WelcomePlease note change of holiday date for Fiestas de Quito: Friday December 7th ![]() Living Over the last year we have been steadily developing a sense of belonging as one of the ten Orbital schools and you will have seen the Facebook and website information about opportunities to travel to Budapest, Ljubljana, Mallorca and Manchester as part of that development. I do hope that some of you will take the opportunities on offer and experience the excitement of meeting students from the other schools and learning to sail, ski (next academic year now) or visit wonderful locations as time goes on. Last week we filmed our Year 4 and Year 5 students singing a verse from Let It Snow which will be shared with the other Orbital schools to create a Winter Song extravaganza. In November we sent our Flat Stanleys around the schools and have so far received 20 in return. Later this year we will also share Digital Learning Day, World Book Day and International Women’s Day with the other schools. Last week our year 13 student Cristobal Carrillo flew out to Madrid to attend the COBIS Student Leadership Weekend Conference at Kings College. This was the first time a student from BSQ has taken part in this event and I am extremely proud of Cristobal and his achievements. Whilst there he took part in a wide range of leadership activities as well as being able to explore Madrid with the other conference attendees. Cristobal reports that the conference was 'amazing in every way possible.' He is particularly proud of the fact that his team won the prestigious prize for the best marketing proposal and will be receiving personal letters from the COBIS Global Director. Congratulations to Cristobal for representing BSQ so brilliantly and I hope that many more students will follow his lead and venture out to meet new people and learn new skills as representatives of BSQ. We are not only making the most of our connections with Orbital – last week I received the news that our application to join LAHC (Latin American Heads Conference) was accepted after a visit from a member of their board. This is another great opportunity for our staff and students to meet others and learn from others. Finally, we will soon be seeking your views about BSQ and your experience through the annual Parent Survey. Following on from last year we made significant changes to our enrichment programme, developed opportunities for students to participate in sport and arts and improved the facilities in Early Years and primary – just as some examples. I really do value your comments and look forward to a very high participation rate again this year. BSQ´s Parent Association and CAS join forces This Christmas for a good cause This year we will support two projects that our CAS students are working on with the following foundations: 1. Fundación Manos con sabor a Venezuela. It is a group of volunteers whose mission is to support Venezuelan migrants in great fragility conditions, providing support for their adaptation in an honest, authentic and efficient way. We would like to support them by donating non-perishable food and clothes (new or used clothes in good conditions) 2. Fundación Sinsoluka. Specialized in research, prevention, attention and treatment to groups of Young people and children in extreme marginality. We would like to support them by donating books in Spanish (new or used in good conditions). These campaigns start on Tuesday November 27th and ends on Thursday December 6th. Each classroom will have a box where you could deposit your donations; also, there will be a group of volunteer parents receiving donations at the school's parking lot. ¡We count on you! Thank you very much Learning Continuing the theme of the Orbital team, we also share ways of learning and a wide range of policies and practices that mean we can share best practice and support each other. For example, we are currently developing an online learning platform called Canvas across the group which we will aim to use to communicate learning with our staff, students and families and we are also developing group-wide assessment strategies. Meanwhile here at BSQ lots of our teachers have been taking learning outside of the classroom and embarking on trips all over the valley, Quito and further afield. With students going to PAE, Cotopaxi, and the science and water museums – just to name a few. Next month we will have students visiting Huasquila Lodge and the Instituto Geográfico. Here are some of the wonderful photographs. This week our IB students will be sitting their mock exams. Good luck to everyone. From the Staff and Students Last week we heard from Mr. Dobson and Ms. Dávila. This week it is the turn of Mr. Kennedy and the Year 8 scientists. ![]() Bats have been at the forefront of my mind this week. The science department is making final plans to a research trip to the jungle for the year 13 students, where they will study our little flying friends. The BSQ students and science teachers will head to Huasquila Lodge near Tena to join forces with bat experts from Pontífica Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Together, we will spend the weekend catching bats and conducting a variety of experiments to better understand these remarkable creatures. A couple of weeks ago, Miss Todd and I spent a weekend at Huasquila Lodge in order to finalise plans for the trip. We spent the first evening with a bat catcher called Saul. Just before dusk, we helped Saul set up a big net spanning one of the forest paths, then we went off to dinner. We returned to the net about an hour later. Our head torches lit up the many insects along the dark jungle path, and as we approached the net, I noticed Saul grow visibly excited. A huge bat was caught in the fine mesh of the net. It was the biggest bat Saul had ever caught. We peered in to get a closer look. This was the first time I had seen a bat up-close. I had seen stuffed bats in museums or sad embalmed bats floating in formaldehyde. I had seen living bats fluttering far above in the night sky or clinging in the darkness to the roof of a cave. But I had never had the opportunity to see – or touch – a bat up close. The first thing that struck me was its weird nose. It was an upturned snout, with a pointy extension that protruded from the top like a fleshy horn. ‘Why is it like that?’ I asked our companion Saul. He explained that the long nose was pointed in such a way to emit ultrasound waves with extreme precision. The ultrasound waves echo off the many hazards under the jungle canopy and the bats detect the reflected waves with their enormous ears. That way they do not crash into anything. But why does this bat in particular have such a strange long nose? Because, explained Saul patiently, these bats feed on insects in the forest where it is very dark, so they have evolved a particularly acute sense of hearing. Catching insects fluttering about in the darkness requires a highly developed transmitter. Fruit eating bats, he said, do not have such a big nose – they simply don’t need it. The second thing that struck me was that the bat looked so unique. It did not look dark or sinister like a small furry vampire. Nor did it look like a rat with wings. Neither did it really look like a mouse, though its fur was mouse-coloured and incredibly soft to touch. And it was certainly nothing like a bird. The ears, the nose, the delicate membrane of the wings, it was all uniquely battish. And it was all so perfectly constructed, as if tailor-made, for flying after insects in the semi-darkness beneath the nocturnal canopy. It was this wonderfully evolved uniqueness that I will remember about my first close encounter with a bat. And I very much look forward to sharing the experience with our year 13 students in a couple of weeks. Dates for your Diary November 26 - 30th - IB Mock exams for Year 13 November 27th - Nursery trip to the Pet Store November 29th - Parent Survey opens December 1st - Christmas Bazaar December 1st - Secondary Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences December 3rd-5th - Year 13 IB study trip to Huasquila Lodge December 7th - School closed for Fiestas de Quito December 11th and 12th - Nativity Play December 14th - End of term. School closes at 12 for everyone Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Last week we held our Workshop about Reward, Sanctions and Reporting procedures for Primary parents. For those of you who would like the detailed presentation, please find the information here. This week has seen two different educational visits by our younger students: Year 1 to the Museo de Agua and Year 3 to the Museo de Ciencia. Both visits were planned and organised by the class teachers to extend their students’ knowledge and understanding of specific themes and concepts, allowing them to absorb, interact and be immersed in new experiences and environments. At BSQ we are keen to promote the educational benefits of visits out of school, recognising them as an integral part of our curriculum and the development of our students. Some of the key benefits are explained below:
Linked to this topic, we have a busy week ahead in Primary, with several visitors coming into school to speak with both students and parents, a variety of workshops and two class assemblies to look forward to, so do please keep looking at the school calendar to make sure you do not miss any of these wonderful opportunities. The week will end with our annual Christmas Bazaar, where the primary students will complete their Enterprise activity and sell their creations to you all, between 9am and 12pm on Saturday 1st December. Please do support your child by bringing lots of money to buy a wide variety of Christmas related products. Star of the week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() On Friday of last week, we held our second Rewards and Recognition assembly of the year, in which we celebrated the academic achievements and efforts of our fabulous students. While these occasions always leave a positive glow, this one was unexpectedly special. Having previously agreed to give some of the time to our Recycling and CAS groups to talk about their projects, we were prepared for the usual appeals for help. What we received instead was a truly inspirational showcase of what our school community is capable of. Through a deeply moving video and the eloquent, confident words of Ana Paola Giol, we learned about the work of the Life Project, a group of Year 7, 8 and 9 students working hard and passionately to develop ways to make the school and our futures sustainable. Camila Gallardo and Sofia Lofredo presented their work with Caemba, who are building houses made of bamboo for victims of the 2016 earthquake. Victoria Proano spoke about the Beyond Lagartococha project, in which she and 5 other Year 12 students are setting up a foundation with the intention of providing much needed medical infrastructure for the Secoya people of East Ecuador. And finally, Mateo Caicedo spoke passionately about his Deportes Para La Vida youth project in Esmeraldas. As Mr. Rob Taylor pointed out after the assembly, there is more conscious, meaningful and powerful community work being done in this school right now than you might see in the space of two years in a school five times this size in the UK. It makes us all, teachers and students alike, very proud to be a part of BSQ. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about learning to value others.
