With exams now behind many of our students, there’s a noticeable shift in the air a mix of relief, pride, and excitement for what’s still to come. I want to thank everyone students, staff and families for the hard work, encouragement and support that’s carried us through this busy season.
This week also marks Mental Health Week and our community is taking time to reflect on wellbeing, kindness, and the importance of looking after ourselves and one another.
As we head into the final few weeks of the school year, we’re looking forward to some of the most joyful moments on the calendar: Green School, Children’s Day, our Constitution Day celebrations, assemblies, Sports Day, and of course, the Year 9 Prom. These events remind us just how much school life is about connection, celebration and shared experiences.
Let’s enjoy this last chapter of the year together!
Best wishes,
Katarzyna Wiśniewska Head of Włochy Campus
Thames British School
News & Updates
Mental Health Awareness Month – May 2025
This May, our school is taking part in Mental Health Awareness Month, with a special focus on Mental Health Awareness Week, from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd May. During this week, students will take part in fun and thoughtful activities during Tutor Time to help them understand and take care of their mental health. These activities are designed to suit their age and help them feel more confident talking about their feelings.
Primary School Activities
Monday: Students learn what mental health means and use color cards or drawings to show how they feel.
Tuesday: They make a Calm Corner Card with three things they can do when they feel upset.
Wednesday: In a Compliment Chain, students give kind words to each other to spread positivity.
Thursday: They do a grounding activity to help calm their minds and feel more present
Friday: Students do secret acts of kindness to make someone’s day a little brighter.
Lower SecondaryActivities
Monday: Students explore different feeling words to help express emotions more clearly.
Tuesday: They learn a simple grounding technique to manage stress and anxiety.
Wednesday: In a "Highs & Lows" circle, students share good and not-so-good moments from their week.
Thursday: They create a Stress Toolkit with personal ideas that help them feel better when stressed.
Friday: Students listen to music and reflect on how it makes them feel in a Music & Mood session.
At our school, we believe it’s important to talk openly about mental health We want every student to feel supported and to learn ways to take care of their wellbeing now and in the future. We will be conducting a Mindfulness assembly on Wednesday. Having an understanding of our own mental health and emotions allows us to relate to those around us. Let’s talk. Let’s listen. Let’s support one another.
Thames British School
Class Photo Day – 10 June
News & Updates Children’s Day
To celebrate Children’s Day, on 30 May, our students will be enjoying a fun day out full of connection and creativity.
Primary students will head to the theatre for a live play performed in English — a wonderful chance to experience storytelling and language in an engaging new setting.
Lower Secondary students will spend the day at Park Szczęśliwicki, where they’ll take part in teambuilding games, sports activities, and relaxed picnic-style fun a great way to build friendships and enjoy the outdoors together.
We’re looking forward to a joyful day for all!
Class photos will be taken on Monday, 10 June. Students are reminded to wear their full school uniform and come prepared to smile! This is a wonderful opportunity to capture memories with classmates group photos, individual portraits, and fun shots with friends will all be taken.
Sports Day
Our annual Sports Day is fast approaching! This cross-campus celebration of energy, teamwork, and healthy competition will take place on Friday, 13 June at OSiR Mokotów, located at Kazimierzowska 58.
Students from across the school will come together for a variety of athletic events in a spirit of fun and school pride. More details, including timings and logistics, will be shared soon.
We’re also looking forward to welcoming our special guests – Warsaw Mets American Football Team during the day to help make the celebration even more memorable for the students!
Thames British School
26-29 May: Green School (schoolwide event - no lessons at school)
30 May: Children’s Day (Primary Theatre/Lower Secondary Picnic
4 June: Assembly with special guests: Gajusz Foundation
6 June: Year 9 Prom
Events
10 June: Class Photos
11 June: Constitution Play: Democracy Day celebration
13 June: Sports Day/Classification Day
18 June: International Day
Wlochy Campus Phone Number:
510 161 597 (8 am - 4 pm).
