Facts machine Give your school all the information they can handle
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Health Ensuring recovery travel Budapest: Taking it in ask the experts The world on a platter in Warsaw education Academic honesty in the age of Google
magazine
FAMILY MATTERS
ISSUE 2
helping others to be the best they can be
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ducation and learning have always been our focus and our area of expertise. Our people and the people we work with all have a good understanding of what this means to us. We aim to provide students with the opportunity to be the best they can be. CONTACT admissions@thebritishschool.pl TO ARRANGE A VISIT TO OUR SCHOOL OR TO ORDER OUR PROSPECTUS
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ISSUE 2
FACTS MACHINE Give your school all the information they can handle
Page 18
HEALTH Ensuring recovery TRAVEL Budapest: Taking it in ASK THE EXPERTS The world on a platter in Warsaw EDUCATION Academic honesty in the age of Google
Family Matters Issue 2 Contributions welcome from all of the Warsaw community. Please contact admissions@ thebritishschool.pl for more information. PUBLISHER
The British School Warsaw admissions@thebritishschool.pl
CHieF EDITOR
Travis Murray editor@bisshanghai.com
ART DIRECTOR
Travis Murray editor@bisshanghai.com
COPY EDITOR
Aelred Doyle aelred@gmail.com
FAMILY MATTERS EDITOR’S WORD
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
FAMILY MATTERS
CONTENTS
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n interesting thing happened to me on a recent trip to my native country that I had yet to experience in my years as an expat living abroad. I’m not sure what the precise term for it is, but I imagine it might be called reverse culture shock. While most people are aware of what culture shock is and how it affects those who have relocated to a foreign land, I’m quite sure far fewer have experienced the opposite effect – returning to their native country and having culture shock deja vu, so to speak. Over the course of my time abroad I’ve generally visited home (I still call it that) with regularity, at least twice a year for a few weeks at a time. However, over the past three years, due to my work schedule and other international travel, I had not been back, instead opting for Skype video calls on holidays and birthdays. Understandably, I
didn’t fully understand the effect that this prolonged absence was going to have on me. The most interesting and annoying aspect of my experience was my seeming lack of ability to shut out the voices of others in public places. Upon visiting the food court of a busy shopping mall, I found myself unable to enjoy the long-missed food that I had specifically sought out on this occasion. Instead, the conversations of those around me overtook my mind, causing what could be described as a minor anxiety attack. Perhaps it might be better to describe it more as indoor road rage rather than anxiety, but either way, I desperately wanted those around me to stop talking. I didn’t want to hear about Justin Bieber’s new song or that it might rain later that afternoon. I didn’t want to know. So I grabbed my food and
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exited stage left, finding a quiet bench outside to enjoy my lunch on. I realised at that moment that my long immersion among people who spoke a language I didn’t understand had weakened some mental muscle I didn’t know I had. Apparently that muscle allowed me, and presumably others, to block out the noise of those around me. It was sort of like taking off your sunglasses on a sunny day, exept that your eyes don’t adjust. Sensory overload, in other words. While the symptoms did seemingly subside in time and were by no means cause for genuine concern, the experience did instil in me an appreciation for one aspect of expat life that is generally overlooked – peace and quiet amidst the cacophony of everyday life. § The Family Matters team
CONTRIBUTORS
Nigel Archdale principal@thebritishschool.pl Anna Kutor anna.j.kutor@orangeimagery.com Kevin Foyle k-foyle@bisspuxi.com Wade Dawson wade.d@austenmorris.com
CONTACT
The British School Warsaw Ul. Limanowskiego 15 02-943 Warszawa, Polska tel 00 48 22 842 32 81 fax 00 48 22 842 32 65 Entire contents © 2011 by Family Matters Magazine unless otherwise noted on specific articles
24 28 32 Academic honesty in the age of google
Assignment overload
The importance of sport in education
Mike Embley explains the effect that the advent of Google has had on academic honesty
Mark Angus explores the question of how much homework is too much
Kevin Foyle takes a look at the benefits of sport in education
CONTENTS
FAMILY MATTERS
16 Facts machine Mark Angus offers helpful insight into how to get the most out of your school
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42 46 54 72 The world on a platter in Warsaw
Warsaw Design Dreams
Cinema of Dreams
Taking it in: Budapest’s top 5 things to see
Anna J. Kutor takes Family Matters on a tour of some of Warsaw’s most appetising culinary delights
Family Matters explores Warsaw’s burgeoning sense of style with Anna J. Kutor
David Robinson runs down some classic films for the whole family
Take a tour of the top sights in one of Europe’s most interesting cities
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essentials guide
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COMMENT
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COMMENT Why we need some good old fashioned advice
The art of getting your children to talk to you
Some reasons people avoid seeking help even though they need it
Helpful ideas to encourage better communication at home
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roblems come in different shapes and sizes – from minor inconveniences to crisis situations that can’t be outrun or wished away. There’s no way to escape these trials of faith and sanity other than facing them head on.
from getting the help they need, because they value what others think about them more than what they need emotionally and psychologically. They fail to see the value of professional counselling, which is objective, scientific and result-oriented.
Among the difficulties people face every day, none are so distressing and painful as relationship problems. These can cause a great deal of stress and even lead to depression, and fights between couples can become so overblown that the only way for the fight to end is for a mediator to come in. Sometimes, a mediator is needed to be a third party, a referee or a peacemaker. The mediator is also expected to provide the necessary guidance and counselling to the feuding parties.
Fear The fear of facing the truth and reliving painful experiences like sexual or physical abuse, drug addiction or trauma from violent incidents can prevent people from going to a counsellor. Remembering painful memories is usually part of counselling sessions and therapy. These memories cause fear and anxiety on the part of the patient. But if someone under great stress or suffering from severe depression neglects to get proper therapy, the problem can be expected to get worse. Reopening a painful emotional wound is never pleasant, but we don’t heal unless we learn to face, and eventually cast away, painful memories from our past. Through counselling, people with serious problems can learn to adjust and cope with their emotional and psychological issues.
