Vol. #6
Flotsam & etsam We would like to inform you about what has happened this term at school. You will find short articles along with photos from different events and activities. It is very difficult to cover everything. This is just a cut through the school life this term.
The Principal’s Speech at the Stuzkova ceremony Welcome to the Stuzkova of the British International School Bratislava. Welcome to staff and parents but especially to IB2, the graduating class of 2011 – it is your evening. The Stuzkova ceremony symbolizes two important transitions in a student’s life. Firstly, it marks the beginning of the period of examinations after which students will graduate from their school. In Slovak schools it is not just the event that occurs this evening when students will receive their green ribbon,
but it is the culmination of a week of ritual. I asked Dr. Mornarova to describe this for me. So in her words… “One week before the event we had a ‘sealing’ of the classroom book (that’s the book where the content of each single lesson including grades in tests or oral exams is written) – it was sealed to prevent teachers to give any further tests or examine students – we had a special wax for it. Then we had to ‘steal’ the book, after it was sealed it was stuck to the door of our classroom, which (continued)
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was decorated with the large green ribbon too. The scene of sealing and hiding the book was recorded by one of my classmates who later studied film camera at Academy of Arts. Everything happens in a symbolic way. That was a few years ago but even now if you kook on YouTube you can see how creative students are today when it comes to the stealing of the book”. Will this graduating class of 2011 begin any BISB rituals I wonder? I would like to say a few words about this examination period: Unlike your fellow students in Slovak schools, you have 5 months to go before the actual examinations but the next period of study is vital as your teachers complete the courses with you and help you to improve your exam technique. Work with your teachers. Listen to what they advise. In every year group there always seems to be a handful of students who think their way is best, who ignore advice and then under achieve and end up disappointed. So, if Mr. Marshall growls at you in his best Scottish accent and says you must revise the text – revise it- don’t think that because you have read the book once that you know it. Use the practice question sessions and mock examinations – don’t fight them. In my first year at BISB I worked with the Year 13 History class. One of the students asked me before the exams ‘What do we have to do to get the top grade?’ I said, ‘During your study leave and examinations you must work a minimum of 8 hours a day, 6 days
a week’. Matej said, “But that’s like a real job”. “That’s right,” I said. “You are now an adult and capable of working like an adult, organizing your time, keeping focused and selfmotivated and meeting deadlines”. All of those students worked like adults; all of them achieved top grades in that subject. And that brings me on to the second transition that Stuzkova marks – the transition from youth to adulthood. This ceremony is always marked by the music of Gaudeamus Igitur, The song dates from the early 18th century, based on a Latin manuscript from 1287. Whilst it also takes a light hearted or maybe even respectful look at school days…. “Long live Academia, Long live Professors, Long live any member, Long live all staff, May they bloom forever!” It also commands…. “Let us therefore rejoice While we are young.” At the age of 17 and 18 we are in a hurry to leave youth behind and to be thought of as adults. There is so much we want to do, so much freedom out there, so many restrictions that we want to be lifted. The irony is of course is that with that much desired freedom, without teachers and parents telling us what to do, the responsibility then lies with
us and it is often hard work. As a child we can say ‘it got lost’ but in adulthood we say “I lost it”. We take responsibility. In youth we learn, in age we understand. Sometimes the understanding is a harder lesson than the learning. So do not be in a hurry to shed the essence of youth. I love these words of General MacArthur, an American general from the American Civil War in the 19th century, A. It is a message for all of us here; students, parents and staff. “People grow old only by deserting their ideal. Years may be wrinkled by the sun, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your selfconfidence, as old as your despair. In the central part of every heart there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage -so long you are young. When your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism then and only then, are you grown old. And then indeed as the ballad says, you just fade away.” So finally to this year’s graduating students we say “Rejoice in your youth and Good Luck in your examinations!” Wendy Ellis, Principal
Congratulations to our Graduating Class of 2011
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WHOLE SCHOOL The British International School Bratislava launches its new brand We are delighted to announce of the new Nord Anglia International Schools brand! At the British International School Bratislava we are proud to be part of the Nord Anglia Education international family of premium schools, which has developed its new brand to promote the very best in high quality education and learning. Helping Others Thrive is at the heart of our new brand and reflects our attitude and approach in all we do. Here are some of the ways in which we aim to help our pupils thrive: • Providing a happy, safe, secure and inspirational learning environment • Setting the highest possible standards in learning, development and care to ensure that every pupil makes continuous progress • Creating an open and honest partnership between parents
BISB’s New Look Over the summer, BISB went through a lot of changes. We now have two new music rooms that include class sets of guitars, keyboards, computers and a stage from which we have already
and teachers in which regular communication and mutual support is fundamental • Providing a secure foundation for future learning through learning and development that is planned around the individual needs and interests of the pupil, and informed by the use of ongoing assessment • Making our pupils feel valued. We promote a culture of mutual respect and understanding which celebrates achievement OUR LOGO Is it a Book or a Crown? … it’s both! Our new logo represents two very important ways in which we will help our pupils thrive. One is by teaching them, sharing knowledge and inspiring a love of learning. The other is by leading the thinking when it comes to shaping the future of education. presented one concert. In addition, the cloakrooms have been remodeled. One of the biggest changes is that the office has been moved to the side entrance and includes a reception area with sofas and a television showing scenes from BISB life. The floors in the main downstairs hallway have been remodeled and the walls have been painted to give a cheerful atmosphere. Let’s find out what the BISB community thinks about these changes: The changes in the music rooms are great! There are lots of computers with programs to compose classical and band music which makes it a lot easier to compose in IGCSE. Students can access various music genres
The book represents the learning and education that our family of schools offers and the crown is associated with British style of leadership. Rolling out our new brand The rollout of our new brand will commence in January 2011 with the launch of our new look website. You will also start to see our new logo on our stationery and school signage over the next few weeks. Please look at our new movie to learn more about the Nord Anglia Education family of international schools at http://nordanglia.com/ index.php/nord-anglia-corporatevideo.html We will continue to keep you updated. Wendy Ellis Principal
with diverse musical instruments. The classroom expanded a lot in size, allowing us to have a larger individual space. The stage permits more clubs to take place such as drama and guitar club. Min-Jung, Year 10
The new dance studio is awesome! People who want to dance can use that studio and we have more choices during P.E. Girls in our age group prefer dancing, fitness, yoga etc., so now that (continued)
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reception area without being squashed between people. Jae-Min, Year 6
our school provided us a studio, we can do those exercises through P.E. lessons. The small gym has been remodeled and it’s clean and firm. It looks a lot better. Dominika, Year 10
There are two music rooms now, so we can have a longer lesson. There are lots of guitars, pianos and other instruments compared to last year, so everyone can play. I especially like to play guitar and now that we have a lot, we don’t have to share them with other friends. Also, I’m happy that the office is not crowded anymore at the end of the school. When I’m waiting for my mom for tennis in the afternoon, I can sit in the
It has changed my life! It’s great to have two big music rooms and many instruments. Year 7’s are now learning guitar and I am glad to have school concerts on the new stage. We have computers with software making it easier for students to compose. The Primary children used to have lessons in their classroom, so they didn’t have much chance to play the instruments, but now we have lessons in the music room with instruments widely available to them.
