Welcome![]() Parent Survey As you know, we are always keen to listen to our families and work to secure the positive changes requested and celebrate all our achievements together. Once again, this year I will be asking you to support us by completing or parent survey. This survey is completed by all the Orbital families across the world and I am always proud to be able to celebrate our positive outcomes and plan our next steps based on your responses. Please do take the time to complete the survey by December 10th. Exciting adventures. Last week we were able to offer two great experiences to our students in the senior school. Mr Ashfield took a group of students to Americano for a Model United Nations conference and the BSQ Duke of Edinburgh Silver expedition team conquered their first challenges over 3 days and two nights. Our thanks to Mr Dobson, Mrs Madden and Mr Kidd for supporting them. Being at BSQ is all about building confidence and strength of character and when students are able to face challenges with the support of their friends, parents and teachers, then the success they experience is shared by everyone. As parents it is sometimes difficult to let our children venture off on their own and experience difficult conditions but with the right preparation they will always flourish. Thank you to those parents who have trusted us to run these activities and enable our students to grow through determination and ambition – two of our BSQ values. Drive-through Firstly, thank you to all the parents who use the drive-through and road outside so carefully and respectfully. Just some reminders, because if we all follow the guidelines then the drive-through will be really effective, smooth and trouble-free.
TEDxYouth@BSQ A boundary-breaking first for BSQ! TED Talks are viewed 3.3 million times per day across the world. Did you know that no other high school in Ecuador has organized a TEDx event before... Until Now! Stay tuned and follow our social media channels for more information about this event. Exciting Orbital Exchange Opportunity - alert for deadline next week. As we mentioned last week, we are excited to announce that in 2020 we will be participating in the first cultural trip to visit Moscow - another Orbital base. If you are interested in participating in this visit it will be open to students from years 5 - 10 and the dates are between June 14th and June 20th 2020. Please contact [email protected] to register your interest by December 2nd so that we can communicate with our colleagues in Russia and set up a meeting to share more information. Our team- the Early Years Reception team This week we are gladly to present you the Reception Team, this is our biggest teacher´s team in the school and they are now sharing with us their thoughts about being part of such a great community, The BSQ community. Our reception teachers are always compromised in the development and growth of their pupils in every possible way. From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this period. This week we have Mrs. Rocío Rueda in Secondary and from Mrs. Helen Dávila in Primary. Mrs. Rocío Rueda – Spanish Secondary Teacher A DYNAMIC READING FROM THE LATIN AMERICAN LITERARY BOOM PERSPECTIVE The rigor of the IGCSE Spanish program requires that Year 11 students face a variety of literary texts and, through hard work of analysis and interpretation, find valuable meanings to understand the world and its inhabitants, respecting diversity and the wealth of this for their personal and academic growth. Of course, Latin American literature belonging to the Boom of the twentieth century is a great way to achieve this empathy with the universe and the individuals that compose it given the mythical-magical symbology that was compiled and made available to the art of the word by great authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Laura Esquivel, writers who have been read and, I hope, enjoyed by the students of this level. From these works, our students are developing their critical thinking that is articulated through different learning strategies such as the technique of questioning (QFT) that allows them to ask themselves questions about the author, the different parts of the text and the contexts that inspired the authors to create their works; but above all, to meet its Latin American roots or roots that, in one way or another, are present at the beginning of every culture. The international character of our institution is favoured with the incorporation of readings from the region that will undoubtedly feed the identity roots of Latin American students and nurture the knowledge of those who come from other cultures. Undoubtedly, a thorough and insightful analysis of the resources used by the authors is a strategy that, in principle, could be somewhat tedious; However, little by little, and while managing the work so much, it is part of his daily school life to such an extent that at a moment in his path we can find ourselves enjoying the reading of a work no longer as a student-teacher; but as reading partners. This fellowship translates into dynamic, participatory, sometimes disorganized classes since the desire to intervene, give their point, make their discoveries known makes them lose class composure to share with all their ideas and leave the class with a smile and Not with a frown. The strategies are many and very diverse to be face to face with the literary work; nevertheless, the most important thing is the opportunity that Literature offers us to evoke earlier times or imagine future times; being close to characters, spaces and events that we do not live, or if we live them, details escaped from our eyes that by reviving them, help us to better understand historical, social and personal processes that allow us to grow as human beings and so both being agents of building a better world. Reading experiences from any perspective is an inexhaustible source of knowledge and fun. Mrs. Helen Dávila - Year 3B Teacher Last week we had a visit from Liz Gaunt from the Instituto Geofisico. She talked to us about how Earthquakes are formed and the different types of faults. We had a demonstration using milky way chocolate bars which demonstrated how mountains can be formed and the gooey mantle below the yummy crust! This was a brilliant way to capture the children's attention and have a yummy snack! We had been learning quite a bit about how earthquakes happen and where in the world, so when talking to Liz, the children were able to share their knowledge. It was amazing to see how much they were able to recall from our two weeks of topic lessons. Liz then went on to discuss seismic waves and the 4 types. Now this is where the adults learnt something new. There are P waves, S waves, Love waves and Reyleigh waves. Did you know this? We were shown how these waves work with the use of a slinky which was very cool and wobbly. We were very lucky to have an expert in to talk to us and answer many of the children's questions. Thanks again to Liz for coming in to talk to us. We have been taking a look at the USGS website to see when, where and how big recent earthquakes have been around the world. Here is the link to the website if you would like to check like we are doing in class. https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map// Dates for your Diary November 25th - Mock Exams Y13 December 3 - 8th - Trip to Lago Agrio Y12 December 10th - Closing date for BSQ Parent Survey 2019 December 10th - KS3 cultural trip December 14th - Christmas Fair December 19th - End of term Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Last week the Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed a really informative and creative visit to an organic farm called Granja Urkuwayku. Amongst other things, the students learnt about the dry toilet and how water is gathered from the environment then recycled, the various terraces, the guinea pig pen and also using the space as inspiration for story writing and sketching. Using the outdoors as a classroom really inspired these students and also gave them the chance to learn a little more about the mountain that overlooks our school. Year 1 also visited the Water Museum, finding out a great deal about the water cycle and how to conserve water. On Wednesday morning at 8am, the Year 4, 5 and 6 parents are invited to a Parent Workshop titled ‘Puberty is here. How am I supposed to handle it?’, led by Miss Andrea Carrera. This will explore how you can support your child at home and school during the time in their lives. The youngest students in school are busy preparing for both the Nativity Performances and the Nursery Christmas Singalong (planned for Thursday 19th December). Please support your child with any costumes, songs or lines. Many of our students use the Bus Service to come to and from school. Please remember to give us lots of notice if you plan to change the arrangements – the best way to let us know is to email Mr Ruiz ([email protected] or [email protected]) and copy in Sandy and your child’s class teacher. We continue to have students coming to school without a suitable hat – please be aware that any student without a hat has to stay in the shade and is not allowed to play in the main playground. Star of the Week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Learning Mastery After much planning and preparation, we have now begun our new Learning Mastery Programme (LMP) in Secondary. The LMP is a process by which students identify their own strengths and areas for development, choose a focus for the year - a mindset, learning behaviour or skills they wish to develop - and set a goal. They then meet with their designated coach - one of their form tutors - on a regular basis for a one-to-one coaching session to help them formulate and follow-through on strategies to meet those goals. It´s based on our own Professional Mastery Programme which we use to develop ourselves as teachers, so we know that it works. I do hope we see the same great results with our students. House One of the more British things about BSQ is our House competition. House competitions - so called because in a British boarding school the students would be grouped in literal houses, where they would sleep - will be familiar to anyone who has read or watched the books or films of the Harry Potter series, which I can only imagine is all of you. Our students are all assigned a House team - either Antisana, Iliniza, or Cayambe - upon arrival at the school (though without the aid of a sorting hat), and for the rest of their BSQ careers they compete, in fortnightly contests and through the ongoing accruement of House points for embodying the school's values of care, respect, determination, and so forth. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about why you should not overindulge your child.