Still, many involved in a tussle refuse to acknowledge the need for counselling. Whether we’re talking about a married or engaged couple, siblings or very close friends who suddenly became bitter enemies, the thought of seeking professional help just doesn’t come to mind. Many people hold back from seeking counselling for the following reasons: State of denial Angry people sometimes deny the existence of a problem. With stubborn pride, an angry person can just fume away and dismiss the need to control anger and resolve a problem, believing in effect that things will simply sort themselves out. People can also camouflage or mask their vulnerabilities by refusing to seek help. They see counselling as a situation that will expose them for who they are, warts and all. They wish to avoid that kind of vulnerability at all costs and, as a result, find themselves in a state of denial. Social stigma Some people have a misconception that only mentally troubled people go to therapy. This mindset prevents a lot of people
Religious stigma Some associate counselling with religion or dogmatic beliefs, making the act of getting counselling uncomfortable for those who don’t consider themselves religious or spiritual. While many people have found comfort and refuge in churchbased counselling sessions, many are still wary of getting counselling there since they think they will have to become a member of the church. Few people are strong enough to face life’s storms alone, and there’s no shame in seeking counselling to cope with relationship problems. The important thing is to put time and commitment into your relationship, in the hope of positive results, and over time the resolution of your problems. §
eing a parent isn’t easy. Some days just getting everyone in your family all together at the same time for dinner can seem like an impossible dream. Between after-school sports and clubs and working and errands and carpools, it’s not surprising that almost half the parents in a recent survey said they felt a growing distance between themselves and their children. Today’s children have more things to deal with than kids did even just twenty years ago. Drugs, mixed messages in advertising, peer pressure, packed schedules and outside activities all add to the pressure they face. So how, in the midst of all this chaos, do you find time to talk to your kids – and more importantly, have them talk back to you? Here are several ideas that can help: 1. Eat dinner together as a family at least three times a week. Conversations flow easier when they happen around the dinner table. If your family is conversationally challenged at first, think of conversation starters before each meal. Plan a family vacation, letting each child talk about where they’d like to go or what they’d like to do. Talk about current events, the latest films or upcoming special events. Ask your children open-ended questions that have to be answered with more than a yes or no. 2. Turn off the outside world. Set aside family time each night and have everyone turn off their phones, computers and the television. Let your friends and extended family know that you won’t be available during that time, and stick to it. Your kids (especially teenagers) may joke about it, but secretly they’ll probably be delighted. Use this time to reconnect with each other. Watch a film, play board games, take turns reading out loud, but whatever you do, do it together.
3. Cook at least one meal a week together. Even your youngest children can do something to help. If your kitchen is too small for everyone to fit, schedule a helper or make your children responsible for different parts of the meal. Your family will grow closer during this time, and your kids may even start the conversations themselves. (You can always get the ball rolling by talking about things you did with your parents. While you may not be cool, chances are your kids think your parents are, and will be impressed.) 4. Make it safe for your kids to talk to you. Let them know that you won’t get angry or upset if they talk to you about what’s going on. If they tell you something off the record then make sure it stays that way (emergencies and dangerous situations aside). 5. Listen to what they have to say. If you’re working or doing something else when your child starts to talk to you, they may give up if they know your attention is really somewhere else. Give them your undivided attention when they’re speaking. 6. Use active listening skills. Make sure that you understand what your child is telling you. Repeat what they told you and ask questions. 7. Set aside special time to spend with each child. It may be nothing more than taking one child at a time with you when you run errands, but let each child know that you value spending special time with them. 8. Be patient. Don’t expect a perfect family. If you’re not a 1950s TV family, it’s okay. Remember that perfect families don’t really exist anyway. Just keep trying, and you’ll learn the art of conversation with your kids isn’t as hard as you thought! §
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Making the grade Classroom strategies for helping low-achieving students meet standards By Katherine Norris
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t is the role of the classroom teacher to support all students in meeting standards by using a range of strategies to make the National Curriculum accessible to all and to help every student make progress within their personalised learning context. Both in the UK and abroad, I have taught a wide range of pupils and abilities, often within the same class, who need to gain access to the same standards of the curriculum from very different levels or starting points. My experience of teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) in the mainstream classroom – where low-achieving does not necessarily translate to low-ability – as well as to students with special educational needs (SEN) has led me to develop a range of strategies for adapting the curriculum content and skills to make them more accessible to all. Personalised learning through Assessment for Learning (AfL), providing structure, using visual aids, defining the curriculum and use of Moodle are some of the methods I have found particularly effective.
EDUCATION
Personalised learning through Assessment for Learning (AfL) Probably the most important strategy in helping low-achieving students progress and meet standards is personalising their learning through Assessment for Learning (AfL). Using AfL strategies in lessons means that students gain their own understanding of how they are assessed and how they can achieve more. They are directly involved in setting targets, both for themselves and their peers, by understanding the assessment criteria, how they have achieved their current National Curriculum level and exactly what they need to do to get to the next level. Providing tangible and realistic targets, in a language students can understand, is a very powerful way of promoting progression and achievement for all students. By being given ownership of their learning and, perhaps more importantly, their progress, students feel more in control of their achievement, understand their targets in their own words and are confident that the higher levels are achievable for them. The most important resources I have used for AfL have been student-friendly assessment criteria and success criteria. Rewriting the National Curriculum assessment criteria or the IGCSE mark scheme for the various exam components in such a way as to make them understandable for all students has really helped them gain access to the curriculum for their year group more fully. Once students understand what a level 4 or an ‘A’ grade means, and can see tangible reasons in their own work for their current results, they are then able to examine the next level up and work out what they need to do to improve. This means students can set themselves personalised targets based on their level of achievement and their understanding of how to progress. Making every student in the class a personalised learner, with individual targets they’ve set for themselves with guidance from the teacher – and all working at different levels – means that low-achieving students can work towards achievable targets without feeling differentiated from the group. When the focus is on targets rather than levels, students feel less self-conscious about sharing their goals with the class and the playing field is more level. Everyone is able to make progress, measured against themselves and not others, and this is very effective in developing confidence,
motivation and progress in low-achieving students. Providing structure The provision of structure is central to success and progression in all activities and all classrooms, regardless of the ability of the group. However, the importance of structure becomes even more pronounced for students who find it challenging to gain access to the curriculum, or who find it difficult to maintain focus for sustained periods within a lesson. One strategy which provides lesson structure is use of a lesson timetable, giving clear timings and setting out all activities for that session. All students respond well to a clear map of the learning objectives for the lesson and the tasks they will be asked to complete. However, for low-achieving students in particular this structure has proved very helpful, as by breaking the lesson up into manageable chunks and maintaining a clear picture of what remains to be achieved, students can
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The provision of structure is central to success and progression in all activities and all classrooms, regardless of the ability of the group
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EDUCATION
If students are working within a clear framework and can focus their energies on one learning objective or skill at a time, tasks no longer seem overwhelming or out of reach
maintain focus and feel a sense of achievement at various points throughout the lesson as they cross a completed task off the list. It also helps to divide the lesson into achievable time frames, particularly when it comprises several shorter activities that allow pupils to maintain concentration. Structure must also be provided within the tasks of the lesson to ensure students are able to succeed. As a secondary English teacher, I’ve found this incredibly important when teaching writing, as many low-achieving students lack an understanding of basic text structures. They are unaware that a story requires a beginning, a middle and an end, or that a text needs an introduction and conclusion, and are unable to adapt their language to suit different types of writing. Therefore, when teaching writing in any subject, providing a clear framework for students to follow, displaying how they should organise their ideas and modelling clear examples to show the language requirements are essential before attempting any written task.