As you can see, the summer’s remodeling project has been a huge success with parents and teachers alike. Come visit BISB and see the changes for yourself! Jae-Young Year 10
Ms. Price, Music Teacher
The school is beautiful! I came to BISB this year and I am very satisfied with the new changes. The colorful tiles of the foyer floor make the school atmosphere a lot brighter and the office is very big and clean. Xing, Year 11
Back to School BBQ We started this academic year 2010/2011 with a wonderful social afternoon which was enjoyed by the whole school – pupils, parents, teachers and staff. The new parents especially appreciated this event, which took place on Friday, September 17, as they had a chance to meet with other parents and to get to know teachers better. Children welcomed the famous Harry Potter back to school by taking part in activities provided by the Hogwarts prefects - in Transfiguration, Magic, Levitation, Quiddich and Every Flavour Beans Clubs. The more clubs they attended, the more house points they earned. While the children were having fun in the playgrounds, their parents were enjoying the live band “Goldies”
as well as tasty barbecue food and drinks. We enjoyed this afternoon tremendously and hope to meet with you all next year! Milina Kolomparova Marketing Officer
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Good-bye from the PA Chair Michaela Dear BISB parents, As you all are aware I recently resigned as Chairman of the BISB Parent Association. I made this decision because my children no longer attend the British School in Bratislava. Our decision to leave BISB was not an easy one as our whole family loved this school very much. Over the past five years my children have progressed enormously educationally in all subjects while they enjoyed learning at this school very much. The British International School in Bratislava truly provides each student with broad and balanced education through progressive teaching and learning in a safe, loving and supportive environment. Thanks to wonderful and loving school personnel, my children gained very positive attitude towards their studies and learned to consider the school environment a great place for studying as well
Christening the new Music Room On Tuesday, 19th November the Music Department held an Afternoon Concert in the newly opened Music Room. Many Secondary solo players, including our Music IGCSE students from Years 10 and 11 as well as the orchestra, participated in the concert. It was surely a delightful and thrilling time for the players to perform their pieces and the audience to listen and enjoy music.
as spending their free time. My husband and I believe our children gained much more than five years of high quality education from BISB. Because the school promotes learning with fun, strong motivation, and excellence, our boys gained a wonderful foundation for a successful and happy life. I would like to thank all of BISB’s employees for teaching and caring but most of all for loving our children. Equally, I would like to thank all my friends – BISB moms/ dads who became my friends and who are responsible for my children (even after three months being away from BISB) still talking about their friends at BISB being their best friends in the world. Their friends at BISB touched their hearts due to their sweet personalities and great families. Thanks to these friendly children and their families, our boys learned to see this world in a broader context and became more tolerant and open minded. I don’t want this to be a good bye letter. Everybody in our family still misses BISB and the boys are still
willing to return there. They really loved their school - they never left our home for school without smile on their faces. My husband and I promised them to make a special effort to stay in touch with BISB so we all can still spend time with our friends! We wish everybody all the best on their journey through life! May the school’s partnership with parents allow your children to progress faster and become independent and confident young individuals well prepared to succeed in our society! Michaela Vozar
I was quite nervous about this concert because it was my debut concert in BISB, and I have never done something like this in my life before, especially performing music in front of a large number of people who I do not know. Although I made some mistakes while performing, it was worth participating in the concert and I feel proud of myself for overcoming the hardships and fear. We look forward to many more lunchtime and afternoon concerts happening in the Music Department in the near future! Minjung Hong Year 10
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International Christmas Bazaar As in previous years, BISB participated in the annual Christmas Bazaar organised by the International Women’s Club of Bratislava. The aim of the event is to raise funds to be donated to local charities and it is widely recognised as the biggest international fund-raising event of the year in Bratislava.
whole event. Our students are the school’s greatest asset and it is in events like this when they really do show what responsible young people they are. Various members of BISB staff also volunteered their time to run the British stall selling books, DVDs and Christmas items kindly donated by members of the BISB community. Continuing our tradition of encouraging community service among our students, a group of IB students and Eco-Club members volunteered their time and efforts to support the BISB stall. Organising activities such as face painting, making Christmas cards and tree decorations as well as eco-friendly activities using recycled paper and straw, our students proved to be a motivated and hard-working group who provided fun activities for the younger visitors throughout the
Overall an enjoyable day was had by all with the added bonus of contributing to a worthy cause. Sean Coffey CAS Coordinator
Congratulations to Adriana Pallova and Katarina Lacova
The BISB Team would like to congratulate our colleagues, Adriana Pallova and Katarina Lacova, on receiving a very special award at the Nord Anglia conference in Birmingham on November 29, 2010. Adriana has been recognized for helping BISB achieving “Eco School” status in 2007. Since then, she has tirelessly worked with students in the secondary school to keep ‘Eco’ issues at the top of the agenda. Katarina joined BISB in 2008 as a receptionist, although soon took up the role of Academic Administrator. She has brought much skill and care to her work, finding ways of improving systems right from the beginning. Both ladies represent superb examples of Nord Anglia employees who are helping us achieve our potential through identifying and implementing improvement.