Włochy Campus Secretary:
Ms Justyna Kasprzyk secretary wlochy@thamesbritishschool pl
Włochy Campus Receptionist:
Ms Klaudia Osiak receptionist wlochy@thamesbritishschool.pl
Head of Włochy Campus:
Ms Katarzyna Wiśniewska head wlochy@thamesbritishschoo pl
Deputy Head of Primary
Mr Daniel White dan.white@thamesbritishschool.pl
Deputy Head of Lower Secondary
Ms Jessica Wrbka cambridge wlochy@thamesbritishschool.pl
Thames British School Teachers: contact us!
Monika Drozd
Primary Teacher/Year 2 Class Teacher m drozd@thamesbritishschool pl
Joshua Gillbert
Primary Teacher/Year 3 Class Teacher joshua g@thamesbritishschool pl
Christopher Kane
Primary Teacher/Science/Year 4 Class Teacher c kane@thamesbritishschool pl
Agnieszka Brands
Primary Teacher/Ethics/Year 5 Class Teacher agnieszka brands@thamesbritishschool pl
Daniel White
Primary Teacher/Deputy Head of Primary/DSL dan white@thamesbritishschool pl
Sandra Pietrzak PE sandra.p@thamesbritishschool.pl
Year 2 has been busy learning how to write clear and detailed instructions. We focused on using time connectives such as first, next, and finally to help order our ideas, and we practised adding important details to make our writing more useful and interesting. In science, we have continued exploring the topic of light, learning about different sources of light, objects that reflect light, and the basics of electricity—including how to stay safe around it. Next, we will begin learning about simple circuits. In maths, we’ve started our unit on fractions, and the children are already showing great progress. We also enjoyed two exciting trips: one to the Museum of Evolution and another to the local park, where we combined learning with lots of fun!
Kind Regards,
Ms Monika
Our star of the week is Erica, for trying her best in maths to find half of numbers and Madina for making an amazing progress in English especially her independent writing of smoothie recipe.
Thames British School
Year 2
German: We will describe activities we do at school and act out short scenes.
Music: We will learn a new song to perform at the end-of-schoolyear ceremony.
PE: Long jump, tennis ball throw
Polish: We will learn names of the months, talk about weather.
Polish (native) : We will read short texts and complete tasks based on them.
Spanish: We will practise food/drinks, verbs related and counting till 10. We will listen, write and read with letters U, V, W.
Thames British School Year 3
In Year 3 we have been taking our end of Year Progression tests. They have been challenging for sure but we've made it through and are looking forward to enjoyinging the next few weeks of learning.
In English we've concluded revising grammar for the Year and are ready to move onto out next unit looking at informatoin texts.
In maths we have been looking at shape, studying different sizes of angles such as acute, obtuse and right angles.
In science, we are going to start our unit on Space, where we will look at the movement of the Earth, Sun and Moon.
Kind Regards, Joshua Gilbert
German: We will learn to talk about places where we spend our free time.
Music: We will play musical games to reinforce our knoledge of rhythm in music.
PE: Long jump, tennis ball throw
Polish: We will practice polish adjectives.
Polish (native) : We will learn about families, family tree and past simple tense.
Spanish: We will learn verbo estar + parts of the house and activities related. We will do listening, writing and reading comprehension.
Thames British School
Year 4
After some hard graft getting through our end of year exams we're now looking forward to some summer projectas for the final stretch of school before the holidays.
In mathematics we are focusing on how to represent data in charts and graphs. Meanwhile, in English we will be writing folk and fairy tales. Finally, for science we will be studying light, shadows and our solar system.
I was enormously proud of how each one of our Year 4 team took the exams so seriously doing their best and working hard. Well done everyone!
Kind Regards, Mr Christopher Kane
Our star of the week is everyone for the huge amount of effort you all put into our progression tests.
Contact us for more information regarding the latest news!
German: We will describe the characteristics and abilities of zoo animals.
Music: Learners will make their own musical instrument - a rain stick.