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Welcome![]() Our annual Bonfire Night last weekend was as successful and exciting as always – with huge thanks to our wonderful Parent Association for all their hard work in both the preparation and the execution. The food, talent show, bonfire and fireworks all helped us to keep entertained and warm well into the evening. Our next family event will be the Christmas Fair on December 14th and this will take place between 10:30am and 1:30pm and will include festive performances, refreshments, opportunities to buy Christmas presents, a chance to admire the handicrafts of our primary students and, of course, time to spend together. Please do come and join us and bring your families and friends. Parent Survey As you know, we are always keen to listen to our families and work to secure the positive changes requested and celebrate all our achievements together. Once again, this year I will be asking you to support us by completing or parent survey. This survey is completed by all the Orbital families across the world and I am always proud to be able to celebrate our positive outcomes and plan our next steps based on your responses. Please do take the time to complete the survey – key dates to follow. Visitors Last week we welcomed David Pottinger, the Orbital CEO, and Karl Wilkinson, our Regional Head of Schools, and many of our parents were able to meet with them over coffee to talk about the development of our school. Both David and Karl were impressed with the way in which BSQ has grown and developed over the last two years and are pleased to support our plans. Thank you to everyone who joined us Exciting Orbital Exchange Opportunity As we mentioned last week, we are excited to announce that in 2020 we will be participating in the first cultural trip to visit Moscow - another Orbital base. If you are interested in participating in this visit it will be open to students from years 5 - 10 and the dates are between June 14th and June 20th 2020. Please contact [email protected] to register your interest by December 2nd so that we can communicate with our colleagues in Russia and set up a meeting to share more information. TEDxYouth@BSQ A boundary-breaking first for BSQ! TED Talks are viewed 3.3 million times per day across the world. Did you know that no other high school in Ecuador has organized a TEDx event before... Until Now! Stay tuned and follow our social media channels for more information about this event. Our team - the English language team Here at BSQ the teaching of English is central to our purpose. Whether it is the learning of the English language for the first time as a new student or developing the skills needed for successful communication in the primary classrooms or studying IB Literature in Year 13, we are proud of the way in which all of our students develop their ability to read, write and speak in English. From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this period. This week we have Mr. Bradley Edwards in Secondary and from Ms. Hayley Dean in Primary. Mr. Bradley Edwards - PE Teacher During the Rugby World Cup taking place recently in Japan, BSQ students tried their hands at learning the game of touch rugby. For many students this was their first time playing a sport which involves elegance, teamwork and intelligence. It is a game where the ball must move forward by passing backwards. Some say it is the best time a person can have when playing sport, and it was amazing to witness all of secondary learning the complex skills required to play a game of touch rugby. I have to say I was very impressed with the ability of all students and their improvement throughout these past 5 weeks. Who knows what the future may hold; we could see BSQ first ever rugby team! ![]() Ms. Hayley Dean - Year 4B teacher Over the last couple of weeks 4B have been working on a project with a school in Japan. The class created a video to show the New International School in Japan all about BSQ. They created a list of lessons and places to film, then prepared what they were all going to say before filming. The first video has been sent to the New International School and we are eagerly awaiting their response. Here are some screen shots of 4B´s hard work. 4B have also started to use their critical thinking in all subjects. To help them develop their critical thinking skills and to be able to give detailed reasons behind their answers or their thoughts, they have begun a short Philosophy for Children programme run by Miss Cook. In the first week the children looked at statements with different type of lies and ordered then from best to the worst kind of lie. They had a fantastic start to this, giving their thoughts behind their answers in both English and Spanish. Dates for your Diary November 25th- Mock Exams Y13 December 3-8th - Trip to Lago Agrio Y12 December 10th- KS3 cultural trip December 14th- Christmas Fair Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Last week we welcomed visitors from Orbital and both David and Karl commented on the ethos and values that were apparent to them around our school. These are intangibles, in the sense that we can observe their effects on the community but it is hard to measure them or improve them through teaching alone. We are extremely proud of our school values and how they are displayed by our students and staff here at BSQ and it is testament to the partnership between all members of the school community that they have been recognised in this way. This week as Years 1, 5 and 6 prepare for their out-of-school visits, I would like to reflect on a famous quote by Albert Einstein: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Many modern commentators will contend that in this technological age, knowledge is less important than having the skills to use knowledge in a creative way. Although students do need to know certain facts and figures, once that information has been memorised, the real evidence of learning takes place when a student can use this knowledge effectively in a creative way. The ability to think creatively is not only beneficial to those who want to pursue a career in the arts, but is useful to many occupational fields. Medical researchers often state the need to think creatively to solve problems. Educators need to present their material in creative ways. A mechanic and carpenter need to use their imagination to often solve problems and building issues. As Albert Einstein also said, "Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." The Arts foster creativity, self-expression, problem solving and the ability to "think outside of the box". Here are some suggestions for making the Arts a part of your child's life. A) Create a display area for your children's artwork. It can be as simple as a few magnets to hold your child's newest "masterpiece" on the refrigerator, to hanging a cork board display panel on a wall. By displaying your child’s work, you will show them that you value their efforts. B) Storage Solutions. Many of us struggle to find room to display and save all of our children's artwork. A simple solution is to take digital photos of your child’s favourite works of art and store them on a computer or digital frame. A digital frame can be programmed to create a "slide show" of multiple images. The piles of artwork can then be recycled, sometimes as wrapping paper. I suggest that you organise your digital photos of your child's artwork by year. It is fun to look back and see the development that your child has achieved over the years. C) Time Management. Students often say that they do not have time to practise their artwork at home. This is usually a case of timetabling and allocating suitable time, perhaps at weekends or whilst on long car journeys. They can illustrate their family vacation or create a drawing of their favourite activity. D) Simple Suggestions for Cooperative Learning. Here are a few ideas for you to use in order to draw along with your child. It can be a great motivator and can foster a great bond between parent and child.
Star of the WeekMarcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Leadership and Community We've been developing strong leadership and community programmes at BSQ for some time now. Thanks to Ms Paola Montenegro, our Year 12 and 13 students enjoy one of the very finest CAS programmes in any IB school: one that is truly student-driven, sustainable, and rich in personal growth and reflection. This is supported by great preparation in Years 7, 8, and 9 though the Community Project programme, helping students develop the planning and reflection skills necessary for successful engagement in service learning as well as fostering the caring and inquisitive mindset necessary to motivate meaningful participation. This year, we've added more, with Year 11 students also engaged in a project with Hogar Para Sus Ninos, a local orphanage. I thank all students, teachers, and supportive parents for making this core part of the BSQ curriculum such a success, and something we can all be so proud of. Bonfire Night Bonfire night was fabulous. The PA once again did a tremendous job of putting on a hugely enjoyable show. I love seeing the sides of students we don't see in class. It takes a huge amount of courage to get up on stage and put yourself out there, yet our kids do it year after year, and do it brilliantly. I want to especially recognise Anastasiia Satikova for her incredible dancing, Oliver Willcox for absolutely nailing two great songs, and the Year 7 girls for their individual and group performances. Outstanding. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about how to handle emotional changes.
Welcome![]() What a wonderful first week back we had last week. With topics changing in the primary school, all the children are now studying the big question - How do natural phenomena help shape our planet? Each year group studies a different natural state ranging from a general exploration of weather in year 1 to an in-depth study of tsunamis in year 6. We all know that as our world gets warmer, there are places across the globe that are being significantly affected by the rising sea levels, rising temperatures and changing eco-systems. By studying these topics, we hope that our students will be able to develop a deeper understanding of how the natural world works and be inspired to take good care of it. Update on our eco projects. As part of the RED Move group focus, later this term we will once again be categorizing our waste here at BSQ. Having worked hard to focus on reducing plastic use and developing a recycling culture here, we hope that we find we have reduced the amount of plastic and paper that appears in our bins on a daily basis.