Further to this, I’ve found that providing one clear focus for each task results in greater progress for low-achieving students. If students are working within a clear framework and can focus their energies on one learning objective or skill at a time, tasks no longer seem overwhelming or out of reach. For example, writing an extended essay can appear a huge challenge, beyond the reach of some students. However, if pupils spend one lesson focusing on finding the ideas for the essay, one lesson on finding the evidence and another on thinking about the analysis, with structure and examples provided at each stage as the basis for the student’s response, this writing task becomes far more manageable and achievable. Repetition of these text structures for consolidation, as well as maintaining consistent approaches to the teaching of skills, is very effective in helping all students succeed. Over time, I’ve found that the repetition of a teaching approach to a curriculum skill and consistent provision of structure develop confidence,
as students are provided with the support they need to achieve and hence feel that this is something they can do. Over time the level of support can be reduced as students are able to learn more independently, but this always depends on having a clear method and structure to follow every time, one with which they are confident they can succeed. Visual aids In all lessons, with any group of pupils, the use of a presentation or visual aids is a key strategy to help provide structure. When working with low-achieving students, I find this is very helpful in enabling them to follow the lesson at every stage without becoming lost and confused by the content. This is important for a number of reasons. It enables students to confirm understanding that they have received orally from the teacher. This could be by providing reinforcement of instructions for a task or definitions of key words and
EDUCATION
FAMILY MATTERS
Giving students time to think and formulate their verbal responses is also crucial in developing success for low-achieving students, who need time to feel confident that they can make the correct response and hence succeed
concepts. It also provides another learning style through which pupils gain access to the content of the lesson as well as having a focus to maintain concentration. Using images and a range of media providing clear definitions is a very effective way of developing understanding and enhancing students’ confidence that they understand what has been asked of them. Visual reinforcement can also be used more specifically in the teaching of key concepts or techniques. As an English teacher, I find some students struggle to retain and recall terminology or the features of a particular skill. Using acronyms to remember features and terminology is a very useful strategy. Displaying the acronyms around the classroom allows students to refer to them during a task and remember them easily in assessment or exam contexts, where they need to work independently. This further provides them with a clear structural approach with which they can become familiar and confident, increasing their success when attempting a task using that curriculum skill.
Defining the curriculum Giving all students access to the concepts and language of the National Curriculum is very challenging, particularly in subjects where abstract concepts and creative skills are essential to high achievement. Skills such as drawing inferences and developing creative responses to a stimulus can be very challenging for students who have not needed to develop them before. This can be further compounded by a lack of vocabulary with which to understand and explore the content. Therefore, defining the language and content of the curriculum at every stage is essential in enabling all students to follow the ideas of the lesson, understand what is being asked of them and how they can achieve it. This is by no means a straightforward process. One simple strategy I’ve found helpful is to ensure that all students have a list of key words at the beginning of a new topic, words they need to understand to get to grips with the curriculum at that stage.
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Giving these key words to students at the start of a topic and asking them to translate them into their first language or define them in their own words provides a really useful resource which they can refer back to at any time to give them confidence in their understanding. Further to this, using visual aids in lessons by having the learning objective and key words clearly displayed on all presentation slides gives students a reference to increase their chances of being successful. This is very important during class discussion and periods in which the teacher is questioning the class, as students can feel more confident that they have understood the question and that their response will be correct if they can check the definition of the language during this time. Giving students time to think and formulate their verbal responses is also crucial in developing success for low-achieving students, who need time to feel confident that they can make the correct response and hence succeed.
helping others to be the best they can be Education and learning has always been our focus and our area of expertise. Our people and the people we work with all have a good understanding of what this means to us. We aim to provide students with the opportunity to be the best they can be. W W W. N OR DA N GLI A .COM /WA RS AW
CONTACT admissions@thebritishschool.pl FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
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Once this safe learning environment has been established... they are far more able to face the challenges of the curriculum with confidence and have belief in their own abilities
Use of Moodle One final strategy I’ve found effective in my teaching has been the use of a Virtual Learning Environment such as Moodle. Linked to the idea of giving students key words to define at the start of a topic so they can prepare themselves for the content they’ll be studying in the near future, using Moodle as a platform to provide students with lesson content in advance is an effective strategy to develop their confidence in lessons and to promote achievement through increased understanding. Uploading the presentations and resources for the lessons in the week ahead means that students can look at what they will be learning in advance, familiarise themselves
with the content and vocabulary they will be using and have confidence that they will be able to understand and succeed in the lesson before they walk through the door. This has proved particularly helpful not only with EAL students, helping them achieve their full potential and not find themselves held back by a lack of understanding, but also with other low-achieving students, who have the confidence to face far more challenging content because it hasn’t caught them by surprise and they can prepare to be successful. Giving students ownership of their learning through Moodle in this way can also support them when they’re learning independently at home, as it means that they can look back on the lesson content and remind themselves of key concepts,
thus completing homework tasks more successfully. These are some of the strategies I use on a daily basis in my classroom to make the curriculum more accessible to all. One of the biggest obstacles to progress for some pupils is their perception of their learning environment. Creating an environment in which students feel confident, are not afraid of making mistakes and are collaboratively involved in their own learning is central to the success of lowachieving students. Once this safe learning environment has been established, through the development of routines and structures with which the students are familiar, they are far more able to face the challenges of the curriculum with confidence and have belief in their own abilities. §
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helping others to be the best they can be WWW.THEBRITISHSCHOOL.PL
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ducation and learning have always been our focus and our area of expertise. Our people and the people we work with all have a good understanding of what this means to us. We aim to provide students with the opportunity to be the best they can be. HELPING We do everything to support people and be useful to them, always keeping their best interests at heart. OTHERS Our communities: students, parents, policy makers, the societies in which we live and, of course, our own people. Our work reaches all of them. THRIVE To grow. To flourish. To learn. To be inspired. To stretch yourself further than you, or anyone else, thought possible. To experience more. To keep going, onwards and upwards, closer and closer to your aims and dreams.
