WelcomeLiving What an exciting first full week we had. As always, the time is flying by and the fun of being at school is tangible for staff and students alike. On Wednesday Ms Molina launched our second term of enrichment activities and what an amazing array there is to choose from again. From water-colour painting, pottery and theatre puppets to dance club, science club and swimming in Primary. From chess club, MUN and world explorers to wrestling club, volleyball and music covers in Secondary – to name just a few from the selection. We also of course have our whole school clubs – eco club and circuit training - where our primary and secondary students can come together and get to know each other. I wish I was a student; but I will be running the study club. Also, this term rehearsals will start for our school plays in Y6 and in Secondary. It seems there will be something of a Shakespeare influence running through the school this year with Y6 taking on Macbeth and secondary students auditioning for roles in Romeo and Juliet. This Wednesday we will be holding a Parent Representative meeting for all the class reps in the library at 08:00 on Wednesday January 16th. The purpose is to explore the outcomes from the survey set by the PA at the end of the school year last year. A full report will be shared with all the families following this meeting. To continue our parent links, on Wednesday 30th January at 08:00, I invite all parents to join me for an information session and workshop linked to our CIS accreditation process. As you know we will be hosting the CIS team in May this year as the final part of our journey towards our 5-year reaccreditation. Following the successful preparation visit in March last year, we are all looking to having our successes and progress recognised. The benefits of being part of a group like CIS are important to us all as a school. For example, CIS have 733 member schools representing 116 countries and this provides a rich source of support and information for us as educators. Most importantly, being an accredited member of CIS demonstrates to those outside the school that we have met a rigorous set of standards of excellence in diverse areas such as curriculum, teaching, well-being, safeguarding, training and community engagement. In addition, when our graduating students are applying for places at universities, those universities will recognize the importance of being a CIS school with a strong educational philosophy and a clear purpose. Our journey to re-accreditation involves a great deal of work for many members of the school community and is something we will treasure with pride when achieved. Please do come and find out more on January 30th. Learning Last week we welcomed Karl Wilkinson our Regional Head of Schools from Orbital to BSQ. He spent a lot of time in our classrooms enjoying seeing the learning first hand. He commented that: This term our primary school students are studying a topic called How have important historical figures and civilizations contributed to our world today? This means that such exciting areas as the Romans, the Incas, the Greeks, the Egyptians, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong are filling our classrooms with fascination and new learning for the children. Remember to ask them about their learning and support them to continue their interest at home. From the Staff and StudentsWelcome back to our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this term. First we hear from Mr Ashfield and Year 10 in Secondary and from Ms Backhouse and Year 4 in Primary. Mr. John Ashfield – Secondary Teacher It can always be difficult starting the January term knowing that the excitement of Christmas is now behind us but I have been thrilled to see the positivity amongst the students this first full week back. The students have been picking their enrichments for the rest of term and from a personal standpoint I am excited to see the team we assemble this term for Model United Nations and I am sure whoever they are they will continue to do us all proud in conference. The Budapest trip seems to be gathering steam with lots of pupils keen to go on what will be for many their first international school trip and I look forward to seeing many of you in the meeting next week. Many students will be busy revising with the Quimestre exams fast approaching it has been really exciting to see just how much work and study the students did over the holiday and are continuing with this week and all of this is going on alongside normal lessons this week which can only be a good sign of things to come. It promises to be a fantastic term here at BSQ. Year 10 students Since the beginning of the academic year the students in Year 10 at BSQ have been learning what they need to know to pass their IGCSE’s. At the end of Year 11 they will take exams and their results will become the first set of official qualifications that potential employers will look at and admissions tutors will scrutinise, so they matter. We hope that all our students in Year 10 will be striving to attain A* and A grades. However, achieving these top grades will take some skilful planning and a lot of hard work. Finding the right revision technique is essential with so many different subjects to revise for at once. Over the last two weeks the students in Year 10 have been learning about SMART targets and how to plan their time wisely. They have been busy revising for the Quimestre exams here is what some of them have to say about being in Year 10: “Year 10! IGCSE’s! With just hearing this, some people freak out, like me. But as the year went on, I felt more capable of achieving what I couldn’t before. For the moment, I am finding ways to study creatively, and I am really enjoying the subjects, although they are a little difficult.” Alegría Guerra “The small and mostly insignificant tasks we thought they were in KS3 now have become immense responsibilities that we carry around daily, and this is only the beginning.” Maite Peñaherrera “There is a time when you reach the point where you need to put a lot more effort to get a better grade; The effort that you do would be reflected in the future scores of your test, this means that if you want the best grade you need to study harder and in a conscientious way. You need to find your weaknesses and study for them because your weaknesses would affect your test.” Mateo Almendariz “I will study 1 hour a day every day even the weekends. I will also study more for the subjects I´m worst at and study more for those that I am bad at.” Patricio De La Cruz “It is that time of the year, where Quimestre exams and stress are around the corner. In Year 10, the exams mean a lot to us because it is the first time our grades are going to influence in our IGCSE score. Making us face academic challenges and giving up