Welcome![]() I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and are looking forward to this last push towards the summer holidays. With 5 weeks of learning time left in this academic year, the BSQ community is busy preparing for celebrations of achievement, attainment, commitment and determination throughout this long and challenging year. The staff are reflecting on the awarding of certificates to students who have worked hard, made significant contributions to the class, supported others, smiled, been brave and made progress (amongst many other categories). Despite the long time we have been at home, our students have found ways to continue to develop and grow – and even suggest ways to improve our school environment when we get back. I was delighted to receive a collection of letters from Y4B last week where they were sharing their persuasive proposals for more play equipment at BSQ. Here are some extracts that particularly impressed me although all the letters were well-written and clearly planned for maximum effect! Well done 4B. A request for a vegetable patch: Firstly, a good reason to have a vegetable patch is to help the students learn to take care of plants. These vegetables could be used for charity and we would be able to help many people as well. Surely, with this we will have more nature around us. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to help people in need? (From Melissa) A request for a slide: Please put the slide in because it helps the children to exercise and a natural way of climbing to the top of the ladder also helps with their leg strength and coordination. Sliding helps develop the vestibular system therefore their sense of balance and unstructured play allows children to develop their vestibular system. (From Ojas) About why we should buy swings: Are you thinking about why you should buy swings? This is why. First, only on a physical level, swings are extremely positive tools that promote muscle development, flexibility and coordination. They help develop balance, gross and fine motor skills (modulating grip strength and hand, arm and foot coordination) and strengthen the heart! (From Ximena) Sustainable goals. As you will all know, here at BSQ we are committed to educating our community about sustainability and changing behaviours as a result. We have strong student groups working on this, committed staff and parents who get involved when we hold events. We are also lucky to have wider community members to offer support, advice and guidance. Today we welcome Sylvia Harcourt to our newsletter. ![]() SYLVIA HARCOURT I have a B.Sc from Nottingham University (UK) in Zoology and an M.Sc from Bangor, North Wales in Ecology. As a biologist I have worked in Africa in Rwanda studying Mountain Gorillas, in Kashmir observing Hangul deer and for many years in Ecuador, mainly in Galapagos. I am a Governing Member of the Charles Darwin Foundation and also now do biological and conservation translation work. Travels over the years have taken me to National Parks in Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Peru and Costa Rica – all countries with amazing wildlife and all in need of protection. I have been involved with the BSQ for 26 years as a parent, bi-lingual class assistant, Vice President of the PTA, and President of the Board. For the last 4-5 years I have worked as a Consular Agent with the British Embassy. In 2006 I was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for my conservation and education work in Ecuador. For me education has to be a priority for conservation to succeed. A big question now that we all need to ask ourselves is - can one personally do anything useful about our climate emergency, the loss of plant and animal life (biodiversity) and the high levels of pollution in the world, whether from pesticides, plastic, car fumes or excess light at night – or are these problems that the Government and big business have to solve? I hope my article helps answer that. CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD. 2021 You may wonder what food has got to do with biodiversity and climate change – a lot. Two big international organisations have started campaigns connected with food and COP26, the big climate change conference to be held in Scotland in November. Both groups are targeting animal rights. One group is requesting COP26 provides only vegan – or at least vegetarian – meals at the conference. The other group is doing a massive campaign against McDonalds – the biggest meat consumer chain – because a large part of its supply comes from Brazil, where forests are being cut down to make way for cattle or for growing soya to feed domestic animals – cattle, chickens, pigs. Their push is not just because of land destruction and the threats to biodiversity, but also because of the appalling conditions that animals are kept in. Animals kept in “factory farms” are given daily antibiotics as they are in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, but need to be kept “healthy”, so they grow faster and fatter. 70% of the global production of antibiotics is used on farm animals. McDonalds are being pressured to re-consider their antibiotic policy. 70 billion (roughly!) animals are in factory farms. Keep in mind that most pandemics have been produced by viruses jumping from domestic animals to humans and this is made so much easier by the close proximity of millions of workers to factory farmed animals. At present humans make up 36% of the biomass of mammals. About 60% of mammal biomass consists of cows and pigs and wild animals now make up only 4%. Farmed poultry contributes to 70% of all bird biomass while wild birds only 30%. These figures are terrible. The food industry, which can be divided into production, processing and distribution, produces 26% of all greenhouse gases (GHG) which contribute to climate change. The combined production of livestock, fisheries and grain crops (much of which goes to feed animals) produces 58% of the GHG that is produced by the food industry. That means just the production of our food contributes around 14% of all GHG. Another rather terrible figure is that 70% of all fresh water is used for agriculture and 1/3 of that water is used for animal production. The average water “footprint” per calorie of beef is 20 times larger than to produce cereals or root crops. And as the human population grows, all these figures will grow too. Many people ask “but what can I do, I feel helpless”? So “Let’s get active, not anxious”. If each of us takes action, even if only a small move, it begins to make a difference and companies start to notice – and the planet starts to recover. Make small changes in your diet. I have long advocated “Meatless Monday”, but even better, go vegetarian three days a week! Start cutting back how much meat and dairy you eat as we don’t need animal protein every day. Make your diet more plant based. Reduce food waste. Don’t put more on your plate than you are going to eat, don’t buy more than you need. Little actions but if each of us do something the total effect adds up. “Take care of the planet – there isn’t another one with chocolate!!!” By: Sylvia Harcourt Let´s talk about emotions Emotions are natural reactions that appear in our body in response to what is happening around us. We cannot control them and they make us feel in different ways. Some are more pleasant than others, but it is important to remember that they are all necessary. By accepting them we will be able to manage and learn from them. Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() At the beginning of this short week, I wanted to welcome you to the beginning of Term 6, our final term of this academic year. Although we have changed to four partials for external reporting purposes this year, instead of the usual six, we have kept the use of six terms to help split up the year into manageable chunks of learning. Term 6 is when we complete the expected learning in each year group and also assess the students’ knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways, before completing the final written report for the year. As part of this process, all students in Years 2 to Year 6 will complete the final Progress Tests in English (PTE) and Progress Tests in Mathematics (PTM) in mid-June. We also host a variety of events and activities to prepare the students for their move to a new year group, focusing on those students who are moving key stages (Reception to Year 1, Year 2 to Year 3 and Year 6 to Year 7). More details about this will be shared in the weeks to come. Please also make a note in your diaries of other important dates coming up:
Marcus Madden Head of Primary Year 4 - Topic This term in topic we have been answering the question ‘What influences great artists?’ looking at the famous and inspirational artist Frida Kahlo. Over the term we have been researching her history, where she lived and investigating a range of different pieces of her collections, understanding the meanings behind her paintings. As we were learning about her influences such as: her background, her family, her culture and how people perceived her. We then used a range of activities such as recreating a Frida Kahlo picture ourselves, learning how to build up to our final creation of our own portrait in the style of Frida Kahlo. Here are some of our photos from our development process and some of our final pieces. Year 4 - Literacy Over the last couple of weeks, we have been reading “Flanimals” by Ricky Gervais. Flanimals are weird and wonderful fictional characters, and in the book you learn about their behaviours… which one you want to meet, which ones would eat you up and which are just plain weird! We designed our own Flanimals and tried to design them each with different personalities. In order to write fantastic descriptions about them, we looked at the author’s use of sentence structures - specifically the use of sentence openers. Have a look at the Flanimal writing Year 4 have produced. Can you see the different personalities? Can you see what sentence openers we looked at? Which Flanimals would you like to keep as a pet? Which would you definitely want to avoid? Thank you so much The year 4 team EYFS Update Dear parents, Welcome to the first week of Term 6, we look forward to working with your children in the final stage of this academic school year. This final chapter does come with new challenges as many changes will be arising soon in your child’s daily routine. Because of this, we want to invite you to encourage open conversations at home about emotions and how to manage them effectively. To open a conversation like this with young children, it is important to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where each child feels comfortable and secure. A fantastic way to create such an environment is through a cooking or baking activity. Here are two fun and simple recipes you can do at home with your child to open a space for a productive conversation. Enjoy the delicious food! Antonella Coronel, Head of Early Years Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Deep thinking; preparing for the world of work, future study, and exams We have enjoyed a most rewarding week as teachers now gear up to deliver the final tasks of the year. Year 11 have been absolutely amazing this week and they have completely committed themselves to the introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) core element of their IB studies next year. Our TOK team have imparted the basics of this line of study. It is a slightly different learning concept to the norm and perhaps requires students to think differently and more deeply. Students will be asked to deliver a thoughtful and purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing, and into different kinds of knowledge. TOK is composed almost entirely of questions. The most central of these is "How do we know?", while other questions include:
Through discussions on these and other questions, students gain greater awareness of their personal and ideological assumptions, as well as developing an appreciation of the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives. The skills here are most certainly beneficial to degree level study, and when I recall my own studies at University, I was often asking similar questions when considering wider research and literature. Next week year 11 will be taking part in our online version of work experience, which this time has an angle to help students prepare CVs, write applications, and experience a formal interview.. I am really looking forward to posing questions to students as they vie for jobs this week. Year 9 are experiencing taster lessons for the next line of study in IGCSE, and the staff are showcasing their subjects. All conferences are on the year 9 form page and we expect all students to attend these, irrespective of their current choices. In August there will be some flexibility in case any have changed their mind. Next week we will be releasing the exam schedules for years 7,8,9,10 and 12. Year 10 and 12 will be having a more formal exam approach in line with their syllabus and assessment needs, and for this they will also be given revision guides. We really want them to be as successful as possible. Exams will be in lessons and supervised by their teachers, and the grades will reflect on their hard work over this difficult year. Do please encourage revision and preparation for these important end of year exams. Have a wonderful week everyone Lee Moors Head of Secondary Year 13 Since successfully wrapping up all of their IB coursework, Year 13 are now turning their attention to their futures. Teachers have been working hard to create lessons that they will be able to use in their new and exciting next steps, whether that be university, work or a gap year. We asked Year 13a to share some thoughts about some of their favourite lessons from these new courses and this is what they had to say: Lautaro: I have most enjoyed the lessons about general healthcare like exercise. It contained more information than I was expecting and I will definitely become warier of in the future. These classes are really interesting and I am thankful for helping us with these. Gala: I have most enjoyed TOK. This new curriculum is more focused on debates, which we did not get the chance to fully explore whilst doing the IB. I particularly liked the focus on ethics that our "great debate" had. That is something I am very interested in, and wish I had explored more in other subjects. This was a good opportunity to explain to my classmates my view on empathy – one that I have developed a lot these last months. I am not particularly fond of debates, but having experience with this subject (either by reading books or watching videos related to empathy or by having experiences strictly linked to the topic) made it appealing. I gained more confidence in my communication skills and managed to participate more than I expected. Martinna: I really enjoyed the "health series" with Mrs. Luengo. These lessons clarified a lot of doubts I had and myths I believed. Also, I liked the lesson about feeling homesick since it was a very true conversation with Mrs. Leon and the tips were practical and helpful. I loved the first aid lesson. Especially because we got to watch an episode from The Office and we got to discover different songs that work with CPR. The first aid tips were really helpful and a lot of myths were clarified. Tomas: I have most enjoyed Spanish lessons. I have also continued to develop my research skills and have been able to involve myself in a subject I find incredible but did not really understand, pharmacology. Anna: I have enjoyed the basics of first aid with Mrs Madden. I laughed at the video clips of The Office. The videos were a fun way to learn about what not to do in an emergency. The information that stuck in my mind is that we can use the beat from the song Staying Alive by the Bee Gees to know how many chest compressions we have to do for CPR. I also enjoyed Dr. Sara’s sessions. These sessions were extremely informative. She explained in depth the importance of exercise, nutrition and sleep. Ms. Sara Avent Year 9 Humanities Students in year 9 humanities had the opportunity to debate whether Euthanasia should be legalised through thinking from both sides of the argument and putting forward their points and the ideas of others. They worked in small groups with their given viewpoint and then opposed the views of another group. Ms Sawyers, Humanities Teacher Year 9 Spanish The students in year 9 were given the task to help them to see the hidden feelings behind the words of some amazing poets. In groups they analysed poems and then created videos containing their poem and images or representations that conveyed the central sentiment. Over the coming weeks I will be sharing the work of each group. This week it is the work of Isabella, Gonzalo and Felipe. Mrs Tufino, Spanish Teacher