Visitors and Coffee Morning. As I mentioned in the newsletter last week, David Pottinger, the CEO of Orbital, will be visiting us this week and he will be joined by Karl Wilkinson, the Regional Head of Schools whom many of you have met before. We are excited to be able to show them our new spaces and the wonderful learning take place across our school. We will be having an informal coffee morning on Wednesday November 13 at 08:15 in the library. I hope that as many of you as possible can join us. Please contact Sandy to let her know of your intention to attend on [email protected] Exciting Orbital Exchange Opportunity As we mentioned last week, we are excited to announce that in 2020 we will be participating in the first cultural trip to visit Moscow - another Orbital base. If you are interested in participating in this visit it will be open to students from years 5 - 10 and the dates are between June 14th and June 20th 2020. Please contact [email protected] to register your interest by December 2nd so that we can communicate with our colleagues in Russia and set up a meeting to share more information. Wellbeing and learning at BSQ. The importance of wellbeing and mental health linked to good learning has been a topic of much interest for some time in the UK. Here at BSQ we are always looking for ways to support our students to learn with confidence and success and so I am delighted to introduce to you a new member of our staff team. Please see the attached letter for more details of this exciting project. BSQ Trip Opportunities We would like to invite you all to share the wealth of experience and knowledge of our community with our students. We have produced a short survey to fill out for those of you who would be willing to either come in to school to talk about your business and profession or for our students to come and visit your place of work to gain first-hand experience of the rich opportunities you can offer. Please state whether this is available to all school children or certain age groups. This information will be held in our school database and be shared amongst our teachers for enriching our curriculum. BSQ Trip Opportunities Survey Our team- the Y5 and 6 team As the primary children enter Years 5 and 6, they are both consolidating their knowledge and developing the skills and experiences that will prepare them for joining the secondary school here at BSQ. Our dedicated and professional team in these year groups do a fantastic job. From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this term. This week we hear from Ms. Sara Avent in Secondary and from Mr. Chris Ledbeter in Primary. Ms. Sara Avent – Secondary Science Teacher The students returned from break refreshed and ready to learn which is excellent because this week has been very busy in the science classroom. Year 7 have been learning about the human reproductive system which has generated a lot of interesting questions! Year 8 have been extending their learning about ionic compounds and are enjoying finding out what the periodic table can tell us. They have finished analyzing the results of their investigation into the Law of Conservation of Mass. Year 9 are investigating the requirements for seed germination with a lab using cilantro seeds and will begin to look at how characteristics are inherited and variation is produced starting this week. Year 10 biology students are finishing up their unit on the human digestive system by looking at how enzymes work and the factors that can affect their function. In ESS, the year 12 students presented their biome comparison projects to the class and I was impressed by the effort that went into a lot of the projects. We will be finishing up the Ecology topic by looking at zonation and succession this week. The students are also beginning their review in preparation for a unit test next week. ![]() Mr. Chris Ledbeter – Year 3A Teacher In this shortened week 3A have still managed to do lots of great learning. We have begun a new in literacy, non-chronological reports. The children have produced labelled diagrams of the features of these reports. In guided reading with have continued to use ‘Spin a question’ when children have to think of a question about the book starting with whatever word the spinner lands on. In ICT the children have been practicing the key life skill of typing, taking the first steps to becoming touch typists. They showed their resilience overcoming the temptation to move one finger all around the keyboard. If you would like to have a go at improving your own typing skills try out the website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr Last but certainly not least, 3A had a fantastic end to the week with a pizza party rewarding the class who donated the most books. Dates for your Diary November 11th – 14th – David Pottinger and Karl Wilkinson visiting November 13th – Year 10 SSD trip November 14th – 16th – Silver DofE Expedition November 15th_ Year 13 Mock exams begin November 16th – Bonfire Night Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() We hope you found the Parent Teacher Conference last week informative and insightful. The partnership between teachers and parents is a vital one in your child’s education and having a common approach to your child’s development helps to ensure that they are fully supported. On Thursday this week we welcome Elizabeth Gaunt, a volcanologist from the Instituto Geofísico who will present to both Year 3 and Year 4 about volcanoes and earthquakes. Then we have our next House Event on Friday so all the students are encouraged to wear their house t-shirt to school. Following that we have our annual Bonfire Night on Saturday, where we hope to see many of you there to celebrate an infamous event in British history and join together as a community. We also welcome two visitors from Orbital to BSQ next week, Karl Wilkinson and David Pottinger, with an opportunity for you to meet with them at a Coffee Morning on Wednesday at 8:15am. The staff and students are continuing our focus on keeping safe in the sun, with all members of our community expected to wear hats around the campus during the day. Please do ensure that your child has a hat in school each day and applies sunscreen in the morning before coming to school. Each classroom also has sunscreen available to reapply during the day. Star of the Week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update![]() Model United Nations This coming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, our Model United Nations team will be representing BSQ at a conference at Colegio Aoericano. MUN is an internationally renowned and highly respected creative and academic exercise combining research, problem-solving, negotiation and debating skills with an astute awareness of current and historical global events and issues. Students gather together to ‘role-play’ the functions and processes of the United Nations, bringing a depth of understanding, a focus on the wider world and a skill-set unmatched by the regular curriculum. It is designed to allow good students to become excellent ones, and to develop their potential as leaders. We wish them the very best of luck. The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award We're very proud here at BSQ of being the only school in Ecuador to offer the world-renowned and highly respected Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. This award involves students taking part in service activities, learning new skills and being physically active, and culminates in an 'adventurous journey': a two-, three-, or four-day expedition which includes hiking, camping and cooking in the great outdoors. This week, we are delighted that a group of candidates for the silver award will be going out on their practise expedition, which will see them hiking and camping along the beautiful and challenging Ruta del Quinde on the western slopes of Pichincha. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about how parents can help their teens cope with stress.
Welcome![]() I hope you all enjoyed the break and are looking forward to lots of hard work and exciting activities between now and Christmas. Before the break we had a very exciting week where our CAS students organised the annual Spirit Week designed to raise awareness and funds for a chosen Foundation. This year the focus was on our partnership with Beyond Lagartococha but I’m going to let the students tell you all about that. This year Spirit week was brought to BSQ by Beyond Lagartococha, a nonprofit foundation that twelve IBDP students have ambitiously joined as a part of our CAS careers. Our main focus throughout the Spirit Week was to raise awareness, and with that, raise money to help fund the Beyond Lagartococha projects as well as making it an enjoyable experience for the students and teachers. Sofia Ferrari – Year 12 student To begin, we would like to clarify that the money that we fundraise for Beyond Lagartococha goes directly into the financing of our projects that help the Secoya community, an ethnic minority on the border of Peru and Ecuador. Our BSQ group is focusing mainly on improving the healthcare of their community, although Beyond Lagartococha, across different schools in Ecuador, has previously had a focus on improving their education as well. Organizing such a big whole-school event is challenging in many ways; from contacting staff members to regulating tasks amongst ourselves, the execution of Spirit Week was very demanding, however, worth the effort just as much. In the early stages of our planning, a simple outline was more than enough to get us going, however as we approached the promised dates and reality began to seep in, we had to begin to pay close attention to the details and particulars which together would add up to a successful Spirit Week. If we were to miss out any of these details the results would be catastrophic, therefore, close and accurate organization within our group was crucial. An explicit example of such details includes the announcement and regular publicity of our Spirit Week across the school: posters had to be made and displayed around the institution, emails had to be sent out multiple times a week to remind students of the event, teachers had to be contacted for specific permission, among other things that would ensure the maximum number of students participating. For each of these tasks we each had to undertake certain responsibilities and trust not only ourselves to accomplish these duties, but our teammates as well. Every person’s small contribution would widely benefit the group as a whole every time, and as we slowly figured out the best ways to work cooperatively, the small pieces, the small details began to fall into place, and accordingly the bigger picture was constructed: our Spirit Week. Visitors and Coffee Morning. As I mentioned in the newsletter a few weeks ago, David Pottinger, the CEO of Orbital, will be visiting us next week and he will be joined by Karl Wilkinson, the Regional Head of Schools whom many of you have met before. We will be having an informal coffee morning on Wednesday November 13 at 08:15 in the library. I hope that as many of you as possible can join us. Please contact Sandy to let her know of your intention to attend on [email protected] Our School Values. Before the end of term our Diversity and Equality student group, led by Ms Parker, spent a day working on a student guide to our school values. What they have designed is an excellent set of statements that clearly mark how the students can live the values every day in their lives here at BSQ. Here is the outcome for their work. Constructions. Some of you may be wondering what is going on inside the wooden structures that have appeared around the school. Inside these boxes we are busy building the foundations for our wonderful covered areas that will give students, staff and parents essential shade and shelter for activities, learning and play. These will be finished in time for the Bonfire Night celebrations. Exciting Orbital Exchange Opportunity Following on from the successful cultural trip to Budapest earlier this year, we are excited to announce that in 2020 we will be participating in the first cultural trip to visit Moscow - another Orbital base. If you are interested in participating in this visit it will be open to students from years 5 - 10 and the dates are between June 14th and June 20th 2020. Please contact [email protected] to register your interest by December 2nd so that we can communicate with our colleagues