WelcomeLiving With only two more weeks of term left, everyone is busy at BSQ planning the end of year graduation and award events, revising for exams (and sitting them too – the Ser Bachiller exam is today for our Year 13 students), finishing projects or heading out on trips. At this very moment our first ever overseas trip to Budapest is taking place and we have some early photographs to share with you. So far the students have .. Trips like these can make such a difference to the ways in which students from around the world can understand each other and We all hope that next year the trips to Ljubljana, Budapest and Mallorca are popular and that many more of our BSQ students have the opportunity to meet other Orbital students around the world, in person. Around the campus we have started our summer building works with new classrooms, shaded areas and storage slowly taking shape behind the covers. Once the children have left the site more areas of the campus will be developed to further improve our provision for next year. I know many of you will remember some of the less happy-looking areas of the school that we were still living with only a couple of years ago. Just as examples, there were no specialist science labs but now.. The furniture in the cafeteria was not fit for purpose but now.. And the student furniture has been replaced throughout the school. Much of the work required each summer is maintenance so that everything is safe and secure for the return of the community in August, but we also have to think about where we can add value to the campus and to the experience our students have on a daily basis. With thanks to the BSQ team and many others who will be preparing our learning community for our return in August. Romeo and Juliet Last week on Tuesday afternoon I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the dress rehearsal for the secondary play and while I sat in the theatre I was reflecting on the courage, commitment and creativity of everyone involved. The team of people who worked on that play represented the whole community and in doing so exhibited the BSQ values perfectly. Everyone worked together with care and respect for each other and the determination and ambition on show was astounding to see. I am not going to steal Mr Wild’s thunder in this newsletter so see below for more words and lots of amazing photos. Learning. Continuing our introductions to the new team members at BSQ next year, we start this week with the new Primary School team members With the expansion of Reception team and the growth of our two form entry into Year 4, you will see a bigger staff team of Primary and Early Years experts next year. Whilst we will be sorry to say goodbye to Mrs Taylor, Mr Drayton, Ms Stone and Ms. Mitchell, we are delighted to welcome the following new staff to BSQ. See additional information about classes for next year below. Ms Hayley Dean Ms. Dean is joining us from the British International School in Belgrade where she has been the maths coordinator and a curriculum development leader. Prior to that Ms Dean had worked at a primary school in Bournemouth in the UK, as an activity leader at EF Language Schools and as a charity fundraiser in Australia. She is passionate about the outdoors and has been involved in the scout movement and the setting up of forest clubs so is very much looking forward to exploring Ecuador. Mr Chris Leadbetter Mr. Leadbetter is joining us from recent positions in Kathmandu and London. Having studied in Sheffield and Birmingham, Mr Leadbeter has spent 10 years teaching in primary schools, travelling around the world and has already spent time learning Spanish so he is very much looking forward to arriving in Ecuador and getting to know the students and parents. As a keen walker, he is also looking forward to exploring the country and with an interest in community work he is keen to bring some of his experience in that area to BSQ. Ms. Heather Stollery Ms Stollery is joining us from Network International School in Yangon where she has been working alongside her partner Bradley Edwards. Ms Stollery is an experienced primary teacher with a specialism in English language and literature teaching and has also enjoyed working with the local community in Myanmar developing projects for children as part of the Little Dragons charity. Ms Stollery is very much looking forward to joining BSQ where our values resonate strongly with her approach to classroom teaching. Mr Matthew Kidd Mr Kidd joins us from a primary school in his native Scotland having also spent 3 years in the Royal Navy serving as a hydrographical and meteorological officer. He has travelled widely and spent time volunteering at a school in India. As a talented musician, (Mr Kidd plays the Scottish bagpipes, violin, piano and guitar) he is looking forward to sharing this with his class and making a significant contribution to the enrichment programme. More to follow next week.. 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. Oliver Kyle and Year 5 students in Primary. And all of a sudden, that was that. Well, here we are – nearly the end of June and the end of the school year. Year 5 have become very much a part of my life and, I’m sure, of Miss Nicole’s. It would be a lie if I said I was not going to miss them. There are days when there seems to be a million things to do and all the lesson plans you made haven’t worked and you doubt yourself. Then there are the days when you marvel at how the minds of these children work - the great successes you see them achieve, the growth in their characters, the laughter you all share – and you realise how special this time is and how fortunate you have been to share some of it with them. We’ve had our fair share of special times this year; from working with a local community farm, to trips to the higher plains Amazon at Huasquila Lodge, assemblies, marble days and our own Bake Sale. The Bake Sale was a real success and the children raised $420. We will be buying a range of goods (sanitary products, shoes, blankets) with the money and we will be delivering these to a hostel in Imbabura, run by a lady called Carmen Carcelén. Carmen has been opening her home to Venezuelan refugees travelling by foot from their homes in Venezuela to Perú. The children worked particularly hard in organising the event and they are proud to be supporting Carmen in her work and doing what they can for the people of Venezuela. Mr. Oliver Kyle - Year 5 Teacher Dates for your Diary June 15th - 21st – Budapest trip June 17th - Ser Bachiller exam Year 13 June 20th – Primary Consultation meeting day. (Parent – Teacher Conferences. Parents only.) June 25th & 26th – Primary Production: Macbeth June 27th – Awards Ceremony and Y6 Graduation June 28th – Year 13 Graduation Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update With only two weeks left of this academic year, the teachers are busy preparing the final learning topics and themes and getting the students ready for their transition to the next academic year. On Thursday, you have the opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher and discuss both their progress and their next steps. This will give you a few ideas about activities and learning that you can do with your child over the long summer break, to support this transition and help them close any gaps in their leaning they may have. Of course, not every student will be happy with the thought of moving to a new class – some may be worried about the change of teacher, others the change of classroom and others worried about the extra learning they are expecting! Our jobs as adults in this process is to reassure them that everything will be alright, that we are there to listen and support them and that they will rise to the new challenges. This week we also see the Nursery, Year 1 and Year 2 trip to Mini City, which follows on from our very successful Careers Fair, our Year 6 students return from their residential trip, we look forward to the Year 4 Class Assembly and Year 6 have their final rehearsal in Quito, ready for performing next week. The final written report is due to be published on Friday 28th June. If you know your child will be leaving school early for the summer holidays, please let your child’s class teacher know so they can make the necessary arrangements. We will also communicate with you on this day which class and teacher your child will be in for the next academic year. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update Romeo + Juliet It took a lot of people - students, teachers, and parents - to put this year's Secondary production together, and they all deserve recognition for their contributions. At the very top of the list are the Tiny Piano crew: Anabella De Armas, Katherine Hoshima, Gustavo Perla, Valeria Duran and Ana Buitron. Their work behind the scenes, both creatively and logistically, was what made the play happen. A number of teachers helped design and build the set, with Helen Davila, Antonella Coronel, Sofia Leon and Andrea Carrera giving up their personal time to make the stage look so professional. Many others at school helped as well, with Andrea Zambrano designing the gorgeous posters and tickets, and Alcira Vela helping us with all of the things we needed to find, buy and transport. And parents too, lent us props, with Pilar Figueroa and Cecilia Egas contributing furniture for the stage. Like everything at BSQ, it was a team effort. We are lucky to have such a skilled and committed team. Business and Enterprise The Year 11 Business and Enterprise week was an enormous success. The quality of the work that went in to developing their social enterprise projects was extraordinary. Through creativity and critical thinking, through deep research, and through hard work, each group managed to develop a plan of real quality. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about “Do Your Kids Rule the Roost? Here's How to Regain Control”
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May 2024
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