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Welcome![]() Living Bonfire Night. Wow. What a brilliant night we all enjoyed on Saturday and thank you to all the parents, friends and families who helped to ensure that the food, the music and the games kept us all entertained and warm. Thank you to the administration team for organising the bonfire itself and the fireworks. Even with the torrential rain, everything ran smoothly thanks to the hard work of everyone involved. We know how important our relationships with our families are and the fact that there is now a new commission as part of the PA demonstrates how we are growing in this area. The Ayuda Social commission is committed to developing opportunities for parents, students and staff to live and learn together by taking part in a wide range of activities and our first venture will be an evening of nutritional information in January from the wonderful Michelle Fried. Michelle is an ecological public health nutritionist, cook, food writer, and she is passionate about the flavors and aromas of Ecuador. Learning During the last two House sessions in the secondary school the students have been exploring the theme of remembrance and peace through a study of a series of centenas. A centena is a collection of 100 words based on a single idea and repeating the first three words again at the end. It is a new poetry form designed especially for the centenary collection of words reflecting elements of the First World War and this year 100 centenas were created over 100 days by different writers. You can read them here http://www.1914.org/armistice-100-days/centenas/ You can also read two of the equally excellent centenas written by our own secondary students as they explored a wider concept of peace and remembrance through their own cultures and understanding. See the secondary section below. Opportunities One of the benefits of being an Orbital school is the chance to work with the other schools in the group. As you know those school are located in exciting destinations such as Budapest, Ljubljana, Moscow, Mallorca and Doha. This year we are offering four opportunities to take part in trips to meet students from Orbital schools and experience activities based in those places. The ski trip to Ljubljana in February is now closed and sadly no BSQ families expressed an interest in that. However, there are still the opportunities to go sailing in Mallorca or on a cultural visit to Budapest. For more information contact [email protected] or see our Facebook postings. From the Staff and Students Last week we heard from Ms Tufiño and Mr Mercer and the Year 1 class about the exciting work they have been completing in the classrooms. This week it is the turn of Mr Dobson and the IB Geographers, Ms. Dávila and class 3B and the Primary Student Council. Mr. Dobson – Geography As we end Partial 2 of this academic year it feels as if it is a good idea to reflect on how we’ve started the year and how we plan to move forwards as the year unfolds. Within the Humanities faculty area, we have recently introduced weekly ‘Religion, Philosophy and Ethics’ lessons to Year 9, something that was previously not taught to this year group – I know that 9a have greatly enjoyed these new lessons where they have an opportunity to learn, discuss and debate prominent issues in an open and supportive environment. At the moment students are investigating different religious and non-religious beliefs about “life after death”, where students got involved in a very philosophical discussion about whether we could prove the existence of a person’s soul. I’ve been very impressed with the maturity and level of thought that students have put into these lessons and look forward to more debates and discussion as the year proceeds. In the older year groups, those studying IB Geography in Years 12 and 13 are being heavily encouraged to take a more active role in their independent study. All students have been issued with Independent Study Logs in which they are required to note down the work that they complete outside of lessons – a vast array of extra reading has been added to ManageBac (the online portal for IB students) and they are encouraged to access these resources to top up their independent study time. It has been great to see a good number of students take on board this system of independent learning which I have no doubt will help to support their wider learning of Geography. Mrs. Dávila – Y3B teacher This week year 3B were trying to answer the question, "What causes natural phenomena?" In our case this meant looking at how tectonic plates move, rub and push one another to create earthquakes. The children carried out a tectonic plate puzzle and then took a break to see how we can understand plate tectonics using an oreo cookie. They figured out how mountain ranges were formed, just from a broken oreo. Yummy work! School Council: Just One Pot: A joint initiative from Gardening Club and School Council. Some of the Primary School Council have added a few words this week to explain what’s being going on with them and to write about a new initiative that’s just been launched…
Elsa, Year 3A, writes: Being in Student Council can sometimes be difficult. Sometimes students ask us to do things that are impossible. For example, someone asked us about putting swimming pools in every classroom! We have also had many suggestions for charity days and it will be hard to decide what we should choose and which charity we should work with. ![]() Amanda, Year 4, writes: On Thursday the 8th November we had a meeting with the Head of Primary, Mr Madden. We discussed the idea of more plants around the school and realised we would need the help of teachers, students and parents if it was going to work. So, we would like each of you to bring in a medium-sized flower pot, with soil in it, to help us plant flowers in the playground. The students have spoken and now we’re working to make this happen! Oliver, Year 6, writes: After we get the pots and soil from all the students, the Student Council and Mrs Davila’s Gardening Club will work together to do the following:
This will paint a clear picture of what the best placement for our plants will look like. But none of it will work without your help! ![]() Please contact Helen Davila: [email protected] and Oliver Kyle: [email protected] with any questions you may have. Thanks for your support! Dates for your Diary November 21st-22nd – Year 11 Duke of Edinburgh trip to Cotopaxi November 22nd – Year 1 trip to Museo del Agua November 22nd – Primary parents workshop about Rewards, Sanctions and Reporting Procedures. November 23rd – Secondary Rewards and Recognition assembly 2 November 26th – November 30th IB Mock exams for Year 13 November 27th – Nursery trip to the Pet Store December 1st – Christmas Bazaar and Secondary parent-teacher-student conferences Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update![]() As an international educator who has taught in four continents, I am often asked by parents if they should speak with their child in English at home, even if this is not their first language. Educational research indicates that having a strong mother tongue foundation leads to a much better understanding of the curriculum as well as a more positive attitude towards school, so it is vital that children maintain their first language when they begin schooling in a different language. Therefore, it is important for parents to continue developing their child’s first language because:
That said, it is also important to make links between the child’s home language and other languages they are exposed to, particularly English in our case. Children are naturally inquisitive and will ask lots of questions about their surroundings and how we describe them, so take the opportunity to make links between languages and develop their language versatility and knowledge. I hope you and your family all enjoyed the BSQ Bonfire Night celebrations on Saturday – what a wonderful way to bring the community together! Our next Primary event is the Christmas Bazaar on Saturday 1st December between 9am and 12pm – start collecting your coins to buy some Christmas gifts for family and friends. Star of the week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Having spent much of last year working hard on completing extra-curricular activities learning new skills, doing physical exercise and taking part in service projects, the Year 11 students are now preparing for their final Bronze Award expedition. This Wednesday and Thursday a group of 12 students and 3 teachers, Mr Alan Taylor, Mrs Sally Madden, and Ms Sofia Molina will be hiking and camping for two days and one night in the wilds and the cold of Cotopaxi National Park. Experiences like these build friendships, resilience, confidence, a love of nature. And these are the kinds of experiences that students will remember for the rest of their lives. We wish them all the best of luck. Remembrance Centenas The quality of the centenas (see last week's newsletter) produced by our students as part of our Remembrance event exceeded all expectation. Here are just two: Giving too much - Samantha Baugh, Dámaris Ortega They came, We gave, Our symbols, Our religion, Our traditions, We gave. They came, They ordered, We gave, Our land, Our resources, Our happiness, We gave. They came, They ordered, They punished, We gave, Our culture, Our family, Our freedom, We gave. They took and took as we started to resist, But there was nothing left to fight for, We had given it all. And all that is left, are the ruins of what once was our own. The world gifted us everything we could ask for, Mountains for protection and gods for hope, But the Spanish took it all. Off to War - Thomas Hill, Matias Rosero Soldier by soldier, boarding the ships Not knowing that for some it would be their last journey, waves and thunder playing with their lives, wild winds whispering among the waves. With a shortage of resources, balancing our lives on a thin line, hoping to succeed in our journey and to be led to victory on arrival. Desperate families awaiting at home for their loved ones. Nonetheless their lives were painted in blood, by what only them experienced and suffered through, our beloved Australian soldiers were scared. Come home, come home, To where you belong, Your family is waiting for you Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, share with us some tips for supporting children between ages 7 - 11 years old.
Bienvenidos![]() Viviendo Noche de Fogata (Bonfire Night). Wow. Que noche tan brillante que disfrutamos todos el sábado, gracias a todos los padres, amigos y familias quienes apoyaron para garantizar que la comida, la música y los juegos nos mantuvieran entretenidos y cálidos. Gracias al equipo administrativo por organizar la fogata y los fuegos artificiales. Aún con la lluvia torrencial, el evento fluyó gracias a la ayuda de todos. Sabemos lo importante que es la relación con nuestras familias y el hecho que hay una nueva comisión como parte de la Asociación de Padres de Familia demuestra cómo estamos creciendo en esta área. La comisión de Ayuda Social está comprometida en desarrollar oportunidades para padres, estudiantes y miembros del personal para vivir y aprender juntos al formar parte de varias actividades y nuestro primer evento será una noche informativa de nutrición por parte de la maravillosa Michelle Fried. Michelle, apasionada por los olores y sabores del Ecuador, es nutricionista en salud pública con enfoque ecológico, escritora y portavoz de los valores nutritivos de la comida tradicional. Aprendiendo Durante las dos sesiones de Casas en la Secundaria, los estudiantes han explorado el tema del recuerdo y la paz a través del estudio de una serie de centenas. Un centena es la colección de 100 palabras basadas en una idea y repite las primeras tres palabras al final. Es una nueva forma de poesía diseñada especialmente para la colección centenaria de palabras que reflejan elementos de la Primera Guerra Mundial y este año 100 centenas fueron creados durante 100 días por diferentes escritores. Pueden leerlos aquí: http://www.1914.org/armistice-100-days/centenas/ También pueden leer dos excelentes centenas escritos por nuestros estudiantes de Secundaria mientras exploraron un concepto más amplio de paz y recuerdo a través de sus culturas y compresión. Ver más en la sección de Secundaria. Oportunidades Una de las ventajas de ser un colegio miembro de Orbital Education es la oportunidad de trabajar con otros colegios dentro del grupo. Como saben estos colegios están ubicados en lugares interesantes como Budapest, Ljubljana, Moscú, Mallorca and Doha. Este año estamos ofreciendo cuatro oportunidades para que formen parte de viajes donde pueden conocer estudiantes de otros colegios de Orbital e integrarse en nuevas actividades de esos lugares. El viaje de esquí a Ljubljana en Febrero está cerrado y lamentablemente ninguna familia de BSQ expresó interés. Sinembargo, aún existen oportunidades para ir a navegar en Mallorca o ir a una visita cultural a Budapest. Para mayor información por favor contacten a [email protected] o estén atentos a nuestros posts en Facebook. Del personal y de los estudiantes La semana anterior tuvimos a la Srta. Tufiño, al Sr. Mercer y la clase de Año 1 acerca del trabajo interesante que han completado en clases. Esta semana es el turno del Sr. Dobson, la Srta. Dávila y del consejo estudiantil de primaria: Sr. Dobson – Geografía Al finalizar el segundo parcial de este año académico es una buena idea reflexionar en cómo hemos iniciado y cómo planeamos avanzara medida que transcurre el año. Dentro del área de Humanidades, hemos introducido clases semanales de "Religión, Filosofía y Ética" al Año 9, algo que anteriormente no era enseñado en este grupo - Sé que el Año 9A han disfrutado mucho de estas clases donde han tenido la oportunidad de aprender, discutir y debatir temas importantes en un entorno abierto. Al momento los estudiantes están investigando diferentes creencias religiosas y no religiosas sobre "la vida después de la muerte", donde los alumnos tuvieron una discusión bastante filosófica acerca de si existía o no prueba de la existencia del alma de una persona. He estado muy impresionado con la madurez y nivel de pensamiento que los estudiantes en puesto en estas clases y espero más debates y discusiones en el transcurso del año. En los grupos mayores, quienes estudian Geografía en el IB, años 12 y 13, están siendo alentados a tomar un rol más activo en su estudio independiente. Todos los alumnos han recibido sus Registro de Estudio Independiente en los que se requiere que anoten el trabajo que completan fuera de clases - se ha agregado una gran cantidad de lecturas extras a ManageBac (portal en línea para estudiantes del BI) y se recomienda que accedan a estos recursos para mejorar su tiempo de estudio independiente. Ha sido grandioso ver a un buen número de estudiantes tomar acciones en este sistema independiente de aprendizaje que, sin duda alguna, los ayudará a ampliar su aprendizaje de Geografía. Sra. Dávila – Profesora de Año 3B El Año 3B intentaba responder a la pregunta, "¿qué causa fenómenos naturales?". En nuestro caso esto significó buscar cómo las placas tectónicas se mueven, rozan y empujan a otras para crear terremotos. Los niños realizaron un rompecabezas de placas tectónicas y luego tomaron un descanso para ver cómo podemos entender placas tectónicas utilizando galletas Oreo. Descubrieron como se formaron las cadenas montañosas, sólo con una galleta Oreo rota. Delicioso trabajo! Consejo Estudiantil Just One Pot: iniciativa en conjunto del Consejo Estudiantil y el Club de Jardinería. Algunos miembros de Consejo Estudiantil de Primaria han dedicado unas palabras esta semana para contarnos que han realizado en este tiempo y la iniciativa que han preparado...