in Russia and set up a meeting to share more information. Our team- the Finance team The financial team, although not very visible to everyone, works hard for the continue development of the BSQ community. From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this term. This week we hear from Ms. Valeria Cano, from Mr. Stefan Karakashian and from Y7 students in Secondary and from Ms. Polly Hall in Primary. Ms. Valeria Cano – Music Teacher This week in music Nursery and Reception the children have listened to Camille Saint-Saëns ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ and learned to recognize the turtle, the hen, and the aquarium songs. This is an introduction for students to classical music in a fun way, as they act out the animal each song represents. With year 4 we learned how to draw the treble clef on small white boards, so we can start to learn the notes and play some instruments. Year 5 has done an incredible job by learning the song ‘cups ‘, we have learned just with the hands, and will do the rhythm with the cups in a few weeks. Year 6 learned the major scale and where the notes are located in the staff - they did a fantastic job and worked so well in identifying this. With year 7 we have practiced for our upcoming musical ‘High School Musical ‘and they’ve been acting out the song ‘Status Quo’ with words and choreography, which has been great to see and a wonderful experience to be part of. Now, with year 8 the chosen musical is ‘Grease’, so they’ve been learning ‘Summer Nights’ with choreography, which we have rehearsed outside in the stairs and tables of the school. Year 9 has been rehearsing their chosen musical, which is ‘Aladdin’. The girls are working on an amazing choreography with the song ‘Prince Ali’. They all are very enthusiastic about it, and so am I. This week with them we also learned how to build chords and played a little game based on it. Finally, with year 10 we are focusing on scales for their IGCSE exam, and we have practiced how to make their compositions by making small songs in pairs. And year 11 are being introduced to Arabic music, which is the chosen genre for their IGCSE in 2020. Mr. Stefan Karakashian – Secondary Maths Teacher In September, I shared a problem with the community in the newsletter. The problem and solution are below: Problem: 6 pupils have, between them, won 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals and a bronze medal in a sports competition. Unfortunately, their teacher has lost all record of high medals should go to which pupils, so he allocates them by drawing names out of a hat. The first 3 names drawn receive the gold medals, the next two drawn have the silver medals, and the bronze medal goes to the remaining pupil. How many different ways can the medals be allocated using this method? Solution: There are 6 different students who could receive the first gold medal, then 5 others for the second and 4 remaining for the third. Therefore, there are 6×5×4=120 orders in which the medals can be presented. However, this counts each set of three people winning the medals in each of the six orders, so there are 120÷6=20 sets of three people who could win gold. For each of these, one of the remaining three people must win bronze and the others silver, so there are 20×3=60 ways in which the medals can be awarded. Y7 students in Secondary Year 7 started spirit week in great style with students dressing up for the theme "squad" where they dressed as characters of their choice. From High school musical, Free fire soldiers, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore, and finally Kung Fu squad. Was a fantastic atmosphere and was great to do this all in the name of charity. Including the vibrant outfits, Year 7 also completed some excellent work set by Miss D. Parker. Students had to create a diorama representing some aspects of the novel 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding. Diorama´s included desert island, the fire on the mountain and also characters from the book. It has been great to hear about all the praise this year group has been receiving from their hard work. Ms. Polly Hall – Year 1B Teacher In 1B we have spent the last few weeks learning about Ecuador. We have learned about the different regions of Ecuador, including the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands. We have even made our own erupting volcano! During Saturday´s Global Citizenship Day we built emergency shelters to use in case of earthquakes. We talked about why earthquakes happen in Ecuador and how to be prepared, and then the children made their own emergency shelters. More recently the children have been presenting their homework projects, which were also about Ecuador. We have seen a wide variety of projects from news reports to recipe books and even some traditional clothing. The children have each other about volcanoes, regions of Ecuador, animals and lots of different Ecuadorian dishes. We have watched videos and sampled a lot of food. A great deal of effort has gone into these projects and we are all excited to see how next term´s homework projects will turn out! Dates for your Diary November 7th – Parent Teacher Conference day November 11th – 14th – David Pottinger and Karl Wilkinson visiting November 14th – 16th – Silver DofE Expedition November 15th_ Year 13 Mock exams begin November 16th – Bonfire Night Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Welcome back to The British School Quito – we hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable break with family and friends and are ready for the challenges ahead in the next seven weeks. We have a great deal happening over the next few weeks, including Parent Teacher Conferences (this Thursday: no school for students), trips out for Year 6 to the Wax Museum, Year 5 and 6 are going to visit Granja Urkuwayku, a visitor to Year 3 to discuss volcanoes. Year 1 will be visiting the Water Museum and then of course our annual Nativity Performances from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 (provisional dates are Tuesday 17th December and Wednesday 18th December). Please do check both the BSQ Newsletter and your child’s Canvas or Tapestry page for up-to-date information about events and trips and do not hesitate to contact school if you are unsure of anything. As we move into the second phase of the year, it is important to recognise that our students are increasingly able to learn independently and take more control of their own learning, regardless of which year they are in. As adults, we can support this development by progressively encouraging them to organise their learning and organisation of equipment. This may simple involve them packing their swimming bag and checking it afterwards to see if they have the correct equipment. You may ask them about their home learning and then check afterwards that they have completed in appropriately. And of course you can ask them many of the questions we shared a few weeks ago about their learning at school, which demonstrates to them that you have an interest in their development but also helps them organise their own thoughts and understanding. We look forward to meeting many of you at the Parent Teacher Conference on Thursday – please do let us know if you are unable to make it on that day and we will endeavour to rearrange your appointment. Star of the Week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Spirit Week Spirit week was once again a huge success, with valuable funds raised for the Beyond Lagartococha CAS projects. Thank you to all the students and parents who participated in preparing costumes and baking cakes. Hats Even when it is grey and cloudy in the valley, the UV index usually remains high. As such, it is vital that students remain protected from the potential damage of the sun's rays. Please help us by ensuring that all students have a suitable sunhat for break, lunch, and PE. Conferences If you have yet to do so, please make sure that you sign up for the Secondary parent-teacher conferences. To do so, you'll need to follow the instructions in Mr. Ashfield's email to reserve each spot online. I hope to see you all at school on Thursday 7th November. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about how to decide if a videogame is right for your child.
Welcome![]() It was great to have a full and regular week last week and great also to see everyone working so hard and happy to be back at BSQ. We invite our community to follow us on our new Social Media Channel: Instagram. Find out more about our living and learning together here: https://www.instagram.com/britishschoolquito/ Celebration. We all know how important the Climate Change agenda has become for all of us if we are to preserve our world for future generations, including our students – your children. Here at BSQ we have been slowly developing ways to improve our recycling and raise awareness of the use of certain types of products. Last year we joined with the active group RED Move along with many other international and local schools and – most exciting of all – we now have our very own fully trained (and accredited by the United Nations) Climate Change teacher. Agreeing to spend 25 hours of training time, Sally Madden has completed the course and is the first teacher to do so in Ecuador although I am sure others will now follow. Other teachers in the Orbital group are following our lead and the Latin American Heads Conference schools are also championing this programme. Watch this space for more updates as we continue our journey to become a truly Eco-School. Global Citizenship Day. On Saturday our students and staff celebrated Global Citizenship Day – all made so much more exciting by the world food contributions from our parents. What an amazing array of food from countries as diverse as Ecuador, UK, USA, Lebanon, Japan, Chile, Venezuela, Argentina. Many thanks to all our families who provided the food and supported the day. Our team- the Spanish team Spanish culture and language are essential elements of the students’ learning here at BSQ from Nursery right through to the IB courses. Our wonderful team of local experts guide the learning and ensure excellent outcomes. ![]() Also, this week I am delighted to welcome our new Principal’s Assistant. Santiago Salazar has joined us here with experience in customer service and business and will be working closely with me, the wider leadership team and the administration team. From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this term. This week we hear from Mrs. Claire Maudsley in Secondary and from Ms. Heather Stollery in Primary. Mrs. Claire Maudsley – Secondary Physics Teacher This term year 13 have completed their physics Internal Assessments for their IB and have now begun a new topic, Astrophysics, looking at the formation of stars and the solar system for standard level and extending to nucleosynthesis and dark matter for higher level. Over the summer they each completed a project on astrophysics which is complimenting their study this term. Year 12 have begun their 2 year IB by studying basic principles and mechanics. We are studying projectile motion, using mathematical principles in the physics classroom such as trigonometry and SUVAT. Currently they are completing a project involving planning and carrying out a practical projectile motion experiment in preparation for their internal assessments next year. In KS4 year 11 have just begun a unit on magnetism and electricity, which includes the fundamental basics of electricity generation. Year 10 have been learning about motion and graphing as they begin their IGCSE courses." Ms. Heather Stollery – Year 2A Teacher In 2a we have loved learning about different cultures across the continent of Africa. We went on a safari to Kenya to discover different animals that live there and saw beautiful sunsets. We decided to recreate these sunsets using water colours, focusing on oranges, reds and yellows. We have also been learning about a group of people called the Maasai People and we made jewellery to resemble the necklaces that they wear. We looked at videos of them jumping and tried to recreate this ourselves! Dates for your Diary October 21st - 25th – CAS Spirit Week October 25th – Halloween Dress up Parade November 7th – Parent Teacher Conference day November 11th – 14th – David Pottinger and Karl Wilkinson visiting November 14th – 16th – Silver DofE Expedition November 16th – Bonfire Night Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update![]() It was great to see so