February Events Calendar

SCHOOL EVENTS CALENDAR:  CLICK HERE for upcoming school events.

Late lunch orders are due to Armand's by Friday, 26th February at the $5.95 rate.

Nursery- Year 2 Lunch Order Form.  CLICK HERE

Year 3 - 13 Lunch Order Form. CLICK HERE

Internet Safety Month - Reminder to take time to talk to your children about internet safety guidelines in your home.

Secondary Musical Production,"BLOOD BROTHERS"  has been changed to Wednesday, March 17th and Thursday March 18th

ACTIVITY AND CLUB DATES:

Shenandoah Camp Information from Mr Horton

Thank you to all those who have already returned payments for camp this year.

Please note that due to the snow emergency, deposits (or full payment) will now be accepted up until Friday, 26th February.

Violin and Voice Tuition Information from Mr. McCall  

Please contact Mr. McCall ASAP if you would like  to enrol your child beginning this week in violin, or voice ( individually or in a group) with Miss Cornell.
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UPCOMING PARENT MEETINGS:

24 February 8:30 am Little Acorns Playgroup for Toddlers resumes this week

24 February 7:00 pm - Parent Internet Safety Workshop  Bring your laptops for a practical session on setting safety filters and reviewing risks that Facebook and other networking sites can be and what you can do to help your children stay aware. Please RSVP by phone or e-mail by Tuesday afternoon to  Fiona Pardoe  if you plan on attending.

Year 3 and 4 Parent Meeting with Jo Saunders to discuss ways of supporting writing development - 23rd February (details though Class Reps)

ADHD Parent Support Group - 1st March, 12:30 p.m. Joel Gunzburg, School Counselor, will visit

Year 5 and 6 Parent Meeting with Jo Saunders to discuss ways of supporting writing development - 2nd March (details though Class Reps) 

Snowy Reflections

Reflections from Peter Harding, Head of School

It was with a great sense of vicarious pride that I was able to respond to the many emails I received during Snowmageddon (from friends and colleagues in the UK and around the world). Revealing that the coverage that so many friends had seen was actually the witty and eloquent work of two BSW/BBC parents - Matt Frei and Mark Mardell was reflected glory indeed.  All kudos to our newsmen of the moment!

As we start to re-establish the routines of the children in the school, we ask that you be diligent in establishing home patterns (early bedtimes, regular meals, arrival at school on time, uniforms in good order etc)- all which will help to support the re-establishment of learning routines at school. Welcome back and we hope that we will now have a long period of sustained good weather!

Reflections from Oscar, Year 5 York  (Northwest Current article of the week)

It started on Friday the 5th of February, it snowed so much that in the following days it became the biggest snow storm for decades. It was great to see the snow falling, it looks so peaceful. The precipitation was so huge that it was possible to jump off the roof of the shed and land unharmed in soft snow! The car was snowed in.

After hours and hours of shoveling, my dad and some of the neighbors whose cars where also snowed in, the driveway and all of the cars, were finally clean from snow. We went sledding and had lots of fun. The time had been passing nicely but then it snowed again. So all the cars, driveway and the streets that had been cleaned up by the city snowploughs were again snowed in.

Speaking of snowed in, we missed school for six days; but my friends, my brothers and I have been snowed in with school work which reached us through e-mail (oh the joy of technology!).   

A Focus on Learning in Years 10 & 11

Jo Shaw, Upper Secondary Leader for Learning, Shares How to Revise Effectively for IGCSEs

As Year 11 (and some Year 10) students begin to complete their two year IGCSE courses, they should now be thinking about preparing their final revision programs before exams start in May. It may seem early but, in order to consolidate all the learning they have done during the last 18 months, students need to now start thinking about how they are going to revise. 

So, what is revision?

Revision is more than simply cramming everything students have studied into an overcrowded brain. Whilst they will need to remember important issues, techniques and formulas it is more important that they can apply these to a broad range of questions.

Revision is the process of identifying key themes and issues, identifying what is really important and how this can be interpreted and applied. For the IGCSE exams students will need to identify the relevant knowledge, focusing their thoughts into clearly explained and concise responses.

In order to develop an active mind, a mind that interprets and applies knowledge rather than regurgitates, I would recommend that students plan an active revision strategy pushing their learning through the exploration of questions:

• What is the cause and effect?
• How can I justify this conclusion?
• How do these areas relate to each other?