Elsa, Año 3A: Ser parte de Consejo Estudiantil puede se difícil a veces. Los estudiantes nos piden que hagamos cosas casi imposibles. Por ejemplo, algunas personas han sugerido colocar piscinas en cada salón de clase! También hemos tenido algunas sugerencias para días de solidaridad y sería difícil decidir qué deberíamos escoger y con qué fundación trabajar. ![]() Amanda, Año 4: El 8 de Noviembre tuvimos una reunión con Mr. Madden, Director de Primaria. Discutimos la idea de tener más plantas cerca del colegio y nos dimos cuenta que podríamos necesitar la ayuda de profesores, estudiantes y padres si queríamos llevarlo a cabo. Así que nos gustaría su apoyo trayendo una maceta mediana y tierra para plantar flores en el jardín. Los estudiantes estamos trabajando para que esto suceda! Oliver, Año 6: Una vez tengamos las macetas por parte de los estudiantes, el Consejo Estudiantil y el Club de Jardinería de la Sra. Davila trabajaremos en conjunto para realizar lo siguiente:
Esto les dará una imagen más clara de cuál será el mejor lugar para nuestras plantas. Pero nada funcionará sin su ayuda! ![]() Por favor si tienen alguna pregunta pueden contactar a: Helen Davila [email protected] y Oliver Kyle [email protected] Gracias por su apoyo! Fechas importantes para sus calendarios 21 - 22 de Noviembre – Viaje Duke of Edinburgh de Año 11 al Cotopaxi 22 de Noviembre – Viaje de Año 1 al Museo del Agua 22 de Noviembre – Talleres para padres de Primaria acerca procedimientos de recompensas, sanciones y reportes. 23 de Noviembre – Asamblea 2 de Premios y Reconocimientos Secundaria 26 - 30 de Noviembre – Simulación de exámenes IB para Año 13 27 de Noviembre – Viaje de Nursery a Pet Store 1 de Diciembre – Christmas Bazaar 1 de Diciembre - Conferencias Padres - Alumnos - Profesores Secundaria. Emma Newman Directora BSQ – Primaria ![]() Como educador internacional que ha enseñado en cuatro continentes, los padres siempre me consultan si deberían hablar en inglés con sus hijos en casa, así no sea su idioma nativo. Investigaciones indican que tener una base sólida de su idioma nativo lleva a un mayor entendimiento del pensum y una mejor actitud hacia el colegio, así que es vital que los niños mantengan su idioma nativo cuando inicien su escolaridad en un idioma diferente. Por lo tanto, es importante para los padres que continúen desarrollando el idioma nativo de sus hijos porque:
Dicho esto, también es importante establecer vínculos entre el idioma en casa y otros idiomas a los que están expuestos los niños, particularmente inglés en nuestro caso. Los niños son naturalmente curiosos y harán varias preguntas acerca de su entorno y cómo lo describimos, así que aprovechen la oportunidad para formar más vínculos entre idiomas y desarrollo de su versatilidad y conocimiento. Espero que ustedes y sus familias hayan disfruta de las celebraciones de la Noche de Fogata de BSQ el sábado - que forma tan maravillosa que unir a la comunidad! Nuestro siguiente evento de Primaria es el Bazar Navideño el sábado 1 de Diciembre de 9am - 12pm - tengan listas monedas para comprar algunos regalos de Navidad para familiares y amigos. Estrella de la Semana Marcus Madden Director de Primaria BSQ – Secundaria ![]() Premio Internacional de Duque de Edimburgo Al haber trabajado gran parte del año pasado en completar actividades extra curriculares, aprendiendo nuevas habilidades, realizar ejercicio físico y formar parte en proyectos de servicio, los estudiantes de Año 11 están preparándose para su expedición final de Premio de Bronce. Este miércoles y jueves, un grupo de 12 estudiantes y 3 profesores, el Sr. Alan Taylor, la Sra. Sally Madden, y la Srta. Sofia Molina, realizarán caminatas y acamparán durante dos días y una noche en la naturaleza y el frío del Parque Nacional Cotopaxi. Experiencias como esta construyen amistades, resilience, confianza y amor a la naturaleza. Y son este tipo de experiencias las que los estudiantes recordarán por el resto de sus vidas. Les deseamos lo mejor. Centenas del Recuerdo La calidad de los centenas (pueden ver en el boletín de la semana pasada) producidos por nuestros estudiantes como parte de nuestro evento del Recuerdo excedió todas las expectativas. Aquí comparto dos: Giving too much - Samantha Baugh, Dámaris Ortega They came, We gave, Our symbols, Our religion, Our traditions, We gave. They came, They ordered, We gave, Our land, Our resources, Our happiness, We gave. They came, They ordered, They punished, We gave, Our culture, Our family, Our freedom, We gave. They took and took as we started to resist, But there was nothing left to fight for, We had given it all. And all that is left, are the ruins of what once was our own. The world gifted us everything we could ask for, Mountains for protection and gods for hope, But the Spanish took it all. Off to War - Thomas Hill, Matias Rosero Soldier by soldier, boarding the ships Not knowing that for some it would be their last journey, waves and thunder playing with their lives, wild winds whispering among the waves. With a shortage of resources, balancing our lives on a thin line, hoping to succeed in our journey and to be led to victory on arrival. Desperate families awaiting at home for their loved ones. Nonetheless their lives were painted in blood, by what only them experienced and suffered through, our beloved Australian soldiers were scared. Come home, come home, To where you belong, Your family is waiting for you. Jim Wild Director de Secundaria Del equipo de Consejería de BSQ Esta semana nuestra psicóloga estudiantil, Andrea Carrera, nos da unos consejos de apoyo parental para niños de 7 a 11 años y su actividad cibernética / tecnológica.
Welcome![]() Living Bonfire Night. Excitement is hotting up for the event on Saturday when we will once again join together as a community to commemorate the events that took place when Guy Fawkes and his companions attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. At our event there will be lots of fun and games for the children (young and old!), food served by local restaurants and our own students as part of their CAS project, entertainment from students, staff and guests and of course the wonderful bonfire and fireworks that we all look forward to so much. Make sure you have saved the date, bring your money for the food and games and wrap up warm for later in the evening. Remembrance Earlier today a group of student representatives attended the commemoration event at Liceo La Condamine as part of the 100th anniversary activities marking the end of the First World War in 1914 but also reflecting on all the suffering that has taken place as part of violent conflict around the world. Mr Taylor, Ms. Molina and I were very proud of our students as they took part in music, readings and the ringing of a bell to mark the occasion. To join together with students from the French and German schools on such an important day was an extremely thought-provoking opportunity. My thanks to Mr Taylor for organising and Ms. Molina for preparing the choir and supporting. Learning At the end of last week our student Model United Nations (MUN) team attended a conference at Shakespeare School in Tumbaco. Trained and guided by John Ashfield, our students were representing Russia, Ivory Coast and Turkey, and their topics were General Assembly, ECOSOC, Human Rights and Security Council. For those of you who are not aware of the MUN it is an opportunity for students to research, debate, speak and discuss essential topics of the world following the organizational structures of the United Nations and representing different countries for whom the debate would have relevance. MUN is an excellent extra-curricular activity that provides opportunities to communicate and think critically whilst meeting other students and learning about both historical and contemporary political, social and human issues. I said last week that the term is very short and already we are down to five weeks. Let’s make the most of every opportunity to live and learn together. From the Staff and Students Last week we heard from Mr Samaniego and information about the maths curriculum and from Mr Newman and the Year 6 class about their studies of the Creek Indians and their Red Riding Hood homework tasks. This week we hear from Ms. Tufiño and Mr. Mercer: Ms. Tufiño - IB Spanish Teacher ¿Por qué es importante leer? Leer es muy importante para todos porque la lectura implica participación activa de la mente y contribuye al desarrollo de procesos mentales importantes. La lectura ayuda a incrementar la creatividad, la imaginación, enriquece el vocabulario y permite mejorar la ortografía en un buen porcentaje. Por esta razón, en la clase de español de secundaria estamos dando prioridad a esta actividad. Con los alumnos estamos haciendo lecturas literales, inferenciales y crítico-valorativas con el objetivo desarrollar el pensamiento crítico, procesos de análisis y síntesis, a la vez que reforzamos la ortografía y el vocabulario. Con todos los grupos estamos leyendo obras literarias que contribuyen a este proceso. Finalmente, ponemos en práctica la creatividad y la imaginación al escribir nuevas versiones en base a lo leído. Esperamos que esto contribuya al desarrollo del idioma español en todos los niveles. Mr. Mercer - Y1A Teacher Becoming a Year 1 student is not as easy as it sounds. There are several new challenges and routines to adapt to, a new style of learning and exciting new subjects like Science, Topic and Computing. We have been working hard since day one to become organised, independent learners. We now know our classroom routines and line up every morning, snack and lunchtime for threshold, when Mr Mercer welcomes us back into the learning environment. We have our daily home-reading folders, bright and colourful, which we proudly tuck under our arms at the beginning and end of each school day. With help from teachers and parents, we regularly change our home reading books and practice our strategies at home five nights a week! We start our Numeracy lessons by subitising, which is a fun way to switch our brains on and recognise objects in a group without the need to count them. In Literacy, we begin every lesson with our whiteboards, ready to solve a new challenge each day and practice writing CVC words. In Year 1A, we are proud to say that we are becoming more independent with our learning each and every day. By learning these vital skills early, we will be able to apply them during our time at school and beyond! Dates for your Diary November 17th - Bonfire Night at BSQ 4pm-8pm November 21st and 22nd - Year 11 Duke of Edinburgh trip to Cotopaxi November 22nd - Year 1 trip to Museo del Agua November 23rd - Secondary Rewards and Recognition assembly 2 November 26th - November 30th IB Mock exams for Year 13 November 27th - Nursery trip to Pet Hotel Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Last week your child brought home their new homework, to create a Curiosity Journal based on an independent research project of their choosing. This type of learning is often referred to as Inquiry-based Learning, focusing on the students’ interests and encouraging them to find their path when it comes to learning. This open-ended approach requires the students to investigate, question, research and be curious about anything and everything that interests them. The teachers here at BSQ use a wide variety of teaching styles to ensure our students learn new skills and develop their knowledge and understanding – so why did they choose this type of learning for this project? Below are five benefits of inquiry-based learning for your child:
Our role as adults is to facilitate this process, not lead it, allowing them the time to formulate their own ideas, questions and solutions. The outcomes will be many and varied, but, most importantly, they will be their own! All the students will get a chance to share their Curiosity Journals with their classmates at the end of term. Star of the week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Remembrance On the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, we have taken some time to reflect upon the impact of conflict, both past and present, and to consider those affected. Last Friday and this, the House activity has focused on Remembrance. We have looked at 'centenas' - 100 poems, written over 100 days, by 100 writers, in 100 words. These often deeply moving pieces of writing explore the sometimes forgotten effects of the war, from an unusually wide range of perspectives. In turn, our students have been asked to reflect on their own culture and heritage, to look for examples of conflict where they are from, to find out more about the unseen effects, and to write centenas of their own. This will be displayed in the school. Thanks The teaching team at BSQ always put in tremendous efforts to endure the success and happiness of our students, but this week there has been superb work happening all over Secondary. Rob Taylor, thank you for the fabulous work on Remembrance, the PASS surveys, and student information systems; Ruth Todd, thank you for the quite beautiful CAT4 summary pages, with all the analysis that involved, which will help us provide each student with exactly the support they need; John Ashfield, thank you for giving up your time and preparing the students so thoroughly for their MUN experience this weekend, from which they will have learned so much about themselves and the world; and Claire Ngwenya, thank you for the ridiculous amount of work that you are putting into developing the new tracking documents, which I know are going to make our data work harder and smarter for us all in pushing students further. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about helping children to cope with situational anxiety.