CONTACT ADMISSIONS@THEBRITISHSCHOOL.PL TO ARRANGE A VISIT TO OUR SCHOOL OR TO ORDER A SCHOOL PROSPECTUS
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Facts Machine GIVE YOUR NEW SCHOOL ALL THE INFORMATION THEY CAN HANDLE by Mark Angus
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veryone wants the business of starting in a new school to be as smooth, quick and painless as possible, especially if it’s also in a new country. Pupils want to meet their new classmates and teachers and make friends as soon as they can, while parents want to feel reassured that they have made the right decision and that their child will be happy and flourish in their new environment, so they can stop worrying!
Schools also want joining a new learning environment to be a positive experience for all concerned. They want to get to know you and your child, to welcome you into the community and to be able to get on with the business of helping pupils to learn as soon as they can. So while different schools in different countries with different systems might all have their own registration, enrolment and induction procedures, each with their own particular idiosyncrasies, there is nevertheless one constant, one thing that any school wants about their new starters, wherever in the world that school is – everyone wants information. Therefore, you can really help your new school simply by giving them as much information about your child as you possibly can. You might think that schools are only interested in dry, academic documentation. Of course this is important, but schools are about so much more than this and, as a consequence, they value and appreciate information from as wide a variety of sources as possible. It might seem irrelevant, unimportant or even silly, but you’d be surprised at what schools can make out of seemingly unpromising material.
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EDUCATION
School reports vary markedly around the world, depending on factors such as whether the school is in the independent or maintained sector, the style of curriculum and assessment, the frequency of the reports and a host of other things besides
EDUCATION
What do schools want to know? Academic School reports vary markedly around the world, depending on factors such as whether the school is in the independent or maintained sector, the style of curriculum and assessment, the frequency of the reports and a host of other things besides. It may be that the school reports you have are familiar to us, or they may represent a new variation on a theme that we have not encountered before. Don’t worry – whatever the format, a school report will always provide us with useful information and therefore you should provide your new school with all the reports you have, not only the most recent ones. A range of reports over a number of years allows a school to see the ways in which a pupil has developed and gives them some idea as to what might be to come. Your previous schools may also have provided you with other documentation, and it’s useful for us to see that too. These documents might include: standardised test scores; CAT scores (cognitive ability test); educational psychologist reports; speech or occupational therapy reports; reading age scores. These and similar documents will always be useful, as they help us to make sure we are setting the right targets for
new pupils and challenging them appropriately right from the beginning. However, other seemingly less significant material is also of use to us. Small academic prizes might not in themselves demonstrate the direction of a pupil’s future career, but they nevertheless help a new school build up a more complete picture of that pupil as quickly as possible. Therefore, don’t underestimate the value of that Year 3 award for spelling, or that teacher’s commendation for a project, or that prize for memorising times tables – they all help us to understand your child’s overall approach to school, the pride they take in their work and their ability to do well under pressure or under test conditions. Knowing this information can sometimes save us a lot of time in getting to know just where your child’s particular strengths are. Community involvement All schools, and international schools in particular, place a good deal of emphasis on helping pupils to understand the importance of engaging with the community, learning about social responsibility and tackling difficult questions about how the wider world works. Therefore, it is extremely helpful to know the level to which pupils have previously been engaged in addressing these and other related issues.
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For older students, we value pupils who have taken part in the International Award (called the Duke of Edinburgh Award in the UK), as it means that they’re already on the way to having an understanding of the importance of civic responsibility. Likewise, pupils who have previously been involved in Model United Nations will possess a degree of political and social understanding that sets them apart from their peers. This is information that your new school will definitely want to know about. In the case of younger pupils, involvement in organisations such as Boy Scouts or Cubs, Girl Guides or Brownies, army, navy or air force cadets, European Youth Forum, Rotary International, Junior Chamber International, Raleigh International or any similar organisation is also valued highly. If your child has been involved in a group or organisation of this nature, your new school will undoubtedly want to hear about it. It is also useful if your child can speak enthusiastically about their involvement and what they think they learned from the experience. However, it isn’t always necessary to have a certificate or badge to demonstrate the level of engagement. If your child has been involved in any sort of charity or community project, whether at their previous school or through an outside agency, encourage them to talk about it and describe the sort of work they did and what
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School Life
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A range of reports over a number of years allows a school to see the ways in which a pupil has developed and gives them some idea as to what might be to come
they felt the benefits were – this is the sort of conversation that principals love to have with prospective pupils and families, and that will really help your new school welcome you into its community. Sports A lot of the school sport in international schools is of an extremely high standard and very competitive, and so principals are always keen to hear about new pupils’ sporting skills and exploits. Therefore, this is an area where it’s useful to provide as much documentation and physical evidence as you can. If your child has earned medals, certificates, ribbons or badges for any sort of sporting event then it’s always a good idea to bring them along to an interview or meeting. Have they set a school or district record? Been involved in a championship winning team? Won a gold medal? Been selected to represent their county, state or country? Achievements like these are things to be proud of and shared, and you should encourage your child to talk confidently about their favourite sport and discuss their achievements as maturely as possible. However, people don’t have to be an expert or a champion, or even especially skilled, to enjoy sport; it doesn’t matter at which level your child has competed or if they have ever been a gold medallist; the very fact that they enjoy and take part in a sport will be important to their new school, and so they should feel comfortable discussing what it is that they like about their sport, and why.
Extracurricular activities There are as many extracurricular activities to potentially talk about as there are pupils in the world, so no matter what your child’s into, tell us about it! There are formal activities from which you may have supporting, documentary material (it’s helpful to collate this and be prepared to present it during an interview or meeting), or there are smaller-scale activities organised on a much more casual basis. In either case, it’s really helpful if your child feels secure and confident enough to be able to talk about them with us. They may be a musician who has completed grade examinations; they can show us the pieces of music they’re working on now to give us a good understanding of their level so we can match them up with the right teachers and fellow musicians. They may have been in an orchestra or ensemble at their old school, in which case it is really useful if they can talk about the pieces they played and their composers, as well as describe their role in the group. Or perhaps they were in a band – again, it helps if they’re able to talk about the type of music they play, and discuss their influences and the other sorts of music that they like. There are so many other fascinating things out there that people are interested in, and likewise so many fascinating things that we are interested in hearing your child talk about. Maybe they can speak other languages. Are into mountain climbing. Have an unusual pet. Have travelled to exotic locations. Have met someone famous. Collect antique coins. Like going to the theatre.
