized by the

of activities. We started with a quiz on famous Spanish things

European Union on the 6th of December in 2001. Since then, - such as Spanish speaking people like Shakira and famous the European Day of Languages has been celebrated on the

Spanish monuments, like the Sagrada Familia. After completing

29th of September every year. It was established to increase

those worksheets, we participated in a spelling bee, which

plurilingualism* and intercultural understanding.

included words like emparejar (to match up), indicar (to indicate) and preguntar (to ask).

There are 24 official languages in the EU, however, there are 225 spoken languages in Europe. English is the most spoken

I believe that languages are very important, not just as a

language in Europe, with approximately 38% of all people in

communication tool, but also as a cultural one. A language not

the EU speaking English to a reasonable standard. The least

only contains ways of expressing ideas, it also brings to life

spoken language in Europe is Livonian, which is only spoken

the culture of a people. We should therefore do all we can to

by 200 people in the country of Latvia, near the country’s

preserve these national treasures.

capital, Riga. There are as many as 12 native languages spoken in Romania, besides the official language, Romanian. These are: Hungarian, Ukrainian, German, Romani, Slovak, Bulgarian, Greek, Russian, Turkish, Tatar, Serbian, Slovak, and Croatian. English is the most spoken foreign language in Romania, however, followed by French. At IBSB we are lucky to be able to learn in an environment where we can hear people speaking languages in the native tongue from every corner of the world. For this reason we take special pride in celebrating the European Day of Languages every year with fun activities! On the 29thof September this year, our Year 7 Spanish class celebrated the European Day of Languages with a plethora

Notes:

*plurilingualism - More than one language being spoken

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by Mateo Hernandez, Year 7 European Day of Languages was a lot of fun because both the German and French classes did fun activities and learned a little bit about all the languages that were mentioned in the various activities. I think everyone enjoyed doing this, because we all learned some different languages in interesting ways. Spanish is my primary language and French is the one I am learning

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currently, so I tried to learn some words from other languages. Languages used on the day

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French Spanish Portuguese German Finnish Swedish

Below are just a few of the words I learnt on the European Day of languages:

German Katze (cat) Portuguese Irmão (brother) Irmã (Sister) Finnish Koira (Dog) Swedish Hus (House)

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by May Abramovici and Natalie Kandelaki, Year 7 ¿Qué es el Día Europeo de las Lenguas? ¿Por qué lo celebramos?

plurilingüismo (la capacidad de utilizar diferentes idiomas,

El Día Europeo de las Lenguas se celebra el 26 de

enseñados

según cualquier estándar) para lograr un grado de competencia en una serie de idiomas, incluidos los menos utilizados o

septiembre, tal como lo estableció el Consejo de Europa el 6 de diciembre de 2001, al concluir el Año Europeo de las

Fomentar y apoyar el aprendizaje de idiomas a lo largo de toda

Lenguas (2001), organizado conjuntamente por el Consejo

la vida para el desarrollo personal.

de Europa y la Unión Europea.

¿Qué hicimos en clase?

Millones de personas en los Estados miembros del Consejo e internacionalmente organizan o participan en eventos

Nos divertimos mucho celebrando el Día Nacional de Idiomas

para promover la variedad lingüística y la capacidad de

en la escuela. Nuestra profesora preparó una clase muy

comunicarse en varios idiomas cada año.

divertida, incluso cuando el virus no dio para mucho. Los otros años, la escuela organizaba una comida con los miembros

El objetivo general es concienciar sobre la rica diversidad

de la familia que traían diferentes alimentos tradicionales y la

lingüística y cultural de Europa, que debe fomentarse y

gente tenía que hablar en su lengua materna delante de todo el

preservarse, así como aumentar la gama de idiomas que

mundo. Sin embargo, puedo decir que este año no fue menos.

las personas aprenden a lo largo de su vida para mejorar

Comenzamos la clase viendo algunos videos interesantes sobre

sus habilidades bilingües y fortalecer la comprensión

por qué se celebra el día de los idiomas y cuántos idiomas hay

intercultural. El Día Europeo de las Lenguas (EDL) ofrece

realmente. Desde el vídeo, también escuchamos a diferentes

la oportunidad de honrar todas las lenguas de Europa, en

personas hablar su idioma e incluso tratamos de adivinar qué

particular las que se hablan con menos frecuencia y las que

idioma era. Después de ver los videos, tuvimos que escribir en

hablan los migrantes.

parejas las ventajas de hablar idiomas. En realidad, pudimos escribir mucho y debatirlo juntos más tarde. Cuando la lección

“Todos merecen la oportunidad de beneficiarse de las

estaba a punto de terminar, encontramos suficiente tiempo para

ventajas culturales y económicas que pueden aportar las

hacer un pequeño juego de letras, donde tuvimos que llenar

habilidades lingüísticas. El aprendizaje de idiomas también

los espacios en blanco de letras, que por supuesto estaba en

ayuda a desarrollar la tolerancia y la comprensión entre

español. Los maestros simplemente no podían terminar el día

personas de diferentes orígenes lingüísticos y culturales”

sin premios. Cada uno de nosotros ganó tres puntos de interés y salimos bastante contentos.

Los objetivos del Día Europeo de las Lenguas Celebrando la diversidad lingüística en Europa, el plurilingüismo de sus ciudadanos y el aprendizaje permanente de idiomas Mejorar el conocimiento del patrimonio lingüístico de Europa y promover su rica diversidad fomentando la apertura a las diferentes lenguas y culturas Motivar a los ciudadanos europeos a desarrollar el

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by Mateo Hernandez, Year 7 The European Day of Languages is celebrated

that aims to reactivate the open-air cinema in

established by the Council of Europe and was

exhibitions, residencies, and shows. For three months,

first celebrated in 2001. The EDL is a way of

raising awareness among the public about the

importance of learning a language and protecting the linguistic heritage of that language. It also promotes the generous linguistic diversity of

Europe. The EDL encourages both young and old

people to start learning a language or take more pride in their existing language skills. Teachers

Eforie Sud, Constanta by organizing film screenings, over 150 hours of Romanian and international film, documentaries, and short films will be screened, over 10 exhibitions of contemporary art and

workshops will be organized, and debates, theatre performances and concerts will take place.

by Alexis , Year 11

who specialise in teaching languages are also

encouraged to make it easier for people to learn a range of languages.

