Welcome![]() A very warm welcome back to the first BSQ newsletter of 2022 to everyone in the community. A new year brings with it new opportunities for everyone to make a resolution. What will yours be? The most popular resolutions each year are linked to exercise, diet or giving up something that is bad for you. It would be great this year if our resolution focus was on someone else or something else. For example, becoming a volunteer, recycling your rubbish, growing some vegetables or planting a tree, smile more often (good for you and others!). Resolutions are easy to make and hard to keep but we should all try – I am going to step away from my computer more often and spend more time in the community (until the next wave of emails arrive that is!). Good luck with your resolutions and keep us posted with your successes. PA The BSQ Parents Association has delivered Christmas baskets to the maintenance team. We are very grateful for all their work, effort and excellent attitude when carrying out their work. Happy Holidays. Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Happy New Year to all of our BSQ Community! We also welcome new students and their families to Primary and look forward to meeting you all soon. As we continue to learn online for the next few days, we want to thank you all for your resilience and participation in our Canvas conferences, including turning your cameras on, using the public chat to share your ideas and sharing your learning with your teachers. Thank you to all the students and parents who attend the extremely successful Christmas Bazaar just before the Christmas break. The students managed to raise $989.60 for the various charities we are supporting - a massive effort considering they only used recycled materials! All Primary students will remain online for this week and the beginning of next week, with a planned return to the campus on Tuesday 18th January. Please note that there will be no online sessions at 8am on Monday 17th January. From Wednesday 19th January, it is planned that we will have Enrichment at school, with each Wednesday from then being the same as the other days, with a finish time of 3:10pm (until the roadworks are completed). This gives us the opportunity for the students to join in with Enrichment activities on campus each Wednesday afternoon, experiencing a wide variety of activities to develop their skills and understanding. We look forward to lots of exciting learning in Term 3 across the whole Primary School and wish you and your families a rewarding 2022. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Y2A We have only been back at school for a few days, but the children in 2A have been working hard! In our science lessons, we have started to explore materials. We discussed the different materials that can be found in our homes and their uses, and the children went on a hunt to find as many different materials as possible. The children have also conducted an experiment to find out which materials absorb the most water. We will be doing a lot of experiments this term as we continue to explore the properties of materials. In literacy, we are learning about diaries. We have read some diary entries and the children discussed the language used in diaries, such as adjectives and time connectives. The children have written their own diary entries to tell you about what they did on our first day back at school. Well done, 2A, and keep up the good work! Ms Polly Hall, Y2A Teacher. Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() What a great shame that the end of term was scuppered, not by the obvious danger of COVID but the road chaos outside of the school. We are so lucky that we were able to enjoy the Christmas Bazaar and welcome parents onto the site finally and share some of the festivities before the deluge came. What a wonderful job the community projects did in raising so much money. Thank you also to the staff behind the organisation which was well led by Miss. Todd who coordinated it all to ensure that alongside the usual Christmassy fun there were some activities for the Secondary school to get involved in. Everyone was incredibly generous with their money and their time. If you did manage to attend, thank you so much for the support. It was a wonderful experience for all. Year 9 What an amazing second term we had at school, with the Bonfire and then the Christmas Bazaar and celebrations for 'Festivales De Quito' . It was a short but very busy term. It was lovely to welcome parents back on site this term and it was fun to see parents joining in with Ecuavolley and purchasing Christmas ornaments made by the students. Y9 and Brad and I would really like to thank the parents of the students for organizing our beautiful personalized Christmas decorations and cookies for everyone in the form. I am sure these ornaments were the pride of place on all of our Christmas Trees. I know mine was: This term was great as we were all back in school every day and able to move away from online learning. We were very happy to have welcomed a new student, Stefano, to our class as well. The students have also been allowed to play football at lunchtime (masked of course), and it was amazing to see such talent in the students as they play, while the other students are supporting them from the side lines. As form tutors, Mr Edwards and I are so proud of the effort the form is putting into their learning. They have been working hard to achieve as many house points as possible. Well done to Julian and Maya for scoring over 100 house points so far, and as a group, we have achieved over 1400 positive house points which really is a fantastic achievement. Especially as nearly 400 of them were earnt in the last few weeks of term! In form time, we have been reflecting on the year gone by, appreciating each other and what we have while looking forward to 2022. A few of the students have written some words about their experiences. I have been really proud of myself for how I did not give up during my two years of online learning due to coronavirus, but during the quarantine, I had lost a lot of my learning skills. I was being so aware of trying to pass my final exams and the year, and the only thing I just said I'm really proud of myself because during the two tears of online learning I really tried hard thinking about my future, thinking about my family especially my parents how they are going to be so proud of me knowing that I work really hard for my future. Probably I can't be the best student, not having great grades, studying all night and day but even though not getting the grade that you were expecting, but for me, it's not everything about the grades, it's about my attitude, my enthusiasm, my effort in school. I'm really proud that I developed my English in this school. I'm really proud that everything that happens, no matter what, will not make me give up. (Naomi, Y9) I am proud of the work and grade that I got in Maths. My resolution would be to improve at every other subject as much as possible (Ivan, Y9) This term I enjoyed playing sports during break and lunch and having fun with my friends, as a new year's resolution is that if hopefully there's a football team I must be in the team. (Elias, Y9) This whole covid situation has been confusing but we have learned to live with it. Going back to school has been a great decision in a way because people including myself can concentrate better than online classes and can get more help. It has also helped us reconnect with our classmates. My new year's resolution is to achieve all that I can, challenge myself, and just to have fun and live the life I want because these past months I've realized how time passes so quickly and we have to enjoy it. (Kat, Y9) Mrs. Rachael Parkinson, Y9 Tutor First week back update from Mr Moors It is lovely to be back and welcoming students into lessons albeit online for the first few days. This is an important safety net as we have all been traveling and mixing with wider families and friends. It really does seem to be a challenge out there in the world. I have been really pleased with the attendance and involvement in lessons this week as it would be very easy to defer to a delayed return. It is clear that students are keen to get back to normal and embrace learning with their teachers. Year 11 students have their mocks exams starting soon. Year 10 and 12 will also sit Quimestre exams. It is an important time for revision and preparation as these grades not only set a level of attainment for students but also act as a catalyst that drives intervention over the coming months. Year 11 have had their timetable collapsed for the fortnight to allow the exams to take place. This means that when not sitting their exams they should be revising independently or taking the opportunity to catch up on a few things. Their teachers of course are delivering the invigilation at this time. Once exams are finished and we have the data outcomes for each subject, parents of students in years 11 and 13 will be invited in to meet teachers in a conference to discuss exam performance in each subject and also look at what we need to do to improve progress towards the main event in May. I will write to you all next week to inform you about this process and when (and possibly where) it will be taking place. This week sees the launch of the new values program being led by Miss Todd. The main focus is designed to develop the 6 BSQ values which are welcome, care, happiness, determination, ambition, and respect, whilst also developing general skills such as the ability to be reflective. Leadership develops confidence and maturity and the process can quickly develop wider positive attributes for adult life. Miss Todd and I will be looking at developing opportunities for students in the next academic year. This will be an exciting addition to our wider curriculum and also present our older students with opportunities to stand out, accept responsibility, and accountability for younger students and processes, and in the process act as role models for younger children to aspire to be like them in the future. Year 12 will have their metal tested towards the end of this academic year and from this and other factors we will decide upon key school leaders in 2022/2023. Finally, I would like to thank you again for the support, flexibility and understanding with all that we are trying to achieve under the current circumstances. It has perhaps been less consistent with the road issues but we have to roll with the challenges and do the best we can. We have an extremely talented set of staff who always go the extra distance to get done what is needed. This is often with trust and without question. Put this with our super students and your support we will surely look forward to a very prosperous few months ahead. Have a wonderful week everyone. Lee Moors
Head of Secondary
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Welcome ![]() Happy Christmas I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families a very happy Christmas break. As we head into the final week of this term – and this calendar year – there is no slowing down at BSQ. Following our wonderful Christmas Bazaar at the weekend, we now have plays, assemblies and end of term celebrations to look forward to. In amongst that, of course, lessons and learning continue as normal. Christmas Bazaar The Christmas Bazaar was a great success as always and a great celebration of the creativity and imagination of our staff and students in primary. The stalls looked wonderful and the children have learned a great deal about hard work and entrepreneurship as part of the process. We also enjoyed the excellent contributions from the secondary team who enabled us to share traditional games, paint murals and raise awareness for the Key Stage 3 community projects. Thanks to everyone who made this event such a success – even with the remaining challenges we face in terms of protocols and restrictions. January return Please note the dates below in order to ensure that our community remains safe following the Christmas festivities. We look forward to seeing all our students again on January 11 and 12. For more details, please see the letter on the Parent Portal. Why should you move here?! Following on from our last newsletter, in partnership with COBIS schools in Mexico City and the Bahamas, we wanted to share our stories of living and learning with children from very different places and with very different experiences. Here is another example of one of our students explaining ‘Why should you move here!?’ (to Ecuador) and another video from one student in Mexico - look out for more in the coming weeks.
