Welcome What a fantastic start to the school year at BSQ! Whilst we all understand and anticipate the challenges of online learning, I have been absolutely delighted by the energy, enthusiasm and sheer love of learning from all our students and staff. Forming new relationships through Canvas takes a little more time and patience than being face to face in the classroom but this has certainly been no barrier so far. From treasure hunts in Year 1 to deep understanding of distillation in Year 11 there is certainly some wonderful living and learning together happening across the school. 25th Anniversary scholarships. In July this year we received over 60 applications for scholarships at BSQ and selected 30 of those for interview at stage 2. Spending 3 days interviewing candidates reminded the committee what an outstanding group of students we have at the school. After some incredibly difficult decisions and a very long period of reflection, the following students were awarded scholarships to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the school opening. Our warm congratulations to the following students who I know will go on to represent BSQ in the most brilliant ways and we will hear more from them in following newsletter. Parent Association. As a result of only half a year in position, missing a number of key events and with thanks for the outstanding relationships with the school, I have asked the current PA representatives to continue in their roles for this academic year. In terms of the class representatives, you too are invited to remain in position during this year with our thanks for your hard work. If you do not wish to continue in the role, please let Rafaela Rojas know and we will arrange to select a replacement. With best wishes. From the Staff and the Students Welcome back to our teachers and their stories about e-learning this term. This week we hear from Ms. Antonella Coronel and the Nursery students. Week one has come to an end and the Early Years students are adapting to the new learning format fantastically. We have been surprised by the energy and enthusiasm the children as well as the parents are bringing to every session, both in the morning and afternoon. This is very new to a lot of the children, your support, patience and love is important during this process. To support your child during this transition, we suggest the following:
We are looking forward to starting week 2 and transitioning to the complete Nursery, Reception A and Reception B timetables, including all home learning activities and specialist sessions. The children have a few exciting sessions to look forward to! To support parents during the home learning process we will host Parent Meeting sessions on Canvas at 3:30pm every Thursday. During these sessions we will discuss the planning documents, resources, links, the learning opportunities and objectives. Enjoy a lovely week. Kind regards, Antonella Coronel Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update Now that all the students in Nursery up to Year 6 have returned to school and online learning, with some sort of normality returning to our students’ learning, I wanted to introduce you all to the Student Support Department and our other support structures we have in school. Alongside your child’s class teachers, you are able to access a wealth of advice, support and guidance from both Andrea Carrera and Sofía Leon, together with Marisabel Nájera, Dra. Sara Luengo, Antonella Coronel, Anna Vasilokonstantaki, Hayley Dean and myself in a wide varieties of areas. In these challenging times, the welfare and happiness of our students is at the forefront of our provision here at BSQ and we do everything we can to make sure that each student feels safe and secure in their online environment. Please do watch out for the invitations you have received to attend a series of Parent Workshops hosted by different colleagues, all focused on areas that you as parents have highlighted as important to you. I have been extremely impressed by the participation and engagement of our students in their sessions, particularly in terms of them using the Public Chat and microphones to share their ideas and thoughts. This way of communicating does not come naturally to some students, so if your child is struggling to share their ideas, encourage them to say it to you so you can write it in the public chat or get them to practise what they would like to say first to you with the microphone on mute and then say it out loud. Do also let your child’s teachers know about any concerns like this and they will support your child to participate more and engage with their learning. Your child’s class teachers will be introducing the concept of Kindness this week, encouraging them to record their acts of kindness over a two-week period and then sharing these, in any form they want, with their classmates at the end of the two weeks. We have given the students some ideas in their assemblies and sessions and look forward to hearing about their acts of kindness in the coming weeks. Finally, I know that you receive a great deal of information from the school about the different events and activities that are on offer. One way to consolidate your understanding is to attend the weekly Parent Meetings hosted by your child’s class teachers, usually on Thursday afternoons. These are an opportunity to find out what the learning will be for the week ahead, any resources or equipment that might be needed and also an opportunity to ask any questions about things you are unsure of. If the question is specific to your child’s learning, please contact your child’s teacher and make an appointment to speak with them or share your question by email. Have a great week! With warmest regards, Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update This time of year can be a busy time for parents and students alike – and in the Secondary school we are doing what we can to support you as much as possible with some important events. 1. On Wednesday next week at 3.30 pm, all parents are invited to a meet their son/daughters respective tutors. They will be welcoming you and giving information about supporting home/online learning and also giving you the opportunity to ask general operational questions. This will hopefully be an opportunity for you to solve any issues you might have encountered so far. 2. Also, this week much needed resources are arriving at home to support the learning activities. We listened to feedback from families and all staff will be planning activities that reduce the amount of screen time. 3. On Friday next week we have the extremely important ´Tie Ceremony´ for the year 7 students who are entering the Secondary school for the first time. They will be welcomed by myself and Mrs. Newman and ´virtually´ each student will be presented with their new school tie. This is a really important event, and something that adds to the transition process to ensure that they feel welcomed and quickly settled in the Secondary school. The main difference with online learning is that contact is limited and this is so important for teenagers and their developmental journey. I now offer some thoughts to help us understand signs and also how we can all help. Stress is normal and we all face it on a regular basis. If it not managed well it can impact the level of effort a student gives and their performance. We as adults, in school and at home, need to help in this process and try to recognize the signs and give support. One of the key factors at the moment is the isolation students all over the world are facing and the way that their learning is managed. Students need a support system, they need to look after themselves, they need to switch off occasionally and relax, and also adhere to set boundaries. Without this you might see an increase in irritability, occasional anger and frustration; they may present as fatigued; there may be a decline in work and school performance; they may demonstrate a lack of interest in things that they used to be interested in, and they may worry excessively or find it hard to concentrate. So what can we do?
In the learning process, it is clear that happy children and young adults do well, meet their potential, and fully embrace the whole process of learning. But remember - you don't have to do this alone. We are a team working together to provide that support and encouragement. Meet your tutors next week and engage with your phase leaders, as these professionals are there to give you the link to school side. Our doors are open and purposeful dialogue is encouraged to drive support and success. Have a great week. Lee Moors Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about discussing difficult situations with your children.
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May 2024
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