by Alexia Verdes, Year 12 The European Day of Languages is always successful due to involving millions of people across 45 countries in activities to celebrate linguistic diversity and the benefits of being able to speak another language. Here are some examples of what Romania does to celebrate this day. Firstly, it is celebrated by holding webinars and public space events if possible with language games, quizzes and translation competitions. Secondly, there was an online event/workshop called Lingua Fest that took place from the 24th to 30th of September which consists of a Facebook event with input from inspectorates and schools, consisting of posts and a compilation of best films on multilingualism (the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers). During that time there is also a Lingua Test, which is a quiz with language-related multiple-choice questions which participants have a limited amount of time to answer - the participant with the highest score is rewarded with a tablet. Lastly, there is a public space event called

“Cinemascop Open Air Cinema” which is a project

Here are some facts about The European Day of Languages:

Five languages have more than 50 million native speakers in Europe: Russian, French, Italian, German, and English. Russian is the most spoken native language in Europe; English has the largest number of speakers in total, including some 200 million speakers of English as a second or foreign language. On the day, a range of events are organised across Europe, including those for children, television and radio programmes, language classes, and conferences. The Indo-European language family is descended from Proto-Indo-European, which is believed to have been spoken thousands of years ago. Early speakers of Indo-European daughter languages most likely expanded into Europe with the incipient Bronze Age, around 4,000 years ago (Bell-Beaker culture).

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every year on the 26th of September. It was

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German National Day by Lucian Popa, Year 8 On the 1st of October, our focus at IBSB was to celebrate Germany’s Unification Day. The unification of Germany recalls the day when the Federal Republic of Germany and the Democratic Republic of Germany to merged into a single Federal Germany. This action actually took place on the 3rd of October, 1990. On this occasion, the students studying German as a Modern Foreign Language dressed in the national colours of the German flag: black, red, and yellow. The Y8 German MFL students read an article on general information about Germany. Did you know, for example, that Germany has the largest population in the European Union (83 million inhabitants)? Did you also know that the most common family name in Germany is Schmidt, which 590,000 people using it? Finally, did you know that Germany has over 2100 castles? After everyone finished discussing general information about Germany, the Y8 students started had fun trying to day German tongue twisters: the hardest one was Fischers Fritze fischt frische Fische; Frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritze. For the final part of the lesson, we looked at some of the most interesting tourist attractions. The most fascinating ones being Neuschwanstein Castle, Lichtenstein Castle, Cologne Cathedral, Berlin Gate, and Zugspitze.

by Adelina Oltean, year 7B Spanish National Day is a wonderful day celebrated in many ways by the people of Spain. On the 12th of October, Spain’s National Day, we got to experience the joys of this celebration during our Spanish class. We started off with a short spelling bee, before moving on to the history of how Christopher Columbus discovered America. We watched 2 videos about the journey to America and what Christopher Columbus and his men did once they arrived there. After that, we took a small break from working, to take a few fun, class pictures to commemorate this day. Finally, we finished off the lesson by doing some worksheets about Spain’s national day. Overall, I think this was one of the best classes we have had this year, as it was a lot of fun and we were still learning! El Día Nacional Español es un día maravilloso celebrado de muchas maneras por la gente de España. El 12 de octubre, día nacional de España, tuvimos la oportunidad de experimentar las alegrías de esta celebración durante nuestra clase de español. Comenzamos con una pequeña abeja ortográfica, pasando a la historia de cómo Cristóbal Colón descubrió América. Vimos 2 videos sobre el viaje a América y lo que Cristóbal Colón y sus hombres hicieron una vez que llegaron allí. Después de eso, nos tomamos un pequeño descanso del trabajo, para tomar unas cuantas fotografías divertidas de clase para conmemorar este día. Finalmente, terminamos la lección haciendo algunas hojas de trabajo sobre el día nacional de España. En general, creo que esta fue una de las mejores clases que hemos tenido este año, ya que fue divertido mientras estábamos aprendiendo.

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Sixteen in Savannah: My Story at SCAD by Irina Chemencedji, IBSB Alumnus If you had asked me a year ago where I envisioned myself being in November 2021, my answer certainly would not have been on the other side of the world studying architecture at one of the top art universities in the US, The Savannah College of Art and Design! It still feels surreal to wake up every day and find myself walking down the sunny streets of Savannah, on the path to pursuing the career of my dreams. It’s such an exciting journey and I am so grateful for all the help I’ve received along the way. One of the first things that struck me upon my arrival in Savannah was the friendliness and positive energy given off by the people. The community we have both on and off campus is so welcoming, with literal strangers complimenting your outfits as you walk down the street and fellow students offering to help out in any situation. The same goes for professors and university staff: everyone is very approachable and eager to reach out, making you truly feel like you belong in the SCAD family – which is similar to my experiences growing up at IBSB. Moving away from the busy streets of Bucharest to the peaceful and refreshing atmosphere found in Savannah is definitely a change I have thoroughly enjoyed. The city is filled with stunning historical buildings and town squares full of greenery, with Forsyth Park, Savannah River, and Tybee Island some of its most popular places to visit. It’s such a fun and enjoyable city to explore, with new discoveries on every

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corner, so even something as mundane as walking to class is an exciting activity. When it comes to choosing your academic path, SCAD has a

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very supportive and flexible system to ensure all students can adapt easily and make the correct choices regarding their future studies and career. In the first quarter of the freshman year, each student is assigned basic art and design courses, alongside general courses, which have to be completed across all majors. The classes I took during my first quarter were: Drawing 100, Design 100, and English 123, which have created a strong foundation for future courses more specific to my degree. Before entering sophomore year, all students should confirm their major choice, however most, including myself, decide earlier on. Each student is assigned a personal advisor who can address any concerns about your studies and career opportunities, as well as offering guidance and insights on financial support. Advisors are specialised in working with students on a particular major, in order to ensure they are adequately experienced and knowledgeable to be able to offer the best support for the student’s specific academic needs. Class sizes are usually between 20 and 30 students, meaning that everyone gets the chance to work one-on-one with the professor, constantly receiving personal feedback during each class. I arrived at SCAD with the intention of studying animation, however, once I entered this environment, which gave me the chance to personally experience the implications of each major, I began to drift away from my initial decision, becoming increasingly intrigued by architecture, since studying perspective in my drawing class. After delving into the specifics of this degree, I became more and more attracted to it, especially since it would give me the opportunity to combine art with aspects of mathematics and science, instead of having to choose between them. This switch was very easily done, and not uncommon among other SCAD students, which is something I really love about this university: they model the degree specifically to each student’s needs, and assist you in making smart decisions suited to your personal career and academic goals. At this point in my life, I am simply happy to be a student studying at SCAD, thrilled to see what the future holds for me, with opportunities for internships and potential work placements at some of the greatest companies in the world. However, both my present and future realities would have remained

long lost aspirations without the help and guidance of my family, friends, and teachers at IBSB. Thank you for everything! And best of luck to current students applying to universities – I hope you also receive an offer from your dream university!