Bienvenidos![]() Viviendo Noche de Fogata. La emoción se está acelerando por el evento del sábado cuando cuando nos unamos una vez más, como comunidad, para conmemorar los eventos que tuvieron lugar cuando Guy Fawkes y sus compañeros intentaron explotar la sede del Parlamento en 1605. En nuestro evento habrá mucha diversión y muchos juegos para los niños (pequeños y grandes), comida servida por restaurantes locales y por nuestros estudiantes como parte de su proyecto CAS, entretenimiento de nuestros alumnos, personal e invitados y, por supuesto, una maravillosa fogata y fuegos artificiales que tanto esperamos. Asegúrense de agendar la fecha en sus calendarios, traer suficiente dinero para la comida y los juegos y abrigarse para la noche. Recuerdo Un grupo de representantes estudiantiles asistió al evento conmemorativo en el Liceo La Condamine como parte de las actividades del centésimo aniversario que marcaron el fin de la Primera Guerra Mundial en 1914, las cuales reflejaron el sufrimiento que tuvo lugar como parte de un conflicto violento entorno al mundo. El Sr. Taylor, la Srta. Molina y yo estuvimos muy orgullosos de nuestros estudiantes al formar parte de musicales, lecturas y sonido de la campana para marcar la ocasión. El unirnos con estudiantes de los colegios francés y alemán en un día tan importante fue una oportunidad extremadamente estimulante. Mi agradecimiento al Sr. Taylor por la organización y a la Srta. Molina por preparar el coro y por su apoyo. Aprendiendo Al final de la semana anterior nuestro equipo de Modelo de Naciones Unidas (MUN por sus siglas en inglés) asistió a una conferencia en el colegio William Shakespeare en Tumbaco. Entrenados y liderados por John Ashfield, nuestros estudiantes representaron a Rusia, Costa de Marfil y Turquía, y sus temas fueron Asamblea General, ECOSOC, Derechos Humanos y Consejo de Seguridad. Para quienes no estén al tanto de MUN, es una oportunidad para que los estudiantes investiguen, debatan, hablen y discutan temas esenciales del mundo, siguiendo estructuras organizacionales de las Naciones Unidas y representando a diferentes países para los cuales el debate tendría relevancia. MUN es una excelente actividad extracurricular que provee oportunidades de comunicación y pensamiento crítico mientras conocen a otros estudiantes y aprenden acerca de temas políticos, sociales tanto históricos como contemporáneos. La semana pasada mencioné que este periodo es corto y ahora tenemos solo cinco semanas. Aprovechemos cada oportunidad para vivir y aprender juntos. Del personal y de los estudiantes La semana anterior tuvimos al Sr. Samaniego e información acerca del pénsum de matemáticas, así como al Sr. Newman y la clase de Año 6 con sus estudios de los Creek y sus tareas acerca de Caperucita Roja. Esta semana es el turno de la Srta- Tufiño y del Sr. Mercer: Srta. Tufiño - Profesora IB Español ¿Por qué es importante leer? Leer es muy importante para todos porque la lectura implica participación activa de la mente y contribuye al desarrollo de procesos mentales importantes. La lectura ayuda a incrementar la creatividad, la imaginación, enriquece el vocabulario y permite mejorar la ortografía en un buen porcentaje. Por esta razón, en la clase de español de secundaria estamos dando prioridad a esta actividad. Con los alumnos estamos haciendo lecturas literales, inferenciales y crítico-valorativas con el objetivo desarrollar el pensamiento crítico, procesos de análisis y síntesis, a la vez que reforzamos la ortografía y el vocabulario. Con todos los grupos estamos leyendo obras literarias que contribuyen a este proceso. Finalmente, ponemos en práctica la creatividad y la imaginación al escribir nuevas versiones en base a lo leído. Esperamos que esto contribuya al desarrollo del idioma español en todos los niveles. Sr. Mercer - Profesor de Año 1A Convertirse en estudiante de Año 1 no es tán fácil como suena. Hay muchos desafíos y rutinas a las cuales adaptarse, un nuevo estilo de aprendizaje y nuevas materias emocionantes como Ciencias, Topic y Computing. Hemos estado trabajando muy duro desde el primer día para convertirnos en estudiantes organizados e independientes. Ahora conocemos nuestras rutinas de clase y nos alineamos en fila cada mañana, en las horas de refrigerio y almuerzo, cuando el Sr. Mercer nos da la bienvenida de regreso al entorno de aprendizaje. Tenemos nuestras carpetas de lectura en casa, brillantes y coloridas, las cuales colocamos orgullosamente bajo nuestros brazos al inicio y final de cada día escolar. Con la ayuda de profesores y padres, cambiamos regularmente nuestros libros de lectura en casa y practicamos nuestras estrategias en casa cinco días a la semana! Iniciamos nuestras lecciones de aritmética con una forma divertida para encender nuestros cerebros y reconocer objetos en un grupo sin la necesidad de contarlos. En alfabetización, iniciamos cada clase con nuestras pizarras, listos para resolver un nuevo desafío cada día y practicar escribir palabras consonante - vocal - consonante (CVC). En Año 1A, estamos orgullosos de comunicar que estamos siendo más independientes con nuestro aprendizaje cada día. Aprender estas habilidades a temprana edad nos permite aplicarlas durante nuestro tiempo en la escuela y más allá! Fechas importantes para sus calendarios 17 de Noviembre - Noche de Fogata en BSQ. 4pm-8pm 21 y 22 de Noviembre - Viaje Duke of Edinburgh Año 11 al Cotopaxi 22 de Noviembre - Viaje de Año 1 al Museo del Agua 23 de Noviembre - Asamblea de Premios y Reconocimientos 2 26 - 30 de Noviembre - Simulación de exámenes BI para Año 13 27 de Noviembre - Viaje de Nursery a Pet Hotel Emma Newman Directora BSQ – Primaria ![]() La semana pasada sus hijos llevaron a casa su nueva tarea, crear un Diario de Curiosidad basado en una proyecto de investigación independiente de su elección. Este tipo de aprendizaje se lo denomina aprendizaje basado en la investigación, se enfoca en los intereses de los estudiantes y los alienta a encontrar su camino durante su aprendizaje. Este enfoque requiere que los estudiantes investiguen, cuestionen y sean curiosos acerca de todo lo que les interese. Los profesores en BSQ utilizan una variedad de estilos de enseñanza para asegurar que nuestros estudiantes aprendan nuevas habilidades y desarrollen su conocimiento y compresión - por que escogieron este tipo de aprendizaje para este proyecto? A continuación están los cinco beneficios de el aprendizaje basado en investigación para sus hijos:
Nuestro rol como adultos es facilitar este proceso, no liderarlo, dándoles tiempo a los niños para formular sus propias ideas, preguntas y soluciones. Los resultados serán muchos y variados, pero, lo más importante, serán de ellos mismos! Todos los estudiantes tendrán una oportunidad de compartir sus Diarios de Curiosidad con sus compañeros al final de periodo. Estrella de la SemanaMarcus Madden Director de Primaria BSQ – Secundaria ![]() Recuerdo En el centenario del final de la Primera Guerra Mundial, hemos tomado un tiempo para reflexionar en el impacto del conflicto, su pasado y presente, y considerar aquellos afectados. El viernes anterior y este, la actividad de las Casa se ha concentrado en Recuerdo. Hemos visto 'centenas' - 100 poemas, escritos durante 100 días, por 100 escritores, en 100 palabras. Estas piezas de escritura, a menudo conmovedoras, exploran los efectos a veces olvidados de la guerra, desde varias perspectivas. A su vez, se les ha pedido a nuestros estudiantes que reflexionen acerca en su propia cultura y herencia, que busquen ejemplos de conflictos de donde son, que descubran más acerca de los efectos que no son visibles, y que escriban sus propios centenas. Esto se mostrará en el colegio. Agradecimiento El equipo docente de BSQ constantemente realiza grandes aportes para el éxito y felicidad de nuestros estudiantes, pero esta semana hubo un excelente trabajo en Secundaria. Rob Taylor, gracias por el fantástico trabajo en Día del Recuerdo, las encuestas PASS, los sistemas de información estudiantil; Ruth Todd, gracias por las grandiosas páginas de resumen de CAT4 con su respectivo análisis, lo que nos ayudará a proveer a cada estudiante el apoyo que necesitan; John Ashfield, gracias por tu tiempo y por preparar a los estudiantes para su experiencia en de Modelo de Naciones Unidas este fin de semana, del cual han aprendido mucho acerca del mundo y de ellos mismo; y Claire Ngwenya, gracias por la gran cantidad de trabajo y esfuerzo en desarrollar un nuevo seguimiento de documentos, estoy seguro esos datos van a hacer que trabajemos más fuerte e inteligentemente para impulsar a nuestros estudiantes aún más. Jim Wild Director de Secundaria Del equipo de Consejería de BSQ Esta semana nuestra psicóloga estudiantil, Andrea Carrera, nos habla acerca de ayudar a los niños a reponerse de la ansiedad.