BSQ Equality & Diversity Committee Education access in Ecuador has been an important challenge that the country has faced for decades. Even before the pandemic, some important sectors struggled to get resources they needed. Now, the problem has gotten even worse. Children from all places in the world have lost their right to education or it has become a privilege. Families struggle to pay for electronic devices and internet connection in their houses. The COE Nacional made rural schools a priority in the PICE program that aims a national gradual return to school. However, the increase in COVID cases has created obstacles in the continuation of the program. This situation is one of the many problems the pandemic has brought to minorities. It adds another reason for us to take care and practice biosecurity measures. It is our job and duty. G-Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected]
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Welcome![]() This week I have been attending and hosting sessions at the annual COBIS conference in amongst the normal, everyday business of BSQ. The topics have been wide ranging and engaging, including Coaching, Safeguarding, Diversity, Marketing, Using Data and a wealth of opportunities to meet other school leaders and share experiences and ideas. Orbital are also running their 2021 online conference this year and exploring Wellbeing, Language Teaching, E-Tech and Accreditations – amongst other things. Whilst online conferences are not always necessarily the most heart-warming or personable events, they are certainly productive and allow far more people to be in the same ‘place’ at once and share their challenges and solutions. This year we will once again be celebrating some of our key moments online and whilst we may feel disappointed by that, we can at least manage to share the special events with friends and relatives all over the world (time differences aside!). Make sure you have our key dates below logged in your diaries so that you can celebrate with us. LAHC - Wingate School Interschool Chess Tournament A LAHC member school, The Wingate School would like to invite any middle school pupils (ages 10-14) to compete against our Chess Club at 5pm (Mexico City time, GMT -6) on Thursday 10th June 10th, 2021. The tournament will be played on chesskid.com. Each child will be given a chesskid login and a zoom link. On the day, pupils will need to join the zoom meeting with their logins and then they will receive further instructions. To register, please respond your interest here and provide a list of pupils that would like to participate, including their names and ages, by the 28th of May. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Colin McDonald at the Wingate School ([email protected]). Let´s talk about emotions Mental and emotional wellbeing is as important as Academic development. We just wanted to remind you that acknowledging your emotions will make easier for you to guide your children to recognize theirs. Ms. Nicole Camacho Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Last week I shared some thoughts about the importance and benefits of reading regularly with your child. Here are some suggestions to help you support and encourage your child to improve their reading skills, once they have learnt how to segment words and decode unfamiliar words Questions for discussion when reading:
Other ways to help your child with reading:
Have a great week of reading and please do share any success with your child’s class teachers. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Ms. Natalie Cook – Year 1 Teacher This term Year 1 have been working on their ‘Artist’ theme with a focus on colour. In Science they have explored rainbows, completing experiments to make their own rainbows and they also used skittles to see how colours mix together. In Topic Year 1 have looked at the artists Teo Monsalve, Beatriz Milhase and Joaquin Torres Garcia. They then created art inspired by their works. In Art the children have learnt about Primary and Secondary colours and also explored different techniques they can use with watercolor paints. EYFS Update Dear parents, Over the last week, the Early Years Foundation Stage students have been learning about food and how they can help us stay healthy with characters like Supertato, a crime fighting potato that uses his powers to save others! In the Reception class, the students took on the challenge to taste different vegetables, even ones they previously thought they did not like. They rehearsed expressing their opinion by saying ‘I like’ or ‘I don’t like’ after tasting each one. Are you up for the challenge? Antonella Coronel, Head of EYFS Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Let’s reflect and celebrate The end of the year is in sight and we should consider what we have achieved in our community since the beginning of August last year. For me it has been one of the most difficult, but also one of the most rewarding years in my career. I say this as it is the first time I have taken a new position and have not met the staff and our wonderful students in a normal school setting. Thinking back, I for one never thought that we would still be in the same situation now. What we must do is reflect on the journey and celebrate all of the many positive things that have been achieved by the teaching staff and the students. On Wednesday evening I listened to the wonderful presentation that was given to prospective parents by members of the leadership team. There were a number of highlights, but what struck me was all of the amazing things that we have achieved irrespective of the fact that we have been and still are, online and away from our campus. This is of course the physical community but in a real community sense we have just moved this online. There are very few things in our usual school business that have been impossible to achieve. Also, overall, our students have been engaged, flexible, enthusiastic, and resilient when facing the challenge of learning through a computer. This is not the first time I have said this. As a teacher myself, being that this is our first responsibility, even as a leader, I have had so much work commitment and engagement of a high quality and detail in the work from the children I teach. The physical book has moved to the online medium and in some cases, these are now over 100 pages in length. Some are so big in content they have had to be archived for a new version so that when opened, they do so at a reasonable pace. I am constantly impressed by the innovation that students show in presenting ideas or giving evidence in the challenges and activities they are given in PE. Their use of media through film and imagery is astounding, and their ability to reflect and consider their performance is developing rapidly. We will all be enthusiastically taking many experiences and developments with us back into school when we do eventually get there. I wonder if some of these things would be as strong if we had been in school and not online. Let us celebrate and be thankful for all that has been achieved. Year 9 Science Year 9 have been working extremely well, as they have for the whole year, leading the school in the number of house points that they have collected as a class. A special well done to Maria and Mikaela who have the second and third most number of accumulated house points in the school. In science Year 9 have begun studying their Introduction to IGCSE biology, this week learning about Osmosis and Diffusion, looking at both animals and plant cells. Along with this, they have made detailed models or diagrams of cells at home. In the coming weeks they will also be studying an introduction to chemistry and physics at IGCSE along with having taster sessions in all of their subjects prior to beginning their studies in August. ![]() Mrs. Claire Maudsley, Science Teacher | Y9 Tutor Remembering Mr Lopez As many of you may have heard, on Tuesday, April 27th it was announced that one of our previous teachers, Marco Antonio López, sadly passed away. We would like to share our condolences and reflect on all that he has taught us. Many who have met him or were taught by him can agree that he was a person with strong virtues & a great philosophy. He went beyond merely teaching Spanish literature to focus on the many life lessons that shaped us into better people. His intuitive character allowed him to look at the world with great depth and insight, and his presence and thought reflected these qualities. We share our deepest condolences with everyone who knew him, particularly his family, and we would also like to thank him for everything he did for our community at BSQ. We would like to share with you a list of his artistic recommendations that he shared with us over the years. Please take a moment to look at some of the things he read, watched, and listened to, to share with and understand his spirit. Samantha - Year 11 student on behalf of us all Year 8 Science In year 8 science, students are learning about sound waves. Last week and this week we are learning how the human ear perceives sound. Students made a variety of different human ear models. Here are some of the excellent submissions in workbooks this week! Great work year 8! Iván
Doménica Ms Avent, Science Teacher Year 7 Drama Year 7 drama lesson this week was focused on improv exercises. But, what is improv? Improvisation, in theatre, is the playing of dramatic or comedy scenes without written dialogue and with minimal or no predetermined dramatic activity. The method has been used for different purposes in theatrical history. Using the resources each actor has at home, they created a unique and different character which they presented to the class. Ms Espinosa, Drama Teacher Year 7 English The Year 7s went on a virtual field trip this week to extend their learning about Shakespeare. First, they visited Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford-Upon-Avon. Next we ‘travelled’ to Central London to see the iconic Globe Theatre. The students enjoyed an interview with Sir Ian McKellen, who shared his passion for Shakespeare and the reasons why Shakespeare is the best writer of them all. Mrs Moors, English Teacher Year 9 Spanish The students in year 9 were given the task to help them to see the hidden feelings behind the words of some amazing poets. In groups they analysed poems and then created videos containing their poem and images or representations that conveyed the central sentiment. Over the coming weeks I will be sharing the work of each group. This week it is the work of Shira, Doménica, Daniela, and Amyra. Mrs Tufino, Spanish Teacher KS5 - Year 12 ESS Year 12 ESS have been learning about terrestrial food production systems. Students were tasked with researching and investigating a food production system of their choice and to create a system diagram to illustrate the inputs and outputs. Patricio investigated rice-fish farming in China: Ms Avent, Science Teacher BSQ Equality & Diversity Committee Xenophobia, phobia of foreigners. Xenophobia emphasizes differences in people's features, such as their accent, their language, or their skin color. Xenophobia sends a message of hatred, discrimination and racism against others. It is important to promote equality and diversity among all to learn to accept others without judging them by their nationality. For this reason, I share with you some initiatives against xenophobia. · International debate tournaments: a way of seeing foreigners as equals. · Workshops in schools. · I am a Migrant: give migrants the opportunity to share their point of view. · Talks and Presentations: share ideas about the dangers of xenophobia and the acceptance of everyone in school and the community. It is important to educate everyone to accept and respect each other equally. Do not forget that we are all equal and human. Ana Paula - Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome![]() Last week the students in the primary school were lucky enough to spend time with some fabulous speakers as part of the Careers Week. This has become a tradition at BSQ and I clearly remember our first event in 2019 when the professional guests had set up their tables in the library and brought a wonderful range of exhibits with them to show the children – including a puppy! Starting to think about careers early is a real luxury for our children and having such great speakers available to help them consider the pros and cons of each future is really exciting. Many thanks to all the speakers and to the staff team for their organisation. It might seem early to start thinking about next year but you can find the calendar on the website here. Please note the start of year, start of term and holiday dates so that you can be absolutely sure you are ready to attend all classes. I have included all our usual events and celebrations but, of course these will be open to change according to the national and local changes in restrictions moving forward. If you foresee any issue with any dates, then please have a conversation with your Head of School now in order to keep them informed. Virtual Open Day This May 12th at 5PM we are inviting potential families who have children 3 - 16 who are not yet enrolled at BSQ to join us in an interactive session about our exciting and challenging curriculum! If you know some relatives or friends who might be interested in attending this virtual event, please let them know they can register here http://bit.ly/BSQVirtualOpenDay. Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Last week all of our Key Stage One and Two students attended a series of presentations from a variety of internal and external speakers as part of our Careers topic. The purpose of these talks was to show the students a range of different career choices and the various paths that our presenters took to achieve their chosen career. The teachers were all extremely impressed by both the quality of the presentations and also the questions our students asked, with many demonstrating our school values and really thinking about their ambitions. Many thanks must go to Ms Dean and Ms Camacho who organised the events and the staff who facilitated the presentations. Continuing with the theme of reading from last week’s newsletter, I would like to share with you all further benefits of reading with your child regularly. 3. You will develop a close relationship with your child The strongest parent-child relationships start early. When your child becomes older, he/she will be on the move playing, making new friends, exploring the environment, etc. When they are still young, however, children spend most of their time with their parents. This is an excellent time to establish a healthy relationship, and there is no better way to do it other than to read to your child, especially given the other added benefits i.e. boosting your child’s intellect and their language mastery. Snuggling with your child to read a book will create a long-lasting bond and beautiful memories that are hard to forget in a lifetime. It is also fun and a perfect time for sharing passions, values and perspectives. 4. Reading to your child sends an important message (i.e. reading is fun!) When your child views reading as a comforting and close activity with a parent, they are bound to develop a love for reading. When all the daily business of life is paused for a short while and we spend one-to-one time with a child reading, our children feel how special they are and they relate those wonderful feelings with books. Have fun reading – in either Spanish or English! Marcus Madden Head of Primary Y1 Sociales In Year 1 we started learning about the definition and properties of matter. Each class we experiment with the elements to understand what materials they are made of, whether they are flexible or rigid, do they float, or if they are transparent, translucent, or opaque. It’s been very pleasant to discover so many scientists within the classes, full of curiosity and desire to learn. Year 4 Sociales In both years 4 Sociales lessons, we have been studying about the regions of Ecuador, this time it was the turn of the Amazon and Galapagos. The students have really enjoyed learning about the diversity that these two regions bring to us. The children have mentioned that we are very fortunate to live in a country so rich in flora and fauna. We have quickly learned about Charles Darwin's voyage on the HMS Beagle to various parts of the world and in particular to the Galapagos Islands. We learned about the culture, food, dress, traditions, celebrations, and legends. Greetings Mr. Oscar KS2 Spanish lessons In KS2 lessons, we have enjoyed learning some topics such as: Y3: Literary texts in which students can have fun playing and creating: riddles, children's songs, greguerías and tongue twisters. During this week the students learned to write their own riddles. Y4: Poetry: Expressing our feelings through poetry has been the theme to use the beauty of words and start creating your own poems. Y5: Rhymes and Verses: Students have learned how sounds are combined to form words and phrases into verses and rhymes and begin to understand the rhythm and inflection of the language by creating their own verses and rhymes. Y6: Spelling rules: Spelling is of great importance since it is part of grammar, that is, it is what teaches us to write words correctly so that everything written is easily understood. Thus, the students learned by enjoying some rules through online games. Ms. Ana Espinosa, Spanish Teacher EYFS Update ![]() Dear parents, As we move closer to the last term of the year, it is important that we continue to encourage the children's independence at home on a daily basis through creative activities. Here are a few fantastic options you can select from to do with your child at home!
