WelcomeWhat an exciting week we have had here at BSQ. Almost all of our students have returned from their summer break and tomorrow our nursery class will join us for the very first time. At this point in the term I thought it would be interesting to see what some of our new community members think about joining BSQ this year. First we have Hashim Al Hassani, a new student in Year 12: 1. How was your first day at BSQ? The first day of school at BSQ was great, I was a little nervous at first but I got more comfortable after I met with the students and teachers, they were very welcoming. I really liked how years 12 and 13 start before the rest of the school, this way we get a head start at our IB Diploma. 2. How would you describe BSQ to a student thinking about coming here? What I enjoy the most about the school so far is the welcoming of the students. BSQ has been a wonderful experience and I recommend it to anyone who is thinking of joining. They have good facilities and high quality education. Overall the school has been an amazing experience and I hope it stays this way. Secondly, we hear from Oliver Kyle, our new Year 5 teacher: 1. How are you enjoying Ecuador? It has been a busy couple of weeks settling in to what seems a great country - the little that I have seen of it! I love my drive to work; being welcomed to the day by the ever-present Ilaló mountain and occasionally the mighty peaks of Cayambe and Cotopaxi, seemingly on tiptoes, looking into our valley. There have been lots to get on with in school, as is always the case at the start of term, but it has been a real comfort to be welcomed with kindness and humour by all the staff at BSQ. I cannot wait to make myself more familiar with Ecuador and its people. 2. What is the best thing about BSQ so far? A hard question to answer when my time here is in its infancy, but the people have made it very welcoming and the grounds themselves - the birds in the trees, the sunshine, the trees, that crazy wind - are quite something to see and experience. I feel lucky to work in such beautiful surroundings - plus my class seem like a wonderful bunch of small humans and I'm looking forward to getting to know them too and helping to shape their lives in a positive way. 3. How would you describe BSQ to a teacher thinking about working here? Less a school, more a family it seems. Which sounds pithy but that's the vibe I've got from last few weeks. One gets the sense of things changing; being built; being grown and all for the better. There is a feeling of openness in the school and, writing this after my first day with the children, I remember the over-arching sound of the day being one of children's laughter. Most of you will have met our new staff during some of our Meet the Teacher sessions last week but this week I would like to introduce you to the new staff in our Secondary teaching team.
News from EnrichmentAs we are starting the new enrichment programme this term, the gardening club would like to call upon those green-fingered parents to help with some donations towards our vegetable patch. The idea is for the secondary students to contribute to the community and we would like to start by planting the science garden and the EYFS vegetable garden. This will be maintained by the students and will hopefully be quite a productive project this year. We are looking for some great organic compost (con cáscara de arroz o champiñón) and the following seeds:
Thank you in advance for your support in our BSQ gardens. And finally from me - some reminders and resets Note from parent handbook.. Parental involvement in the life of the school can take many different forms, at different times and for different reasons but one fact remains the same – positive engagement improves the school experience of children and young people. Research tells us that, typically, parental involvement decreases as students get older as the students themselves become advocates for their own learning and social needs. Here we encourage all parents to remain fully involved in the learning partnership as we support and challenge our students to achieve their very best - from nursery to Year 13. Have a wonderful term. Dates for your DiarySeptember 3rd - Reception students return to school September 3rd - at 2pm. Nursery Orientation and Meet the Teacher September 4th - Nursery students return to school September 5th - Meet the Teacher Reception. 3:30pm September 22nd - WELCOME BACK PICNIC – save the date Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary UpdateThis week has seen the return of the Years 1 to 6 students in Primary, including several welcome new faces to the BSQ community. Their teachers have been extremely busy ensuring that all the students feel safe, secure and ready to learn as we start the new academic year. All the staff here at BSQ have been extremely impressed by both the attitude and enthusiasm of all the students, their willingness to try new ways of learning and their obvious excitement about returning to school. One exciting development for the students is the introduction of a double period of Enrichment activities, designed to broaden each and every student’s experiences and encourage them to build or improve their skills and talents in other areas outside of classroom learning. The Year 3-6 students attended an Enrichment Fair so they could make informed decisions about their activities, whilst the Year 1 & 2 students discussed these choices in class. On Monday 3rd September we welcome our Reception students and then on Tuesday 4th September our Nursery students, with their Meet the Teacher Presentation on Monday 3rd September at 2:00pm in the Nursery Classrooms and Wednesday 5th September at 3:30pm in the Reception classrooms. This week’s assemblies have focused on new beginnings and setting personal goals, specifically linked to our school values:
The students were asked to think about how they could contribute positively to the school and wider community, what actions they would take this year to meet our values and also to think about taking risks in their learning and trying new things, even if these were difficult. Many of our students have looked extremely smart this week in their uniform and are clearly proud of being ambassadors for their school. Please do take time to look at the uniform guidelines in the 2018/2019 Parent Handbook and help to ensure your child has all the relevant uniform and keeps it neat and tidy. Particular attention needs to be paid to footwear – we expect all students from Year 1 upwards to wear black school shoes. I hope you found the Parent Presentation meetings useful and informative. If you have any further questions about school life, the curriculum, assessment or other matters, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher in the first instance. Developing a strong link between home and school has been proved to be invaluable in a child’s education and we encourage and nurture this partnership. I look forward to meeting many more of you over the coming weeks and sharing with you all of our successes here at BSQ. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update First Impressions All of the teachers, whether they are new to the team or more firmly established, have been very, very impressed by the attitudes of the returning students. From day one, students have been focused, determined and ready to learn. Standards of preparedness - whether it means having the right equipment, wearing the correct uniform or completing the assigned work - have been excellent, and the atmosphere around Secondary has been a very positive one. Long may it continue. Enrichment This year we are delighted to have Ms Sofia Molina coordinating our Enrichment programme. We are always looking to improve our provision of activities, and this year will see a few changes from before, including activities that are open to both Primary and Secondary students, and clear expectations and outcomes in all activities that will allow us to monitor their effectiveness and make them even more enriching. Jim Wild
Head of Secondary
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May 2024
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