many parents joining their children in sharing their learning about Global Citizenship. Each class focused on one aspect of Global Citizenship and we hope this will start to develop our students’ understanding of the wider world and their place within that ever-changing world. This week Year 2 visit the Botanical Gardens in Quito and on Friday 25th October we will celebrate Halloween by dressing up and parading in our favourite costumes, followed by our half-term break, returning to school on Tuesday 5th November. Thank you also to everyone who has brought in Spanish books for the Sinsoluka Book Donation – they will be really appreciated. Then, on Thursday 7th November, we will hold our first Parent Teacher Conference Day of the year. This is an opportunity to meet formally with your child’s class teachers and specialist teachers and discuss their progress, attainment and development steps for the future. Please do return your request form as soon as possible to your child’s class teacher so that we can allocate an appropriate time for you. On this day, there are no normal classes and parents (and students if appropriate) are only expected to attend for their meeting. If you do bring your child into school for the meeting, please ask them to wear their normal school uniform and stay with you at all times – there will be no supervision for students in the playgrounds on this day. Volcanic eruptions – Year 1 In Year 1, we have been learning about volcanoes and volcanic eruptions and we decided to made a model to demonstrate a volcanic eruption. We made a model of a volcano using paper mache and recycled materials and then recreated the eruption by using vinegar and baking soda. The results were amazing - we could see for ourselves how the lava flowed down the volcano and created new rock, changing the shape of the volcano. Star of the WeekMarcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Rewards and Recognition Assembly Each Partial, we recognize the students who have performed exceptionally well over the past six or seven weeks. This year, I will endeavor to publish the names here as well. Here are the winners for Partial 1: Saturdays As much as learning the individual disciplines, like Science, Maths, and Humanities, is important for academic success and progress, it is also vital that we provide, and that students embrace, opportunities to bring their learning together to see how everything connects and relates to the real world of the present and the future. This interdisciplinary and applied learning takes place in the regular curriculum from time to time, and is the particular focus of a number of our Saturday activities this year. The first of these, which took place on Saturday, was about Global Citizenship - a key aspect of any 21st century education. Students looked at a number of issues deeply relevant to their lives and those of the local and global community, through various academic and social and emotion lenses. In every activity I attended, there was a buzz of learning and growth. These Saturdays also count as regular school days. The register is taken and counted, and the learning is just as important as on any other day. As such, I would ask please that you as parents do everything within your power to ensure attendance on such days, just as would on any regular Tuesday or Thursday. That way, we can continue to build on our successes and build meaningful learning experiences for these, our leaders of the future. Community Conference Day We believe in the value of strong ties between home and school, and that the best way to ensure our students' continued success is to work together. Thursday 7th November will be our first community conference day this year. Instead of the various Saturday mornings we used last year, we will instead use a whole day, and instead of invite a few year groups at a time, we will instead invite you all. Students will not have classes, but will attend with you. I will send an invitation later this week for you to sign up to individual meetings with each teacher. I do hope to see you all in school on 7th November. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about whether you children are using their tech devices safely and securely.
Welcome![]() Now that we are back at school and starting to feel some return to normality, there is time to reflect on what has been happening here in Ecuador. Last week we shared a post on our Facebook page from the Scouts and their message exactly mirrored our own values of Respect, Care, Happiness, Welcome, Ambition and Determination. As we work to develop and nurture those traits in our students (and the wider community), we hope that we are building the foundations for adults who will make a positive difference in the world around them and work to ensure that everyone can live (and learn – should they wish to do so) in peace. Whilst there is little news from last week, this week we are as busy as always here at BSQ and there is lots coming up to report. This Wednesday our Equality and Diversitygroup, made up of a small team of committed and caring students, will be spending a day working on a student guide to our values. They will be considering exactly what being respectful, caring, happy, welcoming, ambitiousand determined looks like for every student here at BSQ. This will then be followed by a similar activity with parents and staff. This week the secondary students will be celebrating their hard work with their first Reward and Recognition Assembly following Partial 1. Joining together in this way is an important part of acknowledging the contributions our senior students and staff have made to the school and to their own development since the start of the year. This Saturday we will be holding our Global Citizenship Day at BSQ. This will be a great opportunity for students to engage in a range of activities designed to encourage their thinking about their own country and others. With thanks to the parents who are also supporting this day. Our team- the maintenance team Whilst teachers and students are busy in the classrooms there are groups of staff at BSQ working hard to make sure that the buildings, the play areas, the resources and the necessities of daily living and learning in a school are functioning and in place. Here at BSQ we are very lucky to have such a dedicated, hard-working and positive team who look after us every day. 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. Matthias Lee in Secondary and from Mr. Simon Newman in Primary. Mr. Matthias Lee – Secondary English Teacher These past few weeks have seen a couple of new units started with KS3. Year 8 have begun Animal Farm, the famous novel by George Orwell. In lessons, we have been examining the background context of the novel, looking at communism, Orwell's view of communism and how his view is put forward through the use of allegory. All of the students have been very engaged by the novel, a testament to the engaging power of Orwell's writing and to their own motivation and focus. It has been very rewarding to see the students exploring the ways in which Orwell subtly presents the shift from ideal to reality through close analysis and discussion. We are currently at the end of chapter 3 and about to move on the chapter 4. Year 9 have begun a unit exploring war poetry from Britain at the time of WW1. We have been looking at both pro and anti war poems, analysing the ways in which writers attempt to protray war as either attractive in order to encourage people to sign up, or unattractive, specifically through the use of irony. To consolidate the learning, in groups the students have created both pro and anti-war posters, using lines and images from the different poems to put across their message. Mr. Simon Newman - Year 6 Teacher In Year 6 this term, our learning has been organised around our topic question for the term: Why Do People Move? Taking the United States as our country of focus, we have been studying the stories of the Creek Indians as our model text in Literacy. These are tales from the area that we now know as Florida and they involve narratives about men who transform into snakes and giant birds that eat human beings! Our topic focus has enabled us to get to know the geography of the United States with more accuracy and, in terms of history, we have been researching the 45 presidents of the country and evaluating their efforts as leaders. Our class assembly was also linked to our work in class. The children performed three different protest songs from the late 1960s to the audience and then presented information about each song to the audience through presentations and drama. ![]() Singing to the audience in our class assembly was a great way to begin to get the Year 6 children thinking about their performance later this school year. Did you know we’ll be performing our interpretation of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest next June for the Year production? More on that across the year… Dates for your Diary October 19th – Global Citizenship Day. 8:45 - 12:00 October 21st - 25th – CAS Spirit Week October 25th – Halloween Dress up Parade Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update![]() This week in Primary we are looking forward to Global Citizenship Day on Saturday 19th October, between 8:45am and 12pm. On this day, the students in Reception to Year 6 will be questioning, investigating, researching and presenting their ideas about the culture of their chosen country, in relation to their knowledge and understanding of this country. But what exactly is Global Citizenship? Oxfam define a global citizen as someone who is aware of and understands the wider world - and their place in it. They take an active role in their community and work with others to make our planet more equal, fair and sustainable. Global citizenship is all about encouraging young people to develop the knowledge, skills and values they need to actively engage with the world. And it is also about the belief that we can all make a difference. Here at BSQ we hope that the benefits are felt across the school and beyond. Global citizenship helps young people to: · Build their own understanding of world events. · Think about their values and what's important to them. · Take learning into the real world. · Challenge ignorance and intolerance. · Get involved in their local, national and global communities. · Develop an argument and voice their opinions. · See that they have power to act and influence the world around them. Above all, it shows young people that they have a voice. The world may be changing fast, but they can make a positive difference - and help build a fairer, safer and more secure world for everyone. We hope to see many of you at school at about 11:45am to share your child’s learning, ready to go home at 12pm. We have also arranged for the postponed Reading Workshop for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 parents to now be held on Thursday 17th October at 8am in the Library. This workshop will share some great tips on supporting your child’s reading development and phonic awareness at home. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Global Citizenship On Saturday 19th October, we celebrate our first community awareness day of the year, International Day. In socially anxious times, is it more important than ever that we strive to understand the stresses, strains and circumstances under which our fellow humans live, in order that we are able to think, talk, and act with care and empathy for the good of everybody. As part of our ongoing mission to nurture such internationally-minded leaders and builders of the future, this year’s International Day will be aimed at developing global citizenship through the lens of 3 of the 17UN Global Goals: Climate Action; Reduced Inequalities; and Zero Hunger. Students, in mixed-age groups designed to enhance cross-pollination of ideas and experiences, will move between three 'lessons' created to frame contemporary global issues in accessible, stimulating, and relevant ways, with the outcome being greater understanding of the world, and of their role in it's future. This is not an optional exercise. This is a planned and taught school day, at which all students' attendance and full participation is expected. Students need to arrive for an 08:45 start. They can be collected from 12:00. School buses will be provided for those who use them. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about helping you children cope with situational anxiety.