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Milina Kolomparova Marketing Officer
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PRIMARY SCHOOL Some mums and dads come with the class. Kristof Krizan
We have been going on Woodland walks. We have been going on Thursdays. I like to go to the woods because it is fun, nice and green. We are playing games and making tree houses. Rebecca Laursen
The Woodland Wanderers Return On Thursdays, 2C goes to the forest. The walk to the forest takes 15 minutes. We always had instructions from Mr. Thomson. I like to go to the forest because we are playing games in groups. The air for the children is better.
We go to the woods every Thursday. We walk to the woods. I don’t like the walk because it makes me tired. We have fun at the woods and play games like hide and seek. I like hide and seek because it makes me feel happy. I like the woodland walks because I like learning about things.
We like the woodland walk because it is fun and we do lots of things. Sometimes we make a big pile of leaves. Then we throw them in the air. We go to the woods on Thursdays. We also make little houses. We play hide and seek. It is the best game because we need to use our brains for good hiding places. Vilja Vakkuri
Hyunsoo Kim
We go to the woods on Thursday. We are walking there. We play games there like hide and seek. This was my favourite because I like to hide. We sometimes collect leaves and throw them in the air. We have made houses out of wood. This was really good fun. Kende Jordan
writing in instructions. They were using time connectives such as: First, then, next, after and finally! It was great fun. They also created instructions for brushing their teeth. We had to remember to tell each other to put on the toothpaste, before we tried to brush our teeth!
As part of our literacy work on instructions we also made a delicious and healthy fruit salad. We chopped, sliced, cut and peeled before mixing it all together. The best bit was getting to eat our tasty fruit salads! Rebecca O’Mahony Year 1B Teacher
Getting ready for bed In Year 1 the children were getting changed into their pyjamas and brushing their teeth in time for bed! No, it wasn’t sleep time they were
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English Story Reading Hour Every first Saturday of the month I take my kids to the Panta Rhei Bookshop at Eurovea. From 11:00-12:00 the school organises a children’s reading hour, in which several of the teachers take the time to sit down and read the children some of the best stories. Picture this: • a very cosy corner with beanbags, small cushions and a nice and colourful carpet; • children lounging and listening to exciting, funny, familiar or new stories surrounded by shelves and shelves of books; • colouring pens, scissors, colour-
My kids love going to the reading hour and I really enjoy taking them there. The stories keep the kids engaged while at the same time they make them even more enthusiastic about books and reading. It’s lovely to see them listening and joining in with the activities!
How to be a Good Friend
to help us think about friendship. They performed lots of little plays at assembly to make us think about how to be a good friend. It was fun and interesting to watch them as they were really good actors. They also came into some of our classes and performed and worked with us. They were really nice and we talked a lot about what we can do to be friends and to respect each other. They helped us to think about this but in a really fun and interesting way. They were from a group called the Covenant Players. They visit schools to do Drama and help children to learn about important things.
The Covenant Players help make us think!! In our assemblies and circle time we learn all about following the Golden Rules and talk about lots of important things. One of those topics is Friendship because we all need to learn how to be good friends and to get along with each other. This sounds easy but sometimes it is tricky to be friends all the time!
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ing pages, strewn over the floor so children can enjoy a little art and craft while listening.
At the start of October we had some actors come to BISB
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Put the next first Saturdays in your diary and join us. I’m positive that you will all enjoy it, kids and parents alike! (In addition: the bookshop has a very good little, Elizabeth De Boer cosy café! ) (Mother of Wytze, 1C and Hiske, Nursery)
Year 4b
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Year 6 trip to the WW2 Bunker IIn October, Year 6 went to a war bunker called BS8 Petržalka. We went there because we were studying WW2 for Topic. Before going to the bunker, we were excited as we were not only leaving school but also because we had never been to a war bunker.