BSL This week four of our Y2B and EYFS students will be demonstrating new signs: Happy Christmas, Santa and reindeer, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms. Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() I hope you and your family all enjoyed the Christmas Bazaar on Saturday and were able to purchase some suitable Christmas artefacts made from recycled materials – the students were very enthusiastic sellers! With only four and a half days left before the Christmas break, there is still lots of learning to do at school, but also several events for you to be aware of via your child’s Canvas page and the Parent Portal. We finish at 12pm on Friday 17th December, after our whole Primary Assembly at 9:30am, with Term 3 starting online at 8am on Wednesday 5th January. Students will return to campus and face-to-face teaching on Wednesday 12th January. These five days of online learning, to help ensure that everyone is safe and well after the Christmas break before we return to campus, will follow the pattern of the day we followed when school was closed for two days while the road was being repaired in November. This will allow for breaks from the screen and will not impact the learning for our students. We will send more details about timetables through your child’s Class Canvas page. Please continue to visit your child’s Class Canvas page for updates about events and learning in the coming days and also to always contact your child’s class teachers if you have any questions about their learning or progress. We hope that you are all able to connect with loved ones both near and far in some meaningful way and can enjoy the Christmas break together. We look forward to welcoming you all back, firstly virtually and then on campus in the New Year. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Y6 contribution Year 6 have shown fantastic focus on their learning in the past few weeks, when learning about tsunamis, how to write newspapers, fractions, drawing to show different emotions and much more. As well as working hard with their learning, they have been busy designing great decorations for the Christmas Bazaar. To create the designs, we used a base of recycled material (such as plastic bottles, cardboard or a can). We then applied a few layers of papier-mâché which we painted white. The students were then extremely creative, adding detail to their canvases with paints, felt tips or physical objects. Their brief was to do something 'Christmassy' and they were all unique and creative with what they designed and made. Year 6 worked so hard on this, and the Year 6 team are very proud of their efforts. Well done, Year 6. Mr. Tomos Prosser, Y6 Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Results and the rewards of hard work Well done year 13! They are finally at the end of their first mock exam experience and we have to acknowledge just how well they have done. On the whole their preparations have been satisfactory but the students themselves will reflect on this once the results come through. We need to remember that they have not had the experience of IGCSE assessments previously to set the tone and build a foundation for the stresses and challenges ahead. Results will be issued to them on the last day of term in an envelope. This is merely to inform of the grades achieved. It will allow some time to reflect during the holiday period. In January once Year 11 have completed their mocks a more formal report on strengths, weaknesses and the focus required in the months ahead will be released ready for the parent teacher conferences. I really do wish everyone the very best and hope that whatever the result, the information gained from the process gives staff, students and parents a clear understanding of what is needed over the next few months. We intend to hold an additional mock series in March for the 11’s in IGCSE and 13’s in IB before the main event. By then everyone will have been tested fully and prepared as best as possible. You will recall my notes of good luck to Ignacio last week as he embarked on two international tennis tournaments in the US. I spoke to his mum today and I am pleased to report that he came second in one event and he was knocked out in the quarter final by the German player who went on to win overall. He is having a wonderful experience and he is training hard. This week sees him play the main event. Again, we are all sending him our very best wishes. We have also had good news this week of success again with Joaquin and his national show jumping. He has just been named as number one in the provincial rankings. He is competing this week to decide on the national champion. I look forward to hearing all about his results and some pictures for next week. Once again we are sending our very best wishes for his success. Well done to them both. We are now entering the last week of the term and we all look forward to a well-deserved long break and the chance to share the festive season with friends and family. We enjoyed the first event at the Christmas Bazaar on Saturday. A huge success to everyone and well done for the money raised. There will be more pictures and results to follow. On Friday we have an early finish at 12.00 pm and normal lessons will be replaced with end of term parties in forms and other festive fun. I am particularly looking forward to the traditional Christmas quiz and the whole school singing the 12 days of Christmas! I hope that this will be a big send off for us all into the holidays. Y8: Greek masks There are no surviving masks that were actually worn from Ancient Greek Theater. A little sad to know, but we still have some of the historical records, drawings or descriptions to imagine how these beautiful masks looked like. Masks served several important purposes in Ancient Greek theater: to exaggerate expressions and help define the characters the actors were playing. In Year 8, as part of our work in the Drama lessons with the play Antigone, we are making masks. Each student will decorate and paint their masks according to their characters in the play. We may not be able to project sound like a small megaphone with the mask, but we are one step closer to understanding how this amazing art still influences the Modern day mask work Ms Espinosa, Performing Arts teacher KS3 CAS Updates We are very happy to have delivered all the collected toys to the Sinsoluka foundation. We are also very grateful that the PA helped us and accompanied us on this very special day for the Second Chance project. It was a unique and fun experience for all. Thank you to all the BSQ community for your support during the donations campaigns. Second Chance Project.
Have a wonderful week everyone. Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome ![]() Welcome back from the excitement of the Fiestas de Quito weekend. Whilst the traditional festivities are over and many of us will start to look forward to Christmas celebrations now, here at BSQ we are going to be combining the two at our Christmas Bazaar on Saturday this week. The primary students have been busy in the classrooms making their usual products to sell and this year the focus is on sustainability and everything will be constructed from recycled materials – it is amazing what can be achieved with some creativity and hard work! All of the ideas from the primary classes can work at home too! For example: In the secondary school there will be a range of activities from traditional Fiestas de Quito games to stalls to raise money for our KS3 community projects. At this event we invite one parent from each family to join us and celebrate. More details below in the specific school sections. Why should you move here?! Following on from our last newsletter, in partnership with COBIS schools in Mexico City and the Bahamas, we wanted to share our stories of living and learning with children from very different places and with very different experiences. Here is another example of one of our students explaining ‘Why should you move here!?’ (to Ecuador) and another video from one student in Mexico - look out for more in the coming weeks.
BSL This week four of our Y6 students will be demonstrating two new signs: celebrate and Ecuador, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms. Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update![]() As we start this short week of learning, we are all looking forward to welcoming the students and one of their family members to the BSQ Campus for our Christmas Bazaar on Saturday 11th December. This is an opportunity for the students to demonstrate their creative and artistic skills by making a variety of Christmas objects using recycled and reused materials. The Christmas Bazaar will be between 10am and 1pm and all students are invited to come with one of their family members – this allows us to comply with the Ministry guidelines for capacity on the campus but also gives us an opportunity to connect as a community again. Please do come in your favourite Christmas clothes, bring a small snack and refillable water bottles to enjoy during the musical entertainment and lots of small change so you can buy lots of interesting things to take home. This event will support the following three charities: Operation Smile, Beyond Lagartococha and Fundación Ammen. Students are also being encouraged to bring in unwanted toys and clothes to donate to these charities. Please also be aware of the Student Support Workshop on Tuesday 7th December at 9:30am on the Parent Portal with the title “Preventing Parental Burnout”. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Year 3B Year 3B have had a busy week in school and online. We have been preparing some wonderful crafts to demonstrate our knowledge of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. The class got crafty with some origami dreidels which are played with as a way to study the Torah and learn the Hebrew alphabet. We made some playdough doughnuts and latkes, traditional potato cakes which are eaten during the Festival of Hanukkah. One group made a Menorah which is central to the celebration as it represents the last oil found after the war between the Greeks and the Maccabees. Our crafty class learnt a lot about the history and meaning behind the main symbols of Hanukkah and most important of all, we worked as a team. We were lucky enough to have a visit from a seismologist expert, Liz. We all got dressed up for the part and made our way up to the library to have a conference with her about earthquakes. Liz told us all about why earthquakes happen, tectonic plates and the types of waves that earthquakes produce. We even got to carry out an earthquake demonstration using oreo cookies. Food happens to be the best way to demonstrate what the mantle and crust of the earth do! Yum Yum. Mrs. Dávila, Year 3B Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Assessment and feedback, and a budding international star The end of term is fast approaching and it is pleasing to note that we look forward to another excellent event with the Christmas Bazaar. I am particularly excited by this as we are going to be welcoming some parents on site. Whilst each child can have one parent it does finally allow me to meet some of you. I really do look forward to this and ask that as you are wandering around please do introduce yourself and say hello. This week we have had a few incidents where students have not had things that they need at school. On occasions they do need us to help them be organised. Can I ask, especially with our younger students that you help them ensure that they have what they need for the next day. This is of course the obvious things such as books, PE kit and stationary, but also personal things like hats, water and personal hygiene items. Well done to year 13 who have started their Mock examinations. This is a tough time for them as I have mentioned before but this is especially the case with this cohort as they did not have the formal experience of year 11 exams. This is usually a good learning opportunity and prepares well for the rigor to come. I was there at the first exam and once settled it was clear that everyone was relaxed and had prepared well. I have been asking them all to gauge their motivation on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most determined) over the last couple of weeks. They are all reporting increasing determination levels as time goes on. Once we have the results each teacher will put these onto a Mock report that is specially designed and targeted to give the student, teacher and parents clear needs going forward. There is another PTC event towards the end of January and the outcomes of this will be shared just before the event so that you have a clear agenda to follow. What I desire is that all parties go away with very clear objectives and areas of focus going forward. This week staff in Secondary have been considering how we feedback to students on their work and how they are assessing attainment and progress in subjects. In the recent round of learning observations data suggested that this area was something that was good, but it also allowed us an opportunity to refocus in this area now that we are back face-to-face. We have three consistencies in Secondary. Each child in each subject should have personal feedback on an assessed piece of work each fortnight. The feedback should be descriptive and linked to the learning objective avoiding simplistic evaluative ticks or scores and simple comments. The students should be given feedback and a task that allows them to improve their work through a low stakes activity to address missed learning. I am working with the team to develop systems to support this through line management and collegial approaches where staff share their work. I think that this will be an important development as students will gain more consistency in what they receive from each different teacher. Finally, this week I would like to share some news about our young Tennis star in year 8, Iganacio De Armas. He has been selected to travel to Miami in Florida to take part in 2 international tournaments. The first is the Little Mo Internationals from the 3rd-8th December, and the second is the Junior Orange Bowl, taking place from the 15th – 21st December, one of the most important junior tournaments in the world. We all wish him the very best of luck! He has also recently been in a photo shoot connected to his sponsorship with Marathon Sports. What an exciting time for this talented young man. EAL | SAL As part of the EAL/SAL department contribution in secondary, I am supporting English-speaking students in the Ecuadorian Social Sciences program. It is extremely satisfying to see the enthusiasm with which the students learn about our beautiful country and continent, our history and incredible geography, while developing investigative and reasoning skills. In both the EAL and SAL classes, this week we have been thinking about next holidays, celebrating Quito and preparing for Christmas that is just around the corner. Although we have seen vocabulary related to both festivities, we have also carried out more playful activities such as drawing and painting to decorate our "Quiteño Balcony". Mrs Ale Miranda Scharping. Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome ![]() Thank you to all parents for your flexibility and understanding last week with two days of home learning while the construction team managed the road repairs right outside the school. It was certainly a stark reminder of how we all lived and learned together for such a long term in the months before this school year brought us back together. What a relief to be able to return to the physical campus this week. On Thursday afternoon last week, I was invited to meet with the EDI student group (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) as they showcased their new website page. Designed to educate, inform and encourage and with the tagline ‘Acceptance without Exceptions’, this is the outcome of a challenge I set the group some months ago and to which they have risen remarkably. I am so proud to be able to share this with you now and look forward to the next steps for the site as it grows and develops further. EDI Website Finally! The moment we have been waiting for! Our website is here! Have you seen our home page? We designed it for you. And we are very excited for you to see it and tell us what you think. Check out the BSQ voices section, we are sure you will want to participate too. Have you seen our previous projects? They were all created during the pandemic! We know you have enjoyed our newsletter articles, now you can find all of them in one place. Get to know us through our website-there is something for everyone! Our EDI champions have been working really hard to create a platform where we promote ACCEPTANCE WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS. We want every member of our community to have a voice, a space to share their ideas and a way to interact with each other about very important components of education: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Here is the website in English, y aquí en español. Sofy-Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Why should you move here?! Following on from our last newsletter, in partnership with COBIS schools in Mexico City and the Bahamas, we wanted to share our stories of living and learning with children from very different places and with very different experiences. Here is another example of one of our students explaining ‘Why should you move here!?’ (to Ecuador) and another video from one student in Mexico - look out for more in the coming weeks.