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My First Semester at KCL by Mario Ghenea, IBSB Alumnus University is a big step in anyone’s life and, as such, it is normal to search for information and opinions to make the right choice, and to know how to prepare properly for the transition, and answer many other questions. I hope by sharing my personal experience, that I am able to shed some light on on life at Kings, answering at least a few of the questions you may have about moving to another country for university. Which Country, Which University, Which Course? To start off, for those who may not already know me, my name is Mario Ghenea and I am currently a first year student at King’s College London, studying Economics & Management. I can assure you that deciding on which university to attend can be a daunting task- it certainly was for me. If you were to take away one thing from reading my articile, it would be my advice to go with what you feel will make you the happiest, seeing as you will have to attend the university your choose for the next three years or more, depending on your course. I personally believe that choosing a course over a university is the best approach, even though some might contradict what I am saying (especially some teachers!). At the end of the day, it all depends on whether you care more about the prestige of the university or whether or not the course is best suited to your personal interests and future career aspirations.

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In my case, the weather was certaily not a deciding factor in why I chose London as my place of study, and I promise you, I am not a masochist! London is one of the greatest - if not THE greatest - hub for business-related activities in Europe and, as

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such, it would be a logical progression for anyone seeking to develop a future career in these domains. You’ve heard it said before, and I am repeating it here, but at the end of the day it all boils down to what you want to do and where you want to go. Do ask for advice when needed, but don’t take what is being said as decisive. I had to pick between UCL and KCL- a difficult choice- and I must say, most teachers and my parents opted for UCL, but at the end of the day I knew King’s had the course that would make me the happiest and challenge me in more respects than the course UCL was offering, so KCL it was! Living Away from Home As for my experience in moving to a different country, it wasn’t all that scary. Some people may be excited to leave their home country, and their parents, as you certainly do gain a tremendous amount of freedom when you move to university, but this is not necessarily as “cool” as one might think. The jokes about having to do your own laundry were good until I actually had to do it. Responsible individuals are more likely to get accustomed faster to these changes, and I promise you that it is not the end of the world (says the person who watched the washing machine because he was scared of it overflowing with bubbles like in the movies!). I personally became accustomed to this really quickly, but some of my other friends have not done so as well. The feeling of being alone can also be overwhelming, especially in the beginning; I admit I felt it too, but by shifting your attention to the new friends you are making and the positives you receive from moving to a new country, this feeling will disappear in a couple of weeks. Life in London Now, the big question everyone wants answered is, how is life in London? The jokes about the weather become reality faster than you might think. I’ve lived in London for 2-3 months now and I must say that the autumn rain can last for days on end - now I understand why Brits do make rain jokes about their country. Weather aside, there are many opportunities for making friends outside your university circles and there are so many places you can visit and unique activities, that you could probably try something new every day for a whole year and still

have places left to visit thigns to experience. I will give one more important piece of advice: do not eat fish and chips at corner pubs; I tried and I’m still regretting my decision. Finally, I would like to address the one negative, which might be a deterrent for many, and that would be the surprising level of crime in the city. However, this is the case with most of the highly developed metropolitan cities of the world. London is no paradise, but it is a great place to develop skills, networks, and improve career prospects. KCL vs UCL I will leave you with one final interesting fact about King’s and UCL: UCL and King’s have a longstanding rivalry, but King’s is the definite winner in my opinion, since students stole the head of the UCL founder’s statue and played a game of football with it! King’s is not your average learning institution, with the only focus being on education itself, it is a place where many different backgrounds intertwine and allow for many more opportunities in building career prospects and finding like minded people. If you are thinking of studying in London, I would definitely recommend King’s College London. It deservedly has a great reputation as a university, but also for it’s openness and the fact that it is definitely trying and succeeding in keeping pace with the fast evolution of all domains and industries.

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Reflections from UCL by Maximilian Mihailovici, IBSB Alumnus Of all the things in this world, there remains but one certainty: that of the passing of time. As we inevitably mature out of our cocoons, sprouting out like butterflies into the wilderness that is post-secondary school life, we come to realise that there are not enough fingers on our hands to count the number of things we took for granted, or miss from our lifestyle of old. This isn’t so much an exposé on myself as it is a reflection of ideas I would share with anyone daring to think further into the future than the next weekend or so. Take it more as a blunt reflection on all events past in times recent. Before continuing, I only wish to say the following: if you are a student, just like every class which came before you, you are wrong. Everything you will discover university to be is almost always going to end up being different to how you pictured it in your mind’s eye. It is of the highest essence then that you begin with a blank slate and a clear mind, lest you wish to be wrong, as I was. Vitally, you must acknowledge that you enter 2 schools of life when embarking on this journey anew: that of academia, and that of life. They are equally important, and equally codependent; don’t trade one for the other; instead, learn to use them harmoniously, synchronously, and holistically. My experiences at UCL specifically, and London at large, are a culmination of post-factum considerations about the intricacies which life no doubt holds over all of our heads. From the very first day I set foot on campus, a whirlwind of thought, as though pre-planned, began casting clouds of doubt over my being. The usual, and predictable, I might add: ‘Am I going to like it here?’ ‘What if I don’t fit in?’ ‘What if I don’t like my accommodation?’ ‘What if I fail my course?’ It was quite the juxtaposition