Ivan, the guide, showed us around the bunker. Everything was very intriguing. We saw camouflage nets, Adolf Hitler and his wife in a picture from WW2, gas masks and things to put on and touch. We really enjoyed visiting the war bunker and hope to go there again. Min-Ji Kim, Year 6A
Year 4 visiting the Kunsthistorisches Museum We went to the Historical Museum with a huge bus and a little bus. All year 4 was split in two groups with a man who guides us. (Joanna) We saw some mummies and canopic jars. We saw a sarcophagus. (Carlo) Lots of children brought cameras to take pictures of the wonderful event. (Miksa) The Year 4 even got to go inside an Egyptian tomb about 3,000 years old!!! (Megan)
In October, Year 4 went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna as part of their History project about Ancient Egypt. Here are some reflections from the pupils:
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We saw a mummified crocodile, it was so scary and we saw jewellery and it was so nice, very, very, VERY nice. (Praachi) We ate lunch outside and we even went to the gift shop, I bought some postcards. We had lots of fun; I hope we can come again. (Atsushi) Most children say “the best part was the mummies!” (Alexander)
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Ghosts, Ghouls and all things Scary HALLOWEEN @ BISB We were so lucky this year because we got to celebrate Halloween at school. We were allowed to abandon our boring school uniforms for the day and dress up as whatever we wanted. Most people chose costumes with a scary Halloween theme so there were lots of witches, wizards, ghosts, vampires, and skeletons. I was a rather dramatic Zombie
Bride but don’t think anyone would be brave enough to marry me looking like that! Of course there were lots of “goodie” Halloween costumes too, like fairies, princesses and plenty of superheroes. Even the teachers got into the spirit and dressed up some were just too convincing as witches…..makes you think ?! Freya Year 6C
Brat Slam 2010 The First English Language Poetry Slam in Slovakia – We Were There, We Got the Tee-shirts! Congratulations to those students from Year 3 through to Secondary who participated in this event hosted by Praxis Education. You made us very proud in writing and performing your own work. It was a very successful enterprise
and our school walked away with multiple accolades, cups, certificates and even tee-shirts. They even made the evening news! And Megan Dumond’s interpretation of a mummy who had had her brain removed was a classic of thespian brilliance that will live in the memory for a long time to come. A confidence builder, a great way to support the learning of English for non-native speakers, an enjoyable way to
spend an afternoon (refreshments provided)… we look forward tremendously to next year’s Slam. Pete Baxter Year 4 Teacher
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The Little Invincibles It all started on a sunny day in the summer of 2007. A group of us mums and dads had decided to get their children together at the weekend for the first ever BISB infant’s football training. The children were between 4 and 5 years old and they all crowded round the ball frantically trying to kick it in any direction they could. It wasn’t exactly the premier league but I could tell from the happy expressions on the faces of the children and their parents that this was going to be the start of something good. As an ex PE teacher with some experience of coaching junior teams I volunteered to train the team. I’ve been enjoying the experience ever since.
of training cones, have been replaced by team balls and training equipment. The old three sizes too big football shirts that I got from the back of the secondary PE store room, have been replaced by a made to measure smart new team kit. And the tendency for individuals to wildly chase and surround the ball has been replaced by organisation, passing and a spirit of teamwork. What has always remained the same however are those happy expressions on the faces of the children and their parents. Although it sometimes doesn’t seem like it when I’m frantically pacing the touchline during matches, football at BISB is about a lot more than winning. For me it’s a way for children from different cultures and backgrounds to come together and work in a team towards common goals (literally
in this case) and to make new friends. Its way for parents to come together and it’s a way for us to build a sense of school community. So even if our ‘little invincibles’ lose their next ten games, they’ll still be winners and so will we. Bernie Cox Team Coach
We started with 8 boys and that day. Three years later we have more than 40 boys and girls regularly training each weekend. The BISB junior team of under 9’s is now an unbeaten league topping team (7 wins, 2 draws, 0 defeats) that most recently inflicted Slovan U9’s to their first ever defeat by a margin of 3 – 0. www.dunajskypohar.szm.com Its been a steady transformation with new faces joining every year and as is the nature with international schools, some familiar faces moving on. The old football from the back of my car and the water bottles that I used in place
SOME OF THE 2007 GROUP Five of the original 2007 group still play in the team.
SOME OF THE CURRENT SQUAD BIS_FJ_vol06.indd 11
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Science Day Science Day has finished and it was FAB! Experiments everywhere, lots of scientific language and volcanoes exploding. I thought the best experiment in 5A was Veronika’s soda volcano. I asked Tomas whose he liked and he said, “Jojo’s model was fun because it helped me learn about the solar system.”
Boom Boom! Explosions Everywhere
We should have Science Day every year because we can learn so much more together.
I liked how the parents came in to see all the experiments. I thought everyone was superb.
Zac Oputu Year 5A
Everyone from Primary took part in Science Day and there were all kinds of (safe!) experiments using explosions and chemicals.
I liked Seung Yeop’s project: he dropped a digestion pill into four different liquids – water, orange juice, fizzy water and milk. He was investigating which liquid could dissolve the pill the quickest. Science Day gave everyone the chance to learn something new. Jake Erickson Year 5A
Christmas Carols Concert On the 1st of December, the school choir (both Senior and Junior) performed on stage at the Christmas Market in the main square. The snow drifted gently, creating a serene atmosphere, in harmony with the beautiful angel voices of the choir. Not even the cold weather and the huge number of people could stop us from performing and making this event enjoyable. I would like to thank Miss Price and Miss Kornel for organising this event and allowing us to perform in public. With their great optimism and patience, the choir became confident and our nervousness simply disappeared.
This has been my first and, certainly not the last time, performing with the school choir at the Christmas Markets. Hopefully, we will get pleasant feedback from our audience. Adel Mede Year 11
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10. 12. 2010 13:00:25
LADY GAGA TO BECOME A MOTHER Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, is again shocking the world. On her Facebook page she posted: I am going to be a mother. Her fans immediately started to bombard her official websites for information. BISB LA correspondent was the first to ask her about the issue.
MY FRIEND I have many regrets in life, Some big, and some small. But the rift between us caused by strife, Is by far the deepest of all. Deeper and darker than the greatest sea, More painful than a spear through the heart. Colder and lonelier than my new destiny, Where we will always be apart. I sob silently when I hear your name, It brings back so many haunting dreams. They burn my soul like just like a flame, And still tears flow like running streams.
BISB:
Is it true, you are going to be a mother? Lady Gaga:
Sure, why not? BISB:
It is a big responsibility and it takes a lot of time to take care of a child. Lady Gaga:
Yes I know. Madonna has children, so why do you think I couldn`t handle it? BISB:
Can you please tell us the name of the father? Lady Gaga:
Now I’m all alone in the endless night, The only comfort is the last kiss you gave. In this world without sanity, in this world without light, Trapped forever, now in my grave. My last wish, my friend, Is to reach out to hold your hand And hold on tight until the end Before I depart from this land. I will miss you forever When I’m flying up above. Please don’t forget about me, ever My first, and only love.