BSL This week two of our Y11 students will be demonstrating two new signs: sorry and repeat, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead BSQ Directory Dear BSQ Community, For the PA, it is very important to support each other among all the Families of the British School Quito, for this reason we have created a business directory with businesses of the Parents of our Community. We hope that you consider as a first choice all the options for goods and services that our BSQ Directory offers. BSQ PA members Dates for your DiaryAs always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Thank you all for your patience and understanding during the forced road and hence school closure last week – we understand that this is frustrating for our students after we have finally returned to full face-to-face teaching but trust that you understand that these events are out of our control. Fortunately, our experiences of teaching and learning online mean that our students and teachers are able to continue interacting appropriately with each other and continue the process of learning, albeit with minor changes to the way we communicate and share that learning. One thing that has been a positive of this whole situation is the exponential rise in collaborative skills between students, teachers and parents, with everyone feeling more confident to share their ideas remotely and work towards a common goal. As the world becomes even more interconnected, this raises the possibility of allowing us to connect with people and cultures far beyond our school community, which can only benefit us in our mission to support our students to be lifelong, internationally minded members of the world society. We have several events coming up that will be shared with you in the coming days, for your calendars:
Marcus Madden Head of Primary Class 1A During this term, Year 1 has been exploring different weather types. This week, we have focused on cloud formations, in particular cumulus, cirrus, stratus and nimbus clouds. We have been drawing and describing these cloud formations in school and at home we have been cloud glazing with our families. In science, we created a cloud in a jar. We really enjoyed mixing all the components together to create a cloud. We learnt that clouds are not made of cotton candy but rather of water- how cool! Miss Kerigan & Miss Calero - Class 1A Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() The importance of attending school Last week I was discussing attendance at school with the team. On occasions we are all absent due to a critical medical appointment or through a serious bout of sickness. We have noticed that a number of students are away fairly consistently through other reasons which of course we are unable to authorise. The Ministry of Education does have a limit of unauthorised absences each year which could lead to graduation barriers but I feel that there is a much more significant cost due to the time missed with teaching staff as part of our learning community. If your son or daughter is away from school, they will be receiving a very limited learning experience and we would discourage this at all times. I thought I would share some facts about attendance and ask you to consider the impact of 85% attendance. This does sound like a high number, but it also means that the student is absent for 15%. Over a number of years this really does add up. Attendance impacts on learning Can you imagine now taking your son or daughter out of school for half of a school year and what impact would this have? It is an interesting thought. Do please consider carefully the impact of the next event where your son or daughter misses school. The years where public examinations take place are absolutely critical and with poor attendance, results will inevitably be impacted. We enjoyed some extremely purposeful conferences at the end of last week to discuss academic performance. Thank you so much for supporting us in this process. These conversations are valuable and contribute significantly to your son or daughter’s success. We are looking at the format of these meetings and how we not only frame the conversation but also record areas of strength and weakness. It is important that we set some goals together and use these for review at the next meeting to celebrate success or reshape activity. Ideally, over an academic stage these documents should show some progress over time. More on this to follow as we get nearer to the next event. By now you should have received lots of information and the new report with the new information. The information sheets do outline all of this for you but if you still have questions then please get in touch. Staff are in the process of adding new progress data to the system and after Christmas the summative tasks for the end of cycle 2 will be completed. I draw your attention to the letter I issued with the newest reports which outlined how we use targets and convert our grades to reflect grades from the Ecuadorian system. The CAT4 test is presented in English so we must consider that for the majority of our students this is a second language. This may impact outcomes with verbal and written communication. If the data suggests a C grade as a target, we do not rest on that – we target a challenge grade that equates to a C+. A challenge target means that we are as a matter of course targeting attainment slightly above ability. I am sure you will all appreciate our intention here. The current CAT4 outcome is not fixed so students will periodically sit more as they progress through the stages. This is a new system and we will be constantly reviewing this over the first couple of data cycles. Finally, we look forward to the Christmas Bazaar event that approaches. Previously the Secondary school has used the time for other academic matters, but this year we are trying to develop and widen the community opportunities now that we are back on site. The Secondary school will also be enjoying different activities on the day that students will opt into. We are confident that this will be a lot of fun and allow everyone to experience some of the local cultures and experiences. I am certainly looking forward to some door dressing, Ecuavolley, and some mural painting. More of this to follow. CAS The students from Y12 and Y13 did an excellent job organizing the Bonfire Night. It was an afternoon and night where the creativity, talent, and joy of all of us who are part of BSQ were reflected. The money raised was divided among the 3 CAS projects: Beyond Lagartococha, Second Chance, and Operation Smile. We want to thank the PA, the representatives of each class who collaborated with the teachers and TAs, each of the teachers, administrative and maintenance personnel who without their help and collaboration would not have been possible, thank you for trusting in our work. We also want to invite you to participate in the Christmas events organized by CAS students and community projects for the benefit of other foundations such as Ammen and Sinsoluka. And if you want to know more about what CAS is, we invite you to read the following information. Mrs. Paola Montenegro, CAS Coordinator Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome ![]() Last week there was a momentous conference in Glasgow in the UK called COP26 where leaders and conservationists and campaigners and environmentalists gathered to agree on the ways in which we can halt the destruction of our planet. Whilst there were many outcomes, it is interesting that the UK government has pledged to ensure that all children learn about Climate Change in their lessons and that there is a particular emphasis on improving the biodiversity in and around school grounds. Children will be able to participate in a new award. ´The Climate Leaders Award will help children and young people develop their skills and knowledge in biodiversity and sustainability, and celebrate and recognise their work in protecting the local environment. For example, young people may choose to undertake a project that delivers change in their local community, such as increasing the biodiversity of a neighbourhood piece of land or helping to deliver experiences for younger children to explore nature and local woodland.´ from www.gov.uk Here at BSQ we encourage all students to be respectful of the environment and, of course, enjoy spending time outdoors. In last week's newsletter you read about the chance to NatureSpot and share your pictures with us. This week we challenge you to choose one way to make a change in your life that will have an impact. Here are some ideas to help you. Thanks to those parents already carpooling – not only does it free up space in the Drive Through but it also helps the environment! Our student groups are working on a range of plans to make a difference so watch out for Green Week coming to BSQ soon. More from the students on that... The Student Council has been thoroughly planning a ‘Green Week’. Our aim is to create fun activities every day for a whole week with the purpose of educating and bringing awareness to relevant topics regarding the environment. We want to improve the impact we make in our community, and we believe that if we are able to create a small change in the school, and inspire the student body and staff to improve, we will make a bigger change! The green week will be full of fun surprises and competitions so keep an eye out because it’s not something you’ll want to miss! Anabella, Y12 student Why should you move here?! Following on from our last newsletter, in partnership with COBIS schools in Mexico City and the Bahamas, we wanted to share our stories of living and learning with children from very different places and with very different experiences. Here is another example of one of our students explaining ‘Why should you move here!?’ (to Ecuador) and another video from one student in Mexico - look out for more in the coming weeks.
Captain Polo´s Christmas Books: If your children like Christmas advent calendars and activity books, here are two activities books they will love. These Christmas books come with a strongly focused educational punch: learn what you need to know about climate change and what YOUR family can do about it! Book 1 Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9942407073 Book 2 Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9942406972 BSL This week two of our Year 10B students will be demonstrating a new sign: Happy Birthday, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Orange the World The 25th of November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, front line workers have reported that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, have intensified around the globe. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today. It also remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it. The adverse consequences of VAWG affect women at all stages of their life. For example, early educational disadvantages not only represent the main obstacle to universal schooling and the right to education for girls; these disadvantages are also to blame for restricting access to higher education and even translate into limited job opportunities for women. At BSQ, we promote fairness in education. We create opportunities for students and the community to confront stereotypes and biases to make sure all students are free to pursue their education without fear of discrimination or harassment because of their gender. The Student Support Department encourages you to start your own conversation about gender-based violence at home. Ask your family and friends about what they know and if you like using social media, spread the word using the hashtags: #GenerationEquality and #orangetheworld. General Open Day at BSQ We are inviting potential families who have children 3 - 16 who are not yet enrolled at BSQ to join us this Saturday November 27th at 9:30am in a dynamic session to explore our exciting and challenging curriculum! If you know some relatives or friends who might be interested in attending this event, please let them know they can register here: https://forms.gle/q2ddeKBpWrKdW5X79 Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() As we approach the mid-point of this relatively short term and rush towards the Christmas break (with only 5 weeks to go until Christmas Day), I am sure many of you are planning lots of exciting and engaging activities with your family. In today’s non-stop world, boredom is seen as a bad thing. This can lead to us overscheduling our children’s time and not allowing them enough opportunities for child-led or initiated play. Far from being a bad thing, periods of boredom, where children have to rely on themselves for entertainment, are essential to a healthy childhood. When children do not have structured activities planned for them, they are forced to be more creative and imaginative in finding ways to amuse themselves. Giving them opportunities to try things of their own making builds their sense of discovery and curiosity and helps them explore what brings them joy. Indeed, research has found that people who are given a range of boring tasks to complete show more imagination when they are then asked to take part in a creative thinking activity. Try these techniques for encouraging children to entertain themselves.
