Welcome Living Now that the rainy season has finally finished (at least I think it might have done!) you will notice a lot of intensive work being undertaken around the campus to make sure that the learning environment is perfect for living and learning. Painting walls, trimming trees and undertaking a thorough check of the safety of all the play and communal areas are just part of the regular ways in which we take care of our school. I’d like to say thank you to our wonderful maintenance team who work so hard to keep BSQ looking green, clean and tidy every day – not just after the rain. Learning. There have been a great many significant developments in the learning for our students this year and we are very proud of the curriculum at BSQ. Every week our teachers write in the newsletter about the learning opportunities and experiences they have prepared for and shared with the students and whether that is linked to human rights, scientific investigations, graffiti artists, Egyptian mummies or running challenges, one thing is for sure – our students have a rich and exciting wealth of new learning to explore every day. With thanks to all the fabulous teachers who know exactly how to capture the imagination of their students. From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this term. This week we hear from Mr. Joshua Cannon in Secondary and from Mrs. Helen Dávila and Mrs. Katerina Taylor and Year 3 students in Primary. Mr. Joshua Cannon – PE Secondary Teacher The IGCSE PE students in Year 10 traveled to Guayaquil recently to complete their Cross-Country coursework. After months of training for the 3km/4km run at altitude here in Quito, the final run took place near sea level in Guayaquil. In addition to the change in elevation, the hard work and determination of these students certainly paid off. The students improved on their best running times in Quito by an average of 2 minutes with 2 runners finishing more than 3 minutes faster. I am very proud of the hard work and sweat that all of these students have sacrificed to reach this achievement Mrs. Helen Dávila and Mrs. Katerina Taylor - Year 3 Teachers The last few weeks we have been learning about photography and the fantastic works of Ansel Adams. This week the children have made a mix media piece of work inspired by his photography. They have used newspaper, oil pastel, paint, foil, magazines, card and charcoal to create beautiful pieces of art that next week we will be framing by making natural wood frames using wood we have been collecting. The children are enjoying this project as it has allowed for a lot of independent creativity. Dates for your Diary May 20th – Nursery Parents Workshop at 8:15am. May 20th – Year 1A Class Assembly, with parents invited. 1pm May 21st – Nursery Parents Workshop at 8:15am May 22nd – Year 5 Class Assembly, with parents invited. 9:30am May 23rd – Star of the Week Assembly - Primary May 24th – Battle of Pichincha Holiday May 26th – 31st – CIS Team Visit May 27th - Year 12 mock exams begin June 11th – 13th - Secondary Production: Romeo & Juliet June 25th & 26th - Primary Production: Macbeth Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update As we approach the end of the academic year, the teachers are concentrating on improving the independence and resilience of the students. This can be achieved in a variety of ways: by asking the students to work in pairs or small groups to solve a problem, by sharing clear instructions with the students which they must follow, through reducing the level of support available after the activity has been explained and a multitude of other ways. At home, we can support our children by allowing them to make more of their own choices, by not repeating instructions and encouraging them to really focus the first time we share information with them. You can also use visual reminders such as charts and timetables and have a particular place for all their things, so they can independently tidy away after themselves. At any age in the Primary School, we hope to see development in this area – from our youngest students filling their own water bottles and washing their hands after using the toilet to our oldest students using planners and success criteria to self-assess their learning and develop their own targets. This week is another four-day week and we are planning on following a Friday timetable on Thursday, to try and avoid too many missed sessions because of the two Friday holidays. This means that several classes will not have swimming on Thursday (NA, NB, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6). Thank you for your understanding in this matter. This change does also mean we will have Star of the Week Assembly on Thursday 23rd May. Year 12 from Secondary are also hosting a Bake Sale on Thursday 23rd May, so please encourage your child to bring in 50c or $1 to buy cakes and cookies – all proceeds will go towards buying snacks and game prizes for the children at Sinsoluka on International Children’s Day. Star of the Week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update Year 13 Return - Ser Bachiller Preparation After the stresses and catharsis of the final examinations, our Year 13 students will be done with the IB Diploma Programme as of Thursday this week. But that's not the end of their education at BSQ. Next Tuesday, 28th May, they will return to a specially designed programme and timetable designed specifically to prepare them for their Ser Bachiller examination, which will take place some time after 14th June. The Ser Bachiller exam is a very different assessment from the ones the students are used to working with in the IB Diploma Programme, and as such, it requires special attention. We use the Cuestionarix online platform to perform diagnostic tests and provide individually adapted learning programmes, and we have an adapted timetable that means that all Year 13 students will be taught and supervised by Spanish language speaking teachers for the duration of this process, leading bespoke classes in Maths, Spanish, and Ciencias Sociales. Year 11 Return - IB Introduction Week Also returning to class from an examination session, the Year 11 will begin the process of adapting to the structures and rigours of the IB Diploma Programme. In their first week back, from Monday 27th May, they will attend a specially timetabled series of IB 'taster' lessons, in which specialist subject teachers will give them an overview of the content, demands, and benefits of each class available in Year 12 so as to ensure that they have made the right choices for their future. This is followed by a week of Work Experience, a business and enterprise project week, an IB Core week with a focus on research and writing skills, and in the last full week of school, the first real week of IB study. We believe that this will put them in the best possible position to enjoy success and happiness over the next and final two years of their Secondary education and beyond. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about 10 basic life skills every kid should know by Secondary.
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May 2024
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