Amy, Year 9
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Of course, and if you want I can tell you even the name of the mother. BISB:
I am sorry. I don`t understand. Lady Gaga:
It is very simple. The name of the father was Babatu, the mother was Dahia. Both of them died during the civil war in Zimbabwe. Therefore, I decided to adopt their little son. And now, please excuse me, I have to go… BISB:
Thank you for short interview. Year 9, English Language Support
10. 12. 2010 13:00:47
MA FÊTE PRÉFÉRÉE Ma fête préférée c’est Noël. Je vais en Pologne, parce que notre famille est toujours là. Je mange douze ‘’repas’’, ça veut dire douze plats différents, par exemple - barszcz ( une sorte de soupe), karp ( un poisson) et śledź( poisson avec du lait). Avant le repas, nous mangeons opłatek (gauffrette blanche). Après nous chantons des chants de Noël. Je bois du coca. J’ai des cadeaux, par exemple, l’année dernière j’ai reçu un Cube Rubik.
Par Bartek Année 9
MES VACANCES Dans notre école, nous avons deux fois des vacances, des vacances d’hiver et des vacances d’été. En général, ma famille va dans un pays étranger pour camper en été, et nous allons dans un pays qui est près de la Slovaquie en hiver. Pendant mes dernières vacances qui étaient du 30 au 31 octobre, je suis allée à Passau et à Regensburg qui sont des villes dans le sud-est de l’Allemagne. Le voyage a duré 4 heures en voiture, mais le voyage n’était pas vraiment fatigant pour moi parce que j’ai dormi la plupart du temps. Nous avons marché à côté du fleuve Danube qui était manifique sous le soleil lumineux. Après la courte promenade, nous avons visité la Cathédrale St. Stephan et nous avons vu l’orgue à tuyaux le plus grand du monde. L’escalier d’or était une vue inoubliable. Ensuite, ma famille a pris encore la voiture et nous sommes arrivés à Regensburg après une heure et demie de route. Nous avons mangé un repas de saucisses traditionnel qui existe depuis le 12e siècle. La nourriture était plutôt délicieuse mais il y avait trop de touristes et le serveur n’était pas chalereux du tout. Mes courtes vacances étaient assez reposantes mais je souhaite que nous ayons des vacances plus longues la prochaine fois. Cet hiver, j’irai en Egypte pour mes vacances, avec ma famille. Je vais prendre l’avion à l’aéroport de Bratislava et je vais arriver à Hurghada, qui est une grande ville dans l’est du pays. À Hurghada, je pourrai faire de la natation dans la mer rouge parce qu’il ne fera pas froid même si c’est l’hiver. Je pense que nous resterons là pendant 3 jours et après, nous allons partir pour le Caire, la capitale de l‘Egypte. Le voyage va durer presque 6 heures en car, mais je ne voudrai pas prendre le car parce que je déteste les longs voyages, surtout en car. Au Caire, je vais voir les pyramides et le Sphinx, qui sont des choses que j’espérais voir depuis longtemps. Nous allons rester dans un l’hôtel cinq étoiles qui a une piscine, un court de tennis, un centre de fitness et un spa. Ma famille et moi, nous monterons sur des chameaux et nous marcherons dans le désert. Je vais acheter beaucoup de souvenirs, et je pourrai toujours me rappeler de mes vacances. Si je peux choisir où j’irais et avec qui, je choisirais des vacances avec mes copines dans un chalet à la montagne, dans les Carpates. Les vacances dureraient presque 3 jours, et il n’y aurait pas de devoirs, de livres, de papiers ou de tests. Mes amies et moi, nous courrions et nous grimperions à des arbres, et nous nous amuserions bien. Il n’y aurait personne pour nous interdire des actions qui sont un peu dangereuses. Avant de dormir, nous écouterions de la musiqe très fort et nous chanterions ensemble. Jusqu’`a minuit, nous parlerions de tout et de rien, et nous ririons aussi. Mes dernières vacances en Allemagne étaient interessantes, mais je pense que nous n’avions pas assez de temps pour visiter toutes les sites historiques. Si nous allons en vacances encore une fois, je voudrias au moins y passer 5 jours. J’espère que mes prochaines vacances en Egypte seront mieux que les dernières. Si j’ai la chance d’organiser mes vacances quand je grandirai, je veux organiser des vacances spéciales comme je les ai décrites, à la montagne.
Mina, Year 10
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MÔJ DEDO Neďaleko, v Košiciach, žije môj dedo Jozef Schwarz. Na prvý pohľad je to starší pán, vyšší, s rovnou konštitúciou. Oči, ktoré máme v rodine, sú hnedé, plné života, prezrádzajúce vysokointeligentnú bytosť, ktorá za nimi sídli. Tvár má jemnú, mierne opálenú od hodín strávených v záhrade. Ruky, takisto opálené, sú čisté, i keď poznačené časom práce so zeminou. Kto by bol povedal, že tie isté ruky, čo pred chvíľou prebaľovali deti, kedysi držali husle a precízne ovládali tento nástroj? Vynikajúca pamäť a vycibrený absolútny sluch mu dovoľujú poznať hudbu ako málokto. Spýtajte sa, či pozná husľový koncert od Beethovena, ihneď bude vedieť, o čom je reč. Veľakrát mi pomohol s husľami, či už doladiť niektoré tóny, alebo upresniť iné. Často sa stáva, že keď niečo vysvetľuje, spojí prsty pred seba do trojuholníka a pozerá sa do diaľky, aby sa mohol lepšie sústrediť. Keď sme boli sestra a ja malé, dokázal sa vžiť do mysle dvoj-, trojročného dieťaťa a hral sa s nami. Neskôr sa preukázal ako dobrý učiteľ šachu či iných logických hier (napríklad kakuro). Aj napriek tomu, že modernú technológiu nevyužíva, je o nej informovaný. Takisto je veľmi rozhľadený aj vo svetových správach a ekológii, čo niektorí starší ľudia zanedbávajú. Povahovo patrí medzi najlepších ľudí, akých poznám. Je láskavý, ochotný a schopný adaptovať sa na zmeny. Na druhej strane však dokáže stáť za svojím názorom, v dobe socializmu sa nebál písať úradom sťažnosti, avšak má nehašterivú a pokojnú povahu. Osobne považujem Deda za vyrovnaného, silného a milého človeka, a ak budem môcť byť pre svoje vnúčatá aspoň spolovice taká inšpirácia a vzor, budem šťastná.