On Wednesday this week we have Elizabeth Gaunt, an expert in Volcanoes and Earthquakes, giving an online presentation to Year 3 and 4 students as part of their Topic learning. This is a great opportunity for the students to learn from an expert and also to ask relevant questions and do their own research – I know we are hoping that all the students will come dressed as Volcanologists using any clothes and accessories they have at home. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Y5B Recently in Year 5 we were excited to hold our very own ‘Space Day’ in which children dressed up in their best space-inspired outfits, played some space games, and most importantly used their learning from their first term to put together a design for a colony on Mars. Each team had to present a design, a model, and a persuasive speech for their Mars colony design; we even had our very own NASA Mars Colony Inspectors visit (who had a striking resemblance to Mr Madden and Miss Dean) to judge the best designs that would be awarded with $1 trillion worth of investment to build their colonies on Mars! The day was full of teamwork, links to our Science and Literacy curriculums, and plenty of fun for the children to engage with while thinking about the challenges of living on Mars. And all the while wearing costumes including astronauts, scientists, and even one robot! Well done to all of the children who engaged incredibly well with the full day of activities! Mr. Kevin Dobson, Year 5B Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() New reports and parent teacher conferences This week has whistled by with only three actual days at school. At the time of writing we are now engaged in the first round of parent teacher conferences for the year. These are really important occasions where we can all get together to discuss progress, identify any barriers to learning and agree interventions, and of course, celebrate excellent work and application. The teachers in Secondary are very busy with lots of appointments to deliver so my thanks go to you for making the effort to join and for your support and engagement in your son or daughters progress. This year you are probably now aware that we are developing a new style report and data system here at school so that progress is being checked and underperformance is being tackled with appropriate and timely intervention. You will now be aware of a target grade that we are working to in lessons This is driven from an assessment test that children sit periodically over the school years. On the new report you will see the test score and the grade that this suggests the child should be achieving. This grade is compared against the grade in each subject and you will get an indication of whether your son or daughter is underperforming, on target, or exceeding against their target levels. The report also gives you an effort grade for each subject – 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. I have asked teachers in the parent teacher conferences to share this data with you as part of their conversations. You will have received the report by Monday which outlines the overall performance and accompanying this is detailed information on the changes and what is presented. Do though ask someone if you do not understand as it can seem a little complicated at first sight. At the end of January, we will be reporting on Partial 2 and the summative assessment outcomes. With this report you will also get comments and assessment grades as was the case last year. Exams are upon us and year 13 start their important mocks next week. Year 11 will do the same in January. We intend to facilitate a second mock series for these year groups in March due to the fact that they will be sitting formal papers in the summer. The art of writing an unseen response with time limits will be a huge challenge and something that we will be practicing thoroughly. After the first set of Mocks year 13 parents will be receiving a second report which essentially discusses exam performance and attainment levels. This will give you all points of focus going forward into the new year. We will also be holding a further PTC session for year 11 and 13 parents once all of the outcomes are in to discuss these. Assessments for KS3 will not necessarily be a formal exam. Staff have been asked to prepare something that tests attainment and the grades allocated. This could be done in different formats such as a project or presentation. What is important is that students prepare appropriately and take the process seriously. Y7 First Aid - CAS This week Year 7 received a lesson in First Aid from Dr Sara and Year 12 CAS students: Anabella, Melany, Luis Martin and Daniela. The First Aid session was brilliant in encouraging safety because one of the first things we learned is that you must look after yourself and ensure your own safety as a priority, only then are you in a position to help others. We were trained in how to collect information and data about what happened and the patient's condition to pass onto the emergency services - which saves them time - as a valuable link in the chain of survival. We received training in potentially life-saving CPR, modelled by Dr Sara, and then we got to practise on resuscitation dummies. Thanks to Dr Sara and the CAS students, we feel more prepared that in an emergency we will be able to provide basic care and stabilise a patient until emergency medical services arrive. Mrs Natalie Moors, Y7 tutor PopSustainable Lunch Box As you may know BSQ is working towards a more sustainable way of living and learning and one of the many ways you can help is by packing a sustainable Lunchbox. There are many things in your Lunchbox that are damaging the environment without you even noticing. Here are 10 ways to make your Lunchbox more sustainable:
Can you think of any other small changes? Please do some or one of these things on our list and keep living waste free and sustainably! By: Lyla, Y8 student Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome ![]() Last week we collected some amazing videos from our students in years 1-6 as they were challenged to tell us ‘Why should you move here!?’ - to Ecuador of course. In partnership with COBIS schools in Mexico City, the Bahamas and Ascension Island we wanted to share our stories of living and learning with children from very different places and with very different experiences. Here is one example - look out for more in the coming weeks. We were so impressed by all the entries that we are going to ensure that they are ALL shared with the communities around the world and we look forward to seeing what our friends in other places think is so wonderful and special about where they live. Global Perspectives is an important element of all our studies here at BSQ. By incorporating a strong understanding of the wider world, we can help students to consider topics like globalization, identity, diversity, human rights, justice, peace, conflict resolution and building a sustainable future for everyone. By developing a cooperative approach to problem solving and shared responsibility, we hope to give our graduates the skills and determination to make a change in the world they inherit. I hope you enjoy the videos. BSL This week two of our Year 10A students will be demonstrating two new signs: washing hands and good work, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms. Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() This week you have the opportunity to speak with all of your child’s teachers to find out about their progress and the areas that we are supporting them as a team to improve. Please do note the time of your appointment (which will be on your child’s Class Canvas Page) and encourage your child to join you for a short while during this conference. One thing the teachers are often asked by parents is how they can best support their child at home. Of course, the answer is complicated, not least because every child is different and the same approach will not work with every child. The basics must also be in place first – your child should feel safe, secure and trusted, have the appropriate food, bedtime routines and of course opportunities to play and relax. The area I would like to focus on this week is how we find out about your child’s day at school. Traditionally, we would ask them ‘How was your day?’ and hope for them to share with us their learning, their thoughts and feelings and any worries they may have had. In reality, they will often respond very briefly, perhaps saying ‘OK’ or ‘Not bad.’ To really illicit more detailed responses to help us gauge their learning and how we can best support them, we must ask them more specific questions that require them to think more and actually reflect on their learning, experiences and feelings. Below are some questions that will help start that conversation:
Hopefully, you will all soon be having deep and meaningful conversations with your child about their learning at school and be able to support both their academic and personal development throughout the year. Marcus Madden Head of Primary KS1 Music Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife. -Kahlil Gibran. Music can also stimulate the mind. This has been the objective of the Music lesson during this year. In KS1, we started learning a steady beat. Steady beat is the most fundamental concept in music. It’s the ongoing, steady, repetitive pulse that occurs in songs, chants, rhymes, and music. The children have learned to keep a steady beat while clapping, snapping, stomping, moving their arms, and using percussion instruments. Steady beat competency impacts gross- and fine-motor skills. The ability to keep a steady beat helps children walk with a steady walk, run, pedal a bicycle, dribble a ball, and even use scissors and write smoothly. Children have begun to create their own musical patterns using flashcards and codes for body percussion. I am very impressed with the creativity and engagement the students have shown so far, which tells me we will be able to do great things during the school year. Ms. Ma. Fernanda Espinosa, Music and Performing Arts Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Normality almost – what a wonderful atmosphere. Finally, we are almost back to normal. Last week was one that we had planned extremely carefully with the arrival of all students on site. I will admit that I did have some trepidation on Sunday evening with the logistics but I am extremely pleased to report on how smoothly the process has unfolded and what an impact it has had on our community. The students have been impeccable throughout the week and they have responded with great responsibility to ensure that our processes and expectations are met. Well done all. I have really enjoyed break times seeing everyone all back together again. The students are relaxed and clearly happy to be reunited. There has been a wonderful buzz about the place as we slowly return to normality. Our senior students worked super hard last week in the final preparations for the Bonfire night fun. What has pleased me the most is the enthusiasm and determination to deliver such a carefully considered event. There have been some challenges and changes to plans, but to their credit the team have adapted and showed great resilience in the run up. These are credible attributes and will inevitably stand as great experiences for the future. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the form representatives for their support and time. We really are extremely lucky to have such wonderfully supportive and committed parents. On Thursday and Friday this week we look forward to the important opportunity for teachers to share progress with parents and students in the parent teacher conferences. I am sure that by now you have seen the communication around this and sent your appointment requests to Sandy. She will process these and confirm them by the end of the day on Tuesday. This is an important occasion where staff will be sharing information on progress against targets set from the CAT4 tests. This is new information for parents and the meetings are timed to coincide with the new report release and connected information to parents, and our new data tracking systems being implemented this year. I really do hope that you take the time to attend these important conferences. Students will be at home on these days to allow staff time to facilitate the meetings. Work will be set of course to keep everyone busy at home. Do assume that your son or daughter has lots to do! We have been considering uniform and a particular issue currently with the appearance of our female students and their preference for leggings in PE. These are only permitted for students in year 12 and 13. All younger students must wear the school uniform tracksuit bottoms. Mr Edwards and I will be reminding everyone this week. Finally, my thanks again for your cooperation and patience with the drive through over the recent week. It is hugely challenging for everyone currently and we are doing what we can to mitigate this as much as possible. I would like to thank you very much if you have pulled together and pooled resources to get into school. We certainly recommend the bus where possible and car sharing. The fewer vehicles coming through and suffering the delays and dust the better. Y13 Year 13 students are experiencing challenging times as part of their journey towards the culmination of their IB Diploma