is not an option. Wish us good luck.” Arianna Maldonado “This year being 3 years away from graduating, it starts the biggest challenge in school which are exams. They can stress you out or scare you but every time you have got to do your best to pass. The best way to prepare for them are to take notes on your classes so you don’t lose anything and you have every material to study, also you should start studying at the start of the year 30 min everyday so when the tests or exams come you will not need to study 5-7 hours a week.” Felix Lopez “This year has been a new and challenging experience, we are truly aware of what is to come, the scary reality of life, when our grades have mattered more than ever. We feel the pressure on our shoulders to do better and strive to be the best we can while keeping a balance with everything else. The gap between now and our exams closes everyday places on top of us anxiety and nerves unless we are prepared.” Arturo Chiriboga “If you want to go to a good university you have to study a lot, so do not lose your time playing Fortnite or any video games, when you have vacations you will have time to play them, study because in the future you will be regretful.” Jorge Zorzo “For me mind maps are the most effective study technique, only you need to be cautious to not write everything but the key things.” Silas Tapia “I recommend you to take seriously the years 10 and 11 it will determine your professionalism and your future years’ life style.” Nicolas Orellana “Year 10 it’s not easy but if you work hard enough you can achieve anything and make a lot of friends.” Kaia Espinosa “Year 10 is the year where you face academic challenges and you might reach a point where you want to give up, nevertheless you have your friends and teachers to support you. It seems difficult in the beginning but it gets easier over time. It’s great to have new topics to learn about, as they increase your knowledge and give you experiences that will last for a lifetime.” Mayra Alsharaf Good luck to all the students in Year 10! From your Tutors, Mrs Madden and Mr Cannon Ms. Lauren Backhouse – Year 4 Teacher Year 4 have started off the new term by writing mystery stories that are set in a circus. We have designed a poster for a circus, made some trapeze artist and even had a go on some stilts. When we read some mystery stories, we noticed that they use short sentences to create suspense as well as using lots of description that appeals to the reader's senses. Over the next few weeks we are going to write our own mystery stories and try to include all of these features. Dates for your Diary January 14th – KS1 Assembly. 1pm. January 15th - Meeting for parents interested in the Budapest trip (Years 7-13) January 16th – Parent meeting to reflect on survey outcomes. 8am in the library January 16th – KS2 Assembly. 9:30am. January 17th– PLT meeting at 3:30pm January 19th – Early Years Sign to Learn Workshop. 9am-9:45am in the library January 19th – Art Morning: 8:30-12:30pm for teachers, 9am-12pm for students. January 24th – Year 5 rearranged trip to Pintag January 25th - Secondary Student Council Holocaust Victims Memorial trip to Einstein School. January 30th - Parent CIS meeting. 8am in the library Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary UpdateA full week of the new term has passed and I am extremely pleased with the way that our students have returned to school, ready and willing to learn, take risks by trying new things and challenging themselves to be even better. However, it is noticeable how many students are finding the early starts difficult to get used to. This reminded me about the importance of sleep in our daily routines and the impact a good night’s sleep has on our development, resilience and ability to focus and concentrate on a task. A lack of good-quality sleep is a huge driver for stress: it has a negative effect on memory, concentration, cognitive function and decision-making. One of the fastest ways to improve sleep – for all of us – is to limit screen time before bed. The type of blue light emitted by digital devices suppresses production of melatonin, the hormone that signals to the body it is time for sleep. In addition, looking at screens before bed keeps us emotionally wired and stimulated, making it harder for us to switch off. It may be difficult to ban the use of technology in your house completely in the evening, but some good advice from the experts is to turn off all devices at least an hour before bedtime. Another suggestion is to insist that everyone in your home uses “night-time mode” on their devices, which swaps the blue light for a warmer glow. It is also worth switching your children’s night lights to red ones – red has the least impact on melatonin production. Of course, having an appropriate routine every night also helps, with time allocated to relaxation, sharing thoughts from the day, reading or listening to music. This Saturday is our next opportunity for the students from Reception to Year 6 to come into school and experience one activity for a whole morning. This time we are focusing on Art, with each class choosing either a famous artist to learn about or a specific technique to master. School will start at 9am and finish at 12pm, with a school snack provided for those who normally have it. All parents are welcome to come at 11:45am to share their child’s learning with them, before going home at 12pm. Star of the week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update Year 13 Parent Workshop As we approach the last few months of Year 13's time at BSQ and the final IB Diploma exams, the pressure, the workload, and the stress they are under will inevitably increase. It is imperative that we all, together, do as much as we possibly can to ensure that they are successful and happy. To this end, we are hosting a workshop at school on the morning of Saturday 19th January at 09:00, where we will discuss both what the students need to do over the next few months, and what parents and teachers need to do to help. This will include study and revision strategies, time-management, and ways to deal with exam stress. In addition, parents will be invited to meet with each of their child's subject teachers individually, to discuss their current progress, and the things they will need to do if they want to reach their full potential. Parents and students should both be in attendance. Dan Hurdle Today we are delighted to welcome our new Art teacher in Secondary, Mr Dan Hurdle. Mr. Hurdle has 13 years of teaching experience in the UK, Malaysia and Vietnam. I'm sure he will prove a great asset to the team. From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about screen time boundaries for children.
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May 2024
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