Anonym
THE WALK The sun is now gently laying its aged head amongst the barren hills and the swift wind begins gently dancing serenely around me, whispering songs of old into my ears. As I slowly progress through the lonely path carved along the steep cliff, dark clouds in the distance slowly begin to build up, blocking what’s left of the aging sun. I continue to move cautiously, absorbing every detail around me with keen interest. An old wizened tree stands beside long-forgotten fences, reminiscent of inhabitants of the past who have trodden the same path on which I walk to and fro. The gray wind starts to build at an alarming rate, now shrieking out its suppressed anger and a swarm of clouds begins to advance from all directions occupying most of the bleak sky. The ashen trees that once stood with an air of integrity now creak and bend over to the crushing torrents, but still continue to stand up against the roaring leviathans, as do their other comrades - birch and oak scattered all over the land, powerless in the terrible forces of nature. I begin to run, and the dust that is being whipped up by the cold night wind begins to blind my eyes, making it difficult to focus on what impending doom has been awoken by the activities ol’ Mother cooked up. Lightning suddenly flashes everywhere, promenading and dancing with the wind. The wind and drizzle continues to slap my face as my legs struggle to carry me swiftly home. Thunder begins to answer lightning, serenading alongside the wind, both still unaware of my trivial presence as I descend onto the plains. The delicate plants are already laboriously fighting back against the elements as I whiz past. I approach my destination as the forces of nature continue to play behind my back. I leap into the arcane building, exhausted, cowering in the corner as the storm slowly begins to dominate what’s left of the night. I feel cold for I had not anticipated such a ferocious storm. Droplets of water slide and drip off my body forming a puddle below me as I silently pray for the monsters to return to their slumber.
Minkyu, Year 10
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THE STORM The wind gets faster, screaming through towns. Big black clouds moving in, taking over the sky. The wind is knocking down trees, weighing over 350 pounds! Big fat raindrops, jump out of clouds, flying, flying down to the grounds. The trees quickly trembled trying not to fall. The wind whipped the air, making an effort to lie. Thunder growled loudly, reaching the ground. The storm went on as lightning crackled in the sky. The wind gets slower, weeping through the towns. Small white clouds, moving in taking over the air. Small raindrops, swoop to the grounds. The foggy air lowers down, descending from the air that’s spare.
By Miksa, Year 4C
THE SCHOOL It’s morning and the school awakes. The lights go on and many giant bright eyes too. It gives a long long yawn as the doors open . The school starts to eat when the children go in. After this its stomach rumbles and the children run and shout. The camera looks everywhere, searching for menace. In a long, shady throat the children go to the heart of the buildings, the classrooms. Sometimes the school is happy to see them, sometimes not. After hours of work the children go out round the back of the school that is the door to the other world.
By Helwan , 6C
MEDICINE I live in the chemists. I am in a jar. I have a really secret recipe. I remember every child hates me. I am afraid of children who spit me out. I dream of children who want to love me. I love children who love me because I am really good I have a lot of vitamins.
By Lana, 6A
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MIKULÁŠ visiting BISB “Mikuláš” is a special and mysterious day for all Slovak children. He comes in the evening of 5th December, accompanied by an angel and a devil, and they bring sweets to all good children. Naughty children receive onion, garlic or a piece of coal from the devil. Children have to polish their boots and put them in the window. And they cannot wait to find out what is going to be there... At the British International School, we are happy to keep the tradition of real Mikuláš (dressed as
a bishop), angel and devil. They were walking around the school both at Dolinskeho and Peknikova, visiting children and asking them if they were good. The angel was beautiful and she tried to protect children from the devil. The devil was a bit mean, taking things from the classes and asking children to sit on the spade. Many kids stopped laughing when the devil came closer to them. Anyway, everyone deserved a piece of yummie chocolate. This is one of those times when you can see a real excitement and happiness in children‘s eyes. Stanka Taranova Mother of Ninka, 4C and Filip, 1B
SECONDARY SCHOOL by students b t d t for f students. t d t T Those from BISB had a chance to meet other young climate enthusiasts from gymnasium Jura Hronca and experienced a fantastic three days in the unique eco-friendly centre and participated in lots of exciting workshops on climate issues.