Program, for this reason, these weeks have been demanding because students must meet the deadlines for exam papers, one of these was the Extended Essays, better known as EE. On the other hand, they must continue with the development of normal classes, lessons, tasks and everything that concerns completing the contents of each subject. In addition, they must develop complementary activities that allow them to complete the CAS hours, an IB requirement. For this, the students propose projects that are within their reach to fulfill them. The Diploma Program develops students with an upright profile, above all with an international mindset, so that students are capable of transforming the society in which they live. The BSQ school environment offers them every opportunity to develop social, self-management, communication, research and thinking skills. This is appreciated in a practical way, since Year 13 students are preparing the activities for the Bonfire Spirit Night that will take place on Saturday, November 13; students organized into teams are preparing contests, the haunted house, the costume parade and the talent show. It will be the opportunity to show the great capacity and development of its potential. In the tutoring periods, at LLS we have covered topics of great interest such as admission to universities, privacy and social networks, risk situations and prevention of alcohol use. The attitude and good predisposition of the students even allows personal ideas to be presented without any reservation and with a high degree of respect, a situation that as a tutor pleases me immensely. We are also looking for all the strategies to support them and help them organize themselves, and in this way guarantee the success and fulfillment of all the challenges that they have to face in this last school year. Mrs. Patricia Tufiño, Y13 Tutor Spotting Nature Nature is all around, even in cities and towns! Birds, butterflies, bugs, flowers, trees, mushrooms, and even weeds! There is an abundance of nature in every city just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. As cities worldwide grow more densely populated, these green spaces are invaluable in helping people to feel connected with the natural world. Even though we’re all staying close to home, it’s important to remember that nature is a part of our everyday life—from spiders on bathroom walls to sparrows living on tile roofs. Taking the time to slow down and observe this nearby nature can be just as inspiring as spotting a wild animal on a distant trail. It’s much closer than you think. Whether you’re taking part in your garden, a local park, or a nature reserve, there’s a huge variety of wildlife that you might spot! You might be surprised how many species can be found in and near urban areas. No matter where you live, it’s important you find ways to spend time with nature and take a moment to appreciate it. Interesting research has even shown that watching nature documentaries can help boost many positive emotions like joy, amazement, awe, contentment, and curiosity. As a community we want to embrace the healing power of nature and celebrate tens of thousands of people all around the world, searching for and documenting their local biodiversity. Here are some of our students’ Nature Spotting! #SpottingNatureBSQ If you are further interested in exploring your local biodiversity and sharing the natural richness of your country do not hesitate to participate in #SpottingNatureChallenge by Global Forest Fund. Timeline November 1 - December 1 The challenge has kicked off on November 2021 How to Join:
More information: https://www.leaf.global/gaia2030-spottingnature Maite, Y13 student Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome (back)![]() I hope everyone had a wonderful mid-term break and is ready for the exciting events coming up over the next few weeks. This week the BSQ community takes another exciting and important step towards our school life reaching pre-pandemic operations as we welcome back the final phase of students to the campus. I cannot wait to see everyone together again. Of course, this has only been possible because of a phenomenal act of teamwork throughout this school year with parents, students and all staff members working together to ensure that we are able to reach this point. We will continue to observe our protocols and keep everyone safe so that learning and living together remains uninterrupted. In the meantime, we will also be working on updating our PICE so that we can change some other elements of those protocols to further open up opportunities for living and learning together. Year 13. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Year 13 class of 2022 for the excellent TOK (Theory of Knowledge) exhibition I opened on October 27th. What a wonderful display, or curiosity, intellect and hard work. There will be a full report elsewhere in the newsletter but for now – outstanding! Intervalles. Please take into consideration the current works in Intervalles (Mondays to Saturdays from 9AM-4PM and from 9PM – 2AM) and plan ahead. We will open the drive through 5 minutes earlier each morning to help with the traffic. Please drive forward as far as you can once you are in the school to support the families behind you. Finally, please consider using the school transport service as a stress/free alternative! Bonfire Spirit Night We are all getting excited about the return of this event at the weekend. Amazing work has been done by our Year 12 and Year 13 CAS teams, Ms Montenegro and the PA to make sure it goes with a bang! Whilst not everyone can attend this year, we will make sure there are lots of photographs to celebrate the spooky happenings. My thanks to the class representatives for agreeing to help. BSL This week 2 of our Y9 students will be demonstrating a new sign: social distancing, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms. Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Welcome back to Term 2 here at The British School Quito – I hope you and your family all had a relaxing break. We are delighted to welcome back all of our students to the BSQ campus. This term is quite short, with six weeks before the Christmas break, so lots of great learning opportunities to share with the students. There are three dates that I would like you to note for your diaries:
As the term progresses, there will be more events and activities that we will share with you – please do look regularly at the Parent Portal and Key Stage Canvas announcements. One thing I do want to ask you all to support us with is making sure your child has a suitable hat in school every day. Many students are still coming to school without a hat and are not able to play freely outside, having to stay in the shaded areas. The best thing to do is to send the hat into school every Monday and for your child to leave it at school, to be returned home on Friday to be washed ready for the next week. We look forward to sharing many more learning opportunities with your child over the coming weeks, in the countdown to Christmas (47 days as I write this!). Marcus Madden Head of Primary Y2B The first term of school is over and children in 2B have completed some challenging but also fun units on which we will continue building on during the next term. In Maths, after working for some weeks on Place Value, we have now moved on to Addition and Subtraction focusing on the column model. The children have been able to identify when they should exchange a ten for 10 ones in order to complete their calculations. It is important to pay attention to the operation and identify key words in word problems that could help us with our calculations. In Science, this term, we have been exploring animals and their babies, humans and the life stages of a human focusing on the changes that take place from the first stage (being a baby) to the last stage (being an elderly). In Literacy, during the last week, we focused on observing ourselves, our unique features and write sentences about the things we like but also the ones we don’t. The focus of the unit was to ensure that children are confident simple structures when writing focusing on capital letters, full stops and simple connectives. Have you identified some of your unique characteristics? We invite you to take a couple of minutes in front of the mirror and draw yourself on a piece of paper. Remember to draw yourself exactly the way you are! Have a look at our posters... Ms. Anna Vasilokonstantaki, Y2B Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() And breathe… What a wonderful week we had before the break with the excitement of the holidays upon us and the inevitable fun and activity connected with the Halloween season and the end of term. On Friday we enjoyed some excellent cricket in the house event for key stage 3 and the three-way football for the older students. It was a very well organised competition by Mr Edwards and well supported by the staff as ever pitching in. The cricket was repeated on Monday for years 7-10 so that everyone had the opportunity to be involved. It seems that the sport is catching on with the bat and stumps appearing in some PE lessons as well. As a British school we should of course be supporting this so much more of the game to come. The staff also had some fun after hours on Monday with them all travelling back to their own Primary years by throwing bean bags to targets. More importantly it was an opportunity for us to all get together and have some fun. Wellbeing for us all is extremely important and it was lovely for everyone to get together from all areas of the school. Please remember that we have the second round of vaccinations for those students who are involved on the first Monday back. We plan to run our normal lessons for all year groups as the Ministry are bringing their own staff. If your son or daughter is having their vaccination they can either stay at school afterwards or go home if you would prefer they had some recovery time. Year 13 will return after the break and look to starting a period of intense activity. I suspect that the stress levels will be rising so we all need to be supportive and gently encourage them in their journey. They will be finalising coursework deadlines, completing applications for university and sitting important mock examinations. Do please encourage preparation and revision over the half-term break as this will really help moving forward. I suppose the greatest thing to welcome next term is that we are finally all back together in lessons in school. We say goodbye to blended learning and we focus on getting back to the basics in the classroom with all members of our community. This is a huge step forward and a great relief to us all. What we have all endured over the last 18 months has been significant and what I am proud of most is the resilience of our children and staff as they have navigated through. It has been a challenge but also a great success. We are all better and stronger as a result of the experience. A huge well done to Mrs Madden and the year 13 students for the wonderful Theory of Knowledge Exhibition that was presented this week. Senior members of staff visited the event on Wednesday lunch time so that students could explain their deeper thinking skills. This is a key element of the IBDP in 6th form. I look forward to younger students visiting in the first week back to deepen their own interest in this important part of learning. Mrs Madden is also coordinating how we can embed some of the skills in younger years as we develop our curriculum even further. Finally, I would like to share an update on Rafaella and her achievement. She obtained the Silver Medal in the National Figure Skating Championship. Well done Rafaella! Y12B The students in Y12 have recently been deciding on their topic choice for the IB Extended Essay. The Extended Essay is a 4,000 word researched academic piece completed over the course of a year on any topic they wish to pursue. There have been some fantastic ideas already! This week the students were set up with their supervisors, who will help them to hone their ideas into a format that best fits the academic style of the assignment. The students are currently working on formulating a proper guiding title and starting their reading and research. TOK Exhibition On Wednesday 27th October The British School Quito hosted the first-ever TOK Exhibition. Year 13 students displayed three objects and a 950-word commentary to link their objects to one "IA prompt"(a question about knowledge). Objects included a Moy and Bstie 35mm hand-cranked cine camera in response to the question: How important are material tools in the production or acquisition of knowledge? and a Japanese folklore book published in the 1830's in response to the question: What role does imagination play in producing knowledge about the world? The Exhibition will be displayed for the next three weeks and all students from the Secondary school will have an opportunity to see it. TOK Coordinator, Mrs Madden, praised the Year 13's for their hard work and their engagement in explaining how their three objects linked to their chosen prompt to the visiting teachers and students from Year 12. LAHC Theatre Camp Aitana, Year 12, was part of the LAHC Theatre Camp celebrated on October 22nd, 23rd and 24th. During her participation, Aitana, along with group 6, created and performed a 10-minute thriller, showing her creativity and dramatic potential. Also, she had the opportunity to share experiences with students and teachers from Brazil, Mexico, Peru, etc. Here are some of Alan Downie's words regarding the event: "It was truly inspiring to see the way that these young people responded to the challenges that we gave them and I think that we had some really valuable feedback from them for future events." I can only congratulate Aitana for her participation and encourage her to continue making theatre, as is one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences in life. Ms Espinosa, KS3 Drama Teacher Have a wonderful week everyone and enjoy whatever you are planning.