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emblematically associated with UCL. And then it came to me: ‘I don’t know.’ For the first time, those words felt comforting, and reassuring. They glistened faintly with a sense of hope, but also with a sense of acceptance. It’s ok if you go wrong. It’s ok if you don’t figure it out. It’s ok if others are seemingly ahead (although it is rarely that simple, I might add). The mere shock of transitioning from one way of being to another is enough to drive some people into the ground, head first. This is the time where you actually get to discover yourself, and that is the only thing I am entirely adamant on. So don’t be afraid to challenge, experiment, and step outside your comfort zone. In fact, that is the single most important facet to early success. Step. Outside. Of. Your. Comfort. Zone. Especially when you’d rather be doing anything else. In the end, as the saying goes, time heals all sorrows. How much time you let pass though, is entirely in your hands. Habits, I find, are what define the path you set yourself on at university. 3 assignments later, I can attest that good habits are what got me to the finish line with no shortage of breath. University often amplifies both your strengths and shortcomings, and this cannot be understated with regards to your habits. Make a habit of making habits, constructive ones that is: time management, responsibility, honesty and realism; the latter being that which I would like to stress most. Setting realistic boundaries with considerations for the situation present and the ability to gauge them are vital to understanding how you work best. I would like to end with a closing thought. Of the many thoughts I would like to share, there is without a doubt one which I resonate with most: ‘The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas, as in escaping from old ones’ – John Maynard Keynes. The biggest challenge - as much for the students of yesteryear as for the students of new - is to learn that it is normal not to know. The vivacity of the tides of life lays not in their predictability, but in their expediency. Do not, however, strive to combat this, but instead substitute predicting for discovering, and let the breeze carry your strongly-built vessel into the deep blue unknown.

Max’s Letter to the UCL student body that resulted in him being elected as the student representative for his course.

Hi everyone, I’m Max, and I’m super glad to have been given the opportunity to study history here at UCL, in the buzzing capital that is London! While I haven’t been on campus too much thanks to the ‘Fresher’s Flu’, it still surprises me to this very moment that we have such a diverse class, which is something of an impossible sight to behold back home. And so, as Marx laid out his manifesto before the world in 1848, I too shall lay out mine today: One of the key facets that drew me to history is undoubtedly diplomacy. Diplomacy is the art of bargaining, that of convincing your tutors to roll back the essay deadline slightly in exchange for re-assurances, and that of finding mutual points of agreement that satisfy all parties. Now, I’m not guaranteeing that I’ll negotiate an indefinite end to coursework, but what I am instead stressing is the importance of a smooth and consistent student-staff connection, one which I have dealt with extensively, such as when I was fortunate enough to be nominated Head Boy in my last school, or in debating. I won’t come out and pretend like I was drawn to history the moment my eyes saw the light of day, because you would see right through that. However, what I will say is that the singular most important factor in pulling me towards history was communication. Back in school, my history class was the only class I took which placed an emphasis on communication, and by that, I mean that every person, loud or quiet, old or new had a say in how things were being taught. The job of representation is to give everyone a voice, and like Swiss referendums, it will be my highest priority to ensure that everyone is heard, and listened to. Because hearing and listening are two different things. I strongly encourage you to vote, no matter who you vote for, as I’m sure every nominee will do a fantastic job of representing our budding new class!

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Studying Fashion Marketing at the London College of Fashion by Qian Qian Wang, IBSB Alumnus I am currently in my third and final year of university, studying Fashion Marketing at the London College of Fashion, which is a college within the University of Arts London, or UAL for short. I must say, that if I had to use one word to describe my university experience to date, it would most certainly be the word ‘interesting’- I will explain why I decided to use this specific adjective. My first year of university was initially all about me grappling with time management, and coping with what felt like a lonely life in central London. Thankfully, the activities the university offered me, like gatherings with other international students, helped me meet and make many new friends quickly from different cultural backgrounds. And even though you might think of my course as more of a business inclined one, I was surprised to find out we were going to have a Fashion History module, where we looked in-depth at the connection of traditional clothing with the fashion world today. We also studied consumer behaviour, branding, and future innovations, allowing me the chance to approach fashion marketing from many different perspectives. The second year of university was definitely the most challenging, as lessons were entirely online, due to the pandemic, so I had to do everything at home using my laptop. However, I also value that year the most because it made me

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grow from an academic perspective: I had to quickly adjust to a to their fullest. Now, I am in my third and final year, working on my dissertation, doing research on the connection between cultural appropriation and fashion marketing, looking at real-life cases of brands that have incorporated traditions in their advertising, and whether they went wrong or made a correct, considerate representation. I am particularly interested in the intersection between brands and people; this being something I want to develop further in my future career. Living and studying in London has made me open myself more from all points of view: I have developed my independence and had the chance to interact with students and professors from various walks of life. I think my course also helped me to realize how essential it is to understand people before theories in business; marketing is all about connecting a brand’s values with individuals’ lifestyles.

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situation I had never experienced, which tested my study skills

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Life At University College London by Tamara Minea, IBSB Alumnus Reaching the end of my first term at university, I can honestly say that it is nothing like I expected: being both harder and easier than what I had pictured in all regards, but overall, absolutely incredible. The induction week of my course consisted of talks from our professors and many fun bonding activities between the students. In a programme with only 50 people, we became acquainted with each other fairly quickly, and the most wonderful of surprises was finding myself in the company of so many like-minded individuals. In no time at all, we were exploring London together, enjoying movie nights at each other’s accommodation, and visiting every pub on and around campus… The best thing is the fact that my course mates are interested in the same subjects I study. Being a philosophy, politics, and economics student, you cannot imagine my happiness to find a cohort of friends eager to discuss concepts of morality, the legitimacy of the state, and economic selffulfilling prophecies, all over a pint. Regardless of your interests, you can also always find someone that shares your hobbies and interests at university. Having had so much fun socialising in the first week, it came as quite a shock in the second week to discover that we already had assignment deadlines looming. They did not go easy on us; being in such a selective course means the professors have very high expectations of work ethic and your ability to learn independently. In my politics course, we have to read

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around three to five academic papers every week, discuss our readings in seminars, and then write our own papers in the assigned weeks. For the philosophy module, we study a different philosopher’s book every week, and if we are lucky