Spent some time in hospital. Are part of a large family. Anything! Whatever it is, hearing them talk about it will help us understand the sort of person and pupil they’re going to be. Therefore, perhaps the most important thing when your child meets people at their new school is that they know how to talk about what interests them. Can they explain when they first became interested in mountain climbing? What is the most valuable coin in their collection? Why do they like to travel? What is the play they have most enjoyed? Their aim should be to share with us their knowledge, understanding and passion for their hobbies and interests, so that we get a good idea of what makes them tick.
Next steps In the end, you really can’t be too prepared when your child is applying to a new school: • Get as many documents together as you can, even if they seem unimportant or trivial. • Get your child ready to show off their sporting medals and ribbons. • Think about the way in which your child presents him- or herself, and make sure that they’re confident talking about and answering questions about their hobbies or interests. Doing all of this will help the school to get to know your child as quickly as they can, and then everyone – him or her included – can get straight down to the serious business of really enjoying the new school. §
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more than fun The importance of play for young children by Faye Smart
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hen children enter through our school doors at the tender age of 2+, they are inquisitive little creatures, asking lots of questions and not frightened to take risks. As educators we are privileged in being given this opportunity to work with these children and to impart upon them knowledge and skills which will support them through their early childhood lives. Very young children are like little sponges soaking up everything we say and do and more often than not are willing to give everything a go after time spent observing those around them. Key to the way in which a successful Early Years education is planned is through well-structured play activities which enable these new skills and knowledge to be developed in a secure, inspiring learning environment. Many of the children who enter the Foundation Stage arrive with little or no English, but what they all have in common is a desire to experience new opportunities, make friends and learn.
What are they learning through play? Many parents, when arriving in Poland and Warsaw for the first time, are faced with the problem of choosing from a wealth of Early Years providers. The British School Warsaw delivers the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) from the UK, which has play-based learning at its core. It acknowledges that all children are unique, and that they learn and develop at different rates and in different ways. By play we mean well planned learning opportunities where learning is fun, challenging and often spontaneous. It helps children to bring together and build upon all their life experiences in six areas of learning. The EYFS is planned through six areas, which are: Communication, Language and Literacy (this encompasses Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing), Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy (this includes all Mathematics skills), Creative Development (Art, Music and all things creative), Knowledge and Understanding of the World (History, Geography and Science), Physical Development (gross and fine motor skills) and more importantly Personal, Social and Emotional Development. We acknowledge that a happy child who feels safe and
secure in their environment is a willing learner who learns through their play. Through play the children are learning a range of new skills, knowledge and vocabulary. They grow in confidence and levels of independence by making choices for themselves, develop social skills and begin to understand the consequences of their actions. Within the first few weeks of their Early Years education the children often come home telling their parents about the lovely fun play things they have been doing in school. When questioned by parents about what they have done that day in school they may say ‘I painted all day’ or ‘I played in the house’. Their learning is planned so that some of their time will be spent with an adult working on specific play-based activities, with lots of questioning and talk, and also time spent working independently
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Children learn in many ways and play is an important way of encouraging new skills and knowledge to be developed
making choices for themselves and being encouraged to try lots of new things. But what they do not realise is that they have spent all day learning and that the learning is done through play.
Modern challenges to play (TV, video, etc) Children learn in many ways and play is an important way of encouraging new skills and knowledge to be developed. In modern society where technology is everywhere we look, it is sometimes hard to compete with the pull of flashing lights and loud music computer games which keep our children quietly entertained for hours at a time. However, these are often solitary acts, where children are not given the opportunity to develop their language and social skills. As much as is it is important to give children the opportunity to try and develop their ICT skills, we need to develop and nurture well rounded individuals who will have the skills to complete all the challenges facing them in life. Play is not limited to the indoor classroom environment and there are plentiful opportunities planned to take the learning outside. Some children who feel confined within the limits of the four walls of a classroom will thrive in the outdoors and may use imaginative vocabulary beyond their years. Numeracy lessons can be taken outside and ‘counting on’ can be done by jumping along a number line; letter formation may involve using the paint brushes to paint the playground. Children are given the opportunity to try
things in as many ways as humanly imaginable and learn in a much more exciting way than I am sure many of our children’s parents were exposed to. As holidays approach, many parents may panic about how they will keep their children entertained all day, without propping them up in front of the television or computer. After a long term spent playing, practising letters and
numbers, the children will be sent home to their parents ready for a rest and to recharge their batteries after a lively, eventful term. For those busy parents who work full time there are super ways of keeping children busy and socialised, in a fun and exciting way. Warsaw is abundant with parks and historical sites which are just waiting to be seen through the eyes of a child. §
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Academic honesty in the age of Google T
he advent of ubiquitous computing power and the dawn of the age of the Internet are perhaps the defining characteristics of our modern age. The effect that these extremely powerful tools have had on the learning environment, and the requirements of schools to adapt to them, can hardly be overstated.