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome![]() Last week, along with 9 BSQ colleagues I started my training as a British Sign Language communicator. I now remember what it feels like to sit in an exam room under pressure. For four hours we studied the signs and took assessments to see what we could recall. Now when I log onto my account, I see my name greeting me – like this - which encourages me to return and complete my training Learning a new language is always challenging but we are all committed to sharing this new way of communicating so that we can embrace the diversity in the world around us. If you want to have a go at learning finger signing and beat the top scores then here is the full list of letter signs for both right handed and left handed signers. Now, here is a link to your test game. See how well you can do and let us know. British Sign Language Game. Good luck! Important news. Following much reflection, Marcus Madden our head of Primary, has decided that he will leaving BSQ at the end of this academic year. This was not an easy decision for Marcus following what will be four very happy and successful years with us but, along with his family, he feels it is time for the next step. Marcus joined BSQ in August 2018 and has had an enormous impact on the culture of the primary school in many ways but, in particular, in terms of wellbeing, parent relationships and student happiness. His work as our Dedicated Safeguarding Lead has been professional and meticulous in keeping our children safe – one of the most important elements of our work. I have enjoyed the warm and collaborative working relationship with Marcus and will miss him, both on a personal and professional level. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Marcus (and Sally, Lyla and Indie) the best of wishes as they consider their next steps. Of course, there will be many opportunities to continue living and learning together with the family throughout this year. BSL This week 4 of our Y8 students will be demonstrating two new signs, help and question, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms. Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead Y8 Community Project We would like to share with you what Y8 students have been up to in their community project. All learnt themselves and video last week. Amazing job! Mrs. Rachael Parkinson, Science Teacher Video Competition: Years 1 – Year 6 Only As a COBIS school we are going to be sharing our stories of our love of Ecuador with students in Mexico, Bermuda and beyond. For a chance to win one of 10 spaces on our Why should you move here?! Video, please send the video with the specifications below to Andrea Zambrano on [email protected] by Wednesday November 10th at 3pm. You can include costumes, colours, flags, food - anything that shows ECUADOR. Second Chance project, second generation. The project Second Chance has come back this year to continue the mission that the last generation left. This year we are still collecting used exercise books with blank pages to recycle them and create new notebooks to donate them to different foundations who can benefit from them. However, we are adding one more thing to our mission and that is to recycle toys that are still in good condition. For this event, which will last from Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 of November, we are collaborating with the PA team of community service to collect donations those days. These can include used notebooks, school supplies and toys, all in good condition and sanitized due to COVID conditions. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or your PA representative. Thank you for helping us make a change and protect our environment. PA and Second Chance project members Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() As we approach the holiday and prepare for Term 2, I want to reflect on a style of learning that we actively engage in here at BSQ – inquiry-based learning. This open-ended approach requires the students to investigate, question, research and be curious about anything and everything that interests them, often focusing on the students’ interests and encouraging them to find their path when it comes to learning. The teachers here at BSQ use a wide variety of teaching styles to ensure our students learn new skills and develop their knowledge and understanding – so why do we often choose this type of learning? Below are five benefits of inquiry-based learning for your child:
Our role as adults is to facilitate this process, not lead it, allowing them the time to formulate their own ideas, questions and solutions. The outcomes will be many and varied, but, most importantly, they will be their own! This holiday is a chance for our children to choose their own topic or theme and have the time to develop their knowledge and understanding independently. School finishes on Thursday 28th October, with most students returning on Monday 8th November. Provisionally, Year 1 students (aged between 5 and 5 years and 11 months) will be receiving their first vaccination dose on Monday 8th November, alongside Year 8-13 students aged 12 and above, so for these students there will be no school on Monday 8th November. These details will be shared with you when they are confirmed by the Ministry of Health. We wish you and your family a fun and relaxing break and look forward to seeing you all soon. Please also be aware of the provisional date for the Parent Teacher Conferences, which will be held online on Thursday 18th November, for details to follow. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Y4B In Year 4B we have been looking at persuasive writing including using imperative verbs, rhetorical questions and powerful adjectives. We created our own towns and cities with lots of different fantastic places to visit and see. Look below at our amazing writing and illustrations. Won’t you like to visit our towns? Miss Dean and Miss Martinez Y6 Worry Boxes and BSL signs For our recent Art Morning, on Saturday 16th October, Year 6 was set the challenge of creating something to help foster a welcoming and healthy classroom environment. We decided to create worry boxes to gift to each classroom in Primary. A worry box is somewhere children can post their worries anonymously, and then the problem can be discussed with the whole group and a solution found. Some children also created BSL signs to post around the school to help remind people of some basic emotions. Thanks for your efforts Year 6! Mr. Oliver Kyle, Y6 Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Celebrating important Values It is great to report on the success seen last Saturday when we were all involved with some excellent activities as a whole school. I would like to thank you all for your support in ensuring that the students were involved and working towards the outcomes over the morning. Attendance was excellent and some of the work really was wonderful. We were all extremely pleased with the engagement and the quality of what was submitted. Well done also to year 7 who bravely attended for their missing booster jabs in preparation for the COVID vaccination programme due in early November. Whilst we are suffering some disruption, of course there is a great deal of value in this for everyone’s safety. You may have noticed in the news this week that numbers are rising in some European countries and it is argued that this is attributed to a proliferation of COVID transmission amongst youngsters in schools. Things are different here at BSQ where we insist on the wearing of masks at all times, and hygiene and safe systems are a constant focus. I appreciate the sensible approach of our students and the fact that they never need to be challenged for not wearing a mask. Mrs Newman and I received a presentation from Miss Todd on Thursday for the initial plans for a new values recognition initiative. This is a really exciting development and something that will enhance even further the school ethos around our values and the promotion of positive attributes. We pride ourselves on how well we prepare young adults when they leave BSQ and we want to frame this even further. From a young age I would like to see students reflecting on their strengths and what they need to develop going forward. Talking with confidence for example is not easy for all. The programme will start in year 7 and 8 in January as a pilot and this will then be extended into wider year groups in August. It will involve an achievement portfolio and regular targeted and focused activity. This will be to not only recognise ‘value’ acts, but also for students to reflect on their personal journeys. D of E has gathered pace this week with a number of expedition groups starting the process of training with cooking under the supervision of Mr Dobson and his team. It really was interesting to see the food that was brought in and how students perceived the practicalities of expedition cooking. I imagine that there will be a change to the menus once they get to the real thing and they experience the limitations on equipment and the environment in the great outdoors. Gone will be the vegetable selections and the whole boxes of breakfast cereal. We are now considering enrichment and the staged return to normality in this important area. Miss Martinez spoke to all staff in Secondary and Primary on Wednesday to set out the next couple of months and the developments going forward. Wednesday Enrichment activities will be returning after half term but online until Christmas. Students who join clubs will be set a challenge each week to complete independently at home. In January if all goes well we hope to be doing enrichment at school again. More to follow on this. Looking ahead, Spirit Week will be postponed to November 13th when we look forward to the bonfire spirit night which will also have games, a talent show, Halloween parade and other fun events which are being organised by the CAS groups. More on this to follow. Finally, Mr Edwards set up a wonderful house event on Friday seeing the upper secondary school playing a 3-way football match and key stage 3 playing Kwik Cricket. Lots of fun was had by all in this important community event. He also planned an additional Cricket event on Monday for those students at home so they do not miss out. Well done Mr Edwards, the competitors and of course the staff who were helping. Working Saturday reports Key Stage 3 Halloween Poetry Competition On Saturday 16th October the students in KS3 were set the challenge of either writing a poem or recording themselves reading out a poem on the theme of Halloween! They had to make it as scary as possible using their words, designs or acting. It was a great challenge enjoyed by all. The students demonstrated happiness and determination in this task and despite it being a Saturday really gave it their all! There were some excellent submissions that were judged by an expert panel - they had a very difficult job picking their top three! Here are the KS3 winners who won the following points for their house: First place: 50 points Naomi Y9 Well done to all of the students who took part, the submissions were fantastic and a real credit to them all! All participants received 2 house points for their efforts. Ms Sadotra, Senior Leader Learning Key Stage 4 In their Saturday classes KS4 looked into the environmental impact of some of their favourite foods and made news or radio reports to raise awareness. Did you know that:
They learnt that it is important to consider the origin of food, distance travelled and farming techniques used to produce it. Ask them to tell you some of the information that they discovered. Are you aware of your foodprint, try the survey here to find out how your eating and shopping habits check out! Ms. Ruth Todd, Science Teacher Key Stage 5 Last Saturday was really productive and impressive, all IB students participated in different activities, showing their commitment, ambition, and determination. Y13 started their journey through the TOK essays with the support of Mrs. Madden - great topics and ideas were discussed. Y12 worked with their tutors and Mrs. Newman on their extended essay research questions - great start of ideas there too, and we also had a catch up session of ESS. All the students were awarded house points. Well done IB students!!! Mrs. Paola Montenegro, IB Coordinator Year 12 As Year 12 tutors our goal during this time has been the wellbeing of the students. We want to achieve this by giving them tools to organise the academic part and improve their academic performance. We also want the students to feel comfortable sharing their emotions and challenges with each other, and with the tutors. We wanted to know how the Year 12 students evaluate the support they have received from their tutors and the SSD, here are some of their testimonies: “How the student support department along with our tutors have helped us to create and safe and aware environment in our classroom about the social issues that teenagers usually face alone. This has helped all of us to have someone to trust in the school and be able to safely open up to someone.” “I feel that the classes we are having in LLS are very helpful this year, we are looking into new topics we have never seen before and I feel that our class and tutors create a safe space for us to speak and talk about our feelings. I feel that our tutors are amazing and help us all the time in a way we feel understood.” “I want to thank my tutors; they have been extremely helpful in the going-back process. They are great teachers and awesome mentors, willing to help us in any situations and helping us create a second family in school.” “I feel safe with Ms. Leon because she does everything in her power to make students feel comfortable and happy. She also puts effort into listening to us and showing us support when it’s needed. Not everyone is capable of being as kind as Ms. Leon so I’m very happy we have her as our counsellor.” Mr. Rodrigo Samaniego, Ms. Alejandra Miranda – Y12 Tutors BSQ Idol Talent Show This year Y12 and Y13 students join together to support 3 CAS projects: Operación Sonrisa, Second Chance, & Beyond Lagartococha and they are very eager to share with you that WE will be hosting the bonfire night on Saturday, November 13th, 2021. On that night WE will offer a vast number of opportunities to play games & experience events, that have been postponed due to COVID 19, more detailed guides & protocols regarding the Bonfire Night will be shared by the newsletter and the school social media next week, however, at the moment Y12 and Y13 would like to bring your attention to the BSQ Idol Show. Like previous years, there will be the opportunity for students of all-year groups to showcase their respective talents with the rest of the community on this night. To participate, the following steps must be completed:
We look forward to your participation. Mrs Montenegro - Samanta, Felipe, Aitana, Oliver, Anton and Alez y12 Y7 Science For the last two weeks Year 7 have been learning about the structure and function of cells in Science. They were tasked with making a model cell as part of their homework. They could have chosen to do a plant or animal cell. They were instructed to use as many materials as they could, and label their cells. As you can see from these pictures, some students got very imaginative with their choice of materials, including using food, and made some excellent model cells. They also went above and beyond what they were taught in class, and researched other organelles to add to their models. I was extremely impressed when they came running into class with their models. The dedication they showed to this task was excellent! Ms. Nadine Parker, Science Teacher Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome ![]() Some people might complain about working on a Saturday morning when all they really want to do is get some extra sleep (very important as we explored last week!) but last weekend I spent a very happy and productive morning with our Year 12 students as they explored the early stages of something called the Extended Essay (a 4000-word academic study - in case you are not yet an IB family). We explored ways to start our research, refine our questions and consider ways to reflect effectively and score top marks for this skill. It was great to see such focus and commitment culminating in some excellent presentations. I cannot wait to see how this group of students develop their thinking along the way. Across the school lots of other activities were taking place from art attacks to poetry competitions and community projects. Well done everyone. EDI Last Sunday, October 10th, was World Mental Health Day. It is a day for education, awareness and advocacy against stigmas regarding mental health. Although the date has passed, I think we should take advantage of the opportunity to learn and reflect. Lockdown was a time when we were particularly aware of mental health and how important it is to take care of ourselves mentally and physically. Now that things are going back to normal we shouldn’t forget to give mental health the same attention, let’s continue to check in and be kind to ourselves and others. The theme for this year's World Mental Health Day was ‘Mental health in an unequal world’. Unfortunately, mental health is another thing affected by inequality. Social stigmas surrounding mental illness often prevent people from accessing treatment: many fear they will be judged by family, friends or even in the workplace. A lack of education about mental health makes illnesses hard to recognize and seek treatment for. There are also racial barriers to mental healthcare, racial minorities are less likely to get treatment due to financial limitations and discrimination. By starting to learn about this reality we can begin to destigmatize mental health and create the change needed to make mental health care accepted and accessible for all. Naty – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] BSL This week 4 of our Y1 students will be demonstrating 2 new signs, confused and sad, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms. Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead Video Competition: Years 1 – Year 6 Only As a COBIS school we are going to be sharing our stories of our love of Ecuador with students in Mexico, Bermuda and beyond. For a chance to win one of 10 spaces on our Why should you move here?! video please send the video with the below specifications to Andrea Zambrano on [email protected] by Wednesday November 10th at 3pm. You can include costumes, colours, flags, food - anything that shows ECUADOR Bonfire Spirit Night Save the Date: This November 13th our students and staff will be celebrating our Bonfire Night! More information and details to follow. Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars:
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Thank you to all the students who participated in our Saturday Arts Activities and for sharing the results of their creativity and design. This week we have a group of teachers at school extending their knowledge and understanding of the benefits of using sign language with students. We already use many signs throughout the school and have seen that the students have been more communicative with each other and their teachers. This initiative also links appropriately to one aspect of our school values, the concept of being welcoming: We live and learn with a happy and welcoming attitude to everyone. Here at BSQ we hope that all the adults who work at school model this attribute on a daily basis, welcoming all members of the community, either in person or online. However, we actively plan activities that dig deeper into the meaning of this attribute, with the aim of ensuring that our whole community:
The Early Years and Key Stage One staff have their second and final day of external Phonics Training on Thursday 11th November. On this day, there will be no school for all students in Nursery to Year 2, with online activities posted for them to do at home. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Caterpillar Class It has been a great week in Caterpillar Class as the children continue to adapt to school life and routine. This week’s focus has been on family, where we have been reading ‘Every Family Is Different’ by Maureen Eppen. The children have been thinking about all the people who love them and using stamps and paint to make family trees (which include friends and pets!). We have been continuing to work on expressing our preferences. We have learnt how our likes and dislikes differ by smelling different things and also feeling different textures (such as pasta and jelly) with our feet! We have been continuing with shape and colour in Maths and also playing lots of games for the children to get used to taking turns and listening to one another. We are so proud of how the Caterpillars have handled themselves and their learning this week, and it has been especially lovely to watch friendships take shape and blossom! Ms. Isobel Anderson, Nursery Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() ‘Enrichment for enhancement’ What a wonderful week we have had again at school. A long weekend is always welcome as we all need to recharge our batteries from time to time. This applies to staff and students of course with all of the teaching and learning pressures, but also for you as parents with getting them organised and safely to and from school. At school we are now considering the quality of our teaching and our process of collegially developing our very high standards even further. This is a process that we enjoy and also benefit from enormously through our opportunity to collaborate and the share of ideas about pedagogy (the tools and skills we use to teach). I have also been meeting with our new enrichment coordinator, Ms Martinez, this week and agreeing on the action plan to develop this critical area of our curriculum. We are looking at a number of things we want to do to enhance enrichment provision at school. As I said recently, you will be consulted in the process about what you want to see more of within school enrichment sessions, and what after school opportunities you would like to see on a Tuesday and Thursday which you can buy into. We hope that in the not too distant future we will be in a position to reconnect with this part of school life, which is why we are planning now so that we are ready. For example, I have spoken personally with a couple of parents who have expressed interest in Music and we also intend to start looking at how we use the great facilities in our community. I am exploring how we can enhance the residential and adventurous activities year groups can do to further enrich their experience at BSQ. Events such as a short team building residential for year 7 in the first few weeks of the new academic year; a leadership course for year 12 at the end of their first year of study in KS5, so we can train everyone to be leaders, and identify the best leaders for year 13. I would like to see us take students on residential events as part of their curriculum under themes such as water sports, outdoor and adventurous activity (mountains), and ecology and environmental awareness in the jungle. I really do hope that these ideas are things that excite you. Look out for the survey and give it your support. Miss Todd is also working on how we not only reward students who regularly demonstrate our strong values, but also how they can record them. This will initially be for KS3 for a January launch in preparation for the new academic year. At this stage we hope to widen this even further for a whole school strategy. Year 13 are now fast approaching their mock exams which will take place at the end of November. This sounds like a long time away but it is not. These are super important as the outcomes will drive the actual predicted grades connected with applications for next year. Staff are preparing he exam scripts now, and in the next week or so will share topics etc. to allow the best preparation to encourage positive outcomes. We are also looking at how we can safely deliver elements of our calendar where normally the whole school and parents are involved. Secondary leadership has met with school leadership and the students who drive ‘Spirit Week’ have also met to plan a strategy. We are extremely grateful for their leadership and commitment to their very important CAS projects. Next week there will be more information on the plans and events taking place on Bonfire Spirit Night. We are determined that our students will have an amazing experience parading and performing. Remember, if you have news regarding your son or daughter, do please drop me a line with an image as I will be very happy to share their success here in the newsletter. With more things opening up students are able to return to their passions. Year 11 Year 11 have all managed to make it back into school and into physical classes. It has been great meeting students that I taught last year but never met. It is their final year of their IGCSEs, so incredibly important. I have started a form competition to encourage them to revise on the website/ app SENECA. Next time I can hopefully update you on how they have been doing. You are right, Ms Sawyers, it has been a total pleasure to have students again in class, definitely, human contact is indispensable to learn appropriately. Now, we are all at school since Berni, Dome, and Fede have finally incorporated into on-site school. Feeling the warmth of students in class is the perfect way to encourage both -students and teachers- to build knowledge and to experience through them. In Spanish Literature, we finally get to the end of Gioconda Belli’s poetry in which we have found several meanings that comes to us through the metaphoric and all figurative language of different themes that affects human beings; at first, they seemed to be just Nicaraguans or Latin Americans, but then, we could understand that all those are conflicts that are phased by many humans around the world like unfair, gender conflict, migration, dictatorship, motherhood, or the coming old age. Spanish Literature class are now preparing a fantastic project of Art and poetry