PE: Long jump, tennis ball throw
Polish: We will learn to order food in the restaurant and do shopping in Polish.
Polish (native) : We will learn about numerals and Polish National Parks.
Spanish: We will describe seasons, clothes and the ones we like the most with verbs: querer, gustar and quedar through communicative skills.
Thames British School
Year 5
In Year 5, we’ve been working hard to complete our end-of-year Cambridge assessments in Maths, English, and Science. They were certainly challenging, but we were proud to demonstrate how much we’ve learned throughout the academic year. Everyone showed great focus, resilience, and determination skills we’ve developed all year long.
In Maths, we’ve been exploring shapes revising the names and properties of 2D shapes and learning how to calculate angles and sides in both regular and irregular polygons. We enjoyed using protractors to measure angles and even created our own shape posters to present to the class.
In English, we’re continuing our class novel, Who Let the Gods Out by Maz Evans. Elliot Hooper has now convinced the gods to help him defeat Thanatos, who, after hearing Pythia’s prophecy, decides to kill Elliot. The story has sparked great discussions in class about heroism, mythology, and friendship.
We also focused on Chapter 16, where we examined the different uses of commas in writing and how punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence.
In Science, we’ve been reviewing key concepts from earlier in the year, including forces, states of matter, and plant life cycles. We even carried out a few practical experiments to reinforce our understanding and had fun working together to predict and record our results.
Kind Regards, Ms Agnieszka Brands
Our star of the week is Bavisha for her resilience and fantastic attitude towards learning.
Thames British School
Year 5
Science: We have started to examine the movement of the planets within the solar system.
German: We will discuss holiday destinations.
Spanish: We will describe seasons, clothes and the ones we like the most with verbs: querer, gustar and quedar through communicative skills.
History: We will continue discussing the rise and fall of empires and then we will start talking about the life of societies in different historical eras.
Music: We will continue practicing our song and playing the ukuleles.
PE: Team and individual games: ‘Two-a-side’, ‘Four-a-side’, Badminton, table tennis, ringo
Polish: We will practice palatalization, hobbies and numbers up to 1000.
Polish (native): We will read short texts and complete tasks based on them.
Contact us for more information regarding the latest news!
Thames British School
Year 6
As we approach the end of the school year, our Year 6 students have been working with focus and determination in preparation for their final progression tests in English, Mathematics, and Science. This is an important milestone, and the effort and resilience shown by the class has been truly commendable.
In English, we’ve started reading Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick a gripping story that has sparked thoughtful discussions and deepened our reading comprehension skills. In Mathematics, we are exploring Decimals, developing our understanding through problemsolving and real-life applications.
Alongside this, we continue to revise key concepts across all subjects and strengthen our test techniques through targeted lessons and practice assessments.
It’s been a busy term, but the enthusiasm and positive attitude of the pupils have made all the difference. With just a little way to go, we’re encouraging everyone to stay motivated, look after their wellbeing, and give this final push their very best.
We are incredibly proud of how far the students have come and are confident they will finish the year strong!
Keep up the fantastic work, Year 6 –you're almost there!
Kind Regards, Mr Thomas Cato
Contact us for more information regarding the latest news!
Thames British School
Year 6
Art: We will discuss ethical manufacturing, sustainability, recycling, upcycling, and will design a product.
Biology: We will be focussing on Food chains.
German: We will discuss means of transport.
History: Students will explore the interdependence between Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia during the Middle Ages, focusing on the Silk Road's role in trade and the exchange of ideas.
Music: Learners will practice playing a new chord progression on the ukulele.
PE: Team and individual games: ‘Twoa-side’, ‘Four-a-side’, Badminton, table tennis, ringo
Polish: We will be writing and drawing a comic based on Kajko i Kokosz.
Polish (native) : In the next few weeks in Year 6 Polish lessons, we will be exploring poems and working on language puzzles. Get ready to play with words, discover different styles of poetry, and challenge your brain with fun linguistic activities!
Contact us for more information regarding the latest news!
Science: We are looking into our Solar System.