By Mike Embley
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The student of today is burdened by a barrage of information in its rawest form
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o begin, though, we must look back in time somewhat to the days of the first protouniversities. The term ‘university’ actually means a community of learners and scholars. The idea is itself based on the earlier idea of an academy, which itself derives from the first, at least to our knowledge, true learning community at Akademia in Greece. Plato founded a school of philosophy close to a temple of the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena. So when we trace back the routes of our learning we see that in fact they are based on philosophy and thought, not on simple collections of facts. This will be critical later on. We should then transfer our attention to one of the key skills of learning through time: reading. It’s not for nothing that books have been lauded through time, and before that the reading of scrolls, papyrus, clay tablets… Reading allows in-depth and thoughtful consideration of the issues at hand. Reading and listening with care and consideration are different modes of appreciating information, but in one sense they are the same. They force the student to engage with the material, and this is critical. Finally we come to the skills of the modern age: information technology, sorting, summarising and (horror of horrors)… skim reading! I jest about skim reading, but we will address that point later in this piece. To return to the modern age, perhaps the most vital skill that
students and adults alike need to learn is the sorting and evaluation of information. So much is instantly available, and a simple search can throw up literally millions of sources of information, making it extremely complex, challenging and time consuming to sort the good from the bad, the accurate from the biased, the relevant from the meaningless, opinion from fact, etc. Students must then address the depth and suitability of information that is found. A simple search for weather will throw up records of weather, weather forecasting services, weather disasters, weatherproof clothing and on and on. Even if they find the site on weather types and causes they’re looking for, the information will vary from the hugely simplistic to the highly technical world of computation fluid dynamics. The student of today is burdened by a barrage of information in its rawest form. Google is therefore an imprecise tool that one must learn, and often be taught, to master. Returning to our point regarding reading and the origin of learning communities back in Ancient Greece, the scholars of the past valued wisdom, thought and study above the simple accumulation and regurgitation of facts. It is here that a dependence on Google or a school environment that is not carefully managed can do a great disservice to students. The ability to copy and paste information without even reading it fully (we are back to skim reading), and almost certainly without considering and thinking about it, is a terrible temptation. It’s
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no wonder that so many students fall prey to it. Many teachers find themselves receiving work that has been directly copied, or changed just a little. Worse, the students have either not understood the work, have not taken the time to research it properly or have even simply handed in a web link as if that somehow represented their own endeavours. Academic honesty suffers in the age of Google, of course; but worse, academic achievement also suffers. There are now companies allowing teachers and universities to submit work to detect fraudulent or copied work being handed in. These are all well and good, but they don’t address the greater deficiency of thought that endless information can create. Students of all ages must be trained to master the tools, to learn to search efficiently. To use Google
and other tools for what they are, a means to an end rather than the end itself. Then schools must ensure that students are challenged to read, engage and become original creative thinkers, not mindless regurgitators of unfiltered junk. No one wants an artist who simply prints out someone else’s work… and anyone who has looked up ‘back pain’ on the Internet and immediately been ‘diagnosed’ with something fatal will be pleased that their doctors don’t use Google as their only tool and basis of training! The Internet and computers in general are phenomenal tools. They must be harnessed by us all on an almost daily basis, but they are not yet, and will not be for some time, a match for the human mind. §
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assignment overload How much homework is it reasonable to expect kids to do? by Mark Angus
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chools in general take the view that homework can make an important contribution to children’s progress in school. A good, well-managed homework programme helps children and young people to develop the skills and attitudes they will need for successful lifelong learning. Homework also supports the development of independent learning skills and provides parents with an opportunity to take part in their children’s education. Homework is important at all stages of education and, when used properly, challenges pupils and ensures that their teaching time is used to maximum effect.
Homework can be defined as anything children do outside the normal school day that contributes to their learning, in response to guidance from the school. Homework encompasses a whole variety of activities instigated by teachers and parents to support the children’s learning. For example, parents who spend time reading stories to their children before bedtime are helping with homework.
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doing homework is one of the main ways in which children can acquire the skill of independent learning
Why do homework? Most schools would acknowledge that the educational experience they can provide by themselves is limited by the time and resources available; children can therefore benefit greatly from the complementary learning that they engage in at home. Homework is thus seen as an important example of cooperation between teachers and parents. One of the aims of schools is for children to develop as independent learners, and most would argue that doing homework is one of the main ways in which children can acquire the skill of independent learning. Most schools believe that homework makes the greatest contribution to learning when: • tasks are carefully planned and structured to support progression in learning as part of the school’s schemes of work; • there is a well structured homework timetable so that the workload is appropriately balanced and everyone – teachers, pupils and parents – knows what to expect each week; • pupils and parents are clear about what is expected of them in relation to the completion of homework, and parents are treated as partners in their children’s learning;
• there are high expectations of pupils completing homework. The purpose of homework The purpose of homework for primary age pupils should include: • developing and sustaining an effective partnership between school and home; • enabling pupils to make maximum progress in their academic and social development; • consolidating and reinforcing skills and understanding, particularly in literacy and numeracy; • enabling all aspects of the curriculum to be covered in sufficient depth; • providing educational experiences not possible in school; • consolidating and reinforcing the learning done in school, and allowing pupils to practise skills taught in lessons; • encouraging pupils, as they get older, to develop the confidence and selfdiscipline needed to study on their own, and preparing them for the requirements of secondary school. For secondary age pupils, further purposes include: • helping pupils develop the skills of an independent learner; • allowing pupils to organise and prioritise their work;
• providing opportunities for extended project and/or research work (including examination coursework); • sustaining the involvement of parents in their child’s learning and keeping them informed about the work they’re doing. Types of homework In most schools, staff and pupils regard homework as an integral part of the curriculum, and as such it is planned and prepared alongside all other programmes of learning. Pupils will usually be set a variety of different homework activities appropriate to their age group. In Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1, children might be: given books to take home and read with their parents; asked to learn spellings or mathematical tables; asked to talk about a topic at home prior to studying it in school; asked to find and collect things that are then used in science lessons; asked to take home work that they have started in school. Key Stage 2 pupils will usually be expected to complete homework tasks more independently. Literacy, numeracy and science homework is set more frequently and regularly, and the aim of such homework is generally to consolidate and reinforce the learning done in school through practice at home. At this time,
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sort of environment that allows children to do their best.
Years 1 and 2 1 hour per week, consisting of reading, spelling and other literacy and number work
Parents can support their children by:
Years 5 and 6 30-45 minutes per day, based on a regular weekly schedule or homework timetable, with continued emphasis on literacy and numeracy but ranging more widely over the curriculum Years 7 and 8 45-90 minutes per day, based on a regular weekly schedule or homework timetable, providing sufficient study time in each discrete subject
In Key Stages 3 and 4, and at IGCSE and IB, homework tasks are set which encourage independent learning, consolidate classwork, encourage the practice of new skills, involve research and have as an endpoint extended pieces of work such as project or coursework. How much homework? As they move through the school, the amount of homework a pupil is expected to do will usually increase. There are of course no hard and fast rules, and these amounts will vary depending on the school, the subject and from teacher to
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teacher, but nevertheless the following may serve as a useful guide:
Years 3 and 4 1.5 hours per week, consisting of literacy and numeracy as in Years 1 and 2, with occasional assignments from other subject areas, including simple research and project work
homework is also used to ensure that prior learning has been understood and for helping children to revise for tests.
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Year 9 1-2 hours per day, based on a regular weekly schedule or homework timetable, providing sufficient study time in each discrete subject Years 10 to 13 1.5-2.5 hours per day, based on a regular weekly schedule or homework timetable, providing sufficient study time in each discrete subject How to help with homework Parents have a vital role to play in their child’s education, and homework is an important part of this process. Schools always want parents to encourage their children to complete the homework tasks that are set, so often suggest that parents help their children as and when they feel it to be necessary, and provide them with the
• providing a peaceful, well-ventilated and well-lit working space at home which is clear of distraction and where pupils can complete their homework; • enabling their child to visit other places where homework can be done, e.g. libraries, IT centres or places for field work; • discussing the work that their child is doing and making it clear that they value homework and support the school; • encouraging pupils and praising them when they complete homework; • expecting deadlines to be met and checking that they are.
