LINK
October - December 2010
Palm Tree Campus, Vania More, Sialkot Bypass, Gujranwala. Telephone # 055-3203904-7
www.beaconhouse.edu.pk
In Service Training at BG A series of training workshops was held at BSS Gujranwala hosting BSS Hafizabad, BSS Sialkot and its own teachers in the months of October and November. The training aimed to equip teachers in Primary and Early Years with the techniques and insight that are essential for good teaching practices. The Academic Coordinator at SGO-1 Mrs Tehmina Naeem delivered ‘Hands On’ sessions for Science and Maths while Ms Asia Raza talked about the use of resources in Social Studies. Play Area, Reading Corners and Circle Times at Early Years were covered by Mrs Saima Riaz. Accompanying them were Mrs Nishat and Mrs Saima Qazalbash who observed various lessons to assess and support teaching practices at Middle School. SGO1 Academic Manager, Mrs Ambreen Ishaq checked the administrative affairs and provided necessary guidance.
School of Tomorrow: Freedom to Learn An International Conference An International Education Conference was organised by the Beaconhouse Group on November 5 & 6, 2010. More than a thousand participants from all over the world, including scholars, educationists, classroom practitioners and professionals attended the conference. Renowned educational thinkers moderated workshops on Early Childhood Education, Effective Teaching & Learning Methods, Leadership Paradigms and Importance of Teacher Education, and the Chairperson Mrs Nasreen Kasuri shared her hope that learning from the conference would translate into practice. The theme of the conference “Freedom to Learn” was based on the vision of Chief Executive Mr Kasim Kasuri, with a special focus on restoring education in the flood-ravaged areas. In his address, he emphasised that learning can take place in any form or at any place. The conference closed on an address by the Director of Studies, with a commitment to take on the challenges of the “School of Tomorrow”.
A Social Responsibility Dear Parents, The beauty of four seasons is one of the abundant blessings that Pakistan is bestowed with, and winter is just around the corner. I hope you all had a wonderful Eid, and wish that the coming days bring us closer and unite us to make a positive change in the community. Incessant and heavy rains in July 2010 have triggered floods in several parts of the country resulting in widespread displacement. It was the worst floods since 1929, and at least 400,000 people have been affected. Thousands of people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Crops have been destroyed, and irrigation network, roads and bridges damaged. Providing shelter was a silent appeal of the IDPs and our A Level students responded to their call. They organised a Carnival to collect funds. The response to this noble cause was followed by Movie Night, a Magic Show and a Fun Fair by other branches. I am grateful to all the parents for their whole hearted cooperation and their contribution to this campaign.
Schools are not just places for academic excellence, they also provide a platform for personality building. Our students have performed proudly in various arenas including Recitals, Debates, YLES, Psi-phi, Olympiads and Sports. Participants are selected through a fair assessment of the relevant knowledge and skills, and the conduct they display. The school implemented a firm Discipline Policy devised by the BSS Central Region few years ago. The policy details have been disseminated to and undertaken by all the parents at various PTMs. Through this policy, the school reserves the right to take stern action against abusive language, truancy and bullying in the campus. Parents are expected to know and understand the School Discipline Policy and comply with it in its entirety. Parents, the school and the community must work together to stop the declining behaviour of our young generation. Parents can help by being responsive to the child’s needs, and employ an authoritative but friendly and cooperative manner. Parents must know that kindness, empathy, fair play, and turn-taking are critical skills for good peer relations.
Parent-to-school communication is essential for students’ success as it keeps the parents connected to the school environment. This term we Let’s hope and pray for a better staggered the Parent-Teacher Meetings tomorrow. of the three campuses in order to Wishing you a peaceful and facilitate parents. This effort was prosperous New Year. appreciated by the vast majority of Shaheen Salam parents.
The most socially useful learning in the modern world is the learning of the process of learning, a continuing openness to experience and incorporation into oneself of the process of change. Carl Rogers 1969
In this issue !Diamond Paints Art Competition 2 !Learning Cooperative Principles 2 !A Session on Civic Sense 2 !Spelling Bee Contest 2 !Pets attended the School 2 !Picture Gallery 3 !Sports Up-date 4 !Speeches & Parliamentary Debates4 !Carnival 2010 4 !Saving Environs 4
The Newsletter of BSS Gujranwala, October - December 2010
News and Events Pets attended the School All animals are a blessing, wild or domesticated. A Pet Show was organised at PTC, KG and WTC simultaneously in the month of October. Students from Classes Pre-Nsy to K.G brought pets in cages from their homes and were placed in different areas of the front ground in their respective branches. Most of the animals represented were dogs, cats, birds, sheep and goats, fish, hens and chicks but the rare ones turtle, turkey and peacock were also there enhancing the day’s delight. The show was open to all parents. Teachers gave information to the students about the domestic pets that were available at that moment. A Pet’s Collage Work Contest was held, integrating the spectacle and art, and the winners were given small ‘chicks’ as a token of appreciation. The students enjoyed this show a lot and the parents appreciated the teachers’ efforts in arranging such a great show.