Spanish: We will describe seasons, clothes and the ones we like the most with verbs: querer, gustar and quedar through communicative skills.
Thames British School
Year 7A
Its been a tough couple of weeks of May and the preparation for progression tests is in full force. This is a great opportunity for the learners to show how they have grown throughout the year and show what they are made of. Keep pushing and working hard.
Kind Regards, Mr Luke Rautenbach
Year 7B
As we move further into May, the momentum in our classrooms continues to build. Students are deepening their understanding, finishing projects with pride, and enjoying the chance to demonstrate how far they’ve come. Whether it’s through group activities, creative work, or thoughtful discussions, there’s a real sense of purpose in the air as we get ready to finish the year off strong.
Kind Regards, Mr Dakota Fischer
Contact us for more information regarding
Thames British School Year 7A&7B
Highlights from Specialist Subjects for the Next Two Weeks:
English: Students have completed their progression tests. They are now working on their persuasive writing and creating a persuasive presentation in pairs, planning and trying to sell a trip as if they're a travel agency
Maths: Having finished shapes and transformation, chances are we will be spending time on Probability or Graphs, to make sure learners have a solidified foundation on these units for next year.
Biology: We have been doing revision and Y8 work
Physics: We will learn more details about the electrical circuits.
Art: We will get inspired by Pop Art and create colourful onomatopoeia drawings.
Geography: After exams we will be continueing with Tourism and Pollution as a minor theme
History: We will discuss the great power status of the neighbours of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth and its crisis in the 18th century. Students are getting prepared for staging the play on the Constitution of 3 May 1791.
Music: We will start learning a new song.
German (beginners): We will describe our rooms and say what is in them.
German (intermediate): Students will present their final projects, showcasing the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the school year.
Spanish (intermediate) : Students will identify direct + indirect complement and practise demonstratives through reading/writing and listening activities.
PE: Basketball technique and tactics: catching and passing the ball with both hands from in front of the chest.
Polish (beginners): We will learn the names of means of transport. We will try to describe our way to school.
Polish (intermediate): We will be reading "Harry Potter" and learning new vocabulary.
Polish (native) : In the coming weeks, we will be focusing on grammar in Polish lessons, specifically practising logical sentence analysis. We will also talk about our favourite books and prepare short presentations to share them with the class.
Thames British School
Year 8A
Class 8A has successfully completed their progression tests, showing great focus and determination throughout. Their hard work and commitment over the past weeks have truly paid off. While there's still some work to be done before the end of the school year, the students continue to put in great effort and are clearly demonstrating how much their knowledge and skills have developed over the year. With exams behind them, they’re now excited for our upcoming Green School trip on May 26th and the Kids Day celebration in Park Szczęśliwicki on May 30th. Well done, 8A!
Kind Regards, Ms Karina Szczurek
Year 8B
The intensive period of writing Cambridge Progression Tests is behind us. As May is the month of Mental Health Awareness, on this occasion during Tutor Time, we are learning about relaxation techniques, stress management and the power of correct breathing.
The last month of learning is ahead of us, an intensive time to do our best to improve the grades we dream of.
Kind Regards,
Ms Agnieszka Klecka
Thames British School Year 8A&8B
Highlights from Specialist Subjects for the Next Two Weeks:
English: Students have completed their progression tests Students are now working on creating an autobiographical presentation, giving us insight into who they are, using a combination of the English skills they developed this year.
Maths: In the coming weeks, we will be finishing our syllabus by exploring probability, as well as statistical investigation and the interpretation of data graphs.
Biology: We will undertake a comprehensive revision of biology topics
Chemistry: We will undertake a comprehensive revision of chemistry topics
Physics: We will undertake a comprehensive revision of physics topics
Art: We will create Impossible Cities.
Geography: After exams we will be continueing with our last unit of pollution and how it effects our environment.
History: We will discuss political, economic, and social consequences of the implementation of communism in the USSR and the Stalinist purges.