Is using the Internet homework? The use of ICT and the Internet has made a significant contribution to the amount of reference material available at home, and the ease and speed of gaining access to it. Nevertheless, your child’s teachers will expect them to produce their own work, perhaps by editing something they have found or by expressing it in their own words. Pupils are not achieving anything worthwhile by merely downloading and printing out something that has been written by somebody else, particularly if they do not understand it. There are many websites containing highly educational material which can have a powerful effect on children’s learning. School websites also provide links to sites which support children’s learning, as well as containing their own valuable collection of relevant and age-appropriate resources. §
ark Angus read English and Drama at Flinders University, Adelaide, where he specialised in Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre. He also has an MA in Early Modern Studies from King’s College, University of London, where his main focus of study was the repertories of 16th- and 17th-century playing companies. Further study includes a Post-Graduate Diploma in Acting from Mountview Theatre School, London, which was followed by six years as a professional actor in theatres throughout the UK. He gained his PGCE in Secondary English from the Open University and was previously the Academic Deputy Head at Westminster Cathedral Choir School in central London. He was at BISS from 2007 to 2011, becoming Nanxiang Principal in 2009. Mark Angus has written for the theatre and radio and published articles in a variety of journals on a diverse range of subjects, from Victorian crime to the theatre of Sophocles. His interests include literature, theatre, wine, sport and travel.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORT IN EDUCATION The history of sport is as long as the history of mankind; we have always been actively sporting beings. Sport has shown itself to be a useful way for people to increase their mastery of nature and their environment.
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“if you can meet with Triumph & Disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same” T he ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Egyptians all played sport in various forms. Many of the modern sports we enjoy have their origins in the English public schools of the 18th and 19th century, where leading educators, many of them classicists such as Dr Thomas Arnold of Rugby School, emphasised the importance of sport in education.
Rudyard Kipling
shown that fit and active children are very often happier and more successful in their academic work.
Sport has traditionally had two distinct but Sport as recreation is important not only for complementary roles fitness; children who are interested in schools, as well as in in sport are less likely to get involved drop the tv society in general. Mass in negative and dangerous lifestyle At the prime time of a participation in sport, options in their teenage years, child’s development which became widely particularly if they have a shared known as “Sport for commitment to a team. Their All” in the UK, has attitude is shaped by a peer group COMPETITION always co-existed with with a positive, mutual goal and Mirroring real life, the pursuit of sporting interest, and the sense of discipline children who have played excellence. In spite of and responsibility that goes with it. sports better understand the fact that we live in a modern society in period of rapid change, Sport in all its guises also plays an adulthood the importance of important role in teaching young sport in school has people respect. To enjoy most games remained undimmed RESPECT we need some form of opposition; and in many respects Sport teaches students without them the contest, whether has been brought into respect for team mates a recreational game of tennis sharper relief by the and opponents or a fiercely contested interlifestyles we lead in house basketball tournament, is the early 21st century. TEENAGERS impossible. Therefore we must Sport has always been appreciate and be respectful of our Encouraging sports from seen as a cornerstone opponents for the part they play. a young age helps teens of a healthy lifestyle. Similarly, students must learn to Schools have an avoid a dangerous lifestyle respect rules and authority: once important role to play again, sport is a safe and healthy in educating students endeavour where rules and the about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through personal health and referee are a central element. Young people social education programmes and a wide variety soon learn that without them the activity simply of extracurricular activities, introducing them flounders, quickly descending into chaos. to the pleasures of sport and physical fitness and encouraging them to take part. In the last Sport, if delivered properly as a means of ten years, much has been written in the media developing healthy social interaction, has about the effects of modern living on levels of another important role in the education of our childhood obesity. Sport provides an antidote pupils. Those who have never played rugby, for as an enjoyable, active and often outdoor example, often find it difficult to understand alternative to the various computer- and TV- how such a physically tough and combative centred pastimes so popular among the young, sport can have such a strong and thriving social and indeed among adults. scene attached to it. It is not the purpose of this It is important that we get young people involved in sport, because good habits formed during childhood are very often habits that we maintain throughout our lives. There is of course room for computer games in life, but they too often become a recreational default, and they cannot fill the hugely significant role that childhood sport plays in assisting in vital physical development. More than this, many studies have
article to explain why, but rugby and many other sports are very good at bringing people together and breaking down barriers. Traditionally teams and their supporters partake in refreshments together after a school sports contest, and there’s no better way of promoting social interaction than bringing people with similar interests together over a meal or a drink. The highly competitive nature of modern society and everyday life is mirrored in sport because
EDUCATION competition is an intrinsic part of sport, and again sport provides an excellent learning environment. Very few other experiences in school can match sport’s ability to teach us how to, in the words of Rudyard Kipling, “meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same”. Another core element is being part of a team. This yet again illustrates that sport is a microcosm of life itself. Most employers rightly value the ability of prospective employees to perform well as part of a team. An important part of a child’s education must be to ensure that they understand the importance of successful relationships, where individual personal needs and desires are tempered and adapted to the needs of others. Furthermore, students should have a clear understanding and appreciation of the fact that they can very often achieve a great deal more through cooperation and teamwork than through their own individual efforts. Sport in school provides a myriad of opportunities for this to be experienced and reinforced. The role of sport in school is not confined to the benefits of mass participation in an open access sports programme. Most schools also do what they can to support the pursuit of sporting excellence. A broad programme of sporting activities creates a wide base of participants for a performance pyramid, which at its pinnacle has elite sports performance. The opportunities provided result in some students wanting to hone and further develop their sporting skills. These pupils play in the school’s top teams, where the best players are selected to play against their counterparts in other schools. Playing and competing in inter-school sport is part of pursuing sporting excellence, and approached the right way is a source of great pride to the
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participants and the wider school community. It is sometimes necessary for individuals to join programmes outside school to continue their development; we have a number of pupils pursuing their sporting dreams through intensive programmes outside of the school day. We happily and actively support them in these endeavours. No matter what their level, hard work in pursuit of improved results teaches students a great deal about the importance of self-discipline; improved performance rarely comes from anything other than focused hard work. Students also learn to take on responsibility for their training and performances, and undoubtedly also the need for perseverance in the face of adversity or failure. The path they are taking and the experiences involved can help them to develop a mental toughness which will prepare them for some of the pressures and stresses of modern life. It is no coincidence, as I review this piece, that many of the words we would all like to have attributed to ourselves and our children – respectful, determined, responsible, self-disciplined – feature prominently in this article. Sport has always been important in school, not just because it promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, hugely important in itself of course, but because it helps ensure that children get a rounded education. Very few other undertakings can teach us so much about the trials and tribulations of life in the real world, and equip us with so many invaluable life skills. Students will learn that that life is not fair; that it is often competitive; and that they can expect pressure in one form or another. Sport therefore still has an important role in educating young people in the 21st century because, as Thomas Arnold shrewdly observed, sport is “a formidable vehicle for character building”. §
Kevin Foyle
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evin Foyle has fifteen years experience in school leadership. After a brief period playing professional cricket in the UK, he began his teaching career at Winchester College, one of the UK’s leading Principal independent schools, where he taught history and politics. He was then The British International School appointed to be Headmaster of Norman Court Preparatory School in Shanghai, Puxi Campus 1995. He was a member of the Council of the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools from 2004-2007. In 2007, he joined Nord Anglia Education when he was appointed the founding Principal of The British International School Shanghai, Nanxiang. At the beginning of 2009 he moved with his wife and two children to take up the position of Principal at The British International School Shanghai, Puxi campus. The wonderful fusion of cultures and nationalities inherent in international education and all that this brings to students’ learning experiences inspires him every day. He enjoys all manner of sports and music and, when time permits, can be found out and about exploring the historic districts of Shanghai.