Diamond Paints Art Competition
1st Prize Sara Javed II G (KG-I) Amtul Saboor III R (PTC) 2nd Prize Laiyba Waseem IV B (PTC) Maira Qadeer III S (PTC)
An Art competition was organised by Diamond Paints for the students at WTC and PTC, to bring out the best of their imagination on canvas. Students from KG-1 were also invited to participate in this event. The same team arranged a Magic Show as well to amuse and entertain students.
Mobile for Teenagers: A Toy or A Necessity Boys of XC conducted a survey, through a computerised poll, to discover the opinion of parents on the increased usage of mobiles by teenagers. This poll was held on 30th October, on the PTM day. The result is given in the facing box.
Learning Cooperative Principles This year A-levels has more to it than just the tough studies! The students finally had the platform to brush up their talents by whatever means they chose. Hence, four societies have been launched, headed by the A Level studentss. A-level representatives, Sohaib Ghumman (A2 Science Group) and Zaid Butt (A2 B. Management Group) help unite these societies to add the final touch to all the events. The societies have enrolments not only from A Levels but also from classes of Middle and Secondary School. The four societies and their office bearers are:
The Literary Society Faiza Mehmood A2 Music & Drama Society Fahad Kalim A2 and Mohammad Hunbal A2 Sports Society Tahir Azeez A2 Civic Society Zill-e-Subhani A2 Students in these societies learn the rudiments of practical economies as well as the working of democracy and the value of responsible action, and mutual assistance. All of the society members have been working tir ele ssl y on var iou s eve nts organised recently.
A Session on Civic Sense The Traffic Police Department of Gujranwala held a comprehensive workshop on awareness of Traffic Rules and the responsibilities of civilians in abiding by them. This 2hour session was held on 21st October . The targeted audience were our A level students.
3rd Prize Absar Iftekhar IV O (PTC) Ans Nisar Cheema III G (PTC)
A teensy, tiny tooth of mine! A Dental Care Day was arranged in 2nd week of October to make the students aware of their dental health. The little angels of Pre-Nursery, Nursery and KG fascinated the audience by singing poems in their nightingale voices. They also dramatised the role of a dentist and his importance in our society. Special emphasis was laid on factors affecting the health of teeth. It is hoped that this activity will promote the cleanliness of teeth among students.
Fruity Fun at Early Years To enable the students to understand the importance of fruit and vegetables as an integral part of daily food intake, a very colourful event was arranged at BG PTC and KG I on 31st October, 2010. The programme started with an informative song about fruit, followed by students enacting different fruits and imparting useful facts about them. The students of Class II also shared fruit and spread awareness about them by arranging fruit stalls. The whole branch presented a sight of colour and joy with a cool touch of nutritional information.
Inter - School Recital Competition Three of our students participated in the Inter-school Recital Competition at the Science Base School on 31st October 2010. Asad Sheikh of VIII R secured 3rd position in the Husan-e-Qirat competition and Ans Arshad of XC Blue secured 4th position in the Husan-e-Azan competition.
Spelling Bee Contest An improperly spelled word is one of the first things that is noticed. As a fun and educational way to improve students’ spelling skills, the Boys’ Branch organised an Intra-branch Spelling Competition. It was a great moment of excitement not only for th e p ar ti ci pa nt s b ut al so th e audience who were actively involved in guessing the correct spelling of the words. The purpose of this activity was to encourage all students to
become better spellers. This was in fact a preparatory stage for the students participating in the Dawn Education Spelling Bee Contest at provincial level. Beaconhouse has al wa ys be li ev ed in pr ov id in g exposure to the students at city, provincial and even international level, as it boosts the confidence of our students and makes them better able to meet the challenges ahead.