Welcome![]() Living Welcome back and I hope you all had a restful, reinvigorating break and are ready for the six weeks ahead of us until Christmas. We are still celebrating the events that took place at the end of last term even whilst we are busy getting ready for Bonfire Night on November 17th. The term finished with the wonderful Spirit Week that has become part of the tradition here at BSQ where IB CAS students organise a range of activities culminating in the Halloween Parade in order to raise money and awareness for their chosen Foundation. This year they chose to work again with Fundación Sinsoluka and continue the good work begun last year. We had Twin Day and Colour Day and – of course – the Halloween Dress Up Parade which was attended by everyone in the school. Well done to Andrés, Martín, Salma and Santiago for their excellent organisation and determination. Thanks also to all those who supported with time, cakes or costumes! Amazing. We also had our first sports matches of the year in the friendly encounters with Johannes Kepler school on Wednesday October 24th. Sofía Molina, Oscar Tabango and Juan Licona took the girls and boys teams to play. Well done to everyone for starting the season so positively. This is a short term for BSQ with only six weeks and a lot to pack in (look at the Dates for your Diary!). I look forward to lots of hard work, lots of development and lots of fun. Learning Here at BSQ we have a set of classroom strategies that are designed to support our students to learn effectively and you will see these teaching and learning behaviours happening in all our classrooms across the school. Before the break I introduced you to the way in which we use Chorus Response to allow all students the opportunity to be involved in the learning and understanding of new vocabulary in the classroom. This week is the eighth of our classroom strategies and it is a crucial way in which we encourage and develop all our students to be able to make the right choices in the classroom and during other activities. This strategy is called Positive Framing and simply involves the language of instruction and reminders in the classroom promoting a positive approach. Rather than simply reprimand off-task or unfocused behaviour, we focus on the positives. It’s a really great way to develop classwork and confidence and encourage teamwork and focus and we think it makes a positive difference. This weekThis week we are starting to prepare for our Bonfire Night celebration on November 17th but of course today – November 5th - is actually the day that Bonfire Night is celebrated in the UK. This is very much a British event and not something that really has significance anywhere else in the world because of the specific events that took place in England in 1605. Bonfire Night itself actually commemorates a failure - the failure of a group of Catholic men to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605 in order to kill the King (James 1). The reason for this assassination attempt was that the Catholic people had once believed James might support their faith but he failed to do so. Their attempt to create a more tolerant world for Catholics failed drastically and sadly resulted in increased persecution for many years. Although Guy Fawkes has become the most famous of the plotters, it was only because he was the one caught on the scene. When he was tortured, he eventually confessed and gave away the names of the other men – including Robert Catesby the main conspirator. Eventually Guy Fawkes died by jumping out of a window to avoid being executed. So, for over 400 years, people in Britain have marked the event by lighting a bonfire and burning a ‘Guy’ and lighting fireworks to represent what might have happened on November 5th 1605. Every year in London before the opening of the houses of Parliament the Yeoman of the guard still search the tunnels beneath Westminster to make absolutely sure that nobody has been plotting to mimic Guy Fawkes. Next weekOn Sunday November 11th people all over the world will take part in events and services to remember those who have died in, and as a result of, violent conflict. This date is significant because it marks the day on which the the armistice was signed in France between France, Great Britain and Germany to end the First Word War in 1918. This year it is 100 years since that event and since then the date has been seen as a symbolic way to remember and reflect and work towards peace. This year a group of BSQ students will be attending a shared event at Liceo La Condamine whilst all our students will be taking part in activities in school. Next week we will post some images and responses to those activities. If you are interested in reading more about both the armistice or the 100th anniversary events then these websites will provide information. If you would like to buy a poppy, Sandy has these at reception. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-did-the-armistice-end-the-first-world-war https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary/ http://www.1914.org/armistice-100-days/centenas/ From the Staff and Students Last week we heard from Ms Miranda and Year 10. This week it is the turn of Mr Samaniego and the Year 13 maths student representatives and Mr. Newman and Year 6 students. Mr. Samaniego and Years 7 - 9 students As the mathematics teacher this week I have seen the students of year 7 and 9 advance greatly in their programs. In year 7 we had a small introduction to Algebra, which presented some difficulties to some students, but in the end they managed to reach their objective and solve exercises. In year 9 we continued with the advanced program, giving them high difficulty problems, their response to this exercises were brilliant, and they demonstrate great progress in the subject. It is a pleasure to work with the kids in mathematics because they show great interest and energy in the subject. Mr. Newman and Year 6 students The pupils in Year 6 took the opportunity to present some of their learning from Term 1 in an assembly before the holiday. To an audience of pupils from Years 3, 4, 5 and Year 6 parents, the children shared work from Literacy and Topic, demonstrating how their study of the USA and stories from different cultures had linked together in the Year 6 classroom since August. We heard about the Creek Indians, the indigenous people who lived, and continue to live, in what we now know as the south eastern part of the United States. Year 6 pupils told us about the fantastic tales of men who turned into snakes and they read to us examples from the Creek Indians and examples of their own versions of these stories. The Year 6 pupils talked about the word taboo and explained to us how the Creek Indian stories always involve a taboo of some sort being broken. We then heard about their Term 1 homework projects which were based on the tale of Little Red-Riding Hood, itself a story where to stray from the path is a dangerous and taboo act! As well as writing stories for their homework, the Year 6 pupils showed us some of the masks they had made as part of their study of this traditional European tale. Dates for your Diary November 5th - Bonfire Night in the UK November 9th, 10th and 11th - MUN Conference at Shakespeare School November 11th - Remembrance Day November 12th - Remembrance activities and visit to Liceo La Condamine November 17th - Bonfire Night at BSQ 4pm-8pm November 20th - Year 3 visit to Museo de Ciencias November 21st & 22nd - Year 11 Duke of Edinburgh trip to Cotopaxi November 22nd - Year 1 trip to Museo del Agua November 23rd - Secondary Rewards and Recognition assembly 2 November 26th - 30th - IB Mock exams for Year 13 Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() Welcome back to The British School Quito and I hope you enjoyed a great time with your family and friends over the half-term break. Holidays are a fantastic opportunity to experience a variety of activities, places and cultures that we would not normally be exposed to, plus a chance to consolidate what we already understand and prepare ourselves for the next challenges. Term second term is only six weeks long, but we intend to fill it with a range of different and challenging learning opportunities and experiences that will enhance the knowledge, understanding and skills of all our students, from the very youngest in Nursery to the oldest students in Year 6. Alongside this learning in the classrooms will be our new home learning theme, which your child’s class teacher will share with them this week, based on creating and researching their own Curiosity Journal. The week before the holiday we enjoyed both 2B’s and Year 4’s Class Assemblies, with the students sharing their learning about Zimbabwe and Japan respectively. This week the students from 2A and 3A will share their learning in their Class Assemblies. Star of the week Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() IB Mock Exam Study In just three weeks' time, the students of Year 13 will sit their IB mocks. These very important exams offer the students the opportunity to practice and develop their study and revision skills and strategies, as well as giving them a taste of what to expect when the real thing comes around in May. We use the mocks to give us teachers and the students themselves real data about what skills and knowledge need to be reinforced to ensure success, and who might benefit from extra support, both academic and personal, in order to reach their full potential. In addition, the grades achieved in these exams go a long way to informing the predicted grades that are sent to universities as part of the application process. We hope the students are studying hard and smart at home, and we wish them every success. Model United Nations This coming weekend, our Model United Nations team, led by Mr John Ashfield, will be representing BSQ at a conference at Shakespeare school. MUN is an internationally renowned and highly respected creative and academic exercise combining research, problem-solving, negotiation and debating skills with an astute awareness of current and historical global events and issues. Students gather together to ‘role-play’ the functions and processes of the United Nations, bringing a depth of understanding, a focus on the wider world and a skill-set unmatched by the regular curriculum. It is designed to allow good students to become excellent ones, and to develop their potential as leaders. We wish them the very best of luck. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about shifting responsibility to your child during teenage years.
Bienvenidos![]() Viviendo Bienvenidos de nuevo, espero que todos hayan tenido unas relajantes y reparadoras vacaciones y estén listos para las siguientes seis semanas hasta Navidad. Aún estamos celebrando los eventos que ocurrieron al final del último periodo, mientras estamos ocupados preparándonos para la Noche de Fogata (Bonfire Night) el 17 de Noviembre. El periodo terminó con una grandiosa Semana del Espíritu que se ha convertido en parte de la tradición en BSQ, donde los estudiantes de Bachillerato Internacional organizan varias actividades, culminando con el desfile de Halloween, a fin de recaudar fondos para la fundación que escogieron en su proyecto de CAS. Este año, los estudiantes de BI decidieron trabajar nuevamente con la Fundación Sinsoluka y continuar el buen trabajo que iniciaron el año pasado. Tuvimos Día de Mellizos, Día de Colores y, por supuesto, el desfile de Halloween, al que asistieron todos en el colegio. Bien hecho Andrés, Martín, Salma y Santiago por su excelente organización y determinación. Gracias a todos aquellos que apoyaron con tiempo, pasteles o disfraces! Increíble. También tuvimos nuestro primer encuentro deportivo del año en un partido amistoso contra el colegio Johannes Kepler el miércoles 24 de Octubre. Sofía Molina, Oscar Tabango y Juan Licona llevaron a los equipos de chicos y chicas a jugar. Bien hecho a todos por iniciar la temporada con mucho entusiasmo. Este es un periodo corto para BSQ, únicamente con seis semanas y varias actividades (revisen en fechas para sus calendarios!). Espero mucho trabajo, mucho desarrollo y mucha diversión. Aprendiendo En BSQ tenemos un conjunto de estrategias para el aula que están diseñadas para apoyar a nuestros alumnos a aprender de manera efectiva, y podrán ver que estas conductas de enseñanza y aprendizaje ocurren en todos los salones del colegio. Antes de las vacaciones les presenté la forma en que utilizamos Respuesta en Coro que brinda a todos los estudiantes la oportunidad de estar involucrados en el aprendizaje y compresión de nuevo vocabulario en el aula. Esta semana es la octava de nuestras estrategias de clase y es una forma crucial en la que alentamos y desarrollamos a nuestros estudiantes para que puedan tomar decisiones correctas en la clase y durante sus actividades. Esta estrategia se llama Enmarcado Positivo y simplemente involucra el lenguaje de la instrucción y los recordatorios en el aula de clase, promoviendo un enfoque positivo. En lugar de reprender la conducta, nos concentramos en lo positivo. Es realmente una forma excelente de desarrollar el trabajo en clase y confianza, y fomentar