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enough to receive a more modern publication, we can also understand what the writer is saying. I cannot tell you how many times my colleagues and I had to go over the same paragraph six times or more to decipher its meaning. Although the material of the economics module is fairly similar to that of the A Levels, the amount of work given to us each week makes it one of the hardest modules. I have always had a passion for mathematics; hence it is my favourite module thus far. Compared to the sea of open interpretations in my other - essay-based - subjects, I find comfort in the fact that there is a single correct answer to be found in maths. However, university always has a way to show you that nothing is as easy as it seems, and this has led me to question every single maths skill I thought I possessed. Next term, I will be taking up a moral philosophy module that will undoubtedly lead me to question my integrity, and a data science course where I will learn how to programme in the R language used for machine learning, so I will be stocking up on my Nurofen Forte! As one of my extracurricular activities, I managed to join my university’s competitive basketball team. We have training every Monday and Saturday morning (dreadful) and games on Wednesdays. UCL also has a sports night every Wednesday evening at one of its student bars, where all the sport societies go and socialise. Each team chooses a weekly theme, such as Hawaiian shirts, and everyone has to dress accordingly; you meet lots of new people every week and have a great time in the process. There are always events being organised by societies and the student union; we have theatre plays, Christmas markets, poster and plant sales, and all kinds of food stalls. You will never be bored, believe me: even if you don’t like that week’s events, London is full of exhibitions, parties, new restaurants to eat out at, and fun places to visit. All in all, my first months at UCL have been no less than sublime. I have bonded with so many people and have already received many offers to visit my new friends around the world this summer. I interviewed for and was selected to be a marketing executive for a student-led news blog with thousands of followers. Right now, I am waiting for responses to my finance internship applications for this spring, and might even manage to get hired. I have discovered so many opportunities and

networked at all kinds of events that will help me in the future. University has not just been the most fun I have ever had; UCL and PPE have opened many doors for me that I cannot wait to take advantage of. I hope you are all well back home; I miss my IBSB family, and will hopefully visit you all soon!

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Return to the Swat Valley

8V have been reading the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai. For this task, the students were challenged to write a piece for Malala’s diary as she and her family returned to their home after several months living as a refugee while war raged through the area she had been born and raised.

GEORGE PLATT, Year 8 The mountains stood tall around my town, like a father looking down on their child, as we crowded back into the streets. Even though I had lived there all my life, I didn’t recognise a thing. Houses, shops, roads - destroyed like an apocalypse had come over the area. Cars were going up and down the streets; there were soldiers all around. In our group, there were gasps, cries, anguished shouting; people had lost their homes and family. We had only been gone for 3 months, and already it felt like a whole new town had replaced our home. Well, not town, more like wreckage. The thing that troubles me most though is that there are still soldiers everywhere, and there are clearly still Taliban attacks going on. I ask all around what happened, but people either burst into tears or mumble under their breath: “I’d prefer not to talk about it, I lost someone close to me.” I sneak around the town and try to investigate what happened. Clearly it was something big, as it has affected everyone. I keep asking, and asking, and asking. I trespassed into a clearly abandoned building hoping there would be a note or a phone with some messages. But nothing. Just cabinets filled with photos of joyful people, who are either dead or silent, and beds where they slept tightly while people died in the streets. There were some bodies there, I think (I hope I didn’t just leave someone who might’ve been alive!). I left the building. I wasn’t the only one, as I saw families with kids exit the same block, looking around scared, as if to check someone wasn’t there… Who though? I mean, it has to be the Taliban, but still… The military’s here, the Taliban should be gone, right? I should’ve known back then. The military is not to be trusted. They are detestable creatures, who use the word “soldier” more as a title than as a profession. So, the Taliban is still here. And little did I know, they were closer to me than I thought...

ROBERT AIRINEI, year 8 It was a cold Sunday. We had returned to Swat, but I knew it wouldn’t be the same, as our valley had long been the battlefield for the war between the national army and the Taliban. The buildings were all destroyed; no people, no plants, just a warzone. We were at the margin of Swat trying to find our home, when I saw an injured army soldier sitting next to a wall. I was watching him, trying to decide if he was on the side helping the Taliban, but before I had made up my mind, Taliban troops appeared from around the corner. We quickly ducked behind the wall. They saw the injured soldier and pointed their guns at him. He started screaming for help, saying he didn’t want to do this, how he just wanted to return home to his family... But the Taliban were deaf to his entreaties and killed him point blank. We were scared; we didn’t know what had happened to our quiet village. It was a massacre. Now our only goal was to get to our home to try and recover as many items as possible. Half way there, we saw the two armies battling in the middle of the road. We couldn’t get past them, as they would most likely have killed us too, so we took a longer, safer route, passing the house of one of friends, now lying in ruin. We were now very worried about our house. Would it still be there? As we neared our house, we saw more Taliban troops roaming around, ducking and hiding each time, barely escaping the last group. Only one mile from home, and though we were getting closer and closer it seemed like there was little hope left. Most buildings had been completely destroyed. We were wondering if it was still worth the risk of going, but decided to push on. When we finally arrived, we were happy to see it was still intact, but doubtful that anything was left inside. We didn’t find our belongings, but at least we had our house intact for now. Ou question answered, it was time to go, being too dangerous stay. The journey to reach our loved home was over.

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ANASTASIA CUSA, year 8 After some terrible months, I was finally returning with my family to our home. I was shocked at the sight of all the fallen buildings and the smell of smoke around me. I couldn’t believe this was the home I loved so much - I didn’t recognise a thing. There were soldiers everywhere and it felt like an apocalypse. I looked around to see people walking around looking lost in the commotion and people walking into what was left of their houses. I felt like the whole place was going to collapse around me; I felt a knot tightening in my chest. The place I had been waiting to return to for so long no longer felt safe, a place I could call home. I wandered around looking at the things I loved, now lost to the ravages of war. My beautiful home was now broken and different. My mind was racing, thinking about everything and nothing; about the things people had lost, never to be seen again. But also, somehow, my mind was blank: I was sad and shocked. I wished I could do something - anything - to return to how things were, to the days when I spent enjoying the pleasure of my beautiful home. In my mind’s eye I could still see the joyful people walking the streets; now there are only sad, angry, shocked people and destroyed homes. I want to pinch myself to wake up from this horrible dream, but I know this is no dream and I cannot wake up. No-one can right now.