Music: Students will present the music they made with the Chrome Music Lab app
German (beginners): We will talk about what we did on holiday
German (intermediate): Students will present their final projects, showcasing the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the school year.
Spanish (intermediate) : We will learn comparatives (with adjectives) and asking and expressing opinions through communicative skills.
PE: Learners will practise and refine their jumping skills, focusing particularly on long jump and triple jump tasks. They will work in pairs and groups to follow jumping challenges, and they will also design various obstacle courses that promote jumping skills.
Polish (beginners): We will learn the names of means of transport. We will try to describe our way to school.
Polish (intermediate): We will be reading "Hunger Games" and learning new vocabulary
Polish (native) : In the coming weeks, Year 8 will be reviewing parts of a sentence in Polish lessons, including the subject, predicate, attribute, adverbial, and object
Year 9A, 9B & 9C
Year 9 students have been working hard as we reach the final part of the school year. This week (13th–15th May), they are sitting their Polish State Exams. To celebrate all their effort, we’ll be having a Pizza Party on 16th May a fun way to relax and enjoy time together after a big milestone.
Earlier in the term, we had Report Period 3 and Learning Conversations. It was great to meet with you our Year 9 parents and talk with you and your children about how things are going and how we can keep improving.
We also had a long weekend at the start of May for Labour Day, Flag Day, and Constitutional Day. We’ll be continuing the celebrations for Constitutional Day very soon!
Prom is getting closer, and we’re now adding the final touches. Students are very excited, and we can’t wait to share this special evening with you all.
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. During Tutor Time, students have taken part in different activities that help with well-being, like mindfulness, managing stress, and finding ways to support each other as a class and school community.
This month, students also helped lead discussions about how our behaviour and school values work together. They shared ideas on what kind of behaviour helps us grow and care for each other and what we don’t want to see in our school. These conversations are helping set a good example for future students and building a strong, positive school culture.
Kind Regards, Ms
Stephanie Hawker,
Ms Agnieszka Solanki & Ms Ewelina Bajena
Thames British School Thames British School
Year 9A, 9B & 9C
Highlights from Specialist Subjects for the Next Two Weeks:
English: We have been working on Fantasy Story writing looking at Topic 7.
Students have been challenged to use work from Geography and English to create an in-deapth Fantasy Story.
Maths: Preperation for exams
Biology: Preperation for exams
Chemistry: We will undertake a comprehensive revision of chemistry topics
Physics: We will undertake a comprehensive revision of physics topics
Geography: after exams we will move on the our last unit of study and look at environmental effects of pollution and human activity effecting the environment as wella s ourselves.
History: We will continue discussing causes and treaty stages of European integration. Then we will start talking about the Middle Eastern conflict.
Civics: We will discuss types of political systems in the world: democracies, authoritarian states, and totalitarian regimes – contemporary case studies.
German (intermediate): Students will present their final projects, showcasing the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the school year.
Spanish (intermediate) : We will identify and use signs of prohibition/ obligation and /or possibility and practise estar + gerundio through communicative skills.
PE: Learners focus on various training methods to develop their speed, strength and stamina. They participate in a series of athletics-based activities that promote these fitness components, following and creating relevant tasks.
Polish (beginners): We will learn the names of means of transport. We will try to describe our way to school.
Polish (intermediate): We will continue reading "The Red Pyramid" and we will focus on our book projects.
Polish (native) : In the coming weeks, Year 9 will share their thoughts and reflections after the exams. We will listen to music and analyse song lyrics. We’ll also try our hand at being translators!
Schoolwide Happenings
Student Council & Volunteers
Each day brings a new opportunity for our Student Council members to make a difference! They've recently completed a series of posters showcasing the results of their project “School Values from the Student Perspective” and they don’t stop there our amazing Volunteers are living out these precious values every day �� Whether it's helping out the school comuunity or playing with younger students, they continue to set an example and act as true role models.