Welcome![]() Well, this was my original text for the newsletter. With our public holiday on Friday, this is a shorter week than usual but there is still a lot happening and a lot to be achieved. This week our secondary students will be responding to a survey called PASS (Pupil Attitudes to School and Self) designed to explore how they feel about their learning, their study skills, their achievement and their school life generally. From this we develop an action plan to further improve our provision and student well-being. (This is now postponed until the following week.) Of course, we have now not been at school since last Wednesday when we had our very successful Open Day and welcomed over 20 new families to visit our school and meet our staff and students. We are all hoping to be back at school tomorrow but will keep you posted through emails and Facebook. Visitor. In a couple of weeks, the Orbital CEO, David Pottinger, will be visiting our school and we look forward to welcoming him. Orbital schools are growing around the world and recent announcements about investments and appointments demonstrate this. You can read more about it here. In addition, Orbital Education received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for their services to British International Education last week and you can read about that here. Save the Date – Bonfire Night We are already starting to think about the organization of this event and hoping that the weather is kinder this year! Remember that rain! Firstly, auditions will soon be held for the talent show. Our tradition is that this is not a competition but a CELEBRATION of talent so let’s see as many of the students as possible on the stage. PA announcement: Talent Show Dear parents, Our Bonfire Night Event is coming soon. We would like to kindly invite all of you to participate in our Talent Show. All BSQ community is invited: all students, parents and teachers, so we hope to count with the participation from all classes. Our team- the EYFS team in Nursery As with subjects, there is no year group more important than any other in the life of a student at BSQ, but making a strong start is particularly critical to how developments continue to take place through the following years. Here at BSQ we are very proud of our Early Years provision and, of course, that is led by our team of professionals who make sure that every day is full of opportunities to learn and grow for our youngest 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 Ms. Aditi Sadotra in Secondary and from Mrs. Catherine Farag in Primary. BSQ Values We live and learn together withrespectand carefor each other. We live and learn with a happyand welcoming attitude to everyone. We live and learn with an active and determinedapproach to our ambition. We are all familiar with these values and do our best to uphold them in all of our actions within the school community. They ensure that every student has the opportunity to be successful in school through being in an environment in which they are happy and supported by their peers and staff. To develop this further within the student body we are going to start rewarding students based on these core values in partial 2. House points will now be rewarded based on the following six areas: Respect Care Welcome Happiness Determination Ambition If a student demonstrates any of these values they will be awarded a house point in that area. These will accumulate to give students larger rewards based on these qualities and traits. I have seen some recent examples of these values being demonstrated in our Secondary Student Council, which started on the 20thof September 2019. The students, who put themselves forward, showed ambition. The returning members welcomednew students to the group in the first meeting. Respectwas shown through listening and discussing every member’s ideas without judgment. All have shown careand determinationto make a positive change to our school community. We all are very much looking forward to seeing all the different and creative ways are students will demonstrate these values in the coming weeks! Ms. Aditi Sadotra Strategies for reading at home with your child Reading is one of the most important skills your child will learn at school. You can support your child in their reading development in many different ways - here are some suggestions to get you started: ● Establish a home reading routine. Read aloud with your children everyday. Ten minutes for each child around: a. Their RWI book if they have it home b. Their Oxford Reading Tree book or whatever book they take home c. A book of their choice ● The reader holds the book! There is a lot of power and control in the world of reading. The reader needs to have the power. ● During home reading time, turn off electronic devices and give each child ten minutes of your undivided attention. ● Before you read a book, set your child up for success. Reading is not a test! Reading time is only ten minutes so do some of the following: Keep the introduction short – one minute is enough. Talk about the illustrations and the title. Read the blurb and talk about the author, talk about any unusual words, read a page here and there as your child flicks through the book, discuss the characters. This is a short introduction, not an interrogation. If the book is already a familiar one, then this step is unnecessary. ● If reading time is stressful, move the reading to a new location. Instead of sitting at the kitchen bench, move to the lounge room floor, or go outside and sit under a tree or take the books to the local coffee shop. ● Find a reading time that works for your family. Limit the time and set the timer if reading in the past has always been difficult. It is better to have an enjoyable 10 minutes than a laborious 30 minutes where everyone is left feeling frustrated. ● At the end of the 10 minutes, ask questions that encourage discussion, for example: What was your favourite part? Tell me about the characters. What do you think will happen next? What did you think about that setting? What do like/ dislike about this book? There is no need to interrogate the reader. Make it a conversation as you would in a book club. ● Encourage your child to read independently. A bedside light is one of the best enticements for your child to read before going to sleep. After the 10 minutes of reading with you, the child can elect to continue reading independently. ● The less you interrupt the 10 minutes of reading, the more you are supporting the readers independence, resilience and confidence. Zip your lips, monitor the miscues, and listen as your child reads. ● Avoid judging your child’s reading with words such as: ‘good’, ‘excellent’ or ‘getting better’. Instead say things about the strategies your child uses when reading such as: ‘I like how you read on when you came to that difficult word.’ ‘I like how you changed your voice to be the voice of the character in the story’. ‘I noticed that you reread the bit that did not make sense.’ ● If you child is reading independently and has reached the level of chapter books, it is not necessary for you to read aloud together any more. Your job is done. That is not to say, you cannot continue to share reading time because it is what you love to do as a family or that you sit and read silently together or that you talk about the books your child is reading because you are interested in his reading choices. Readers read differently in their heads as compared to reading aloud. ● Visit the local library — make it a family ritual on a set day every week. Let your children select their books while you select books you are interested in reading. Not every book has to be read cover to cover. Your child might select books based on illustrations or factual information about a topic of interest. ● Independent readers pick and choose what they read. They are entitled to read some and reject others. They are entitled to not complete books because they are boring. Readers make choices. ● Model what it means to be an enthusiastic reader. Create a home of readers where everyone reads – It is just what we do in this house! Talk about what you have read. Read aloud what makes you laugh and share it with your child . If English is your second language, read in your home language. If you lack confidence in reading aloud, the fact that you are reading with your child is what matters. Talk about the illustrations and contribute where you can. Share your excitement for reading and this will be the model your child will adopt. Mrs. Catherine Farag Dates for your DiaryOctober 19th – Global Citizenship Day October 21st - 25th – CAS Spirit Week October 25th – Halloween Dress up Parade Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update![]() This week we hold our third House Event, with the students from Years 1-6 joining the other students from their house for a range of different activities designed to foster house spirit and our school values. These students are encouraged to wear their House t-shirts on this day, with Nursery and Reception students also encouraged to wear their House t-shirts, if they would like to, even though at present they are not directly involved with these events. However, the younger students are gradually being introduced to the concept of the House system and will have the opportunity to wear their House t-shirts on many of the Saturdays we are in school, starting with our Global Citizenship Day on Saturday 19th October. This event will be held between 9am and 12pm here in school, with a range of activities designed to reflect the global nature of both our community and also our curriculum and learning. Please remember that this Friday is a school holiday, so school will finish at 3:15pm on Thursday 10thOctober for the long weekend. The Secondary students are also holding a Bake Sale on Thursday 10th October to raise funds for their CAS project. If you would like your child to participate, please send in 50c or $1 for them to purchase a cake. I have started to plan the Nativity Performance for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, provisionally booked for 17thand 18thDecember. As usual, we will be asking parents for support with the costumes and props and I am aware that many parents of older students may have suitable costumes at home that they no longer require. If you have any dress-up clothes or costumes you would be willing to donate to school, please send them in with your child. We will be needing lots of animal, shepherds’ and angels’ costumes! We also have lots of unnamed items of uniform in both my office and at Reception. Please do come and ask me if your child has misplaced any items, particularly BSQ jackets. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Data Last Wednesday marked the end of the first assessment period of the year at BSQ. Each Partial, we collect data aligned with four criteria - knowledge and understanding, communication, critical thinking, and study skills - for each student in each subject. This data is then analysed in terms of previous attainment, and against target attainment data generated by the CAT4 tests we conduct in school, to ensure that each and every student is progressing in the way that they should be. In turn, we meet as a teaching staff immediately after each Partial to discuss this data, and, where necessary, to make subject or whole-school plans to support students who appear to be slipping behind, or indeed those who are showing us that we should be holding them to higher expectations. This is just one way that we use data to inform our teaching and ensure that all students make progress towards success. More Data Success is one aim, and happiness is the other. Next week we will also be conducting out annual Pupil Attitude to School and Self (PASS) survey. The data generated from this questionnaire will help us in Secondary prioritize the things we need to address to ensure that all students are confident and happy learners, which in turn, of course, will help them learn better. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about online safety.