Priya Vijaykumar , year 8 I gasped in horror as the dust cleared, confronted by a view of pain and destruction. Rubble was strewn across the concrete floor. Weeping uncontrollably, I looked away in dismay, wondering what I might encounter next. Sharp metal rods? Broken down buildings? The wind whisked away the fabric and dust from the rubble. You could smell the thick, foggy smoke and taste the bitter dust carried by the wind. I heard crying and saw tears leaving tracks down the children’s cheeks. And all the time the military waiting and watching on solemnly, passersby not daring to make eye contact. Mothers hid their faces behind veils, scared. The Taliban had taken everything away: books, toys, food packets. Children rummaged through what was left of their house, looking for their cherished belongings. It was supposed to be a happy homecoming. I rubbed the concrete walls feeling the edges; they felt just like my heart: jagged and broken. It was not the magnificent valley I once knew… No, this was not even close to what I knew. All these feelings bubbled and boiled inside of me. I was like a teapot about to burst! I wanted to lash out at the army and soldiers, to chastise them for not protecting our homes, but I stopped myself. It wasn’t safe anymore. I was upset, mad. I had left to safety, I couldn’t stop them. I was only a girl. Salty tears flowed down my face. I covered my face so no one would notice, sobbing quietly, to not look weak. My world was falling apart around me. The fairytale valley I once knew had become shades of black and white. The happy memories faded away, forever lost. I pushed the vile thought to the back of my head, trying to look for the positive. Nothing happy appeared. Only short visions of my people sobbing and mourning the dead. Was this what my world had become? Only the future will tell, but for now I must hide what I’m writing...

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ever shame me in such a way, I should never speak another

by Alexandra Sandu, Year 10 Dear Diary, Something utterly ridiculous happened today. Most days at the council-chamber have no feel of excitement, just the same old Duke speaking along with the rest of the same old senators. I never like to barge in as it seems my thoughts are always overlooked, but today I happened to overhear word that the Turkish fleet had changed their course from Cyprus to Rhodes. “Blasphemy!” I remember shouting. There is no chance that that could be true, Cyprus is very important to the Turkish and it must have been a ruse of some sort to throw us off guard. Compared to Cyprus, Rhodes is much harder to capture as they have greater protection. So why on earth would they change to Rhodes last minute? Quite literally a second after the Duke had spoken, a messenger burst in announcing the arrival of the Signior along with the Moor. The only words I managed to make out through all the ruckus that Brabantio had caused, was “My daughter! O my daughter!”. The only thought that reached my mind had been the death of the young Desdemona. Although I had never spoken words with her, she had always seemed like a fair young lady. Instant relief came flowing back after Brabantio spoke once again. He seemed like any other father, angry that his daughter is his no more. I can remember disapproval flourishing in me, feeling his daughter had been stolen by the Moor! He had poisoned her with medicines and forced her into marriage. How preposterous does that sound? If my own blood would

However, after the Moor had spoken, I realized that maybe he isn’t such a bad fit for the lovely Desdemona. Although his way with words could be improved, he gave an account of his numerous years participating in wars. He sent his ancient to fetch Desdemona while he continued. He spoke of his previous relationship with Brabantio, how he would tell his struggles as a form of stories to both the Signior and his daughter. How Desdemona would cry while listening to his pain, and I believe he stated “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them.” For now, it was clear: he had not used any form of trickery, but only his love for Desdemona. As that foolish Brabantio would not allow his daughter the happiness she desires, he pleaded with her to hear him out, believing their blood connection would change her feelings for the courageous Moor, but as expected... it did not. She stood fast, proclaiming her love and gratitude to her husband, and even though she was raised well by a father who she greatly loves, she duty was to the Moor. As any halfwitted fool would, he begrudgingly gave Othello his blessing, after rude remarks in the direction of Desdemona. Fast as the conversation started, it switched back even quicker. The Turkish were headed to Cyprus. Since Othello would remain a participant in helping the war effort as he usually does, he requested care for his wife until he returned. All agreed that the father of the bride’s house would be an unreasonable place to stay. Desdemona had pleaded to stay nearby Othello, for having already given so much to be with him, she believed she deserved to live with him as well; there was also promise of no distraction to be caused by the fact that they remain as lovers. What an independent young lady Desdemona is, for all her father had described her as such an innocent little girl. It seems we fathers never truly know much about our children.

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A Senator’s Diary (from Othello)

word with them again.

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A Senator’s Diary (from Othello) by Alessia Grozea, Year 10 Dear Diary, Today has been one of misfortunes and news of repelling conflict that still have me, even after the reassuring words of my peers, trembling and a bit shaken. Perhaps I was taken aback by the surprising late-night discord for which I had been inadequately prepared. I believe any man of any shape, shade, and wit would not have come to the conclusion that the events of the veiled dusk hid layers of scandal, controversy, and despair. As the poorly illuminated edge of a knife was laid out a sense of panic and gloom descended upon the Venetian, ruling families. To lead our armies, it appears we now have charming creatures who woo soft, naive flowers of Venice without consent from the men who provided shelter for their petals - and even drag them to the life-shaping enchantment of marriage. It started with persistent knocks increasing in frequency at my gate: messengers who were commanded to seek me out to be brought before the duke, ‘haste-post-haste’. I willingly changed into more appropriate attire and set out to face his excellency and his concerns. Thoughts of my demure haven being in pain crossed my mind. I tried to dismiss them. As I arrived, I was instantaneously bombarded by reports of sightings of fleets, those of barbarous Turks. My letters said over a hundred of them were at the very moment sailing towards the seemingly vulnerable Rhodes. Our constructive thinking was shortly thereafter interrupted by the valiant Moor with the fuming Brabantio, crying out without pause as if a million wounds carved into his chest were cascading to red rivers. He spoke of his Desdemona similarly to

most undesirable of conclusions. “Dead?” everyone present (but Othello) echoed. What had become of his poor maiden? I was engulfed in guilty curiosity as I believed we all were. “To me.” he replied. With a look of disbelief plastered on my face, I leaned in to listen closer. He told us of the loss of his riches, his sweet-as-honey obedient daughter, and of her alleged entrancement. Captured by the evil hands of the one and only Moor, who stood across the room from us, puzzled. The trial had begun: “What in your own part can you say to this?” The defendant replied calmly, in a collected manner. He began beseeching his betters, elaborating on the socalled charms and identified them before the Duke as his battle scars and their tales. He spoke of mutual adoration, chemistry, and compassion, of Desdemona being his bandage to his deepest wounds. It was flabbergasting. “Fetch her from the sanitarium!”, he commanded. And so his ancient did. The young lady came and took her father on head first. She persistently told him how she had come to love the Moor, but he was uncooperative when it came to acceptance. The hysterical signior at last came to a deafening silence as the Duke told him the Moor was a good man. Brabantio - a little overprotective of his daughter, whether out of honour of family or love - was visibly feeling substantial distress as well as illness regarding the situation, and showed his distrust in his own blood. Our meeting concluded, leaving us with a clear impression of the Turks’ true destination thanks to a notice from a sailor, which described their switch towards Cyprus. We have assigned the Moor on the next ship at nine, as well as his wife, who pleaded to go with him against our advice. I am not certain if the Moor can keep his promise of not letting the outspoken one interfere with duty, but I hope he can. I will soon write more of political matters. For now, I bid the city goodnight.