Meanwhile, members of our school music groups are busy rehearsing for the upcoming theatre performance, prepared for our Democracy Day celebration, scheduled for June 11. Also, our talented young actors are being supported by a team of creative Volunteers who will help designing and building the stage decorations and props for the play.
One more exciting event is just around the corner! The Student Council is eagerly awaiting the visit of representatives from the Gajusz Foundation on June 4. During this special meeting with Lower Secondary students, they will share more about their inspiring work supporting children’s hospices.
What’s more, the Student Council is currently preparing fun sports activities for the upcoming trip to Szczęśliwicki Park on May 30, organized by the school leadership to celebrate the Children’s Day
Warm Regards, Ms Marta Kosmala-Kozłowska, Supervisor of the Student Council, Mr Mateusz Rabi, Ms Alejandra Arcila & Mr Yasin Kucukfirat
The Heart of Thames Sch
Lately, our team of young reporters has been working with full enthusiasm on the newest issue of The Heart of Thames! They've been busy conducting interviews, writing articles and short stories, as well as capturing all the highlights from recent school events. Editorial meetings are filled with lively discussions, teamwork, and plenty of creative brainstorming. It’s where great ideas come to life, and every voice matters �� Get ready an exciting new issue is on the way ��!
Warm regards, Ms Marta Kosmala-Kozłowska, Supervisor of The Heart of Thames magazine, Ms Karina Szczurek, Ms Agnieszka Brands & Mr Mateusz Rabi
Mind Matters: Tips & Insights from the School Psychologist
Helping Children Regulate Emotions: The Power of Emotional Freedom Tapping
In our fast-paced world, children are facing more emotional demands than ever. From school stress to social challenges, emotional regulation has become an essential life skill.
One simple, evidence-informed technique that parents can teach their children to help manage difficult emotions is Emotional Freedom Tapping (EFT) also known as Tapping
�� What Is Emotional Freedom Tapping?
EFT is a self-help technique that involves gently tapping on specific acupressure points on the body while focusing on a specific emotion or issue. Think of it as a cross between mindfulness, cognitive reframing, and acupressure. The goal is to reduce emotional distress and help the brain and body feel safe and regulated.
Tapping usually focuses on:
The side of the hand (karate chop point)
Eyebrow
Side of the eye
Under the eye
Under the nose
Chin Collarbone
Under the arm
Top of the head
While tapping on these points, your child can say something like, “Even though I feel nervous about the test, I am safe now and doing my best.”
�� What’s the Science Behind It?
EFT is based on principles from traditional Chinese medicine and modern psychology. Research has shown that tapping helps lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. It also helps deactivate the amygdala the brain’s alarm system while engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes calm.
Several clinical studies have found that EFT can effectively reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
One 2019 study published in The Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine showed that a single session of EFT significantly reduced cortisol levels and improved psychological well-being in participants.
How Parents Can Use EFT with Children
You don’t have to be a psychologist to introduce tapping at home Here are a few simple ways to start:
✅ Model it yourself – Children are more likely to try something if they see you doing it too
✅ Keep it short and playful – For younger children, use fun language like “magic fingers” and encourage them to tap along during bedtime or before school.
✅ Use it during calm moments first – Practice when emotions are low, so they feel confident using it when stress hits
✅ Combine with affirmations – Phrases like “I’m doing my best,” “I can feel calm now,” or “It’s okay to feel angry” help reinforce selfacceptance and safety.
�� When Can Tapping Help?
Before tests or presentations
After conflicts with friends or siblings
During transitions (e.g., moving schools, new routines)
When experiencing anxiety, sadness, or anger
�� Final Thought
EFT is a simple, non-invasive technique that empowers children to manage their emotions in healthy and effective ways. It promotes self-awareness, emotional resilience, and a greater sense of control over one’s body and mind skills that benefit children both in and out of the classroom.
If you’d like to learn more or see a demonstration of how EFT works with children, we’re happy to offer resources or a parent workshop. Let’s keep working together to support our students’ emotional well-being!
Summer Intensive English Course
More information: Summer English Intensive Course at Thames British School Warsaw