Welcome![]() It is hard to believe that September is nearly over. What an exciting term it has been so far. With our new enrichment programmes up and running, the football teams having their first training sessions, the new classrooms and learning spaces looking amazing, the Juramento de la Bandera celebrated, the teachers reporting on the great work of the students and the students themselves exploring so many ways to develop their passion for learning and their independence. Last week I saw some fabulous lessons: students were learning map skills; holding high level discussions about literature; answering challenging exam-style questions; singing protest songs; conducting experiments to understand how food travels through the digestive system; learning the national anthems and playing instruments in an ensemble with perfect rhythm. These are just some snapshots of the variety of outstanding learning that takes place every day here at BSQ. Year 4 in the science lab Juramento de la Bandera Last Thursday we celebrated the achievements of our Year 13 students with the annual Juramento de la Bandera. As always, our students were a wonderful public example of how hard they work and committed they are to their school and to their studies. Congratulations again to all the students in Year 13 and to the students who received special recognition for their achievements during their secondary years. Our team - the Reception, Admissions and Marketing team Many of you are familiar with this team as they are often the first port of call when you arrive at the school. Always working hard with such positivity and pride in the school, the reception, admissions and marketing team help everyone to feel happy and welcome at BSQ from the moment they make an enquiry to their first day as members of the community and beyond. Canvas update. All our primary parents are now on Canvas and using it to read about the learning in lessons, homework and other exciting activities. Soon all our secondary parents will be able to share in the homework logs of their children from Year 7 upwards. These are exciting steps and part of the Orbital network plans to help parents, students and teachers to learn together using the latest technology. Little Kickers As you know we work closely with the Little Kickers group to provide our brilliant coaches for students of all ages and as part of this partnership, this year Little Kickers is offering a discount in enrolment for families who are interested. Trip Opportunities Project We would like to invite you all to share the wealth of experience and knowledge of our community with our students. We have produced a short survey to fill out for those of you who would be willing to either come in to school to talk about your business and profession or for our students to come and visit your place of work to gain first-hand experience of the rich opportunities you can offer. Please state whether this is available to all school children or certain age groups. This information will be held in our school database and be shared amongst our teachers for enriching our curriculum. Please find the survey link here: BSQ Trip Opportunities Survey Mrs. Helen Dávila From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this term. This week we hear from Mrs. Sally Madden and Year 9 students in Secondary and from our Reception team in Primary. Mrs. Sally Madden – TOK and Humanities Secondary Teacher Making the move from Primary to Secondary School is an important step for the students at BSQ. With the support of the teachers at BSQ we have tried to make this transition as smooth as possible. As one of the Year 7 Tutors, I have spent the last few weeks answering questions, resetting email passwords, returning lost items and supporting the students during their transition. The students have been learning more about independence, organisation, friendship and what it is like to be a Secondary student. So, what is it like to be a Secondary school student? I asked Year 7 the very same question and would like to share some of the answers with you: “Being in Secondary is cool” “I like how quick the day passes” “My favourite thing is all the support I get from the teachers” “You are free to move around the school and do more things” “You do fun things like House competitions” “My favourite thing about Secondary is that we have to be responsible” “The main change was with homework. It wasn’t too difficult to settle” “The changes are the times of the day and it is difficult to think about listening” “I have really enjoyed learning about everything” It was my birthday on Wednesday and I enjoyed spending my break time with the excited students from Year 7 and Mr Edwards with a surprise chocolate cake which they helped me eat. I look forward to continuing to support them throughout the year. Y9 Students Reception Team Our students in Reception have made an impressive start to the year. After just four weeks, we know our routines, we are making new friends and exploring new challenges in continuous provision every day! Last week, we started our home reading program. Students in Reception read every night with an adult or older sibling and share ideas about the story. We begin Read Write Inc phonics this week and we will be learning new sounds and how to blend them into whole words. We have enjoyed philosophy, meditation and active outdoor play as a Reception team every day before lunch. Dates for your Diary October 2nd – Open Day for Admissions 2020-2021. 9am – 10:30am October 3rd – Reading Workshop for Parents from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. 8am at the Library October 19th – Global Citizenship Day October 21st - 25th – CAS Spirit Week October 25th – Halloween Dress up Parade Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Following on from our newsletter article about Reading, Mrs Farag and Ms Armas are presenting a Reading Workshop on Thursday at 8am in the Library, aimed at parents of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 students. This will give you lots of tips about how and when to read with your child and give you some important information about the phonics programme we use here, Read Write Inc. Linked to this, I want to explore the power of modelling in another area of our lives where we can directly influence the habits of our children – the use of technology. In our increasingly technological world, our habits are often mirrored by our children, so if we constantly have a device in our hand or our face in a screen, children will learn that the device takes priority over humans and real life experiences. Our children’s technology use and screen time is likely to resemble our own—what we do with our device at the dinner table, while driving, or while waiting at a restaurant is likely what they will do in the future. Our children’s chance at living a present, joy-filled life in a distracted world begins with us and our own ability to manage screen time, through modelling of healthy technology use. One of the most effective strategies for reducing screen time and maintaining healthy boundaries between real life and technology is to make a conscious decision to temporarily push aside the daily distractions of screen time and give your undivided attention to someone or something meaningful in your life. This does not mean giving up technology altogether, and it does not mean ignoring your job responsibilities, volunteer obligations, or home duties. Here are some small changes you can make as individuals or as a family that will make a big impact on you and your family’s well-being, now and in the future:
As you take small steps in your life to limit screen time and create space for meaningful living and loving, notice the positive results. What emotions do you experience when you step away from your devices to spend time with a loved one? Do you notice anything special about your loved one that you failed to notice before? Does the importance of your online activities decrease when you are engaged in a moment of loving human connection? Are you beginning to notice more opportunities to connect to what matters to you? This week, I have sent reminders to parents about the importance of every student wearing a hat in school, even when the weather is cloudy. Please do make sure your child has a labelled hat in school throughout the week – they will not be allowed to play in the open without a hat at school. Star of the Week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() The LMP On Friday of last week, Secondary students took part in the first stage of a new process here at BSQ, the Learning Mastery Programme. The LMP is modelled on our own teacher development practices, and is a student-guided approach to addressing gaps and building personal and academic strengths. It begins with a self-audit of twenty skills, behaviours, and mindsets, all of which are vital for success. On the basis of this audit, students set themselves a goal: one thing they would like to develop this year. They will then meet with their tutors for regular one-to-one coaching sessions throughout the year - this is the reason for there now being two tutors for each class - during which sessions they will be led through a coaching process to identify their own next steps, strategies, and actions necessary to meet their goals. Not only will this result in better learners, but with learners motivated by setting their own agenda. What's more, the relationships developed during the process will enrich learning and school life. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about the many shades of fear - based parenting Part 2.