How can students make this time as stress-free and effective as possible and how can parents support ?  CLICK HERE for revision  tips.

If parents have any questions or concerns about the upcoming exams or revision programs please do not hesitate to contact me at jshaw@britishschool.org.

A Focus on Learning in the Classroom - Year 11

What are Students Doing in Year 11 IGCSE Art and Design Anyway? Laura Reeves, Art Teacher, gives us a glimse....

Pupils have been working on their coursework which is their own interpretation of one selected project title. The choices of the titles given were ‘My Life Story’ , ‘Cultures’, ‘Designs For Living’, ‘Portraiture’ or ‘Recycle’.

Pupils have to produce a body of work that addresses four assessment objectives which show a progression to inform their final piece of work. So for example, if a pupil wanted to produce a painting which had the title ‘My Life Story’, then preparatory work would have to be done before hand in order to show the thought processes and experiments to inform that final idea.

Pupils are encouraged to draw from direct observation using a variety of materials, take photographs, research artists and produce work using similar techniques or of a similar theme.

The annotation of work is key to explaining why or how they have done something and to explain their thought processes. They should experiment with a wide range of materials and think of several ideas for a final piece before selecting their favorite and most successful one.

A small example of materials or techniques pupils may select from include pencils, pens, inks, pastels, charcoal, acrylic paint and canvas, batik ink and wax, a variety of sculpture materials, print- making and collage.

Art is not only a finished piece of work such as a painting or sculpture, but the thoughts, ideas and the understanding of art, artists and techniques behind every masterpiece.

A Focus on Teachers

Getting to Know Gareth Hall, Head of Design Technology, ICT Coordinator, and Year 13 Cambridge Form Tutor

Following a Degree in Industrial Design from Manchester I gained my post graduate certificate in education from De Montfort University, Leicester, in 1995. My UK teaching career covered three institutions; the last two being Specialist Technology Colleges, the latter in the capacity of Head of Department.

In the autumn of 2002 I found myself a member of the first group of specialist secondary staff to join BSW. The challenges we’ve faced, the obstacles we’ve overcome to build a successful secondary school have been many and here we are; a new building, a growing school, an exciting future.

Over the last seven years the IGCSE and IB have gone from strength to strength and I’ve taken great pride in the success of our students who often achieve beyond their years.

A Focus on Internet Safety

Are You Familiar with "Sexting" and its Consequences? 

Many youth believe that anything that they want to do with their bodies and their phones is their business.

They enjoy the privacy and freedom that cell phones give them from their parents or guardians........

But when they use that freedom and their cell phones to explore their budding sexuality, it’s easy to understand why 1 in 5 teens (13-19) reported having sent a sexually suggestive image or message.

Did you know that when youth engage in sexting ( the sending or posting of nude or partially
nude images of minors) that the law takes a very different view. It becomes a crime.

Help your children avoid the potential life consequences of sexting by learning more about the issue. CLICK HERE to read more.

A Focus on Sports Leadership

What is the Sports Leadership Programme at BSW?  Sophie Hadjipieris, Head of Physical Education,  explains...

The Sports Leadership programme is based on the UKs ‘Community Sport Leadership Award’. I have been running this programme here at BSW for the last five years and each year I am amazed with the level of competency, self awareness and organizational skills that our students develop. In the one year programme, students are taught how to lead groups of children in activity.

They are taught to consider safety, plan differentiated activity and coordinate themselves with an awareness of their surroundings and resources. All students have passed their Red Cross CPR/AED certification and are developing excellent leadership skills. Look out for the Sports Leaders in the Spring term. They will be running an Ultimate Frisbee training group for Key Stages 1 and 2, in preparation for the new Ultimate Frisbee activity that is being planned for the SIAC league.

CLICK HERE to get to know our Sports Leaders!

Parent's Corner

Chris Butler, Parent Coordinator, Suggests a Creative Post-Snow Activity for Parents....

Now that we are all shoveled out and resuming some semblance of routine again, you're probably looking for a way to cure your cabin fever. Why not spend it in a cooking class, updating your repertoire of recipes and making new friends in the process? Our very own Manal Omar, mother of Hussein (year 4), Rokaia (yr 7) and Youssef (yr 10) is offering to share her expertise in her kitchen, along with some much-needed social time!

CLICK HERE  to see the brochure,  and contact Manal by Monday, March 1 via e-mail if you are interested. She will set dates and times according to the scheduling needs of those interested in participating. Bon apetit!