Earth Summit International Trip Earth Summit International was an eco-related project organized
We, the student organizers, aimed to make an unforgettable experience for students aged 14-19 who have a keen interest in climate change issues and who care about the environment enough to prepare to take action. One of the key goals was to create
and agree on action plans that would be implemented at schools and to create a network of actively interested youth. The centre is called Centrum Veronica and is located in Hostetin, Czech Republic. We stayed in a passive house, which consumes about 7 to 10 times less energy than a regular building. There were lectures about renewable energy and several excursions to projects of sustainable development in the village. The students even made their own cider from apples as one of features of the Centrum is an apple cider factory. Melisa Mincova, IBE one of the organizers
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Year 12 CAS Trip On the 13th-17th of September, the Year 12 students visited Polana for their CAS project. CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) is one of the IB programs in which students participate in activities that are completed outside classroom time and is intended to help students gain new skills and help others. Some past CAS activities have included volunteering at orphanages, teaching a small Roma community outside Bratislava, and organising charity events. Polana is in central Slovakia and next to the city Detba. It has beautiful nature and at one
time there used to be an active volcano there. It is now protected by UNESCO and is a perfect place for an IB trip. The Year 12 students, 32 in total, participated in many activities which included path clearing, tree nursing and visiting the children’s home in order to interact with the children and be part of the community. The students were accompanied by Dr. Monorova, Mr. Coffey, Mr. Pheby, Mr. Darwell and Ms. Pallova. The teachers helped the students with their activities, showed them a presentation about the IB programme and organized the whole event. This trip gave the Year 12’s a chance to get to know each other better. This was especially important this year because one third of the students were new to the school. At the start of the Term 1, students were busy trying to get to the correct classes and adapt to their new circumstances but their week at Polana gave them lots of informal time as well as structured activity time to strike friendships.
“I loved it when I got to paint the faces of the children. It made connections between the children and us.” Another new student, Tereza, exclaimed, “I enjoyed translating the conversations between Year 12 students and the children. Since I was the only Slovak speaker, everyone tried to talk through me and I was glad to help bridge the gap and make the children not feel lost.” There are several follow up activities to the CAS trip. Each student must initiate or participate in projects in order to gain CAS points and the activities completed at Polana were meant to give them some ideas. Filling in their profiles and finding more activities for CAS points is their next work so they can graduate next year. The students have also made display boards and videos about their trip. Jae-Young Year 10
Many students said that the highlight of the trip was their time spent at the children’s home. Jayne, one of the new students, reported
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BratMUN 2010 This November, the tenth Bratislava Model United Nations, or BratMUN, took place in the building of the National Council of the Slovak Republic (the Slovak Parliament building next to the castle). BratMUN attracts about a hundred and forty students from the whole of central Europe, travelling from Poland, Czech Republic, Russia and throughout Slovakia. BISB was represented at this prestigious international event by twenty Year Eleven and Twelve students. This was the fifth year that I have had the pleasure and privilege of taking students from BISB to BratMUN.
A model United Nations is simply that: students take on the role of representatives, or delegates, from United Nation countries, to formally debate, negotiate, reach consensus and ultimately to write formal declarations and resolutions. As in the real UN, students debate a range of contemporary real life issues. This year committees considered, amongst others, the Greek Economic Crisis, Global Warming, and Haiti. In the General Assembly delegates debated the problem of Piracy in Somalia.
By involving students in this piece of real life political theatre, many desirable educational goals are reached; goals that are otherwise impossible to obtain in a traditional classroom environment. Not only do students learn valuable life skills, such as public speaking and listening, but also they learn the value of considering and arguing for opinions that they would not usually hold. Moreover, they learn some concrete political truths about a range of countries, as well as considering the salient and often thorny issues surrounding our shared current affairs.
This year during the opening speeches, students were addressed by various local dignitaries including the Slovak Minister of the Interior, Mr Dzurinda, the British and American Ambassadors, as well as representatives of the United Nations. In fact, due to last minute changes forced by actual political debates in the Slovak Parliament, which extended through into Friday, the venue for the opening ceremony was changed at the very last minute. Listening to these addresses is always fascinating. Who will slide into truisms? Who has the courage to be honest? This year the distinguished delegates were urged to be passionate by the British Ambassador, Mr. Roberts. For BISB students this was the fifth year that we participated. Five years ago I took only two students. We did not know what to expect. We were excited and frankly quite amazed that such a professional event could be organised and run by a group of school students. However, we learnt quickly, we adapted, and the BratMUN epidemic took hold of BISB. BratMUN is a regular fixture on the calendar now. It is easy to see why.
Dressed formally for business in suits, ties, crisp shirts, skirts and polished shoes, during the three days of BratMUN, students demonstrate their maturity and a common sense of purpose. They look smart and they think smart. Working together with their contemporaries, students often put to shame many real politicians with their professionalism and enthusiasm to work together to find the best solutions to real political problems. As BratMUN is always held over a weekend, starting at 8am and finishing around 6pm, they amply prove their commitment.
Mr Pheby IB and TOK Teacher
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Ambassador, Mr Michael Roberts, in the evening. Quite a feat for such a young troupe! The performance was greatly enjoyed by all the students and staff from our school and was considered to be a great success as was last year‘s production of Romeo and Juliet. We are looking forward to another performance next year.
The Mists of Avalon Following on from the performance of Romeo and Juliet which we were treated to last year, we were priviliged to see a new production by the Poprad Arts Academy: The Mists of Avalon.This performance was under the direction of Ms Tatiana Husárova, who did a great job directing her students in a performance which lasted nearly two hours.
play was very well performed; the obvious time and energy put into it certainly paid off in the end because everyone enjoyed watching it. Also, it was very impressive to see that the youngest of the cast of thirty-five, who was only 10 years old, kept up very well throughout the whole performance. The large cast consisted of dancers, actors and musicians all of whom collaborated to produce an exquisite piece of work.
All in all, this was an outstanding experience and we are very thankful to the Poprad Arts Academy for putting all the effort into rehearsing and enabling us to see this production. Katka Stryckova Year 11
The Mists of Avalon is based on a novel written by Marion Zimmer Bradley and a subsequent film about the Arthurian Legend which was released in 2001. The
The cast, incidentally, drove from Poprad on the Friday morning, performed to us at Dom Kultúry and had lunch at our school before repeating the performance at the Residency of the British
Sponsored Swim This year the annual sponsored swim was organised by Year 9P as their class service project. It seemed a little challenging at first but everybody in class was very keen to help. We started with splitting jobs amongst us - some did posters and a display board, some prepared assembly and articles, others swam or helped to count the lengths swum. We used our breaks and lunch times, but we did not mind. Everybody joined in in some way and we enjoyed cooperating together.