el trabajo en equipo y concentrarse en lo que pensamos que marca una diferencia positiva. Esta semana Esta semana estamos preparándonos para nuestra celebración de Noche de Fogata el 17 de Noviembre, pero por supuesto, el 5 de Noviembre, es en realidad el día que se celebra la Noche de Fogata en el Reino Unido. Esto es un evento Británico y no es algo que tenga mucho significado en otros lugares del mundo por los hechos específicos del evento que sucedieron en Inglaterra en 1605. La Noche de Fogata realmente conmemora un fracaso, el fracaso del atentado de un grupo de hombres católicos que intentaron destruir la sede del Parlamento en Londres en 1605 para matar al Rey (James 1). El motivo del intento de asesinato se debía a que las personas católicas creyeron que James podría apoyar su fe, pero no cumplió con ello. Su intento de crear un mundo más tolerante para los católicos fracasó drástica y tristemente, y resultó en una mayor persecución por muchos años. Aunque Guy Fawkes se ha convertido en el más famoso de los conspiradores, y esto se debe a que sólo él fue capturado en la escena. Cuando fue torturado, Guy confesó eventualmente y dió los nombres de los otros hombres, incluyendo Robert Catesby, el principal conspirador. Finalmente Guy Fawkes murió al saltar de una ventana al evitar ser ejecutado. Durante más de 400 años, las personas en Gran Bretaña han marcado el evento haciendo una fogata, quemando un "Guy" y encendiendo fuegos artificiales, en representación de lo que puedo haber sucedido el 5 de Noviembre de 1605. En Londres, cada año antes de la apertura del Parlamento, el guardia aún busca en los túneles de Westminster para asegurarse que nadie haya intentado imitar a Guy Fawkes. La próxima semanaEl domingo 11 de Noviembre, personas alrededor del mundo participarán en eventos y servicios para recordar a quienes fallecieron en un conflicto violento. Esta fecha es significativa porque marca el día en el que se firmó el armisticio en Francia entre Francia, Reino Unido y Alemania para finalizar la Primera Guerra Mundial en 1918. Este año se cumplen 100 años del evento y desde el primer día, esta fecha ha sido una forma simbólica de recordar, reflexionar y trabajar en pro de la paz. Este año un grupo de estudiante de BSQ asistirán a un evento compartido en el Liceo La Condamine mientras todos nuestros estudiantes participarán en actividades dentro del colegio. La siguiente semana compartiremos algunas imágenes y respuestas a las actividades. Si están interesados en leer un poco más acerca del armisticio o el primer centenario pueden encontrar información en los siguientes sitios web. Si desean adquirir una amapola, Sandy las tiene en la Recepción. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-did-the-armistice-end-the-first-world-war https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary/ http://www.1914.org/armistice-100-days/centenas/ Del personal y de los estudiantes Sr. Samaniego y los estudiantes de Años 7 -9 Como profesor de matemáticas esta semana he visto a los estudiantes de año 7 y 9 hacer un gran progreso en sus programas. En año 7 tuvimos una pequeña introducción a álgebra, la cual presentó dificultades para algunos estudiantes, pero al final lograron el objetivo, y desarrollaron bien los problemas. En año 9 continuamos con el programa avanzado, presentándoles con ejercicios de alta dificultad, la respuesta de los estudiantes es brillante, y demuestran que están teniendo un gran progreso en la materia. Es un placer trabajar con los chicos en matemáticas ya que demuestran un gran interés y energía en la materia. Sr. Newman y estudiantes de Año 6 Los alumnos de Año 6 aprovecharon la oportunidad de presentar para de su aprendizaje en el periodo 1 en una asamblea antes de las vacaciones. Dirigido a una audiencia de alumnos de Años 3, 4, 5 y padres de Año 6, los niños compartieron su trabajo de alfabetización (Literacy and Topic), demostrando cómo su estudio de los Estados Unidos e historias de diferentes culturas se han integrado en la clase de Año 6 desde Agosto. Escuchamos acerca de los Creek, pueblo indígena que vivió, y continúa viviendo, en lo que conocemos como la parte sur-este de los Estados Unidos. Los alumnos de Año 6 nos contaron las historias fantásticas de hombres que se convertían en serpientes y nos leyeron ejemplos de los Creek y de sus propias versiones de estas historias. Los estudiantes de Año 6 hablaron acerca de la palabra tabú y nos explicaron cómo las historias de los Creek siempre consistían en la ruptura de algún tabú. Después escuchamos acerca de sus proyectos del periodo 1, los cuales fueron basados en la historia de la Caperucita Roja, en sí una historia donde desviarse del camino es un acto peligroso y tabú! Al igual que escribir historias como tarea, los alumnos de Año 6 nos mostraron algunas de las máscaras que hicieron como parte de su estudio de este tradicional cuento europeo. Fechas importantes para sus calendarios 5 de Noviembre - Noche de Fogata (Bonfire Night) en el Reino Unido 9, 10 y 11 de Noviembre - Conferencia MUN en el Colegio Shakespeare 11 de Noviembre - Día del Recuerdo 12 de Noviembre - Actividades del Día del Recuerdo y visita al Liceo La Condamine 17 de Noviembre - Noche de Fogata en BSQ. 4pm-8pm 20 de Noviembre - Visita de Año 3 al Museo de Ciencias 21 y 22 de Noviembre - Viaje Duke of Edinburgh de Año 11 al Cotopaxi Año 11 22 de Noviembre - Viaje de Año 1 al Museo del Agua 23 de Noviembre - Asamblea 2 de Premios y Reconocimientos 26 - 30 de Noviembre - Simulación de Exámenes IB para Año 13 Emma Newman Directora BSQ – Primaria![]() Bienvenidos de regreso a The British School Quito, espero que hayan disfrutado un gran tiempo con su familia y amigos. La vacaciones son oportunidades fantásticas para realizar varias actividades, visitar lugares y culturas a los que normalmente no estaríamos expuestos, además es un tiempo para consolidar lo que comprendemos y prepararnos para los siguientes desafíos. El segundo periodo únicamente dura 6 semanas, pero está diseñado para llenar una variedad de oportunidades de aprendizaje desafiantes y experiencias que enriquecerán el conocimiento, la comprensión y las habilidades de todos nuestros estudiantes, desde el más pequeño en Nursery hasta el más grande en Año 6. Junto con el aprendizaje en las aulas de clases estará nuestro nuevo tema de aprendizaje en el hogar, el cual será compartido esta semana por el profesor de cada clase, basándose en la creación de su propio Diario de Curiosidad. La semana antes de las vacaciones disfrutamos de las asambleas de clase de Años 2B y 4, con los estudiantes compartiendo su aprendizaje acerca de Zimbabwe y Japón. Esta semana los estudiantes de Años 2A y 3A compartirán su aprendizaje en sus asambleas de clase. Star of the week Marcus Madden Director de Primaria BSQ – Secundaria ![]() Estudio Examen de Simulación IB En tres semanas, los estudiantes de Año 13 tomarán sus exámenes de simulación del BI. Estos exámenes muy importantes les ofrece la oportunidad de practicar y desarrollar sus habilidades y estrategias de estudio y revisión, así como también les da una idea de qué esperar durante su examen real en Mayo. Utilizamos la simulación para que tanto a profesores como estudiantes tengamos datos reales sobre las habilidades y conocimientos que deben ser reforzados para garantizar el éxito, y quiénes pueden beneficiarse de apoyo adicional, tanto personal como académico, a fin de alcanzar su máximo potencial. Además, las calificaciones que obtengan en estos exámenes ayudan mucho indicando la proyección de calificaciones que se envían a las universidades como parte del proceso de aplicación. Esperamos que los estudiantes estén estudiando en casa y les deseamos mucho éxito. Modelo de Naciones Unidas Este fin de semana, nuestro equipo de Modelo de Naciones Unidas, liderado por el Sr. John Ashfield, representará a BSQ en una conferencia en el colegio Shakespeare. MUN, por sus siglas en inglés, es un ejercicio creativo y académico muy respetado y renombrado a nivel nacional que combina habilidades de investigación, solución de problemas, negociación y oratoria con astuto conocimiento de eventos y temas globales actuales e históricos. Los estudiantes se reúnen para "tomar un rol" de las funciones y procesos de las Naciones Unidas, brindando un entendimiento profundo, un enfoque más amplio del mundo y un conjunto de habilidades inigualables. Está diseñado para que los buenos estudiantes se conviertan en excelentes, y para desarrollar su potencial como líderes. Les deseamos el mejor de los éxitos. Jim Wild Director de Secundaria Del equipo de Consejería de BSQ Esta semana nuestra psicóloga estudiantil, Andrea Carrera, nos habla acerca de la responsabilidad en los chicos.
Bienvenidos![]() Viviendo Parece imposible que hayamos alcanzado el final de nuestro primer periodo en este año académico. Se han dado tantas oportunidades de aprendizaje que es difícil saber por dónde empezar con la celebración. Gracias a todo el staff, estudiantes y padres de familia quienes han trabajado arduamente para desarrollar y construir nuestro colegio y nuestros valores en este periodo. ¡Qué semana tan interesante hemos tenido en BSQ!. El viernes, los estudiantes de Secundaria fueron a su primera actividad del año. Gracias a la Señorita Montenegro tuvimos la oportunidad de pasar un día genial en El Tren, explorando el campo y las características culturales de Ibarra, Salinas y los helados de Hoja Blanca. Fue un privilegio el poder viajar en el tren y escuchar excelentes comentarios de los guías. Aprendimos acerca de la producción de sal en Salinas y disfrutamos unos excelentes bizcochos en nuestro retorno, fue un gran día viviendo y aprendiendo juntos. El mismo día, los estudiantes de primaria visitaron el colegio para su primera Conferencia del año. Muchas reuniones se llevaron a cabo donde éxitos y oportunidades de mejora fueron analizadas y acordadas. El martes de la semana pasada tuvimos nuestro primer Open Day del año. Muchas gracias al persona y padres de familia quienes nos apoyaron en nuestras sesiones, y un especial agradecimiento a los estudiantes. Las nuevas familias estuvieron muy impresionadas por la confianza de los estudiantes de Año 7 durante su recorrido en las instalaciones del colegio y su evidente amor por el colegio. Muy bien hecho Año 7. Un agradecimiento especial a Breck y Doménica de Año 6, quienes dieron el discurso a los nuevo padres - no es una tarea fácil pero estuvieron brillantes. Esperamos dar la bienvenida a las nuevas familias a BSQ en el transcurso de este año y el siguiente. Les deseo unas maravillosas vacaciones y esperamos verlos de regreso el 5 de Noviembre, que es el Bonfire Night en el Reino Unido. Ya estamos haciendo planes emocionantes para nuestra propia celebración el 17 de Noviembre. Manténgase atentos en Facebook para más detalles. Aprendiendo En BSQ tenemos un conjunto de estrategias para el aula que están diseñadas para apoyar a nuestros alumnos a aprender de manera efectiva, y podrán ver que estas conductas de enseñanza y aprendizaje ocurren en todos los salones del colegio. La semana anterior les presenté la forma en que utilizamos Control the Game que otorga a todos los estudiantes la oportunidad de estar involucrados en el proceso de lectura dentro de la clase. Esta semana es la séptima de nuestras estrategias de clase y es una forma crucial en la que apoyamos a todos los estudiantes a desarrollar la comprensión del vocabulario complejo requerido para convertirse en experto dentro de una materia y también la naturaleza inusual de algunas formas en las que las palabras puedan ser pronunciadas - esto es realmente importante para estudiantes quienes aprenden un nuevo idioma. Esta estrategia se llama Respuesta en Coro y simplemente consiste en que los estudiantes repitan palabras después que el profesor las haya dicho claramente en voz alta. Esto es particularmente importante para estudiantes que inician su aprendizaje en idioma y es utilizado en nuestras clases de EYFS y KS1. La estrategia también puede ser utilizada para desarrollar definiciones. Por ejemplo, en nuestras lecturas podríamos tener la palabra bashful, así que alentaría a los estudiantes a encontrar la definición and que podría ser shy (tímido). Diría bashful y los estudiantes podrían repetir en coro shy. Así también podría cambiarlo y decir shy para que los estudiantes repitan bashful. Es una forma excelente para desarrollar el trabajo en clase y confianza, e incorporar nuevos términos de lenguaje en la memoria, y creemos que marca una diferencia positiva. Esta semana Esta semana tenemos la segunda Semana de Espíritu (Spirit Week) después del éxito del año pasado. La Semana de Espíritu está vinculada a nuestro Proyecto CAS del Bachillerato Internacional, y este año es dirigida por Martin Gaviria, Andrés Chiriboga, Salma Valladares y Santiago Cáceres. El objetivo es crear conciencia y reunir fondos para la Fundación Sinsoluka – un grupo con quienes empezamos a trabajar el año pasado y los estudiantes desean desarrollar y mantener una relación. Más detalles en la sección de Secundaria. Oportunidades de Intercambio Como miembros del grupo de colegios internacionales de Orbital Education, nos complace comunicar que nuestros estudiantes pueden formar