Palm Tree Campus, Vania More,Sialkot Bypass, Gujranwala. Telephone # 055-3203904-7
2
The Newsletter of BSS Gujranwala, October - December 2010
Picture Gallery
Declamation Contest & Parliamentary Debates at PTC
Live singing by students of PTC
ICT integration at WTC
Visitors at the CARNIVAL 2010 Dental Care Day Celebration KG Students Winners of the Best Creative Writing in Primary Palm Tree Campus, Vania More,Sialkot Bypass, Gujranwala. Telephone # 055-3203904-7
3
The Newsletter of BSS Gujranwala, October - December 2010
More News & Updates Speech Competition BSS has always valued the co-curricular activities and Speech Competitions are integral as they help in building the confidence to speak in a crowd and the skill to persuade the audience with one’s own point of view. This year the Literary Society took the lead and organised a Speech Contest on October 29, for the two branches of PTC. The topics for the Speech Competition were: Am I a Muslim or a terrorist? So you think you can do it? It was quite amazing to see the students’ level of confidence and the ability to deliver their speeches with great aplomb. In the English Speeches Abdur Rehman of XI C Yellow stood 1st and Irtaza Hassan of XC Silver 2 nd. Dawood Fateh Sher of XIC Yellow got 1st position and Ali Akhtar of XIC Yellow 2 nd respectively in Urdu speeches. A Parliamentary Debating Contest among A Level students was next in the row, on the same day. The topic ‘Science has more Potential for Killing than Curing’ was fiercely debated by both the teams. The motion passed was in favour of the topic.
The A Level Civic Society organised a ‘CARNIVAL’ at the Palm Tree Campus on November 13, in aid of the flood victims. Around thirteen stalls were set, ranging from simple games to a ‘horror room’. The stalls we re ar ra ng ed th ro ug h th e combined effort of our students and the faculty members. The ones which fascinated young children most included face painting, mehndi and bangles, whereas the popular ones amongst boys were ‘jail’, ‘under the stick’, ‘horror room’ and ‘bursting balloons’.
Parents must Read Entry to the Board Exams (BISE & CIE) will be sent only if minimum attendance is 80% and the child passes in all subjects in the Mid Year Exams. Forecast grades will be based on the marks obtained in Mocks. The entries of students who miss the Mocks will not be sent as regular students.
Saving Environs
Upcoming Events ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Forthcoming Exams
Registration BISE-G Registration CIE
! A Levels Mid Ye ! XC Mocks: iat
Prize Distribution Drama Festival
ar
P.St & Islam ! XIC Mocks: Aksll : All ! A Level MocYear ! XC End of Year ! VIII End of E ! Matric : BIS
Science Exhibition Junior Sports Intra-regional Badminton Tournament
Sports Sport is a fundamental part of school life in BSS. Involvement in sport encour ages the develo pment of social skills and relationships with others. Every year, a series of Intraregional matches and tournaments is th e m ai n a tt ra ct io n o f s po rt s enthusiasts. So far athletics, tabletennis, and cricket matches have been held. BSS Gujranwala has taken the lead in Athletics and Tabletennis. In others we were able to reach the semifinals. Next in the line are Badminton,
A concert arranged by the Literary Society added charm to the event. Popular singers of the school Fahad Kaleem, Shazrey and Zohal performed live for the audience. Greeting cards and models made by students of primary classes were also appreciated a lot by parents. Visitors exhausted from the games satisfied their appetite in the ‘Food Court’ with a variety of food available in Salad Bar, Pizza Corner, Chana Chat and Burger stall s. The presence of a good number of visitors was an endorsement of the A Levels effort.
Basketball, Football and Volley ball. Fitness Tests To further facilitate our school’s sports programme, fitness tests were carried out during the months of September and October to assess the students’ fitness levels. These tests included short sprint, vertical jump, standing broad jump, agility beep tests and flexibility tests. A proper record has been maintained on the students’ performance in these levels along with their height and body weight.
There is a good news for those who fear the harmful effects of Global Warming. Scientists believe dry water could be used to combat global warming by soaking up and trapping the greenhouse gas “carbon dioxide”. Dry water resembles sugar and each particle of dry water contains a water droplet surrounded by a sandy silica coating. Dry water is three times better at absorbing carbon dioxide than ordinary water. Dry water may also prove useful for storing methane and expanding the energy source potential of natural gas.
Richard Evans, president of PepsiCo UK and Ireland, which owns Walkers, said the company is looking at a number of ways of making more environmentally friendly packets for crisps. They are looking forward to using recycled potato peelings to create crisp packets within 18 months. Science-fiction enthusiasts will be excited to know that new research has revealed widespread deposits of carbonate rock buried a few miles beneath the surface of planet Mars, which means that the Red Planet once harboured life. The abundance of these deposits indicates that the greenhouse gas could have helped make it a much wetter and warmer place millions of years ago. Courtesy: WWF News updates
BG Palm Tree Campus Vania More, Sialkot bypass, Gujranwala Tel:# 055-3203904-7 BG Junior Branch, 7 Ajmal Shaheed Road, Gujranwala. Tel:# 055-3856677, 3257263 BG Wapda Town Campus, C1 Wapda Town, Gujranwala Tel:# 055-4283920-21 Palm Tree Campus, Vania More,Sialkot Bypass, Gujranwala. Telephone # 055-3203904-7
4