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We will donate 500 Euro towards a skiing trip for 10 children from the orphanage in Podunajske Biskupice and the rest of the money will be donated towards the oncology charity Dobry Anjel. Vlado Lexa, Year 9P Miss Pallova, 9P Form Tutor
We would like to thank the 12 swimmers and their sponsors for the 760 Euro we collected.
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IB Evening On November 30th, the parents of Year 11 students were invited to a presentation of the IB Programme at BISB. Parents, students and teachers met in the library at 5 p.m. The Principal of BISB, Ms Ellis, introduced the presentation by welcoming us all and explaining about the importance of making the right decisions when it comes to the IB subject choices by choosing wisely based on many individual factors. After Ms Ellis’s introduction, the Head of the BISB IB Programme, Mr. Darwell, explained the IB Programme in detail. He talked about how the subjects are divided in groups and how the decision should be made. After Mr. Darwell’s presentation, parents and students were invited to meet with individual teachers according to which subject the student was considering on choosing. Also,
CHARITY
there were refreshments available to the parents and students in the IB Common Room. Overall, it was a helpful evening; it helped the parents understand how the IB Programme works and students received advice from the teachers
BISB helping to brighten the lives of young students in the Philippines
wall. The school runs classes for children who exist solely by scavenging through a rubbish dump next to the school. The teachers and children loved the mural and were very excited to receive new toys and games for their school.
The BISB summer sale raised 480 euros for Cashew Tree School in the Philippines. We bought the Tree House school children games and paint and I helped the children to paint a large mural on the school
The money raised by BISB also provided Mango House (an orphanage supported by the ASCT) with some money which they spent on a trip to the local swimming pool.
on which subject they should consider taking. I appreciated the willingness of the BISB team to help parents get as much information about IB as possible. Veronika Vajda (Mother of Maria Vajda, Year 11)
If you would like to make a donation or sponsor a child you can find information at this address which makes donating easy. http:// www.asct.org.uk/howhelp.html Helen Oliver Year 1 Teacher
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as they are paid a fair rate for their produce. If we buy fair-trade goods it means these hardworking farmers can earn a little bit more money. This little bit more can make a huge difference to the lives of their families and communities.
Fairtrade Coffee Shop@ BISB On the 18th and 19th November 2010, the school held a fair-trade and bake sale. It was where we sold fair-trade coffee, tea and chocolate and yummy home-baked goods. Fair-trade is a good system for the farmers who grow the coffee beans, tea and cocoa beans
This was a good experience for Eco and Student Council members to sell fair-trade products, as well as being a great opportunity for other members of the school community to buy fair-trade goods. Thank you to everyone who participated in the roles of helpers and also to parents, teachers and children who bought the coffee. We have raised the awareness of fair-trade goods and hope that people in our school community will now look for the fair trade label when they go shopping!
We hope you enjoy the coffee and goods! Lauren Kelly Year 6C
ECO We had a great experience - fun with lots of valuable learning. We can all be GREEN and HEALTHY! Simona Ivanova and Hoda Jahanpour Year 6
BISB ECO Warriors go GREEN and HEALTHY Eco Weekend - Zvolen November 2010 On the 5th November twenty of the intrepid and dedicated Primary Student Council and Eco Council members went on a fantastic ECO Weekend. We travelled by public transport (bus and train) to Zvolen to a special centre dedicated to
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Environmental Education. Our goal was to find out more about healthy, environmentally friendly living. We stayed in the cool, eco-centre in 2 bedded and 3 bedded bedrooms and were so busy each day with fun activities. Every morning we did different exercises for 30 minutes in a nearby meadow. On Saturday we became country cooks where we picked local produce and made vegetable snacks, fruit salad, apple juice and lots more delicious foods using only healthy plants grown in the centre’s own garden. We then got to eat our home grown, home cooked meals and snacks, and drink our freshly pressed apple juice. Delicious and so good for us! We learned lots and lots and had many ideas on how to make our school healthier. We became very encouraged about this topic and we will try to make changes in BISB. As a follow up to the weekend, we shared all that we learnt during an Eco-Assembly for all the other students at BISB Primary. 10. 12. 2010 13:02:38
BISB ECO CODE
F ocus on reducing waste U se electricity efficiently T ravel smart U se energy saving items R educe Reuse Recycle E ducate others Green is the new black It has been a busy term for us again. We have tried various ways to COMMUNICATE our green message, MOTIVATE others to join and CARE for the environment around us and work towards our environmental aim to reduce the amount of waste and resources used by at least 5%. We have noticed that we tend to forget our resolutions and intentions. Do you have a similar problem too? Anyway, we are very creative and we will not give up our Green Mission. Our latest big project was the Ecoawareness Week in November. We organised a week of activities, which included paper and plastic art workshops to produce information panels about recycling, we made a movie, and we held a special assembly. The students also had a chance to discuss their opinions and ideas during Life Skills lessons and taste vegan cakes we baked for the cake sale. It was challenging to motivate the students to take
part in activities during their free time. However, we wanted to give the students a chance to volunteer to participate because we want them to show initiative and take responsibility.
You are invited to REMEMBER and PARTICIPATE as well. Eco Committee
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wishes you
The British International School, Bratislava was established in September 1997 by Nord Anglia Education Ltd. The school opened with just 42 pupils and today we teach over 600, representing more than 45 different nationalities.
Production of Flotsam & Jetsam: Milina Kolompรกrovรก,
Telephone: + 421 2 6930 7081 (2), Fax: +421 2 6930 7083, Address: Peknikova 6, 841 02 Bratislava, E-mail: info@bisb.sk or office@bisb.sk www.bis.sk
Proofreading: Phelia Arlitt, Gareth Pugh
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