Antonella Coronel, Head of Early Years Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Dates for the Diary Last week I hinted at the work we were doing to invigorate and improve the activities that several year groups will be experiencing as we head towards the end of the academic year. As always it would be easy to just continue as usual, but at BSQ we are proud of the fact that we are continually innovating and creating new and exciting opportunities to develop the experience for our students. Year 11 have several events to look forward to and three are Connected to IB studies forming part of the Diploma programme as three core elements of study which sit alongside the 6 key subjects chosen by students. They are the Theory of Knowledge, an Extended essay on a subject that they are interested in, and a Community, Action, Service programme which is designed to enable students to consider community issues. Year 11 will have a bespoke programme to introduce the Tok led by Mrs Madden to prepare them for the in-depth skills required in this area of study. They will also enjoy an online work experience week where again, they will be on a special timetable to consider and explore all issues connected to the world of work. The week will be certificated for those that meet all expected outcomes. Year 11 will also have an opportunity to experience our IB subjects in a taster week so that they are introduced appropriately to all our subjects in Key Stage 5. This will allow them to have a greater understanding of the choices they have made for study next year. Much like year 11 it is important for year 9 to consider the study options as they embark on their IGCSE studies in year 10. We are planning a focused period of learning where they will experience all subjects. All students in years 7,8,9,10 and 12 will be sitting end of year exams with their teachers online. These important exams will underline and celebrate learning to close the year and form a base for the jump to the next years’ study. The exam results will inform Q2 and P4 grades and they will be shared in the final report. It is important that all students are working hard to this point to prepare. Of course, our extremely talented year 13 are now at the end of their studies and quite rightly they should be sent off with our absolute best wishes following a decent celebration. The main graduation ceremony will be online for all, but we are looking at how we might be able to do something small face-to-face in school, additionally for those who want to take part. This does depend of course on the emergency measures, so at this stage it is still to be confirmed. As the oldest leave school so the youngest join in the ever-perpetual life of school. How exciting it is to be welcoming our year 6 students as they embark on their next steps in the Secondary School. This is an exciting time for all and of course we are planning lots of activities for them to enjoy, getting a feel for how Secondary Education compares to their experience in Primary. As you have read there is much to organise and get into to calendars so to help you the dates for the events are as follows. Additional arrangements for each event will be released nearer the times. Year 11 17th to 21st May 2021 Theory of Knowledge Introduction week 24th to 27th May 2021 Online Work Experience (Different Timetable) 31st May - 10th June 2021 Mini Extended Essay activity in current subjects 14th to 18th June 2021 IB subject Taster week 21st to 24th June 2021 Community – Action – Service (CAS) project activity Year 9 21st to 27th May 2021 IGCSE Taster sessions Other events to consider 14th to 24th June 2021 Exam weeks for Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. 14th to 18th June 2021 Year 6 Transition taster sessions. 25th June 2021 Graduation for year 13 . 28th to 30th June 2021 End of year activities for all CAS The students of Y12 have been participating in a first aid training by Kingue adventure school. It has been wonderful to see all the motivation and effort that they found to complete this online course. Thanks to the Y12 parents who became their patients and participated in each of the case studies that they had, in order to practice what they have learned. This has been part of the CAS program for the second year in a row. Besides this First Aid certification, they will also be awarded with a LEAVE NO TRACE certification, that is intended for outdoor recreational users who wish to minimize their impact on the natural environment whether they are hiking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing, etc. Here are some images. Sociales Y9 students have been working in the History of Human Rights and its evolution. This topic is really important for them because it helps to develop citizens with a global perspective and contributes to the development of democratic attitudes. A special task that we did in class, was an analysis of a 2004 Kurdish war drama film "When the turtles can fly" - written, produced, and directed by Bahman Ghobadi - that narrates the life of a group of refugee kids in a Kurdish camp, the only worry they had, was to stay a life. As you know, the use of films is an essential part of the social studies class because it is a pedagogical tool that enhances our students' understanding of historical events and themes. In the tasks they have identified the needs of the children in camp, the rights that have been denied to them and what can we do from our point of view to help thousands of kids living in the same circumstances. Also they had to make a short review of the film. These are some examples of the group activities. Mrs. Paola Montenegro, CAS Coordinator | Sociales Teacher Year 7 English In English this term, Year 7 are studying Shakespeare’s comedy ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. So far, we have looked at the social and historical context underpinning the play and this week we have begun reading. Why not ask your child to explain who loves whom in Act 1? Mrs. Moors, English Teacher Volcanos in Year 9! The lucky students in year 9 had the privilege of having a volcanologist visit their lesson to explain the basics of volcanoes, explain her job and then answer their questions. They then did some research on volcanoes that had recently erupted. Here is what they discovered! Ms. Sawyers, Humanities Teacher Diversity in the workplace These past few years have brought attention to diversity and the increasing representation of people from various backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Making space and amplifying the voices of everyone in the workplace, equally, contributes to a more inclusive world. All of these areas will remain a top priority for organizations in the future. Many forward-leaning organizations are also focusing on the idea of ‘equity’ as part of their overall strategy. Equity in the workplace manifests in a wide range of ways from solving decision points that lead to pay inequity between different people doing the same work and exploring equity in talent in businesses. It goes without saying that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought tremendous change and upheaval to all working conditions. But another major change of the last year has been the increasing push to prioritize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. The focus on equity in the workplace will be a magnified topic as businesses are being called on to operate with a deeper level of transparency around compensation reporting, board representation, harassment reporting and advancement all successes regarding the path to equality. Barbara - Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Have a wonderful week everyone
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome![]() Welcome back after the long weekend to celebrate Labour Day – or May Day as it is called in some countries. May is traditionally the month when students start to enter the exam room to demonstrate and celebrate all they have learned during the course of their time studying their chosen courses. This year of course, we are once again following a non-examined pathway where the students’ grades are determined by the quality of their work throughout the course. In many ways, despite the pandemic forcing this situation, this is a far more effective way to encourage students to see the value of every learning experience rather than focusing on a terminal outcome. Many thanks to those parents who have been supporting students in exam classes at home during this year. The doodle challenge: Continuous school improvement is always top of our list of topics in every meeting, workshop and goal setting exercise and of course there are lots of books written on this subject. One of my favourites is this: In this small book I can find simple thoughts about how we do things and how we could think about doing things differently. At the moment we are looking at our curriculum between Years 6 and 7 where we want to make sure that students have what we call a ‘seamless transition’ and this set of images reminds us of how interlinked all our learning and knowledge is. So here is a challenge for all parents – can you think of another way to consider where our curriculum has connections? Send in your image along with the subjects that are suggested by it and let’s see what we come up with. I look forward to your creative thinking! Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Following on from Mrs Novoa’s wonderful activities for World Book Day, I would like to share with you some of the benefits of reading with your child. 1. It will help make your child smarter When you read to your child regularly, they will enjoy stories and enjoy reading. When a genuine love of stories and books develops, children become readers. Your child will also begin to understand empathy, as stories let you understand the world through someone else's experience. Children learn more about the world, themselves, and people different than them in the process. In the end, your child will have an edge. They will learn faster, boosting their intellect, vocabulary, and understanding of people and concepts. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that preschool children who get exposed to reading and writing at an early age tend to perform exceptionally in school. The reason behind this is simple. If a student struggles to put words and sentences together because they were introduced to reading and writing late, they will obviously have problems grasping maths, science as well as social concepts. Your child also gains concentration and focus through reading. When your child learns how to avoid distractions at a very young age, they can concentrate in school and even develop better memory retention. Reading to your child gives them an advantage when they start school and throughout their school ‘career’. 2. It will help your child develop a better mastery of language and speech skills Children usually learn important language and enunciation (the way a person says words so they are understood) skills throughout their preschool years. When you read books to your child, you expose them to speech skills early, which is an excellent pre-literacy activity. By the time your child is entering preschool, he/she will most likely start sounding out words without any help. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that early reading gives children a better understanding of language fundamentals. I will share more reasons next week, but I hope I have already inspired you to pick up a book and read with them tonight! Marcus Madden Head of Primary 3B's contribution It has been a busy and productive start to the summer term for 3B. For our unit of work for Topic this term we have begun to look at the famous American photographer Ansel Adams. Adams was a landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of Pachamama. During our ICT lesson last week, the children used GIMP - GNU Image Manipulation Program - to convert coloured photographs of national parks in the USA into black-and-white photographs. I'm sure you will agree how stunningly breathtaking they look! Sarahí: Pedro: Carlos Alberto: Kind Regards, Mr. Tim Graves, Year 3B teacher EYFS update
Antonella Coronel Head of Early Years Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() The celebration season is approaching We have had a remarkably busy week in the Secondary School where the focus has been getting staff and students ready for the collation of the year 11 IGCSE teacher assessed grade evidence ready to submit to Cambridge. Right now, there is a great opportunity for students to really work their hardest over the next 2 weeks to get the best possible grades. This presents another opportunity to sit exams formally which are based online. We are well versed with the process now and the software that ensures that exam papers and the student responses to them are secure. My advice to students is to really use your time wisely to prepare for each exam. Do not just read – information is less likely to stick. Use a pen and test yourself, and then look at the answers and see what you have missed. This process is extremely valuable and that is why your teachers have been focusing on this over the last month or so. These exams will be excellent evidence for the board and the most up to date with recent revision activity. Good luck to you all! I have also this week been considering our plans for the end of May and June as we think about closing the year out. There are several things we need to complete. There will be exams for some, possible work experience activity for year 11 (an online version), a Theory of Knowledge introduction for Year 11 and their IB subject tasters, so that they are better informed about what is coming next. Students in year 9 will also need some time to get a flavour from the IGCSE tasters as they move into more formal study next year. We also need to consider the various celebrations and of course, perhaps most importantly, the graduation for our wonderful year 13 students as they end their time with us at BSQ. All of this is extremely exciting and something to look forward to. As a slight focus on PE, this subject has been a particular challenge over the time we have spent online. In primary this has been more teacher led for the benefit of the little ones as they cannot access things independently. I have experienced some of the fun ways that this is approached with my own children. In Secondary PE shifts more to activity which connects with the theory behind sport and exercise science. I encourage you to look at the wonderful activity that has been taking place where students have been following fitness programmes, wellbeing projects, challenge programmes and their current a focus where they have been developing a Yoga session over a three-week period. In Secondary we expect students to be more independent in their activity and to manage and take part in the sessions provided. We always ask for evidence in either picture form or video, where they upload these to their online workbooks. I have been astonished by the quality of this work and the innovation in the planning to set more appropriate and engaging activities for our older students. Y8 contribution For some, flexibility can be a tough fitness to master. Despite this, year 8 has been working hard this week learning the benefits of yoga. We have identified the positives of how yoga can bring about physical improvements, but more importantly the benefits it can have on our mental health. They have started a 3-week project to develop their understanding and practice. They have been learning new poses, their yoga names, and how the use of the breath can help relieve stress and relax the body. At the end of this project, students are to select their favourite poses and develop their own routines. I am excited to see the results and as you can see the students have already experimented with some interesting poses. Mr. Bradley Edwards, Y8 tutor Student Council Fun things to do when stuck at home 10. Have a camp out in your living room!! Basically you pack a bag and make your living room the outdoors. You have to survive for a night in the living room without leaving to get supplies. You could even put a tent up if you have one, and add a few things like candles to make it feel like home. ![]() 9. Bake loads of cookies and make a cookie stack!! This is a fun activity to do alone or with family. Make loads of cookies and try to stack then up. You can use icing if you want to help stack them together. You could do it as a family and see who has the tallest tower at the end. 8. Do an all-nighter!! Set up a comfy area with your computer or a device and have an all-nighter. You can make a list of movies and TV shows you want to watch and stay awake all night watching them. Ask your parents first!! ![]() 7. Family Game night Gather all the games you have in the house and have a games night! Make a scoreboard on recycled cardboard or on paper. Then play all the games you have with your family. This is a great bonding activity to do with your family. 6. Make Ice Cream Make ice cream and use this video if you want! Ice cream is actually really easy to make, but people normally overlook it. This is a great bonding activity for siblings and is fun to do when friends come over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ff8ca3eqjM ![]() 5. Make a blanket fort Make a fort using blankets and pillows. Search online to see how to make one, they are really simple and super fun to play in. you could even sleep in it. Or you could make it for a sleepover. ![]() 4. Have breakfast for dinner Have your breakfast for dinner today! Don't miss out on it! It's fun to do with family and friends! Have your breakfast for dinner now! 3. Funny Faces Print some pictures of your friends and/or family and draw mustaches, beards, and funny things onto their faces. Then hang them up on the wall as memories. It will be fun when your friends and family come into your room and see the pictures!! ![]() 2. Make a Rainbow Cake Search Recipes on the internet for a rainbow cake and make one. You can make any flavor and you colour it rainbow. You then can add confetti all over the top if you want to add an extra touch. ![]() 1. Have a Yes-Day A Yes-Day is when you can’t say no for 24 hours. Basically none of your family members can say no, including you. You set some ground rules though:
If you like this idea, you could watch the movie Yes-Day on Netflix and try to persuade your parents!! Around the world: World Creativity and Innovation Day 21 April Creativity and innovation has been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has helped people all over the world in many aspects, not just economically. All human beings have new ideas and thoughts every day, which is considered as creativity. This quality is not only developed in artistic disciplines but is also present in everyday life to make our lives easier. Creativity is accompanied by innovation, and is a process that improves what already exists through the introduction of novelties. Both concepts have been key in the evolution of the human species, increased productivity, improved communications, modernised transportation and even helped humans get to the Moon. There is no universal understanding of creativity as the concept is open to interpretation from artistic expression to problem-solving in the context of economic, social and sustainable development. Therefore, April 21 was the date chosen by UNESCO to commemorate the World Day of Creativity and Innovation. This day has been celebrated since 2002, with the aim of raising awareness about the role of creativity and innovation in problem solving. In 2006, the holiday was extended from a single day to a whole week, starting on April 15. The same day happens to be Leonardo da Vinci’s birth date, who is an icon of interdisciplinary creativity in the arts and sciences. In 2013, the UN concluded that in the 21st century, creativity and innovation, both individually and as a group, have become the true wealth of nations. Here are some famous quotes related to creativity: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” - Maya Angelou “Creativity is intelligence having fun” - Albert Einstein “If you can dream it, you can do it” - Walt Disney School Updates: Earth Week at BSQ Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 all over the world. Earth day is an annual event in which we show support for environmental protection. Its aim is to raise awareness about environmental issues such as global warming, water and air pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, overpopulation, rise of the sea level (glaciers melting) and waste management. Many online live events were held this year throughout the past week, especially during the Three Days of Climate Action, from April 20 until the official day. In these events, people gather to take action. But what about the rest of the year? We must protect our planet EVERYDAY and not just because we care about the natural world, but because we live on it. Here at BSQ, the Climate Change Committee, Red MOVE, and the Student Council have organised and prepared activities for our community. #RestoreOurEarth #BSQEarthWeek Student Council Updates: We are working on a couple of ideas, but we cannot reveal them yet… The Student Council Newsletter group KS3: Composers in Music Students in year 7 have been learning about the baroque and its characteristics, including 3 of the most famous composers from that time. By the end of the topic they had to create a poster for their favourite baroque composer. Students in year 8 have been learning about Classicism and their composers, like Mozart and Beethoven. By the end of the topic they had to create an Instagram profile for the composer they liked the most. Ms Cano, Music Teacher Poetry discovers my emotions Year 9 students are finishing Partial 3 with a poetry project, after studying all the elements of lyric. In this project, there is a review of most of the covered topics and the students do a creation exercise and finish up with a video of their creation poem. Mrs. Tufiño, Spanish Teacher Henrik Ibsen Timeline Higher Level Literature Year 12 students, are reading the play “Casa de muñecas” by the Norwegian author Henrick Ibsen. For this reason, they have worked on a timeline to investigate the author´s life and circumstances that surrounded him to better understand his literary work, in such a way that our literary analysis acquires greater significance. Mrs. Patricia Tufiño, Spanish Teacher Equality & Diversity Committee With the recent surge of popular controversial topics, I have noticed how important having self-control is. This world is full of different opinions, some that we may disagree with and some that we may agree with. These vary from topics such as the political spectrum, abortion, vulnerability of rights and others. I think we should all settle on agreeing to disagreeing. In my opinion, relativism plays a key role in the progression of our society. There is no "correct" opinion because what is morally "correct" is different for everyone. Hate, lack of respect and resentment are all present in society more than ever before. All these are diseases that corrupt each one of us differently. I invite all of you reading this to accept, respect and value the opinion of others. It is the only way we can become a better version of ourselves =) G-Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome ![]() Last week at BSQ we focused on our commitment to our environment here at BSQ and in the wider community as we explored activities and information linked to the international Earth Day. We decided to celebrate #BSQEarthWeek and spend longer looking at how we can all work that little bit harder to make a difference. With thanks to our passionate environmentalists in the secondary school, a range of activities were undertaken by students across the school which were all designed to reduce, reuse or recycle. Some students even proposed the sponsoring of a turtle! Well done everyone and you can see more detail below. As I was dropping into classes last week, I found myself very much enjoying listening to our wonderful Year 2 students reading aloud, using their phonics knowledge to decode words. Phonics (simply put - the range of sounds that make up the words we use) is taught at BSQ from when students join us in nursery and continues until Year 2 or 3 depending on language acquisition. One of the best ways to support your children to learn to read with confidence is of course to read to them yourselves and this guide from the National Literacy Trust in the UK. Let us know how you get on. Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() This week is only four days, with school finishing on Thursday afternoon for the long weekend, but as usual our teaching staff are committed to providing a wealth of activities and opportunities for our students to grow and develop both academically and personally. As teachers, we recognise the value of providing a breadth of learning opportunities so that our students can link these varied experiences and begin to make sense of the world around them. Whilst many of these experiences remain virtual, they can still link these to their own knowledge and understanding and create their own narrative – one that can be tested and adapted as they gain more and more understanding of a range of experiences. Many of our students, teachers and parents participated in Earth Day activities last week, highlighting the need to look after our valuable resources and sharing lots of different activities that we could try at home. Whilst the global carbon footprint has definitely been reduced over the past year, mostly attributed to reduced transport emissions, it has been suggested that these will return to pre-lockdown amounts once the world returns to some sort of normality. Our students have voiced their concerns that we cannot allow that to happen and we need to listen to them, making sure that we use this opportunity to change our habits and continue to care for our planet. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Early Years Update Dear parents, Welcome to Week 3 of Term 5, we look forward to continuing building on the initiative started by all of the Primary team of implementing British Sign Language to support the students’ overall comprehension. In the Early Years Foundation Stage the children previously worked with Signs 4 Learning, this gave the students a tool to communicate emotions and solve problems. British Sign Language is now being implemented to build upon this, giving the children additional words to express and communicate in different areas of the curriculum, such as in Numeracy as well in Literacy. Teachers are utilizing stories, activities and songs to begin introducing BSL, for example “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” and playing I spy are great ways to teach positional language and make the learning process fun and accessible for all early learners. If you would like more information on this initiative, please contact me at: [email protected]. Antonella Coronel Head of Early Years Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() It is about personal pride! As I mentioned last week Year 13 are quite rightly now focusing on what comes next after studies at BSQ. School is a huge part of a teenager’s life and many of our students have been here for a long time. The school has been the place where the staff, and curriculum has enabled them to develop and flourish in a safe and supportive environment and they will all look back at this time with great fondness. On Monday, we start a fantastic futures curriculum that the staff have put a huge amount of time into so that students leave with a wealth of knowledge that a traditional curriculum does not offer. The year is not done yet and I look forward to seeing all Year 13 students continue to achieve great things and leave a strong legacy behind them as they move forward. There are a number of other activities this week that you will read more about in the newsletter, but for me the pick is Earth week. What a wonderful focus and so important right now. There have been some excellent activities led by students again. How fantastic that our young bright minds are leading in some of our curriculum. Do enjoy the excerpts from the wider team that follow. Year 11A Year 11a have been studying hard all year and it has now reached ‘crunch time’ their exams are just around the corner and they are studying hard. They have had revision sessions during form time where they have used applications such as SENECA to revise for their exams, plus working through their books and documents teachers have provided to them. The exams are an opportunity for year 11 to show what they are capable of, based on their learning from the past 2 years. 11a are not defined by their grades in assessments however and are proving that they are well rounded and ambitious individuals. Many have played key roles in Earth week and highlighted issues that are negatively impacting our planet. Key tip from Anabella: cut the strings of your disposable mask before throwing away so it doesn’t kill wildlife. Samantha is asking you to delete emails you no longer need and unsubscribe to spam to reduce the amount of CO2 you are producing. Small things can make a big difference. Hopefully we can all make these changes to make the world a better place. Ms. Natalie Sawyers KS3: Year 8 Science This week in science, to introduce the topic of Light and Sound, the students performed a simple experiment to investigate waves. I would like to share the outstanding lab report produced by Doménica. Doménica demonstrates excellent scientific skills, including the ability to collect and analyse data, construct a graph using Excel, draw conclusions and be reflective of her own scientific work. Well done, Dome! Conclusion: According to the graph, as the height of the container drop increases, the time stamp for the wave to disappear varies, this could maybe be due to the amount of strength that is put into each drop. However, the drop from 4cm was the longest amount of time it took for the wave to disappear it was a larger timestamp than the 5cm drop this could maybe because of the amount of force put into the drop was a larger amount than the one given at the 5cm drop; also the measurement might have not been as accurate as it should have been as well as multitasking by putting the timer or holding the ruler and dropping the container. The size of the container does affect the timestamp due to the fact that the water goes all the way from on side to another and back so the amount of time would be increased. In conclusion my hypothesis was somewhat correct because it explained in a way the effect the container has in this experiment. Evaluation: The experiment went well I liked doing the graphs although I struggled a bit and the experiment itself was fun. Some things that I struggled with were doing accurately the experiment because I mostly managed myself holding the ruler, the time and dropping the container. I would improve the experiment by making some people help me so it can be more accurate and maybe double checking the graph and results. Ms Avent, Science Teacher KS4 Geography In KS4 Geography the students have been looking at tourism and analysing the impact of different countries around the world. Students in year 11 were asked to create a storyboard of some of the negatives of tourism on St. Lucia. Our year 10 geographers identified some of the important coastal locations across the world. Here is the work they created! Ms Sawyers, Geography Teacher KS5: Year 12 Geography Year 12 tried to figure out what linked all these cards. In class it would have been prepared for them, but they used their skills to create all their own cards and make links. They will hopefully have identified links in the nexus! Ms Sawyers, Geography Teacher Year 13 ESS Year 13 are wrapping up our final topic in ESS on the Atmosphere by looking at acid deposition around the world. Students researched different case studies on the regional problem of acid rain and created infographics of their findings. Ms Avent, Science Teacher BSQ Earth Week in Secondary Last week we celebrated Earth Day across the whole of the week. Earth took place on Thursday 22nd of April and is a day celebrated to raise awareness of environmental issues to help us to deal with the climate crisis we are currently facing. The Climate Change Committee, red MOVE environmental group, and the Student Council all joined forces to put something together for this important day! Here are the main activities they came up with:
I am sure you will agree our students did a wonderful job of planning some really interesting activities for the students to get involved in. We culminated the week in an assembly celebrating the achievements across the week. Here are some pictures of the students who got involved! On Thursday in Secondary all lessons had an Earth Day theme, here are some of the activities! Discussing mathematical models of climate change with the year 13 mathematicians! Mr. Bowles celebrating Earth Day through colouring in a plant with the year 13 mathematicians using differentiation! Ms. Sadotra, KS3 Coordinator Equality & Diversity Committee After watching the new Netflix movie 'Madame Curie', which tells the story of Marie Curie; a talented chemist who conducted several experiments on radioactivity and who, together with her husband Pierre Curie, discovered two new elements: 'polonium' and 'radium', I wanted to share the message of the film. The movie tells us about the obstacles that society at that time puts Marie Curie through, as well as several of the characters in the film such as Pierre Curie and Irene Curie. Like the current era, this story tells us how society begins to develop and advance, not only on a technological level but also on a social level. However, to achieve this progress, perseverance and struggle were present. What I take from the film is that Curie prevailed in the face of adversity and on a psychological level she was strong and had confidence in herself and that was used to achieve her goals. As part of the Equality and Diversity committee, I feel the duty to share this teaching, since to achieve our goals, to achieve social equity, we have to fight and have an open mind and use our strengths as tools for success. "Life is not easy for any of us. We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained" -Marie Curie Ana Paula-Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Have a wonderful week everyone.