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Molly’s Diary from Private Peaceful by Rucsandra Curtis, Year 9E

Hello. My name is Molly and I am currently feeling ill. Since I

That is why I would always hang out with Charlie, Tommo,

have nothing else to do, I will be writing in this journal.

and Big Joe when I didn’t have this horrible illness. It was always so much fun being with them.

I have scarlet fever, and it’s terrible. I feel so frail and hopeless, and because of it I am unable to go anywhere. All I can do

I first met Tommo back in school. He was a toddler in the

nowadays is lay in my bed, staring at the wall, while I have to

same class as me. He was struggling to tie his bootlaces.

listen to my parents argue with each other.

Feeling pity because he looked terrified of the other people at the school, I tied his shoelaces for him.

My parents always argue and, most of the time, it’s about me. They’re old to be parents of a girl my age, so they

However, what really brought us together was an incident that

have always wanted me to be a “perfect child” and it’s not

happened in school.

pleasant at all. For as long as I can remember, they would always nag me, slap me, and hit me with a belt if I made the

Jimmy Parsons, who was a very rude boy that always had

tiniest mistake. I could’ve gotten a bit of mud on my skirt and

something cruel to say, walked up to Tommo and began to

I would get whipped with the belt three times. It’s really unfair

mock Big Joe, which started a fight. Being taller and stronger,

that they have to treat me like this.

Jimmy hurt Tommo, causing Charlie to get involved, fighting

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Jimmy to defend his little brother. I watched as he hit the

She would also baby Big Joe and talk to him and about him

wicked boy right where it hurts.

as if he was a loony, which always filled me with pure rage. However, when I confronted her, she would slap me hard and

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Mr. Munnings then came out of the building and saw the fight

send me home.

happening. Furious, he dragged Jimmy and Charlie into the building and whipped them both 12 times.

The thing that filled me with the most anger was when she got rid of Big Joe’s pets. For his birthday, I had gotten him

Thankfully, he didn’t see Tommo, who was cowering on the

a beautiful, little harvest mouse with large ears and bright,

ground, almost hidden from sight. I helped him get up and

beady eyes. I found the mouse running around in the hallway

assisted him cleaning up.

of my house, and instead of letting it get killed by my father, I caught it in a box and gave it to Big Joe as a present.

Eventually, Charlie came out of the building, and that was when we started talking. We became a tight-knit group of

He adored the mouse and seeing his face light up was a

friends after that.

highlight of my week. There’s something about making people happy that’s just so satisfying. I want to do loads more

Every day, I would go to the Peaceful family’s cottage and

things in the future to brighten people’s lives.

spend time there. Their cottage was just like their name Peaceful. There were all sorts of beautiful flowers growing

But then, one morning, Grada Wolf found out about the

around it, all of them having a special, sweet scent. Birds flew

mouse, and released it back into the wild, along with the rest

around the cottage, chirping carefree, and trees would stand

of Big Joe’s pets.

proudly, towering over the thatched roof. Outraged, I shouted at Grandma Wolf, telling her that she was Not a lot of arguing would happen there; there was just a lot

a cruel, cruel woman and that she would go to Hell when she

of peace.

was dead. Then I ran home, tears pouring down my face.

The boys’ mother would always treat me so kindly. She

When I got home, my father saw me crying and (surprise

treated me just like her own daughter. She would often plait

surprise) instead of asking me what was wrong he whipped

my hair and brush it while talking to me in a gentle voice. She

me with the belt.

was the mother I had always wanted. Thankfully, after the Colonel’s wife passed away, Grandma Big Joe was also a very jolly, kind soul who loved all sorts of

Wolf was sent back to live with him, and the boys’ mother

animals. He kept a lot of pets in a shed and took great care

could come home.

of them. Often, he would sing “Oranges and Lemons”, which was his favorite song, and we would join in with him, singing

Charlie said that Grandma Wolf was probably having an affair

loudly and brightly.

with the Colonel, which was why the Colonel’s late wife hated her so much, but I don’t think that’s the case. Why would

Things started to go downhill after Grandma Wolf moved in

somebody want to be in a relationship with a crabby old

with them. She used to live with the Colonel but for some

woman who has a moustache?

reason, she lost her job at his place and had to go live with the Peacefuls.

However, Tommo’s mother now had no job, so we had to go poaching on the Colonel’s lands to get food. Every day,

Grandma Wolf was always so nasty, he would frequently slap me, although she didn’t hit me as much as she did the boys.

Charlie, Tommo, and I would go to the vast lands and hunt.

We didn’t take Big Joe with us because we knew that he would start making noise and give away our cover. We

I can remember telling them that I wanted to die right

caught salmon, trapped rabbits, and stole apples from

there and then: and that I never wanted tomorrow to come

the trees. It was always so scary, but exciting at the same

because “no tomorrow could ever be as good as today”.

thing. The adrenaline would rush through your veins like a rabbit running from a hawk, and your stomach would

I meant exactly what I said. That day was probably the best

feel like you had been spinning around in circles. It was

day of my life, and I wish I could go back there.

always so fun. On that day, I grabbed a whole load of pebbles, and held When we weren’t hunting, Charlie and I would race each

them in my cupped hands, shaking them. I could’ve sworn

other through the fields. Being smaller than us, Tommo

that they told me that Charlie, Tommo, and I would always be

would trail behind and whine at us when he was tired. I

together and that well always be lucky and happy. And did I

would go back to him and pick him up, carrying him on

believe them? Yes, I did.

my back until I got tired. He was so sweet; sometimes he felt like my very own child.