in which they will give their own perceptions of Gioconda Belli’s poetry. On the other hand, in LLS this week, year 11 had the pleasure of guest speaker Ms. Sofia León coming in to talk to them about Alcohol. It was a great opportunity for the students to reflect about the effects and risks of drinking alcohol and how to deal with the social pressure that more than once forces young people and adults to drink alcohol and live really dangerous moments that can mark their lives forever. Ms Sawyers and I, as Y11 tutors, are sure that this 2021-2022 school year will be a magnificent one. At the moment, students are coming back to their normal study habits, but strengthened by the hard life lessons the world and themselves have experienced due to COVID pandemic. Students in year 11 have been invited to compete in a revision competition on SENECA, a free online learning platform. Ms Sawyers has invited teachers to detail the specification that the year 11s are studying and she will be setting up the page for the form to spend time revising each week to encourage them to plan and organise their study time and prepare, little by little, for their final IGCSE exams. Mrs. Rocío Rueda and Miss Natalie Sawyers Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome![]() I hope you all enjoyed the chance to rest and relax during the long weekend. It is so important to have some space to switch off. A recent health study suggested that actually short breaks are better for you than long ones – but only if you really do switch everything off. It is not easy to do that when your devices are showing updates, notifications and ´to do' reminders but of course it is possible to simply shut your device down and remember that the world will turn without you for a couple of days. The impact of too much screen time is well documented but it is not just the obvious things like strain on your eyes. We should also be conscious of poor sleep patterns, increased weight and potential loss of broad-based cognitive ability. Technology brings us so much value and richness and learning how to use it safely is certainly something we explore in our PSHE and Life Skills lessons here at BSQ. We also make sure that there is a good, healthy balance between screen time and other cognitive activities so that we can share the best of both worlds with our learners. EDI We are currently living in a world where knowledge is overflowing & can be overwhelming at times. By our natural state, we are subject to ignorance, meaning that there are many actions we take that may unknowingly hurt others which is why we want to raise awareness of ableist language. For context, ableism is the hate or prejudice against disabled people, rooting from the idea that they need to be 'fixed'. Ableist language you may unknowingly use; Stating 'I'm so OCD' because you are clean, tidy, or a perfectionist. There is the common stereotype that people diagnosed with OCD are people who organise their books by alphabetical order, their pens by colour, & grow annoyed when things are out of order. These behaviours are more perfectionist than OCD. A more accurate depiction of what OCD is really like may be other disorders such as Trichotillomania, where people have an uncontrollable urge to pull their hair out - often leading to bald spots. The misuse of this phrase perpetuates false stereotypes of what OCD is like, often leading to those who suffer from real OCD doubting their disorder - making them avoid help. Lame; The origin of the word lame dates back to the year 900 & it originally meant 'crippled', 'paralytic', 'with an injured foot or leg', or 'weak'. The meaning has now turned around to a word with connotations to 'boring' & 'uncool' sustaining stereotypes of disabled people being 'boring' or 'uncool'. R-Slur & Moron; These words began as medical terms to classify disabled people as 'lesser' & disabled people are now fighting in order for them to be formally removed from medical language. Sami – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] BSL This week 4 of our Y1 students will be demonstrating 2 new signs, confused and sad, using BSL. Please watch this brilliant video: Ms. Hayley Dean, KS2 Lead Dates for your Diary As always please check this section carefully and ensure that you have all the details in your calendars.
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Following on from last week’s focus on Respect and Care and how we use the school values as a driver for many of the learning opportunities we undertake here at BSQ, this week I would like to explore our second school value and specifically the word ‘happy’: We live and learn with a happy and welcoming attitude to everyone. As a staff, we aim to explicitly refer to the school values when speaking with the students about their progress and personal development. Our Primary Student Council expanded on this concept of happiness by encouraging us all to:
This concept naturally links to our learning about respect and care – if we as an individual are respectful and caring towards those we come into contact with, it is more likely that they will reciprocate these attitudes and we will be happier and more content. At our weekly Star of the Week assemblies, we make a big point about celebrating each other’s successes and being happy for our friends if they have achieved something they are proud of. We also discuss with the students about the importance of recognising our own achievements, even if we sometimes are tempted to compare these to the achievements of others. Being content, happy and proud of our own achievements is a good starting point for being understanding and compassionate about others; if we are not satisfied with ourselves then we may show signs of jealousy of others. Recognising our own strengths and the things that make us unique is equally as important as knowing our areas for development and things we are not so good at. Now that the weather has changed, it is more important than ever that you make sure that your child has the appropriate clothing and sun protection each day, including a suitable hat and something waterproof in case it rains at home time. We have had several severe storm at exactly the time we leave for the buses or drive-through! On Saturday, we host our first online activity of the year, with a focus on Art and Design. Your child’s class teacher will share the exact details, with each class having a slightly different environmental focus. The students will join their Class Canvas page at 9am on Saturday for an introduction to the project, before working independently until about 11:30am, when they will join the Class Canvas page again to share their learning with their classmates. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Year 3A The children in 3A have recently completed learning about the famous ‘Dick Whittington’ traditional tale in Literacy. This links to the Big Question which has guided our learning in Topic lessons: Why do people move? We have learnt how to ‘magpie’ key words and phrases from different versions of the story. We have also worked on including key conjunctions to extend our sentences. In addition, the children in 3 A have learnt how to include setting description and dialogue in their stories and appeal to the reader’s five senses. Below are some example sentences of our recent ‘Hot Write’ which was later improved by editing and using peer assessment and self-assessment strategies: ‘Once upon a time, in a poor village, there lived a poor boy called Dick Whittington.’ (Daniel) ‘Tired and hungry, Dick Whittington slept in the doorway of a rich man’s house.’ (Viviana) ‘One day, Dick went out and found the best rat catcher in London.’ (Alfred) ‘Dick became a famous artist and he got married.’ (Ania) ‘‘I want to go to London,’ said Dick.’ (Sofia) ‘Dick was in London but he was sad because he didn’t see any money.’ (Bella) ‘The merchant, Bob, felt sad for Dick because he was poor so he gave him a job.’ (Julian) ‘Dick travelled to London because he had heard that the streets were paved with diamonds.’ (Victoria) ‘Dick couldn’t sleep because the rats bit him.’ (Mauricio) ‘Then Dick Whittington became King of London and he was so happy!’ (Aritz) ‘Jack slept by the fire but there were spiders biting him there.’ (Sergio) ‘Dick married the merchant’s daughter.’ (Lucas) Mr. Tim Graves, Y3A Teacher Year 6 Literacy Year 6 were studying Native American Myths in their Literacy and had focused on one particular myth, The Wise Owl. We broke the myth down into its various parts and discussed it's features and language before re-telling it in our own words and adding some innovation to the problem and resolution section. Both Indie and Jose Tomas showed incredible creative flare in their work, having incorporated a range of taught literary skills as well as their own ideas. We wanted to share their outstanding work with the school. Enjoy. Mr. Oliver Kyle, Year 6 Teacher Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’ Thank you all for your patience and understanding on Monday whilst the Secondary school acted as a vaccination centre. This was an interesting experience for the teaching staff, suddenly thrust into the world of healthcare. It was good to see the bravery and determination on the faces of the students as they negotiated the needle without mum or dad who were perhaps in the car having to wait. The event ran super smoothly as ever due to the planning and communication executed by the Administrative team. It is good to see the teamwork when two groups of staff collaborate. Well done all. We also welcomed all of the year 7 students to the campus for the day. This was a huge success with lots of fun activities designed to engage some active learning and promote teamwork between this set of students. The activities arranged involved an escape the room exercise with lots of teambuilding work, there was also some PE where the students played Dodgeball, some Science experiments and problem solving in groups and finally, an investigation into the role rats and hygiene played in a death. Don’t worry, this was not a real incident but some learning about historical plagues. A nasty ending indeed! The middle of the week whistled past extremely quickly but we did have the opportunity to enjoy an international Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award presentation. This event was streamed online with Prince Edward addressing the global audience, amongst many other things of interest. All of our DofE participants were invited and hopefully the experience will go in some way to inspiring them for the future and achieving their own Gold Award. On the subject of DofE, the planning and training is gathering pace under the excellent leadership of Mr. Dobson. He has a number of staff helping and it is good to know that they are planning adventurous journeys for the New Year. The training for this is starting very soon on Wednesday afternoons and for students to take part in the trips themselves, they must stay and get involved in the activities which prepare them for the camping and navigation so that they are not only successful but safe as well. We are very lucky to have such an experienced set of staff who are prepared to give their time to these time consuming extra-curricular activities. It seems that the long weekend was planned in perfectly and this is just what we all need to rest and refresh for the run in to half term. When we get back attention turns to exams, especially for year 11 and 13. Things are gathering pace and the focus is rising for these important exam groups. I know that they all are working super hard to attain at the highest level. If cracks do start appearing at home, then please let us know so we can intervene. Finally, this week I would like to share an update on Joaquin and his equestrian achievements. Last Saturday, in the tournament held in Las Palmas Polo Club he won first place in his age category, the junior B event. His riding is improving all of the time and clearly he is a prospect for the future. Well done Joaquin. Remember, if you have news reading your son or daughter, do please drop me a line with an image. PE – Just Dance It has been fantastic to see the students give so much in their physical education lessons. Despite the long time out of school the enthusiasm and laughter in lessons has been a reminder of how much we have missed physical lessons. Whilst keeping to safety rules, students have been learning Lacrosse, Tennis and have been completing a series of baseline fitness testing. I have been very impressed as this is the first time students have played lacrosse and it hasn't taken long to see students improve across all components of fitness. On top of all this, a highlight since being back has been the whole school just dance competition. I look forward to seeing the students continue to develop their skills as we move forward with blended learning. Mr. Bradley Edwards, PE Teacher Year 8 Humanities Y8 has been studying ecosystems in humanities. We focused on the adaptations made by some specific animals in the desert environment and why they made these adaptations. For homework students were asked to design and create their own desert animals, making sure they labelled them with the adaptations of how they lived in the desert. Ms. Natalie Sawyers, Humanities Teacher
Have a wonderful week everyone. Lee Moors Head of Secondary |
CategoriesArchives
May 2024
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