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome![]() Earth Day Here at BSQ we have been committed to educating minds and changing behaviours linked to the preservation of our natural resources and our planet. Key students in the secondary school have been working on either the climate and environment committee or as part of the school group Redmove to take action in this area. I was lucky enough to listen to the Redmove group of Samantha, Rommy, Ana Paula, Shira, Maite and Gala talking about their vision for a more environmentally friendly BSQ. They had even prepared proposals for the installment and costing of solar panels and are no looking at windmills for electricity generation. As a result of their work, we immediately banned the sale of plastic bottles from the canteen – that is how powerful voices can be. One of our parents shared this book with me recently and it ties in with another project we are planning to work on – developing our gardens, soil, growing and wildlife even further. Watch this space for living and learning OUTSIDE the classroom to make a difference in the world. This year Earth Day takes place across 3 days between April 20th - 22nd and you can find lots of information here about activities taking place to share at home. Here at BSQ we will be sharing some ideas about how you can participate and make a difference. For example: We can’t wait to see your pictures! From the Staff and the Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about e-learning this period. This week we have Ms. Aditi Sadotra and the Equality and Diversity Committee from Secondary and Ms. Anna Vasilokonstantaki, Mr. Oliver Kyle and Ms. Antonella Coronel from Primary. Easter Egg Competition On the last day of term before the Easter holidays the Secondary students were set a house Easter egg challenge! Students were asked to create their own Easter egg design. The entries were judged by Ms Todd, Ms Sadotra and Mr Edwards who had a really tough time choosing the winners. The entries were simply amazing! Here are our winners! There is a special mention as well for Chenyue and Angela who carried on working on their masterpiece after the competition was over. Their 3D egg is so detailed and simply wonderful, well done for your family effort! And also for Y12 who as a tutor group made this wonderful spooky collage of their efforts! Ms Sadotra, KS3 Coordinator Equality & Diversity Committee Diversity, sometimes also called multiculturalism, is the concept of accepting and promoting people’s differences. The fundamental goal when promoting equality is to raise awareness and make sure that all individuals are treated equally and fairly. This is regardless of their age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or race. One of the main benefits of embracing diversity is that communities benefit from a broad range of talents, skills and mindsets which can contribute to build a stronger community. Diversity makes people aware of shared responsibilities and makes everyone feel valued. Furthermore, having knowledge about others' traditions and customs from a young age creates culturally richer people, reducing the probability of people developing prejudices, which in turn helps create a more welcoming and diverse society. There is a great variety of actions we could take to protect and promote diversity and equality in our community. For example, setting clear rules in regards to how people should be treated, challenging any negative attitudes, stereotypes or prejudices and respecting, recognising and valuing diversity as a strength. By challenging stereotypes from an early age, we can all grow up with an inclusive, unbiased view on life; let’s all make a difference. Barbara-Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Mr. Oliver Kyle – Year 6 Teacher For the Year 6 theme week at the end of last term, we planned and completed our own piece of artwork, based on the studies we had undertaken on Pointillism - a style of art pioneered by George Seurat, among other artists. The children sketched a range of ideas first; planning style and colour before spending three lessons creating their masterpiece. This term's art focus is on the street artists, Banksy, where we are trying to answer the Topic question: What influences great artists? Keep your eyes out for new masterworks in the future! Year 2A learning update Early Years Dear parents, We have been given the incredible opportunity to donate clean drinking water to those families who need it through reading on the Raz-kids platform. This is a lovely opportunity for our children to support others by donating their achieved stars. The goal is to reach 100,000 donations (stars) over the course of April from all the children across the world. We have had 3 donations already (24,000 stars) and look forward to receiving yours! In addition to reading, the Reception students have been working hard on their writing skills since the beginning of the school year. They are now concentrating on writing short sentences in meaningful contexts independently, relying mostly on their phonetic knowledge to spell words. Below are fantastic examples of what they are now able to accomplish. What makes you beautiful? Antonella Coronel, Head of Early Years Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Our students have once again amazed all the staff here at BSQ with their commitment to learning and improving their skills in a wide range of areas, while enjoying each other’s company after the Easter break. I was lucky enough to have joined the first session for two new students in Reception last week and to see the joy on both their faces and the faces of their new classmates as they worked together to introduce themselves and participate in the online learning opportunities. While not surprised by the enthusiastic welcome they received, I was also reminded that we have a unique ethos here at BSQ that encompasses so much more than just being a school. We all have a part to play in this so should congratulate each other for our successes. This week we will award the second round of BSQ Values Awards to students who have displayed our school values in a variety of ways. The students who will receive these awards have been nominated by their peers and teachers and demonstrate a commitment to our community values of respect, care, happiness, welcome, determination and ambition. Whilst these concepts guide everything we do here at BSQ, we also recognise that we need to support and encourage our students, teachers and parents to achieve these, highlighting how we can truly live and learn together as a community of learners. One of the best ways we can promote these aims is to celebrate each other’s achievements when we see them in action and to actively model our behaviours linked to them. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() The final push This has been a hugely busy week in the Secondary School with the staff and student in year 13 completing the final phase of the assessment evidence required by IB for results this year. Everyone has worked super hard and on the whole the outcomes look positive under these circumstances. You would think that we need to now take a moment and take stock - but no, the focus now shifts to the IGCSE students in year 11 and the processes that lead to their teacher assessed evidence for their grades in their IGCSE subjects. I know I say this regularly but our staff and students are incredibly resilient and just get things done. Year 11 need to provide 3 quality pieces of evidence for their portfolios to support their teacher assessed grades which will be submitted to Cambridge. We have been working on this for some time and lots of activity in this area has already taken place. The Mock outcomes in January could perhaps have been better, so we are going to facilitate another Mock exam session in early May. It is critical that students work hard towards this and do their best as we will be using these mock papers as one of the three assessment pieces. The timetable has been shared this week and students will be either revising or sitting exams for that fortnight to maximize their opportunities for a good grade. Do please support and encourage revision and focus for the next 4 weeks. This is a really critical time. Year 11 are in the spotlight as this week they are also making choices for their IB studies next year. The brochure and option form was released on Monday and is due on Friday. We have an exciting development from the Orbital Group where online Advanced Levels are also now being offered as additional study options to widen curriculum opportunities even further. I have been compiling the destination information for the current year 13 students this week. They are now starting their last 6 weeks of study at BSQ and the theme is all things ‘futures’. The universities and other things that our talented young adults will be arriving at are really exciting. I look forward to sharing these with you in a few weeks. Have a good week everyone. Lee Moors
Head of Secondary Welcome![]() Welcome back to the new school term everyone. I was hoping to be sharing the news of our staff return to prepare for the blended learning phase but, as there is a slight delay, I will save that discussion for another week. Patience is described as a virtue and we have certainly learned a little more of it during the past year. Patience of course is simply the ability to wait for something, but to go a little further it is also about knowing what you can control and what you cannot control. As parents and teachers we have found that much is out of our control this year, but by focusing on the present and ensuring that we do the best we can, we have surmounted each hurdle so far and will continue to do so as we move towards the next steps. This term will provide another opportunity to develop new ways of communicating and learning. I have every confidence that we will all rise to the challenge and together we will build a successful end to this academic year. Please do let us know if there is anything about our provision this term that we can improve for you and your children. Our parent voice comments are important to us and we will always listen and reflect. In memory of Prince Philip. On April 9th, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip) died aged 99, after a lifetime of service in the UK and beyond. This of course is particularly meaningful for us as a school as we operate the Duke of Edinburgh Award for our students which the Prince established in 1956 alongside Kurt Hahn. Although he had withdrawn from public service in later years, the contribution made by Prince Philip to public life will be missed by many charities and individuals. Many of our older students have benefitted from the dedication, commitment and sense of adventure that is generated by this award and we are fully committed to keeping the award at BSQ fully intact as we move forward. Mr Moors has written about this in more detail below. Source: https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1380475865323212800?s=20 From the Staff and the Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about e-learning this new period. This week we have Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa, Ms. Sara Avent and Ms. Aditi Sadotra from Secondary and Ms. Antonella Coronel from Primary. KS3 Drama During this term, KS3 has been working on identifying part of a script, brainstorming ideas and learning about the World Theatre day, celebrated on March 27th. As part of their activities, they created some posters about the day and creative brainstorming images to start writing their own scripts. You can see some of their wonderful work on the following images. Year 9: Example of script writing. By Angela, Doménica, Daniela, Mateo. Year 9 Year 8: Year 7: Ms Espinosa, Drama Teacher Year 7 Science Year 7 Science had to use their knowledge of separation techniques that we have been learning about for the last couple of weeks to help them out of a sticky situation! Here is the solution shared by one group (Isa S, Isa C, and Lyla): Ms Avent, Science Teacher Year 11 Biology Revision Year 11 Combined and Coordinated Science (biology) have begun working on revision of units covered in year 10. This has been an excellent opportunity to revisit topics covered quite a long time ago and identify gaps in their knowledge that could use some work. Students are using tables of success statements to determine what they can and can’t remember from each topic and during lessons we are working on filling these gaps with active revision exercises. We will continue to revisit topics in this way over the next few weeks and students will continue reflecting on their revision efforts as we go. Valentina: Yair: Ms Avent, Science Teacher Rewards and Recognition On the last day of term, we celebrated our fourth Reward and Recognition Assembly. As always there was an abundance of amazing work going on all around the Secondary school to celebrate. This year our students have broken many school records in house points, this year we have had the highest number of gold certificate house point winners ever! This means they have gained 200 or more house points and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students despite the challenges they are currently facing. Well done to all our award winners! Ms Sadotra, KS3 Coordinator Ms. Antonella Coronel – Head of EYFS Dear parents, I hope you all had a lovely Easter break and made great memories during this time. We are delighted to have everyone back and looking forward to meeting the new students joining us on our online learning journey through Canvas. The Online Learning timetable will continue as normal in the Early Years Foundation Stage including Little Kickers, these sessions take place every Tuesday. The transition process to the Blended Learning timetable will be shared with the updated dates. Please continue to check Tapestry as all important information will be shared through this means by your class teacher. We will also continue to review weekly summary posts and add feedback to these. Feel free to share any questions or concerns to me or directly with your class teachers. Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Welcome back to Term 5 here at BSQ - I hope you all enjoyed the break with family and friends. This term runs for six weeks in total, until Friday 21st May, followed by Term 6 which runs until the end of this academic year. Mrs Newman will be sending you all more details about our plans for the return to school. Once dates have been confirmed, all details about the changes to the timetables and any procedures will be shared with you. Later this term, we will also share with you your child’s Partial 3 report. The teachers are all excited about the term ahead and sharing your child’s development as we continue to provide learning opportunities for them all. As always, the partnership between school and home is an important one, so do please keep in contact with your child’s teachers and share with them the various successes of your child. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Easter and onwards…. We enjoyed a wonderful end of term assembly where there were many awards presented to those that were deserving. I must draw out the achievements of our students involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Today the very sad news came out of the UK that HRH Prince Phillip - The Duke of Edinburgh passed away just a couple of months short of his 100th birthday. At the time of writing I have spent the last couple of hours watching the various documentaries outlining his selfless contribution to the British Monarchy, the Commonwealth countries, and young people worldwide. His award scheme, once describing it as a "do-it-yourself growing up kit". One of the Duke of Edinburgh's most enduring achievements is his worldwide award programme for young people has now impacted some 7 million young people since its conception in 1952. It is perhaps poignant that this week awards have been presented to our wonderful students at BSQ. The award scheme is now a global entity and I am proud that our students are taking the challenge to better themselves. I have been very lucky to witness youngsters receiving their gold awards at St James Palace as has Mrs. Madden. We have both met the Duke of Edinburgh through our work with D of E over the years, and my experience was one of a man that had a very sharp wit who absolutely took an interest in every recipient’s experience and their achievement. Our thoughts are also with Prince Edward who is now ensuring that the Award continues to move from strength to strength into the future. I am pleased to report that this year we now have our first Gold award enrolment at BSQ. I am determined that this is a strategy that develops further and that our students benefit from the achievements at this level. How wonderful would it be to have invites for BSQ students to receive their gold awards at the palace in London in a couple of years’ time. Congratulations to our D of E Bronze Award recipients 2021 Alexandra T