Welcome![]() Saturday was our first big event of the year here at BSQ and it was a huge success. By 11am the field was full of families and staff getting to know each other and sharing food and music. The welcome back picnic is entirely organized by our fantastic parent association and also the final event with the out-going team. Once again, many thanks to all the reps and the Core PA for a wonderful day. Our team - the Science Team Of course, there is no subject of learning more important than any other and whether you are a musician, a mathematician, an artist or sportsman, you should be able to explore your talents and passions as a learner. However, there is one subject that is literally all around us and that is science. Every action we take, every thought we have, everything we eat, everywhere we travel – there is a scientific investigation just waiting to be explored. This week I want to give our science specialists an opportunity to share with you why science is important to them and why they think it is so important as a subject. Wet Weather Now that the rain has finally come, please remember to make sure that your children have warm clothes for the morning arrival, suitable shoes and a waterproof coat for going home time. We know that the rain can be relied on to start at the same time as the end of school at this time of year so please be prepared. Drive-through Thank you to all the drivers for taking notice of the reminders last week. Hardly anyone has been stopping on the zebra crossings and more parents have been walking in to talk. Working together like this means we can all have a safer and smoother end to the day. 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. Stefan Karakashian and Year 10 students in Secondary and from Ms. Lauren Backhouse in Primary. Mr. Stefan Karakashian – Secondary Maths Teacher It has personally been a fantastic start to life in Ecuador for me and I’d like to thank everyone for making me feel so welcome into BSQ community. The Year 12 and 13 students, with whom I do most of my work, have had a busy but enjoyable start to their academic year too. They are now settled into their courses and are enjoying a sense of ownership of the study haven that is the IB Centre. A particular highlight his week has been teaching a series of lessons on Theory of Knowledge in Mathematics. During these lessons we have been grappling with deep questions such as ‘is mathematics discovered or invented?’; ‘what are the links between mathematics and language?’ and ‘why do mathematical patterns and relationships occur within nature?’. Theory of Knowledge is a core element of the Diploma Programme which offers students a chance to link together their academic subjects whilst simultaneously supporting self-awareness and reflection skills. I will leave you with a problem to solve - please email your solutions to [email protected] and the solution will be posted in a future newsletter. ![]() 6 pupils have, between them, won 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals and a bronze medal in a sports competition. Unfortunately, their teacher has lost all record of high medals should go to which pupils, so he allocates them by drawing names out of a hat. The first 3 names drawn receive the gold medals, the next two drawn have the silver medals, and the bronze medal goes to the remaining pupil. How many different ways can the medals be allocated using this method? Year 10 newsletter This year since we are in year 10 we get to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh; it consists of participating and completing a series of diverse components such as Services to the community, a physical activity and a skill of our choice. The Duke of Edinburgh is an optional award, however, almost the majority of our year group has signed up to take part in this. Therefore, it will be interesting and a fun thing to do with my friends. Ms. Lauren Backhouse – Year 4A Teacher This week Year 4A have been learning about Buddhism as part of our study of Japan. We learnt that Buddhist have a set of rules that they live by and try to follow every day. We also learnt about important symbols of Buddhism, including the lotus flower. The lotus flower grows in the mud at the bottom of a pool but rises about the surface to become a beautiful flower. However, the flower does not last very long, symbolising that nothing in life is perfect. Year 4A made lotus flowers using wool and cardboard. Dates for your Diary September 26th – Juramento de la Bandera September 27th - House Event Primary - students October 2nd. – Open Day at BSQ. 9am – 10:30am Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Thank you to all the parents, students and staff who helped make Saturday’s Welcome Back Picnic such a pleasurable event – it was fantastic to see the school community together sharing such wonderful food. We have a range of different learning opportunities happening on Saturdays in the coming months, with our first academic Saturday on October 19th between 9am and 12pm. This is focused on interculturalism through learning about the cultures of others in our school community – more details to follow soon. It is our second House event on Friday 27th September – please remember to send your child into school with their coloured House t-shirt for this event. We will also be inviting applications for House Captains over the coming weeks, with one student from Year 5 and one from Year 6 for each House, totalling six House Captains in total. The House Captains will play an important role in Student Leadership throughout the Primary School and should display leadership qualities and be a role model for all members of the School Community. They will support the students in their house during house events and also participate fully in the life of the school and demonstrate a sound capacity to work successfully as part of a team. Finally, I have been impressed with the attitude and determination of our new students as they have all quickly integrated into our community, values and learning environments. This has been helped and supported by the students, staff and parents and I would like to say a huge thank you to you all for being such an incredible group! Star of the Week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Motivation v Pressure “Examination success is a consequence of a good education, not its purpose” There is a fine line between motivating students and applying too much pressure, and it is the job of both teachers and parents to ensure that we stay on the right side of that line. Stress is not an entirely negative thing, but too much stress is, and if we continuously focus on exams, grades, and consequences, we run the risk of fostering anxiety that has a deleterious effect on both motivation and the ability to learn effectively. Instead, we should focus on what learning is for: gaining knowledge, skills, values and habits that equip us for a successful and happy life. Absences from School Absences from school should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Each lesson missed is learning that needs to rescheduled, and the more that accumulates, the harder it is to keep up or, preferably, get ahead. When absences are necessary, please follow the established systems to inform the school:
Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about the many shades of fear - based parenting Part 1.
Welcome ![]() It is my pleasure this week to introduce to you our new team representing the parent association for 2019-2020. Following the meeting on September 11th, the following positions were elected, and I am delighted to welcome them. President – Rafaela Rojas Vice-president – Michelle Rodríguez Treasurer – Mónica Ramírez Secretary – María Victoria Arbeláez Our first whole school event of the year will take place this Saturday at 11am when we gather together for our Welcome Back Picnic. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to meet and talk and get to know each other better. Enrichment Last week our whole school enrichment programme for 2019-2020 started with great excitement and with a range of choices even better than ever before. Our team – Enrichment. Enrichment this year is being designed and led by Ms. Nicole Camacho. Canvas Our primary parents from years 1-6 will now be familiar with the new online communication tool Canvas that was launched last week. By downloading the Canvas Parent App., you can now access the latest class news at the touch of a button and find the timetable, latest classwork, pictures, dates, events and much more. Remember that if you are having any problems or want to understand more about the platform or the blogs, Mr Madden and Mr Ashfield will be hosting a drop-in session in the library on Thursday 19th September at 3:30pm. Drive-through With new families and the start of a new year, it always takes a little while for the drive-through to settle into a routine, but it is worth sharing some reminders about how to ensure that everyone can move through as quickly and safely as possible. 1. Look down. This is what we call a zebra crossing or pedestrian crossing. It is designed to allow safe places for students to cross. Please do not drive onto the crossing if you are not able to leave it fully on the other side. 2. Stay in your car. Teachers will bring the children to you. 3. If you would like to talk to one of the staff members, please park your car and walk into the school – we are not able to have conversations as part of the drive-through. 4. Keep moving. If your child is not ready and waiting for you, please move on and drive round. 5. Park in designated areas. Please do not park in Andrés Herrera – this only means that traffic congestion is made worse as cars try and manoeuvre the junctions. These actions are respectful to other members of the community and help us all to be safe and effective. Coaching. For two days last week, a group of staff at BSQ took part in world-class coaching training led by one of the directors of Growth Coaching International from London - Andrea Giraldez. Learning to set goals, discuss strategies, give feedback and develop habits showed everyone the way to support all conversations and learning opportunities to be rich and rewarding - with students, staff and parents. With thanks to all the participants for their time and enthusiasm. Football Training We are delighted that our coaching programme will begin on Monday 23rd September with even more opportunities this year as follows: Monday - Senior Boys with Coach Juan between 3:30pm and 4:30pm (Secondary students) Tuesday - Senior Girls with Mr Edwards between 3:30pm and 4:30pm (Secondary students) Tuesday - Lower Junior team with Mr Ruiz (ages 6-7) Wednesday - Senior Boys with Coach Juan Thursday - Junior Boys from Coach Danilo (ages 8-10) As you know we work closely with the Little Kickers group to provide our brilliant coaches and this year that includes Coach Julian, Coach Juan and Coach Danilo joining our excellent team of Mr Edwards and Mr Ruiz. We look forward to a fabulous footballing year. From the Staff and Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about learning in the classroom this term. This week we hear from Mrs. Alejandra Miranda in Secondary and from Ms. Anna Vasilokonstantaki and Ms. Antonella Coronel in Primary. Mrs. Alejandra Miranda - EAL Secondary Another school year full of challenges in English B for the IBDP. A large group of Year 12 debates and produces texts and presentations around interesting current topics such as what it means to be a global citizen. It is very comforting to see the curiosity and commitment that each of them shows with the activities we do, and in turn, how they enjoy our group readings. Nursery team Dates for your Diary September 19th – Canvas drop-in for parents. 3:30pm at the Library September 21st – Welcome Back Picnic (11am – 2pm) September 26th – Juramento de la Bandera Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() This week in Primary we are looking forward to meeting you all at our Welcome Back Picnic at 11am on Saturday – we hope you can all make it. We are also hosting a Canvas Drop-in Session for Year 1-6 parents on Thursday 19th after school, for any parents who want to discuss problems they have accessing the new system. Once you have access and/or downloaded the app for your mobile phone, you will be able to see what your child is learning about, their timetable and other useful information. It is also a good way to find out about homework and changes to the normal timetable. Here at BSQ, we value the benefits that home learning brings to our students, in terms of developing their independence, creativity and research skills. However, we understand that not every student enjoys completing home learning and for some it can be a stressful experience. A little awareness and a few tips can reduce home learning stress and turn your child’s home learning into a positive, stress-free experience. Some tips to support your child at home, whether they are reading, writing, researching or creating a scale model of Ciudad Mitad del Mundo:
Please remember to send in a labelled hat each day for your child – if a student does not have a hat they are unable to play out on the playground and must stay in the shade. We are also still finding many items of uniform that are not labelled, making it difficult to return them to the correct student. We look forward to enjoying a picnic with you all on Saturday at 11am! Star of the Week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Enrichment As well as the rich and deep academic offered at BSQ, we believe strongly that students should be pushed to try and do a broad range of new things. Our unique Enrichment programme is designed in such a way as to ensure that all students are able to benefit. We deliberately include the bulk of our co-curricular offering during the regular timetabled school week, so that all students can take advantage of the opportunities available. These opportunities in turn are carefully selected to represent a range of Cultural, Creative, and Physical activities, and the students are strongly encouraged to move between these strands throughout the school year so that they might learn more about themselves through challenge and diversification. Among the activities on offer in this first part of the year are Yoga, Basketball, Model United Nations, and the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award programme, to name but four. In addition, this year we will be inviting parents into school to take part in and experience these Enrichment activities first hand, so please watch these announcements for your opportunity to get involved! Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about how to bounce back from epic parenting fails.
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