parte de oportunidades de intercambio interesantes en Mallorca, Budapest, Manchester y Ljubljana. Cada viaje cultural ofrece varias actividades, en los links de abajo pueden revisar la información y si tienen preguntas adicionales, por favor pueden contactarnos a: [email protected] Del personal y de los estudiantes La semana anterior tuvimos a la Señorita Ngwenya y estudiantes de Año 8. Esta semana es el turno de la Señorita Alejandra Miranda y la Señorita Antonella Coronel. Ms. Alejandra Miranda y sus estudiantes de Año 12 Como parte del programa de English B del Bachillerato Internacional, Año 12 ha estado trabajando en temas tan interesantes como estereotipos y diversidad cultural. Es muy satisfactorio ver la capacidad de análisis de mis estudiantes y retroalimentarme de sus opiniones y experiencias. Las clases son activas y productivas no solo desde el lado académico, sino también del humano. De esa forma, siento que estoy ayudando a formar verdaderos ciudadanos globales y de mente abierta. Ms. Antonella y sus estudiantes de Nursery B Nuevos rincones para descubrir y explorar, nuevas palabras por aprender, nuevas canciones para cantar, nuevas experiencias que nos ayudan a crecer y nuevas técnicas que nos ayudan aprender. Para nuestros niños en Nursery N, todo lo que están experimentando is relativamente nuevo para ellos, y para algunos incluso la primera vez que lo realizan. Sus mentes están tan listas para aprender; absorben todo como esponjas. Como profesora de Nursery, siempre estoy buscando formas nuevas y creativas para enseñarles y así mantener su entusiasmo por aprender y crecer. Nuestras actividades están llenas de juegos, actividades sensoriales, canciones, exploración y mucho más. La semana pasada disfrutaron de actividades que despertaron su interés por los sonidos, actividades en las cuales los estudiantes podían crear sonidos y unir sus voces a ellos. También salimos con palillos de tambores y creamos música maravillosa en nuestra área de juegos en EYFS, encontramos sonidos fuertes, suaves e incluso objetos que no tenían ningún sonido. JUGAR es la forma más elevada de Investigación. - Albert Einstein. Fechas importantes para sus calendarios 24 de Octubre - Torneo de Fútbol para niños y niñas senior fuera contra el colegio Johannes Kepler. 24 de Octubre - Viaje IGCSE PE al Parque Metropolitano 24 al 26 de Octubre - Semana de Espíritu CAS 25 de Octubre - Viaje al zoológico Reception 26 de Octubre - Desfile de Halloween – todo el colegio. 26 de Octubre - end of term. Clases terminan en su horario habitual. Emma Newman Directora BSQ – Primaria ![]() Esta semana ha sido típica en Primaria, si utilizan la definición de "típico" como tener las diferentes cualidades de una semana representativa! Inició con nuestro día STEM, que fue una excelente demostración de las habilidades, conocimiento y comprensión que incluso los estudiantes más jóvenes poseen. La variedad de actividades fue bastante amplia, pero lo que más nos impresionó fue la variedad de soluciones a los problemas que enfrentaban los estudiantes. Se demostró una gran cantidad de ingenio y muchos estudiantes tuvieron flexibilidad cuando las cosas no funcionaron como lo esperaban la primera vez. Por favor tomen un tiempo para ver la fotografías de las etapas de crecimiento de sus proyectos. Durante la semana, dimos la bienvenida a potenciales estudiantes y padres de familia en nuestro campus para que puedan ver las características que hacen de BSQ un lugar único en Ecuador y los beneficios que tenemos como comunidad de estudiantes. Este evento con buena asistencia brindó la oportunidad a nuestros estudiantes de explicar lo que más les gusta de BSQ, en particular a Breck and Doménica de Año 6. El miércoles disfrutamos la Asamblea de Año 6, donde los estudiantes compartieron su aprendizaje acerca de la cultura nativa americana y los cambios que han ocurrido en los últimos tres mil años en América del Norte. Cubrieron temas extremadamente filosóficos y desafiantes e hicieron que todos pensáramos en nuestras propias opiniones y puntos de vista. El jueves, Año 2 disfrutó de una de sus primeras visitas educativas fuera del colegio, Jardín Botánico de Quito, donde aprendieron acerca de una gran variedad de plantas en el Ecuador. Los estudiantes disfrutaron particularmente recolectando varias semillas, subiendo a la casa del árbol, participando en el proceso de fotosíntesis y, por supuesto, descubriendo todo acerca de las plantas carnívoras! Afortunadamente, todos nuestros estudiantes retornaron al colegio de forma segura, sin perder ningún dedo, aunque no se puede decir lo mismo de algunos desafortunadas moscas e insectos! Finalmente, los profesores organizaron la primera Conferencia Padres - Profesores el viernes, donde compartieron el progreso, objetivos y áreas de desarrollo para cada uno de sus estudiantes, incluso algunos estudiantes lideraron sus propias Conferencias! Es notable el entusiasmo que muchos estudiantes demostraron a su aprendizaje, el conocimiento y comprensión que demostraron acerca de sus siguientes pasos y el evidente orgullo al compartir sus éxitos. Marcus Madden Director de Primaria BSQ – Secundaria ![]() PASS En The British School Quito nos dedicamos a garantizar que todos y cada una de las personas tengan éxito académico y personal, y que sean felices durante su aprendizaje. La encuesta GL PASS - Pupil's Attitudes to School and Self, por sus siglas en inglés - es una medida anual que tomamos en BSQ para tener un mejor panorama de cómo podemos mejorar la experiencia de los estudiantes. La semana anterior los estudiantes de Secundaria formaron parte de esta encuesta. Al responder varias preguntas y calificarlas en una escala del 1 al 5, podemos entender din de existen oportunidades de mejora que beneficien a los estudiantes, y dónde existan estudiantes que requieran mayor ayuda de forma individual. Semana de Espíritu - Spirit Week Por favor apoyen a sus hijos para que puedan contribuir en la semana de Espíritu esta semana al disfrazarlos. Hay tres días para disfraces: miércoles es "día de gemelos", jueves es "día de colores" y el viernes, por supuesto, Halloween. Ir con disfraces costará USD1 cada vez, y el dinero que se recolecte será utilizado para financiar las actividades de los niños en la Fundación Sinsoluka al sur de Quito. Jim Wild Director de Secundaria Del equipo de Consejería de BSQ Esta semana nuestra psicóloga estudiantil, Andrea Carrera, nos habla acerca del cómo hablar de temas complicados con los niños.
Welcome ![]() Living It seems impossible that we have arrived at the end of our first term in this academic year. So many wonderful and exciting learning opportunities have taken place that it is hard to know where to start with celebrating. Thank you to all the staff, students and parents who have worked so hard to build and develop our school and our values this term. What an exciting week we had at BSQ. On Friday the secondary students headed out for their first activity day of the year. Thanks to Ms Montenegro we were able to spend a wonderful day on El Tren exploring the countryside and the cultural features of Ibarra, Salinas and the ice-creams of Hoja Blanca. What a privilege it was to be able to travel on the historical train and hear the excellent commentary from the guides. Learning about the salt production of Salinas and enjoying excellent bizcochos on the way back was a great way to spend the day living and learning together. On the same day the primary parents came into school for their first academic conferences of the year. Lots of important meetings took place where successes and areas for further development were discussed and agreed. On Tuesday last week we held our first Open Day of the year. Many thanks to the staff and current parents who helped out with meeting and greeting and special thanks to the students. The new families were very impressed with the confidence of the Year 7 greeters and tour guides and by their obvious love for their school. Well done Year 7. Special thanks to Breck and Doménica in Year 6 who gave the speeches to the parents – not an easy task but they were brilliant. We look forward to welcoming the new families to BSQ later this year and next year. Have a wonderful break and we look forward to seeing you back on November 5th which is Bonfire Night in the UK. We are already making exciting plans for our own celebrations on November 17th. Keep an eye on Facebook for more details. Learning Here at BSQ we have a set of classroom strategies that are designed to support our students to learn effectively and you will see these teaching and learning behaviours happening in all our classrooms across the school. Last week I introduce you to the way in which we use Control the Game to allow all students the opportunity to be involved in the reading processes in the classroom. This week is the seventh of our classroom strategies and it is a crucial way in which we support all our students to be able to develop their understanding of the complex vocabulary required to become an expert in a subject and also the unusual nature of some of the ways in which words might be pronounced – and this is especially important for students learning an additional language. This strategy is called Chorus Response and simply involves the students repeating words after the teacher has clearly said them aloud. This is particularly important for early language learners and is used a lot in our EYFS and KS1 classes. The strategy can also be used to develop definitions too. For example, in our reading we might come across the word bashful, so I would encourage students to find a definition and that might be shy. I would say bashful and the students would repeat shy all together. We also change things around and I would say shy and the students would say bashful. It’s a really great way to develop classwork and confidence and embed new language into memory and we think it makes a positive difference. This week This week we have the second Spirit Week following on from the success of last year. Spirit Week is linked to an IB CAS project and this year it is being run by Martin Gaviria, Andres Chiriboga, Salma Valladares and Santiago Cáceres. The aim is to raise awareness and money for Foundation Sinsoluka – a group we first started working with last year and with whom the students are keen to maintain a developing relationship. See further details in the secondary section below. Exchange Opportunities As part of Orbital Education group of international schools, we are delighted to announce to our community that our students could be part of an interesting exchange opportunities programme in Mallorca, Budapest, Manchester and Ljubljana. Each school trip offers different activities, please see below the options presented and if you have additional questions please do contact us to [email protected] From the Staff and StudentsLast week we heard from Ms Ngwenya and Year 7. This week it is the turn of Ms Alejandra Miranda and Ms Antonella. Ms Alejandra and her Y12 students As part of the English B program of the international baccalaureate, a group of year 12 students has been working with me on topics as interesting as stereotypes and cultural diversity. It is very satisfying to see their analytical skills and feedback on their opinions and experiences. The classes are active and productive not only from the academic side, but also from the human side. In that way, I feel that I am helping to form true global and open minded citizens. Ms Antonella and her Nursery B students New corners to discover and explore, new words to learn, new songs to sing, new experiences to help us grow and new techniques to help us learn. For our children in Nursery B everything they are experiencing is fairly new to them and for some a first time experience. Their minds are so eager to learn; they absorb everything like sponges. As a nursery teacher I find myself looking for new and creative ways to teach them thus keep their enthusiasm for learning going and growing. Our activities are filled with messy play, sensory activities, games, songs, exploring and much more. This past week, they have enjoyed activities that wake up in them an interest for sounds, activities in which they can create sounds and match their voices to them. We went outside with drumsticks and made wonderful music throughout our EYFS play area, we found loud sounds, quiet ones and even objects that made no sounds at all. PLAY is the Highest form of Research. - Albert Einstein. Dates for your Diary October 24th - Football tournament for senior boys and girls away against Johannes Kepler school. October 24th - IGCSE PE trip to Parque Metropolitano October 24th - 26th - CAS Spirit Week Event October 25th - Reception trip to the zoo October 26th - Halloween parade – whole school. October 26th - end of term. School finishes at the usual time Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() This week has been a typical week in Primary, if you use the classic definition of ‘typical’ as having the distinctive qualities of a representative week! It started with our STEM Day, which was an amazing showcase of the skills, knowledge and understanding even the youngest of our students possess. The variety of activities was extremely