Anabella D Antonella S Damian D Daniela N Daniela S Emilio S Felipe R Gael O Gala F Katherine H Marilin H Nicole C Oliver W Valeria C Well done to you all for your achievement and good luck as you embark on your silver awards. I look forward to seeing you all again as soon as is possible at school. Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome![]() This week we finish our induction sessions for students who will be joining us on campus on April 19th. To see learners at BSQ again after over a year has been such an absolute pleasure and the sessions have been successful both in terms of understanding the protocols AND enjoying being together again. These short visits did not disrupt the daily business of learning however and our students at home have continued to work hard, focus on improvement and participate with energy – as we know they will throughout this year until we see them again in May or August. Finally, thank you to all families for your support of our decision-making and our next steps planning over the last few weeks – we know it has been a challenging time for you – and we look forward to working together after Semana Santa to ensure that at BSQ it is #BusinessAsUsual! Have a wonderful break and see you soon. From the Staff and the Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about e-learning this new period. This week we have Ms. Fernanda Espinosa and Y10 students, Mr. Simon Newman, Ms. Natalie Sawyers, Mrs. Paola Montenegro, Mr. Alexander Beazley and the Equality & Diversity Committee from Secondary and Ms. Hayley Dean, Mr. Tomos Prosser and Ms. Antonella Coronel from Primary. World Theatre Day! We love drama! To celebrate World Theatre Day, which is celebrated on 27 March, Years 7, 8 and 9 are working on different activities related to theatre. For example, they are learning how to write a script, creating posters for the event or to celebrate the life and work of William Shakespeare. But you can play your part too! There are lots of activities to celebrate the arts, and several different plays, lectures and live conferences you can attend. You can also share a video message from the actress Helen Mirren (2021 Message Author) about why the theatre is important. Very few people know about World Theatre Day. The World Theatre Day was created by the International Theatre Institute ITI, the world’ s largest organization for the Performing Arts, and was celebrated for the first time on 27 March 1962 the same date of the opening of the “Theatre of Nations” season in Paris. This day is celebrated to generate awareness about the importance of performing arts and to showcase the important role artists play in the field of entertainment. One of the most important actions of the event is the circulation of the World Theatre Day International Message through which, one chosen representative of the arts shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace with the objective to talk about the changes theatre brings in people's lives. All the different events programmed for this year are online and you can find them on the International Theatre Institute ITI website. Ms. Fernanda Espinosa, Drama Teacher Y10 students Our Year 10 students wanted to share some of the passions, hobbies and interests they have been developing over the past few months. What an inspirational bunch! Bernarda What I enjoy doing the most is drawing and reading. Since the quarantine I have been drawing more of what I have around like the view from my window, my pets and more. I love this because it is a way to get to know more of the implicit things in my life and value them more. And I have also been reading many books. But the special thing about it is that my grandfather also loves reading so we always exchange books and then talk about them. At present I am reading The Count of Montecristo and Les justes. My cat Alfonsina Jhoana So what can I say about my experiences about horse riding? I can honestly say that horse riding was - and still is - my peaceful place and the place where I have nothing on my mind. No school. No drama. Just me and enjoying the time I have to myself. My passion for horses began when I was in Villa de leyva, a town in Colombia. Ever since I have completely and utterly fallen in love with them. On the 6th of February I had a riding accident. I fell off the horse and broke not just my radius but also my ulna. Both arm bones were snapped in half. I had a four-hour surgery and now I'm in recovery and starting physiotherapy. This accident will always be one of the scariest times of my life but i will continue to do what i love and what makes me happy, by taking baby steps. Daniel So I have always believed music is a pretty abstract thing. I guess that's why I like it. Usually in my free time I make some songs on my PC, just simple things, nothing major. About three months ago, I also started playing the guitar. I love music. It’s a really nice thing to do, just to sit and hear the sweet sounds of a guitar or that feeling of accomplishment after hearing a good piece on my PC - I love it! You can listen to Daniel’s music here Martin Recently I have been enjoying taking my time while doing my art practice papers for IGCSE. I have enjoyed practicing and experimenting with different materials and techniques and trying to draw in styles I haven’t done before. I really like this as it makes me relax and discover new things that I wasn’t able to do before. I know I have to improve a lot, but I will keep trying my best in my next practice paper. Ana Paula I play the piano. Recently I have enjoyed it a lot because I am learning a song that is very treasured to my Argentinian family. The song is called "Por Una Cabeza'' and my dad and grandpa love it. Playing songs that give happiness remind me of how awesome music can be. Gaby In this quarantine I've had a lot of spare time so I'm learning to cook with my family because my mum is a chef. I learned new typical recipes from Bolivian, like sopa de mani, and seco de pollo from Ecuador. I also tried some carrot cake recipes with my sisters. Now I can make some delicious typical recipes from my countries without help or making a disaster. Maria Recently my hobbies have changed greatly. I have enjoyed expanding my knowledge by reading all kinds of books from fiction to fantasy. I have read 'Mi Planta de Naranja Lima'. I loved the way the story was laid out with a lot of character development with a revealing ending. Koushiki During my teenage years I got interested in video editing. There are different styles of editing videos but what I found most interesting is where I take little clips from music videos and put them together and make a little movie. It mostly ranges over from cute love stories to some action movie. I have been editing videos for about 4 years now and it challenged my creativity and in general it’s just a relaxing task. If you ask me about inspiring artists, nothing can beat K-pop. Firstly K-pop is Korean music. Why do I find most Korean artists inspiring? The artists themself respect all sorts of people. They focus on mental health. They make music that comforts sad/depressed people because when someone is sad they prefer music that understands them rather than happy songs (of course they have all sorts of songs and a various range of genres). They show the importance of self-love and acceptance. They are utterly grateful for their fans and their actions just shows. They don’t care about gender stereotypes and wear what they want. They try their best to take care of their environment (if they ride a bicycle instead of cars and upload a picture of them doing so their fans will follow their steps). They work hard to achieve their dreams, facing all the Asian criticism and still rising up with hard work. Some more reasons that aren't about inspiring others: high quality music videos and music, amazing live performances, immaculate choreographies, just simply best fashion sense, utterly talented, and the visuals of the artist plays a huge role as well. Jossue During this time I have enjoyed learning and playing the drums. I attend online drum classes every week which is fun. I have learnt a couple of songs including The Pretender, Man Down and Back in Black. Barbara During the pandemic carrying on with the sport I love - gymnastics - has been challenging. However, I have continued practising online, as many other activities have been taught through this modality. This pandemic has allowed me to be more creative by finding ways to continue my training with the equipment at home. I have also been reading more, specifically in French to improve my vocabulary and grammar. A book I recommend is “Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours”. Dominik An activity I really enjoy is training with my dad. Even though it’s hard, I love it, and especially when he teaches me a new technique that will help and support my training. When I train with my dad I realise I need to improve something, such as my endurance, speed and timing, but I love it - and I love doing weight training! Year 8 English Students in Year 8 are now reading some non-fiction, that being The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. We have been considering the concept of paradigms, whilst also practising tricky uses of apostrophes in future tense forms such as I’ll, we’ll, she’ll, he’ll, they’ll and you’ll. We have tried to imagine what things might be important to Year 8 students in five years from now, when they'll be in Year 13. Mr. Newman, English Teacher Year 9 Philosophy Year 9 were split into small groups and given an example of a case study where someone wanted to end their life through euthanasia. The students had to consider the different sides of the argument - for and against and consider why people have those opinions. They then used flipgrid to make videos to represent different characters and express the different views people may have. I was incredibly impressed with the class for their maturity with a very difficult topic and that they challenged themselves to think how others may be feeling. They showed empathy for others experiencing both mental and physical health issues and suffering and realised euthanasia is a complex and difficult subject. Ms. Natalie Sawyers Year 9 Community Projects In community projects we always have a busy agenda. In this last round we are working with the topic of Children’s Rights. After an assembly, K3 considered it very important to show to the school community that they have rights and those rights have to be respected. As you know, we always start with the research process. These are some of their findings. Mrs Montenegro, Community Projects Leader KS5: Year 12 IB History In Year 12 IB History we have been looking at exam technique surrounding our unit on Hitler's ascension to power in 1933. Martin has demonstrated some excellent work here as he identifies the requirements of the essay question using a highlighter, understands the chronological constraints of the question and then deploys accurate and detailed knowledge to create a strong plan for his essay. Well done Martin for your hard work! Mr Beazley, History Teacher CAS Debate Contest It has been really hard to find online volunteering options to our students or activities that really engaged them for the CAS program. However, it has been wonderful that despite a few options, our students put a lot of effort into doing what they love, to undertake new challenges and succeed. During these weeks Mateo, Sebas G, Patricio and Koutarou from year 12 have been participating in an international online debate competition held in Spain with students from Pakistan, Mexico, Doha and USA. We are in the third round, waiting for the results and hoping to make it to the finals. This is a sneak peak of the 2nd round and the teams participating!
Mrs Montenegro, CAS Coordinator Year 12 IB Geography Year 12 have been looking at the world's resources and different population theories. They created presentations focussing on the two main ones - Malthus and Boserup. Here are some excellent examples from the class. Well done to Maite and Riko! Ms Sawyers, Geography Teacher Equality and Diversity Committee The indigenous peoples represent 370 million or 5% of the total world population. There are more than 5000 distinct indigenous cultural groups in over 70 countries, predominantly in South American countries. Unfortunately, they also represent 15% of the world’s poorest people. Arguably, discrimination has played a vital role in this problem. Lack of professional education, financial security and others continue to threaten the indigenous peoples of Ecuador. The United Nations has treated this since 1973-1982 with projects such as the "Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination" programme. This led to the establishment in 1982 of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which highlighted proposals, needs and decisions in a draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Being aware of this, can help us be more open and inclusive with all communities, genders and cultures. G – Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Theme Week Year Four's Theme Week focused on Ancient Greek gods, creatures and beasts. We began the week by reading all about Heracles (Hercules), Medusa and Perseus, and Theseus and the Minotaur. This provided us with ideas and inspiration to begin creating our own creatures. We started Tuesday by prototyping ideas for creatures whilst thinking about where they might have come from. We soon took one idea each and designed it in full. Over the middle of the week, we then created the creatures as 3D masks using Papier-mâché. Once we had sculpted the faces and they were dry, we painted on the detail with extreme care. At the end of the week, the students did a great job at telling the story of their Ancient Greek creatures in the format they desired. We had creatures cursed by Medusa, Ares (the god of war) crossed with a shark, pets of Zeus and many more! 4A earned 'Star of the Week' because of their great independence, resilience and dedication to their work. Super work across the week, 4A! Mr. Tomos Prosser, Year 4A Teacher Ms. Antonella Coronel – Head of EYFS Dear parents, Last Thursday we welcomed our students back for the first time in a little over a year. The school was filled with the children’s laughter, art and games all through the Early Years Foundation Stage corridors, classrooms and playgrounds. They also had the opportunity to visit the entire campus, stopping through all the important areas like the small field, bus ramp, library, music, psychologist department and Dr. Sara, they were even able to wave hello to a lot of the teachers working in their classrooms preparing for their group’s induction day. They got to experience what a normal day in school will be like once they are back in April in addition to learning about all the protocols that have been set in place for their safety in a calm and creative manner. Well done Early Years Foundation Stage students, we look forward to the transition to blended learning and sharing the British School campus with you once more. Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Princiapal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() The final newsletter of Term 4 sees the preparations for many of our students returning to campus continuing in the form of Induction sessions and instructions, alongside our Parent Teacher Conferences on Monday 29th March for Years 3 and 4 and Tuesday 30th March for Nursery, Reception B, Years 1, 2, 5 and 6. On these days, there will be no online sessions for your child, though we do encourage them to join for some or all of the conference, if appropriate. Term 4 ends on Wednesday 31st March at 12pm, with no online sessions in the afternoon. Term 5 starts again (using the same Online Timetable) on Monday 12th April at 8am. You will already have received a great deal of information about some of the changes coming up. We will share the new timetables for all students in the first week of Term 5, ready to start these in the week beginning 19th April (with each year group having a different stat date for this timetable). As always, please do direct any questions to myself. We wish you and your family a safe and relaxing Easter break and look forward to reconnecting with you all again in April. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() What a wonderful reunion I have had a wonderful couple of days welcoming students to the site and seeing just how excited they are about being in school and how enthusiastically they have engaged with the activities. For me of course it is the first time that I have actually met the BSQ students face-to-face. When I came to the school for the first time to visit and complete the interview process for the role at BSQ, I experienced some really positive feelings as I left to head back to the UK. I spoke to my wife Natalie when I got home and I said how wonderful the ‘family’ of BSQ were and my experiences this week have absolutely underlined this view with a huge exclamation mark. I have been met with cheery faces, cooperation with the new rules and expectations, engagement with the activities and an extremely welcoming smile. Thank you all! We have more sessions early this week as follows. Do please remember that children cannot return unless they have attended this important session with myself, Miss. Todd and Miss. Sadotra. Also remember that these sessions are ONLY for those students returning on April 19th – we will run another round of induction for those returning in May. It is always wonderful to hear about the successes enjoyed by our students in the Secondary School. Ignacio De Armas in year 7 attended the G2 National Tennis Tournament in Manta recently. He started the event in the 14 years’ category and qualified through the rounds to the final where he took second place overall in the singles. He is young in this age group so this is an achievement in itself. He then entered the 12 years’ category in the singles and doubles tournaments playing these at the same time. Once again he was magnificent in his games taking the championship in the doubles and coming a close second place overall in the singles. I am sure that you would all join me in congratulating Ignacio for his continuing success in the sport. Well done indeed – clearly a talent to watch in the future. What a huge achievement, reaching the 3 finals in the 3 competitions he was participating! Have a lovely and safe week. Lee Moors
Head of Secondary Welcome![]() Today is the last day of our staff groups returning to the campus and we are busy with the logistics of turning a school back to fully functioning capacity after over a year. Our focus as staff is to ensure that we are all fully comfortable and compliant with the protocols set in place to create a safe space at BSQ. From Thursday we will be able to finally see our students in person as we start the induction sessions linked to sharing our protocols for safe learning and living at BSQ. Stories from all over the world show how happy and excited children of all ages have been to resume their learning journeys at their schools. They talk about the physical and emotional problems faced at home as part of the challenge of studying for hours at a computer or of the lack of contact with their trusted teachers and support staff. We know that our students have received a strong online education and benefitted from the continued support and guidance from staff at BSQ but we also know none of that replaces the joy and excitement of arriving at school alongside friends and community members to share stories and explore classroom learning together. We are looking forward to welcoming you back – whether that is in April, in May or in August, BSQ will be ready to support you to continue on your living and learning journey. Learning PA Directory For the second time we are proud to share with you this opportunity to support our community and share ideas for where to find those essential contact. From the Staff and the StudentsContinuing with our teachers and their stories about e-learning this new period. This week we have Ms. Alejandra Miranda, Student Council, Ms. Aditi Sadotra, Mrs. Sally Madden, Mrs. Paola Montenegro and the Equality & Diversity Committee from Secondary and Ms. Hayley Dean, Mrs. Helen Dávila and Ms. Antonella Coronel from Primary. Year 13 As part of the LLS classes we have touched on some sensitive issues with our group, such as the correct use of the internet, consent and gender violence. It is very important that they find the space to express their opinion on issues that concern young people today and that they are also able to discuss in a mature way and with accurate answers to the questions posed. All our students have shown great maturity and resilience during this school year, as well as awareness and social commitment. Miss Miranda - Year 13 tutor Student Council Fun Time: Riddles