I might be sick and unable to see anybody right now, but I know that I’ll recover soon and get to be with the Peacefuls

I can remember when we all ran into the river and

again. I’m sure of it.

messed about in it. The water was freezing, but after a while I got used to its temperature. The three of us

I’m feeling tired right now, so I think I’ll go to bed.

splashed about, shrieking and laughing without a care in the world.

Goodnight, diary! Thank you for listening to everything I had to say. I’ll continue writing in you tomorrow morning. Sweet

Sometimes, when the boys and I were tired of running

dreams!

about, we would lay down in the shadows and talk to each other. We had all sorts of interesting conversations,

Can journals dream? Maybe they can, you never know what

ones I wish I could relive.

surprises this world has to offer. Anyway, goodnight.

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Zero’s Return

Zero was walking through the vast wasteland of the Texas desert, when he saw the Mary Lou in the distance. He felt more determined than ever, and so upon reaching the Mary Lou didn’t stop to rest. He could feel the back of his neck burning. Badly! He couldn’t afford to stop; he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to get back up. As he walked on, his attention lapsed and he felt himself trip. He snapped back to reality instantly, as he was about to fall headfirst into a giant hole. Adrenaline flooded his

by Dinu Pietruschevici Balan, Year 7M

feeble body and with cat-like reflexes he managed to

A piece of creative writing based on the novel Holes, by Louis Sachar.

Zero looked down vaguely into the hole and after a

catch himself before it was too late.

moment of confusion focused his vision on fourteen yellow eyes looking back at him. He opened his mouth to scream, but fortunately no sound came out. He stood deadly still, frozen with fear. The lizards seemed to sense Zero was thin and exhausted, his fatigued legs barely able to hold him upright. It was an all too familiar a sight. Zero continued on, towards CGL. As he got closer, the landscape of the lake became more and more dotted with holes. Eventually he saw the shack filled with shovels. Mr. Pendanski was guarding the shack. There was a hole very close to the shack. Zero could try to lure Mr. Pendanski toward the hole. He sighed, took off his cap and threw it down to make some noise. “What the …” Mr. Pendanski said, and approached within half a meter of the hole. Zero ran toward Mr. Pendanski and rammed him as hard as he could. Mr. Pendanski fell into the empty hole, and was knocked unconscious. Zero smiled triumphantly; he hadn’t liked knocking out Pendanski, but he knew he had to do it. He took the keys from Mr. Pendanski, but left the gun at his side. He unlocked the shovel shack. He didn’t like the peeled gray paint on it.

Zero took a shovel from the shack and turned on his heels to leave. The last thing he saw was Mr. Sir smirking and pushing him into the shack. He heard the click of the door and was alone in the dark. As his eyes became accustomed to the dark, he was able to spot a small, dusty trapdoor near the corner on the ground. He thought at first that he was imagining it. He closed his eyes and reopened them, only to discover that the trapdoor was still there. The wood looked old, maybe even older than the Warden. He smiled. Jokes about the Warden made him feel better. He walked over to the trap door, with some difficultly managed to force it open and peered down inside. It was dark. With no other options, he tentatively placed his feet the first stair and slowly began to descent into the darkness, not noticing the low overhang, and hitting his head going down the steps. “Well, well, well!” the Warden said. “Look who’s fallen right into my trap.” One of the counsellors was also at her side, his gun in his hand. Zero presumed the man was from Tent A, as he had a badge with Tent A on his tank top. He had brown hair, which fell messily onto his sunburned and weary face. “Can I shoot ‘em?” the man asked. “No, Toby, not yet. Please bring me my nail polish,” the Warden ordered as Toby gave her the gun and sprinted off into the tunnel, re-emerging minutes later with a bottle of nail polish. She twisted the cap off and slowly drew out the brush, glistening with bright red polish. She applied it to her long, thin nails, smiling knowingly. Toby recoiled. “Now, Zero, I want you to come closer.” Zero obeyed. In a flash, the Warden took Zero by the arm and smacked him on the neck, where a scratch had appeared. It stung badly. Zero collapsed to the floor in pain. Twenty minutes later, at precisely 4:55 am, Zero’s heart stopped beating. He died smiling, knowing he had fought till the very end.

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Lights, Camera, Action! By Philip James Orme

Thursday, December 15, saw our year 10 drama students undertake the first part of their iGCSE practical coursework, which was a 2-3 minute individual performance from a published play. After overcoming some nerves, the students put on a tour de force in front of their peers, the business class.

We started in October, choosing monologues with Mr Orme’s help, and then set to the task of researching our playwright and reading the play that our piece was from. This helped us understand the context of the play and also our character’s motivation. After this, we chose appropriate costumes. When we had done all this, we proceeded to do the monologue dance: it’s surprisingly hard to stand still when speaking, and we all sort of swayed from side to side. Ana Branescu

Changed it twice, then nailed it! Ana Nanau

A little hard to learn, but very glad that I did it. Diana Dinu

It was fun, but at the same time quite scary. Lisa Tepelea

TIV 1 2021-22 List of contributors Student Editor: Maria Sticlea

IBSB Staff

IBSB Students

Kendall Peet

Tamara Minea

Medeea Constantinescu

Max Mihailovici

Mia Opran

Patrick Tansley

Sofia McGregor

Rucsandra Curtis

Emma Apostolu

Alexia Verdes

Calin Costantinescu

Ana Cristescu

Rares Saizu

Dinu Pietruschevici Balan

Maia Bucura

Alessia Grozea

Elian Tetruashvili

Alexandra Sandu

Ioana Aizic

Anastasia Cusa

Melissa Aydogan

Matthew Tansley Alan Cornish Madalina Soare Alina Radu Alison Tansley Aliviana Sanders Lee Hawkins Thomas Wilson Robin Morrison Orla O’Dwyer Alexandra Ivascu Lucretia Gabroveanu Maria Orban Peter Ennion Philip Orme Cristina Latcu Delia Ciobanu Jayne Baker Johanna Croci Mairead Lonergan Andreea Cazacu Victoria Fay

Priya Vijaykumar Robert Airinei George Platt Qian Qian Wang Mario Ghenea Irina Chemecedji Adelina Oltean Lucian Popa Matteo Bianchi May Abramovici Mateo Hernandez George Vernon Amalia Anicescu Zoe Popovici

Designed with care and the IBSB Team

TIV Issue 1 2021

Articles inside

ALUMNI Reflections from UCL