broad, but what impressed us most was the variety of the solutions to the problems the students were faced with. They was a great deal of ingenuity on display and many students displayed resilience when things did not work out as they expected the first time. Please take some time to look at the photographs to see the stages of development of their projects. Later in the week we welcomed prospective students and parents onto the campus, to find out what makes BSQ unique in Ecuador and the benefits it affords its community of learners. This well attended event also gave our existing students the opportunity to explain what they love about BSQ to others, in particular Breck and Doménca from Year 6. On Wednesday we enjoyed the Year 6 Class Assembly, where the students shared their learning about Native American culture and the changes that have happened over the past three thousand years in North America. They covered some extremely philosophical and challenging themes and made us all think about our own thoughts and opinions. On Thursday Year Two enjoyed one of our first regular educational visits outside of school, to the Botanical Gardens in Quito, where they learnt about the huge variety of different plants there are in Ecuador. The students particularly enjoyed collecting different seeds, climbing the treehouse, acting out the photosynthesis process and, of course, finding out all about the carnivorous plants! Fortunately, all of our students returned to school safely, with no missing fingers, though the same cannot be said for some unfortunate flies and insects! And finally, of course, the teachers hosted the first of our Parent Teacher Conferences on Friday, where they shared the progress, targets and areas for development of each of their students, with the students themselves often leading the conference! It is remarkable the enthusiasm many of them showed towards their learning, the knowledge and understanding they displayed about their next steps and their obvious pride in sharing their many successes. Marcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() PASS At the British School, Quito, we are dedicated to ensuring that not only is each and every individual academically and personally successful, but also that they are happy in their learning and in themselves. The GL PASS - Pupil's Attitudes to School and Self - survey is an annual measure that we take here at BSQ to giver us a better insight into how we can improve every student's experience. Last week all students in Secondary took part in this survey. By answering a number of questions and rating their feelings on a scale from 1 to 5, we are able to understand where there are areas of improvement that will benefit all students, and where there are individual students who need more targeted help. Spirit Week Please do help support your children in being able to make a contribution to Spirit week this week by dressing up. There are three dress-up days: Wednesday is 'twins' day, Thursday 'colour' day and Friday, of course, is Halloween. Dressing up costs $1 each time, and the money raised will be used to fund activities for the children at the excellent Fundacion Sinsoluka in south Quito. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about how to talk to your child about difficult topics.
Welcome ![]() Living Tomorrow we will be welcoming many families who have not yet decided where their children will be attending school for the next academic year – 2019-2020. Our Open Day will involve a warm welcome, a tour and some information from me and also from some of our students. As BSQ grows and develops we really enjoy sharing our successes and plans with families who are looking for an education with strong values, excellent classroom teaching and a warm family welcome. These three things are not easy to achieve all in one so thank you to Andrea Zambrano, Veronica Peñaherrera, Heads of School, Breck Hoskins and Doménica Peñaherrera from Year 6, the teachers and assistants and the members of the PA who are supporting us to ensuring the event is a huge success. We are really looking forward to celebrating the wonderful school that is BSQ with new parents and students. Learning Here at BSQ we have a set of classroom strategies that are designed to support our students to learn effectively and you will see these teaching and learning behaviours happening in all our classrooms across the school. Last week I introduce you to the way in which we use No Opt Out to allow all students the opportunity to answer questions effectively in class. This week is the sixth of our classroom strategies and it is a crucial way in which we support all our students to be able to read and understand texts we use for learning – however challenging they might be. This strategy is called Control the Game and simply involves the teacher skillfully planning to include all students in the reading process by planning who will read what so that everyone can take part. This strategy also means that everyone is concentrating, and everyone is listening. It’s a really great way to develop classwork and confidence and we think it makes a positive difference. Thank you to all the teachers, parents and students who came in on Saturday October 13th to support the celebration of the STEM activities in primary and to attend the progress conversations with secondary teachers. Your support and collaboration with us in the learning of your children is essential if we are all going to support them to reach their goals. This week This week we have some more exciting trips going out. All the secondary school will be heading off to El Tren on Friday as part of the historical and cultural activity days for this year. With thanks to Ms Paola Montenegro for her dedication to this and her hard work with the organisation. I look forward to sharing the pictures with you next week. Also on Friday we are holding the primary progress conferences for parents, teachers and students – more details from Mr Madden below. ![]() Welcome to our new SEN Counsellor Last week we welcomed Sofía León as a new member of our student support department team. Sofía obtained her degree in Psychology at the University of Columbia in the USA and after she pursued her Masters Degree in International Relations and Human Rights in the UK. We are delighted to have her as our new SEN Counsellor at BSQ. Welcome to you Sofía! From the British Embassy Quito to all British Alumni in Ecuador The British Embassy in Quito would like to invite to Alumni who have studied in the UK to a "happy hour" on Wednesday October 17th, 18:30, at Santa Rosa Histórico (see map below). This event will be an opportunity to meet friends and colleagues who have studied in the UK, and to enjoy a nice evening with members of the British Embassy and the British Group. If you would like to join, please confirm your attendance to the following email address: [email protected]. If you know more people who have studied in the UK and have not received the invitation, please let them know about the event. Warm Regards, THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN QUITO From the StaffLast week we heard from Ms Parker and Year 11. This week it is the turn of Ms Ngwenya and the Year 8 maths studies. Last week in maths, year 8 revisited the idea of probability that they met in year 7. They looked at estimating probabilities, calculating probabilities, equally likely outcomes and theoretical probability versus experimental probability. Students also studied the probability of an outcome not happening related to the probability that it does happen, and how to list combinations of outcomes in a clear and logical way using a table or a sample space diagram. This week the year 8s have been investigating answers to bigger problems about dice and fairness. There were interesting discussions and debates, even some disagreements. Students did some thought experiments, made models of dice and had to justify their points of view to others. Their homework in partial 2 will be to produce a clear poster explaining their methods and their findings. Ideas surrounding probability can be taken further within maths, in areas such as Game Theory where you must analyse the probability of other people making their choices, and make your own decision based on those possibilities. Careers involving probability include risk assessment, insurance, actuarial science and even law. A deep understanding and appreciation of probability is good for children (and adults!) as they play games, evaluate the chance of winning, and the chance of losing, or getting hurt. Often children have to weigh up the potential risk of injury from climbing a tree, against the satisfaction of completing the challenge and the joy of seeing the world from up high. As an adult, probability is relevant not only in gambling but also general risk assessment. During a lifetime we will make many choices – where to live, where to study, when to leave home, whether to travel, whether to have a family, which career would make us happy, which career would make us the most money, and who to support in politics. We also have to assess the risk of driving, versus the risk of flying, versus the risk of riding motorbikes. Data and probability play a large part in the decision making process. The ultimate aim here, I think, is to be able to assess risks and exercise enough caution to keep oneself happy, healthy, and prosperous, while also maintaining curiosity and a sense of adventure. Often we must take risks in order to learn more, meet different people and discover new things that will enrich our lives. Ms. Claire Ngwenya Secondary Maths Teacher Dates for your Diary October 16th- PASS (Pupil Attitudes to Self and School) surveys for secondary students October 16th- Open Day for prospective new families October 18th - Year 2 Botanical Gardens trip October 19th- Secondary school cultural trip – details have been sent home October 19th- Primary school parent teacher conferences. (Details in the primary section below) October 24th- Football tournament for senior boys and girls away against Johannes Kepler school. October 24th- IGCSE PE trip to Parque Metropolitano October 25th- Reception trip to the zoo Emma Newman Principal Being BSQ – Primary Update ![]() On Saturday many of the Primary students enjoyed a challenging STEM activity, solving a technological problem using different strategies, equipment and resources. Please do take the time to look at your child’s Class Blog to see the wonderful learning opportunities that they have experienced in the past week. On Friday 19th October it is our Parent Teacher Conference, where you have the opportunity to meet with your child’s class teacher and discuss their progress so far, their targets and how we can work in partnership to support and focus on their areas for development. Of course, many students will find this process daunting, so you can help by preparing them for this discussion. Please find time to talk with them about their learning, what they enjoy about school and what they find more challenging. The teachers will ask them questions about their learning and share their successes, alongside discussing areas they could improve upon and the strategies they could use to achieve this. Of course, we do not expect our younger students in Nursery and reception to attend. Appointments were sent out last Friday – please do let your child’s class teacher know if you are unable to make scheduled appointment. Star of the weekMarcus Madden Head of Primary Being BSQ – Secondary Update ![]() Studying at Home The further you progress in Secondary, the harder you have to work, both inside and outside of class. In the IB Diploma Programme, it is expected that students are doing fifteen hours of personal study every week: three hours each for their Higher Level subjects, and two each for their Standard Level subjects. This work is not necessarily directed: where students find themselves, as they often will, without teacher-set homework to complete, students should be looking to fill the gaps in their knowledge, dig deeper into the topics covered in class, consolidate their notes, practice their skills, and test themselves. This is the difference between doing OK, and doing really well. And while it is always important that this happens, this become especially important around exam time. In six weeks, the Year 13 students will take their IB 'mock' examinations. These practice exams replicate the real thing, provide an early opportunity to embed knowledge ans to practice skills, and provide the evidence teachers need to assign predicted grades for university applications. For these six week, Year 13 students should be dedicating their study time to re-organising, consolidating and building on their learning of the past year. They should be researching further, and testing themselves using past papers and assessment schemes. To do this they will require time, space, and self-discipline. In this, your support is essential. Jim Wild Head of Secondary From the BSQ Counselling Team This week our school counsellor, Andrea Carrera, talks about how to deal with your child´s challenging behaviours.
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