See if you get any right! The answers are at the bottom!! Student Council Updates: International women's day: On International Women’s Day the Student council representatives from each class presented a PowerPoint presentation about Inspiring Women and Women Around the World. It was a great day where students did something to do with women’s day in all their lessons and learnt things about different Important Women. The Activities ranged from kahoots, Slide shows, discussions, and videos. Overall it was a great day celebrating Women’s rights and Women’s achievements. Rewards: We are planning a reward session for students who have 50 or more house points OR have received a subject award so far this year. There are going to be lots of games and the student council have spent lots of time planning it. We hope it is a fun day for students in alternative to a rewards trip to the movies that we would normally have when we were at school. Top 10: Food you have to try
Top 5: Places to Visit in Ecuador 5. Otavalo 4. Quilotoa Lake 3. Mindo 2. Cotopaxi National Park 1. Galápagos Islands Fun Time: Riddle Answers
The Student Council Newsletter team: Lyla, Doménica L and Natalia G IGCSE Maths: Estimation Projects In year 11 IGCSE students have been working on a research project to try and find out if people are better are estimating lines or angles! They have created a hypothesis and designed a method to try and prove it. After collecting the data, they then analysed it mathematically to make a conclusion. Here are their projects! Ms Sadotra, Mathematics Teacher IB Business Management: Leadership As part of the celebrations of Women’s Day on 8th March, students were asked to make sure they included women when investigating examples of leadership styles. The five styles of leadership they investigated were: Autocratic | Democratic | Laissez faire | Situational | Paternalistic Here are the posters they created. Mrs Madden, Business Management Teacher Recipes in Spanish In Spanish AB initio we are currently working the use of imperatives, food vocabulary and measures. Here are some wonderful pieces of work from two of our year 12 students, Riko and Nanditha who have written a recipe and then later on prepared the dish by themselves and recorded it. Do feel free to try out their amazing recipes yourself! Mrs Montenegro, Spanish Teacher Equality & Diversity Committee "Women leaders: For an egalitarian future in the world of Covid-19", was how the International Women's Day this year was called. The struggle of women for equality, the recognition and effective respect of their rights was commemorated. The efforts that women and girls make for a more equitable future despite the Covid-19 pandemic were celebrated, which highlights the injustices that persist. However, this important occasion is more than a day, gender equality is a problem that must be addressed on a regular basis. It must be recognized that the women of the world want and deserve a future without stigmas, stereotypes and violence. All of us are in search of a peaceful future, with rights and opportunities for all people and that lasts over time. Thanks to the increased participation and action of women in all aspects of life, they have managed to achieve change. And, despite the fact that women are still the minority in the awards and on the selection committees, they have progressively made their way into the most recognized global awards in various branches of study. In 2020, four women received Nobel Prizes for Literature, Chemistry and Physics: Louise Glück for her work on poetry, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their studies on genetics, and Andrea Ghez for her research on the black holes. At the same time, it is mostly young women who create inclusive movements, promoting diversity, social justice, equality and including the fight against global warming. However, less than 1 percent of women under the age of 30 are elected to congresses or parliaments worldwide. Due to this, it is worth emphasizing the importance of gender equality, making it clear that what is sought is to achieve a more equitable future for everyone. The Generation Equality Forum, the most important meeting for investment and adoption of measures for gender equality, will begin in Mexico City between March 29th and 31st, and will close in Paris in June 2021. This event will unite leaders, visionaries and activists from around the world, safely on a virtual platform, to inspire and drive sustainable change for our future. Barbara – Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] E&D conferences The Equality and Diversity Committee has been actively looking for ways to engage students in primary. The students are very committed to sharing this important information with everyone in school. One of their goals is to be able to lead a lesson in primary on topics such as activism, gender equality or friendships. The students have been preparing their lessons and are excited to have meaningful conversations with all students! Mrs. Helen Dávila – Year 1B Teacher Year 1B has been doing some out of this world work the past couple of weeks. In science we were looking at how heat plays a part in making things rise. We talked about hot air balloons and then carried out an amazing convection experiment suggested by Ms Todd in secondary. Yes a convection experiment in year 1! The class saw how heat from candles moved a card spiral round. We all had fun in Topic, as we carried out a vinegar and baking soda rocket launch. As parents were in charge of the final launch preparations, we had many funny videos of year 1B shouting for their parents to get out of the way. Thank goodness year 1B had some good assistants! In art we have been experimenting with a variety of materials to create space themed sculptures. Year 1B has made Moon rocks out of bicarbonate of soda, water, adding holes and sparkles just like the rocks found by Neil Armstrong. We have used recycled materials to make 3D space rocket sculptures adding amazing details with stars and buttons. Finally, we were inspired by ´Aliens Love Underpants´ and created some space tasktic aliens of our own. Mrs. Antonella Coronel – Head of EYFS Dear parents, The British School Quito´s calendar over the next two weeks is filled with important dates, starting with the Induction day on Thursday March 25th for the students returning to school on April 19th. Over the past few weeks the teachers and staff have been in school preparing for this soon return. Morning online sessions will not take place on this day, they will resume with normality from twelve o'clock onwards, home learning opportunities will be shared with you by each class teacher. We are filled with joy to welcome the students back on campus after a whole year, we look forward to meeting each one for the first time face to face. Parent-teacher conferences will take place next week on Tuesday March 30th. Class teachers will contact you directly for date and time confirmations. Wednesday March 31st is the last day before the Easter break and it will be a half day, with classes finalizing at twelve and resuming normally on Monday April 12th. ![]() Lastly, we would like to share with you one of our youngest learner’s beautiful works of art with you. The Nursery class have been inspired by the story of “Owl babies” and their journey through independence as they face being alone for their very first time. Juan Alfonso, connected with this story in such a way that he decided to make his own owl babies, using a variety of crafting tools independently. Well done! Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() The Primary School enjoyed a successful Theme Week last week, exploring different ways of learning, developing the students’ perseverance and creativity and allowing them to develop their ideas independently. With just over two weeks left of Term 4, there are a number of events and activities planned for the rest of this term, including the Reconnect session for students returning to the campus in April. This is an opportunity for us to introduce the students to the protocols and procedures in place to ensure the campus is a safe place for them to learn and also a chance to reconnect with their friends, teachers and the campus. We also are hosting the online Parent Teacher Conferences this week for Reception A, next Monday 29th March for Years 3 and 4 and Tuesday 30th March for Nursery, Reception B, Years 1, 2, 5 and 6. Either myself or your child’s class teacher will have been in touch with you to arrange a time for these, to give you an opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers to discuss their achievements so far and their next steps in their learning. Do please make appointments to speak with any of the specialist teachers too, in Music, Spanish, Sociales, PE and Library, by contacting those teachers directly by email. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() A late Christmas for some. What an exciting week we have had seeing staff arriving back at the campus. For the second time we have been focusing on the next steps of the return protocols by welcoming staff to the site, testing and orientating them to the safe systems and operational protocols. They are also getting the opportunity again to prepare classrooms and resources, and also teach some lessons with the new interactive technology. It is always better to practice and iron out the inevitable glitches before children are sat there in front of you. The school looks beautiful and as you are aware by now there have been many adaptations made to facilitate our return. There is a lot of information going home this week so naturally there is lots to take in. Please don’t worry about it all and do please just email and ask if you are confused or you do not understand something. You will also receive information about what learning will look like for students who are at school and at home. I look forward to the induction sessions for students as for me, it is the first time I will have actually met them. I am very excited about this. The scheduled induction dates are as follows. Do please remember that children cannot return unless they have attended this important session with myself, Ms. Todd and Ms. Sadotra: What we have planned with regard to the curriculum and teaching approach will ensure that all students will experience the same delivery with the use of live streaming directly from the classroom. Once again we are all adapting to the need to use new technology in our teaching pedagogy. I am confident that we will all benefit from the development as we did when we entered lockdown a year ago and we all wrestled with Canvas. Do please take the time to look at this important communication as it covers not just the logistics but also useful tips and key information. This is designed so that students are as prepared and successful as possible at school and at home. Can you please ensure that students in years 10 to 13 bring back their devices as these will be used in learning activities in the classroom. Can I also ask you to ensure that all exercise books are also brought back to school as we are going to be encouraging the use of pen and paper in the classroom. This is critical in Year’s 7, 8 and 9. Finally, the last time I wrote about the return to school we were approaching the Christmas Holidays. A real issue that came from the extended period away until now was that our teachers could not access the lovely gifts that you kindly sent in. I have been looking after these carefully in my office and it is nice to see them finally being reunited. Mr. Samaniego and Mrs. Montenegro were extremely pleased when the visited to collect their gifts this week. On behalf of our staff do please accept their grateful thanks. Have a lovely and safe week.
Lee Moors Head of Secondary Welcome ![]() Living When I met with the PA on March 3rd the agenda included a review of the Parent Survey from earlier this year. Inevitably however, we ended up talking mostly about the return to school protocols and did not manage to get into the detail of the survey. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I was very happy with the support and comments that came from the survey and in terms of moving forward we will be looking at some of the key areas where we can:
As you can see in the presentation attached, we have identified topics in each of the areas above and will be exploring them more fully in future meetings. Learning This week we begin to welcome our staff back to the campus to familiarize themselves with the protocols and prepare their learning spaces. Please see the letters on the parent portal for more information about the period between now and Easter. All students returning in April will be attending an induction half-day between March 25th and March 30th and all information will be shared with you on Friday. As part of our protocols, students are not able to return to school full time until they have attended their induction session. We look forward to welcoming them back to BSQ and you can find the protocols here. From the Staff and the Students Continuing with our teachers and their stories about e-learning this new period. This week we have Ms. Sara Avent, Mrs. Patricia Tufiño, Mrs. Rocío Rueda, Mr. Simon Newman, Ms. Aditi Sadotra and the Equality & Diversity Committee from Secondary and Ms. Hayley Dean, Mr. Kevin Dobson and Ms. Antonella Coronel from Primary. Y13 TOK lessons Year 13a have had an extremely busy week with TOK essays being completed and the due dates of several IAs upon them. Most students will by now have completed and submitted their TOK essays and Mr. Samaniego and myself congratulate them on this amazing achievement. I am sure the completion of this will let them breathe a sigh of relief. In this final rush of deadlines, students have worked hard to do their best to meet the expectations of the IB and their teachers. Tomas and Nico share their thoughts on how it is going right now: Nico: “The IB has certainly been a great, but fulfilling challenge during the pandemic. More recently, our deadlines have been approaching which has posed a great stress to all of our class. It has forced us to learn time management skills, along with many academic skills that certainly will result fruitfully in our university lives. With deadlines near, we can also begin to see the end of it all, which is really motivating as two years of extremely hard work are coming to a wrap. Although I'm stressed with deadlines, I'm excited to see what is coming next.” Tomas: “The deadlines have made me feel very stressed. But, that is the obvious answer. Although the deadlines for multiple IAs are tough, I have really enjoyed seeing the effort my teachers have put in to help us. I am thankful for the education that I have.” As the weeks go on, the Year 13s will continue to need our support at school, but also at home, to meet the demands of this challenging program – please do what you can to support them in their journey. This can be as simple as asking them what they are working on right now or giving them a quiet space where they can work uninterrupted. Despite this busy time, our student council reps found time to create and share an informative presentation on Monday – International Women’s Day. Thank you to Sofia and Martinna for sharing this and getting the discussion going. Year 7 Spanish: In Spanish lessons, Year 7 students are reviewing the subject of the autobiography, for this reason, they made creative posters with the most outstanding information from their own lives. They have shown a lot of creativity and we have known something of each one. We share some of them below: Mrs. Patricia Tufiño, Spanish Teacher Year 9 Humanities: The year 9 students have, as always, been working incredibly hard in Humanities and creating some excellent work! Here are a few examples from some units of work completed about abortion (the arguments of pro-choice and pro-life), glaciers and earthquakes! I am sure you will agree the quality of their work really demonstrates their enthusiasm for the subject area and their excellent understanding of these topic areas. Well done Year 9! Ms. Natalie Sawyers, Humanities Teacher Year 7 Science Year 7 have planned an experiment to investigate the different factors that affect dissolving with a simple at-home experiment. On Wednesday, they performed their experiments in small groups. Over the next few days they will analyse and communicate their conclusions with the rest of the class. Lyla, Anna, Antonella, and Isa made sure to turn their cameras on and perform their experiment together just like we would at school! Ms Avent, Science Teacher Year 8 English To complete their learning around Lois Lowry's The Giver, Year 8 pupils were asked to write a response to this question (one that seems more relevant than ever, given the events of the past twelve months): How do you feel about the concept of age in relationship to maturity, responsibility, and growing up? You can see a selection of (shortened) sound 'bites' from some of the children's essays just here. Space means I could only share a few I'm afraid! Elias N: I think that some schools are not preparing young people for the future, (university and jobs) they are preparing us for the past. Let me explain: if you see a car from the past and a car from now, there is a big difference but if you see a class in the past and then a class from these days there is not much difference. In an online article that I read it says, “Schools give the same education from the past.” I do agree with the statement that schools or high schools are not doing enough for students to be professionals. There is evidence that some schools prepare students for being an employee of a big enterprise or company, but I think schools need to boost children to create their own business or company to open their mind to new opportunities. The Giver shows different ways to teach children of the future. In my opinion I don't think those are the best ways. Giving 12 year old children a job for the rest of their life I don't think is the best way; I think it is ordered and not messy but you don't see the perspective of the children. Some ways I think could be better for the children are letting them choose a profession or let them innovate their ideas, to make and create their own jobs - let them experience being free from order and rules let them be themselves. Doménica: Everything is dynamic whether younger people are growing faster than other decades or not, however there are many statements which say children of this generation are being more mature and growing up in a way that is much quicker. I believe that children of this generation are more mature in some ways by growing and understanding concepts earlier in life and having specific behaviours. The way of forming children and teaching them has majorly increased obviously through the years, due to the fact that people have more extended ways of thinking and expressing themselves, for example a common parents’ saying is, “We couldn't do this back when I was a child.” Children, some more mature than others at a certain age, may not be so mature but however they are much more knowledgeable than children in previous generations and years due to that they have more availability of resources and chances in the world, for example the media. Gabriel: Children now are more likely to have more access to technology and that for me can affect them. It can affect their creativity because they only think about technology and video games - and creativity is important for children to mature. However, sometimes technology also helps responsibility but still, I think children before were more mature and responsible. Technology can make children be more responsible by managing time well for example and not spending the whole day indoors, playing video games but going to do something productive instead. I think the school system is pretty good because it prepares you for adulthood. Although I think maybe in school teachers could be making students from y10 to y13 make a long project on preparing more for adulthood. For example, choosing a topic that interests you and which could be similar to the topic that you will choose when you grow up and go to college and university. So, you have a lot of preparation and you can make a wise choice for your career. In The Giver, I do not approve of how they manage the community because it’s too strict and everyone and everything is the same. It’s like a prison where there are no hills, the climate is changed by scientists and people are controlled in their marriages and jobs. Everyone is in total conformity, because the elders make a policy of Sameness. Gianella: Not all children in the 21st century are becoming more responsible at a younger age. Nowadays, children are receiving technology at the age of 5 or 6 and this makes them get in contact with the cyber world a lot and they get addicted. If a parent takes away the phone, tablet or computer from the child because they behaved badly, the addicted child might start to cry. Because of this irritating loud noise, parents give them back their technology. If a child needs to have his technology taken away because of bad behaviour, don’t give it back to them! Let them cry, let them see that things have limits and you create or destroy them. Last generation people were raised in a better way with firmness and punishments if necessary. They stayed all day long outside and played with friends. Now it has all changed. All schools should try to treat teens like teens, not like they are children. We, as teens, learn things quicker. We know most of the things teachers thought the year before. Sometimes it’s just tiring that teachers reteach us things we already know. That is understandable because you will always have to revise the things you did before. The school should treat people like they are a little older than they actually are. It makes people feel more smart and independent. I think this would make people feel that they can do more than what they expect. Sometimes if teachers give a specific student a specific task that is at a higher level than the rest of the students, it might make them feel more intelligent and advanced from the rest. The community in The Giver is strange, and I personally don’t like the way it’s managed. People are used to following the rules and if disobeyed, people get punished or sometimes expelled from the community. I don't agree that 12 year olds are given their job for the rest of their lives because they don't get to choose what their job is going to be and because they might not like their job. Also children aren't prepared to have a job for life. Ivan: Children are growing up faster because nowadays children are learning more adult things, and in some schools teens are being prepared for adulthood. Yet, I also disagree because the exposure to the internet may affect them in a bad way. Technology, which used to be hard to use, has matured young people because during the pandemic we are forced to use it to go to school and there it makes learning a lot easier. Sometimes parents give children too much and they become dependent on parents and that's not how parents should treat their child. The child should be treated with respect and love but if you want your child to be mature and independent don’t let him take control. Children have limited knowledge in The Giver because the elders don’t let children have the freedom of knowledge. Making the children into adults at the age of 12 is one of the things I don't agree with about The Giver. The only way to know what is happening in the world of the is novel to be chosen as a receiver and that way you learn about freedom and see memories of others and in a way feel them. In our world we have freedom to think what we want without anything really bad happening. In addition we have the freedom to learn to go to school and learn about the flaws in life. Julian: On the maturity part, it totally depends on the people surrounding you and sometimes your belongings .So many parents give certain devices at such young age that the children will enter a phase prematurely. Now, books also have an impact on children's thoughts and ways of thinking, like in my case, in the way that certain authors write pieces that influences .One example of this is the book, The Little Prince. One of my favourite books, it talks about how adults are so different and how children are wonderful thinkers and they are so pure that would even draw things that adults think is a hat when it is an elephant inside a boa! In terms of our school, it is a different scenario because in a certain way teachers kind of understand how children feel and think as they are teachers so they try to not make it so similar as university or workforce. Maybe you didn't think this but adults have a life of stress and hard work .The case is different in children .Theirs is filled with being always happy and entertained because the sad reality is that someday they will too become adults and have a life full of stress and hard work .Therefore it is of paramount importance that children have the time to have that sense of happiness until as late as possible. You can guide young people to the person you aspire for them to grow up to be but you can't expect that to happen entirely and can't take away the things that form that criteria because, once they are very settled with that idea, there is no possible way to change it easily - just respect others and live your life because there is only one like this one. Nicolas: In all honesty, I believe a child, however mature, still remains constrained due to the public’s view of youth. Although certain people will be more mature at younger ages compared to others, it isn’t a child’s responsibility to be mature; its responsibilities are to learn, play and to prepare for growth. Sadly, people may expect maturity from children and, although this is understandable, it shouldn’t surprise someone if the child acts like a child. Maturity should be taught, and other things revolving it too. In addition, maturity adds responsibility and an 8-year-old can’t carry too many responsibilities. If mature children were treated as adults, consequences would be serious. Underage people require attention and surveillance to grow in a balanced manner. Mr Newman, English Teacher International Women's Day On March 8th the Secondary school celebrated International Women's Day with the help of the Student Council who put together a plan for the day and created some really useful and informative resources for tutor time. Lyla in year 7 came up with the idea to do something and lead the planning and execution of the whole day. Thank you Lyla for all your hard work, passion, and enthusiasm for this amazing event! Here are some pictures of the various events and activities that took place across the day! Equality and Diversity Committee When it comes to Mental Health, struggling in an area is normal, as well as feeling overwhelmed, pressured and stressed. As a teenager myself and a person who has struggled with mental health I can understand the difficulty of reaching out. That’s why it is important to reach out to people you trust such as your parents, mentor or school psychologist. So let’s talk about ways of reaching out:
No one is alone. You aren’t alone. There will always be someone to reach out for help. And please remember that asking for help is very important. Richicuardo - Equality and Diversity Committee Do you have any questions? Contact us at: [email protected] Careers Day Good morning Primary As I am sure you heard in your Parent Conference with your class teacher last Thursday, on the week beginning 3rd May for KS1 and Thursday 6th May for KS2, we are having a range of online careers talks with all of our students. To be able to provide them with inspirational and motivating lessons all about the different careers out there, we need your help! If you are interested in giving a maximum 30-minute talk to either our KS1 or KS2 students, please get in contact with your class teacher. Once we have all of our wonderful volunteers I will be in contact with more information. We are so excited to provide this fantastic opportunity to our students, thank you in advance for your continued support. Miss Dean 5B Newsletter Contribution Theme Week for Primary is rapidly approaching and 5B have been busy making plans for what they will spend a large portion of the week creating – they have been charged with the task of producing any ‘creative piece of work’ (such as a piece of artwork, a large mural, a video, or a literary piece like a poem or a song) that relates to one of the 30 Articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Why are we doing this? Well, this term’s key focus is Human Rights, and we have started by looking at what this means – where did the Universal Declaration of Human Rights come from, and why is it so important? We also asked the question of whether all people of the world are able to access their Human Rights, and identified a range of situations (such as war, conflict, refugee events, natural disasters, and child workers) where Human Rights have not been applied. Whilst 5B are already incredibly knowledgeable about a range of Human Rights issues, particularly the Civil Rights movement in the USA of the 1960s-onwards, an area we have been studying is the policy of Apartheid in South Africa between the 1940s and 1990s. This is something they have been shocked to learn about, and we are curiously finding out about the life of Nelson Mandela. In Theme Week, each of 5B will be investigating one of the 30 Articles (see the image below) – we look forward to seeing what they create during the week with so much freedom to engage and explore this topic! Mr. Kevin Dobson & Ms. Andrea Figueroa Mrs. Antonella Coronel – Head of Early Years Dear parents, As we move forward with the school year, you may find your child experiencing challenging moments both at home or during school activities. This of course is normal to encounter with young children for both teachers and parents as they are in a process of identifying their emotions and how to handle these, they may also be looking to be challenged in different areas of their learning, or might feel overwhelmed with being at home for long periods of time. Because of this, we are inviting Early Years Foundation Stage parents to a creative workshop on ‘How to keep my child motivated’ on March 24th at 4:00pm on Canvas. Please follow the steps below to join this workshop: 1. Follow this link EYFS Events and Assemblies 2. Press on ‘enrol in course’ 3. You are ready! Thank you for another excellent week of online learning, the children continue to progress and achieve new skills with the support of their parents, teachers and classmates. Dates for your Diary
Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Now that we are approaching a staged return to school, using the protocols and systems shared with you all by Mrs Newman, as a community we need to plan the support for our students carefully to ensure they feel fully ready for the changes ahead. After a year of online learning, we have all developed new routines and ways of working while at home, which have now become the new normal for us. Any change to this normal situation could be perceived as a concern, leading to stress, so we need to discuss how they are feeling, share strategies to help them cope with the changes and to listen to them when they share their concerns. Please do look at the guidance written by our Student Support Department about the return to school and how you can support your child during the transition, even if they are remaining at home for an extended period of online learning. This week sees the students engaged in a variety of activities and challenges in each class, with the aim of extending their learning and encouraging them to experience concepts and skills that they may not have encountered before. These activities will also allow them to develop their perseverance and independence, solve problems and hopefully achieve a satisfying end product. Whilst much of this learning will be undertaken independently, their teachers will be available for support and guidance throughout the process and will continue with many of their normal online sessions, such as Literacy and Mathematics. Thank you again to all the parents who shared photographs or attended sessions during our International Women’s Day celebrations and activities – we truly do have an inspirational community of amazing role-models for our students! Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() If you don’t get it right the first time, listen and act to do it better next time What a busy week again as we fast approach the next stage of re-engaging relationships and welcoming students and staff to the school site. The children I have asked about this are really looking forward to this and are super excited about getting back to our wonderful community. As I mentioned last week years 9 and 11 have important decisions to make in respect of study choices as they move into IGCSE study and IB study respectively. I would like to remind parents and students in these year groups to attend a virtual information event on the morning of Saturday 20th March 2021. These important events will launch the process and provide information on what comes next. Do please try and join us. The adverts with the times are below. We will be announcing a significant curriculum development for Year 12 at the event. Year 13 are now fast approaching the end of their formal assessment deadlines and later in April we then embark on our preparation curriculum to ensure that they are practically placed well for the challenges ahead. We are in the process of putting the final planning details together and this will be communicated before the end of this term. Our aim is to cover numerous activities from preparing food safely, money management to Degree study vocabulary preparation. This was a huge success last year and all students benefited enormously for the content. The sessions will be delivered in the current timetable and with their current year 13 teachers. For now, our focus is getting the last IAs and connected activity finished and where subjects sign off as all complete, this subject time will be given to other subjects to allow focus elsewhere in a supervised approach. I have spent time over the last few weeks looking at the quality of the way we present feedback for student work, the regularity that this takes place, and how staff present opportunities for students to improve their work. We have found that the process online has been a little challenging with the workbook approach and something that we have had to be quite innovative about. I have been impressed by the way that staff are tackling this. On Wednesday last week Mr. Bowles shared the way he was using a tablet to add written comments to student work. Ms. Montenegro and Mr. Newman shared strategies they were using to demonstrate progress in student work following their feedback. Mr. Edwards shared his strategy for self-reflection at the end of the unit of study. Miss. Cano showed how she had fed back in a music lesson and the impact she had on the ‘before and after’. You will see this work below. We are all innovating in this area to support each other in our shared purpose of developing assessment and feedback. It is pleasing to report that there are signs of great work and collaboration even in this challenging time. First draft Miss Cano acknowledged what went well in the work and then suggested what could be done to make it better. She then gave the student a follow up task to address the misconception or lost learning Following constructive feedback As you can imagine Miss Cano was extremely pleased with the outcome and this example shows progress and learning in the student work. “Teach – Response – Feedback – A better response = The Progress and learning cycle” Have a great week everyone. Lee Moors
Head of Secondary |
CategoriesArchives
May 2024
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