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The benefits of lifelong learning
How do you get yourself considered for senior roles in business?
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joining teams that take on highly specialised assignments and in many cases staying relevant to your organisation.
Professionally, it is well understood that the pursuit of higher education is a condition for being considered for senior level roles, moving to higher salary scales,
Higher degrees, such as an Executive MBA or a specialised Masters in, for example, Finance or Marketing, are now an integral part of many corporate succession plans, as organisations need their leaders
oday adult education, being a lifelong learner, is a way of life; and the benefits in terms of professional and personal success, as well as overall happiness, are tremendous.
of the future to have strong business acumen and the ability to think outside the box, solve problems and make strategic business decisions aligned with the company’s corporate vision. In addition to the corporate case for lifelong learning, completely switching career paths and reinventing oneself professionally
is now commonplace. The days of working for only one firm are over, and on average people switch careers three or four times over the course of their working lives. Becoming an entrepreneur or pursuing a passionate interest as a consultant is a viable alternative to climbing the corporate ladder. Many people, however, find themselves short of the skills and qualifications needed to make the transition and
EDUCATION often turn to further education in the form of short, intensive programmes to aid with their career changes. Courses are readily available in a variety of formats – the traditional classroom setting as well as self-directed online programmes that make it much easier to find a learning experience that fits the learner’s hectic schedule. In Warsaw there is a wide range of degree programmes offered by local and international universities that are designed to help meet the growing demand for advanced business education. The best advice for potential students is: do your research. Look at each programme’s learning objectives. Does the class schedule meet your requirements? Talk to alumni and current students to get their perspective and find out why they chose their course. Sit in on classes and think about your long-term goals. Ask yourself if the content is relevant to today’s global manager: are the tools and theories current and transferrable to another industry or country? The more research you do up front, the more confident you’ll be when you make your final decision that the programme and school will meet your learning objectives.
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Beyond the professional benefits of lifelong learning, there are of course the personal benefits. Many people based their post secondary education in their early adult years on where they thought future career opportunities would be and where the potential job market would continue to grow. Lifelong learners indulge their passion – art history, literature, music, whatever – by taking evening courses and workshops, by joining associations or special interest groups, by participating in adventure travel programmes, by joining book clubs. This form of lifelong learning is an enriching experience as it opens the mind, meets a strong personal need and allows people to expand their personal network and build friendships with like-minded people. In addition to the pursuit of personal interests, most people in Warsaw also want to make the most of their stay in Poland. Learning the language and exploring the history, food, regions, crafts and so on are wonderful ways to enhance the overall Polish experience. We’re fortunate that there are many groups in Warsaw offering a wonderful variety of programmes and opportunities that allow people to understand and explore this region of the country. As a lifelong learner, the professional and personal rewards are numerous and there are other powerful
benefits along the way. Continuous learning keeps the mind sharp and improves the memory, especially as we grow older. Just as we need to exercise our body to stay in shape, the same goes for our mind. Numerous research studies, such as one conducted at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, have shown that people with more education are less likely to have dementia in old age, as their cognitive and rational abilities are continually tested. Another study by UK and Flemish researchers reported on by the BBC examined the brains of 872 people, showing that for each year spent in education there was an 11 percent decrease in the risk of developing dementia. In addition, lifelong learners have a great desire to step outside of their comfort zone and be challenged by something new. Our ability to learn and share ideas with others helps us to not only gain confidence in who we are but also enhances our interpersonal communication skills, since the learning process requires active listening, reading and writing skills. The sense of fulfilment when we learn new ideas, have new experiences and meet new people is truly rewarding and has a positive impact on all facets of our lives. §
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CHILDREN & BLOGS
Do you know what your children are publishing online? By Janet Brock
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o your children have their own webpages, websites or blogs (online journals)? If so, you should make sure that they take the following precautions when posting information online: • Photos: Try to avoid putting up photos altogether – once you post something on the Internet it’s out of your control and can be downloaded by anyone. A predator can use that photo to identify you. • Landmarks: Don’t mention street names or landmarks near where you live. Even without your address, a predator could use this information to track you down. • Schools: For the same reason, you should never tell anyone online the name of your school or sports team.
It’s extremely important to be aware of the information that your child shares on a blog or website, or when they chat online. Children will often leave clues behind without even knowing it. A predator will spend hours examining every single piece of information to track that child down. A secure webpage should not contain: • Your child’s real name – a nickname should be used instead • The names of friends or family members • Your address • Your home phone number or child’s mobile number • Photos • The name of your child’s school • The name of any sports teams your child plays on
• Links to another site that may contain information about your child • Any other piece of information that could identify your child If your child has a blog or a website, you should read the section where people can add comments to make sure they are not giving out information or receiving inappropriate messages. If there are links to other websites, pictures or videos, you should check those as well. Make sure you look at your child’s website regularly with them, and that the Internet safety rules you have established are respected. Remind your child that using the Internet is not a right; it is a privilege and a responsibility. §
About the Author Janet Brock trained to be a teacher in Leeds in England and spent 10 years teaching in the UK in a variety of schools, from Reception to Year 8. She then moved with her husband to Spain, where she became Head of the Primary school at the British School of Alicante, spending eight enjoyable years there. In her role at The British School of Beijing, she embraces and exemplifies the expectations and challenges of providing an environment where excellence, high achievement and reflective practice are central to the ethos and status of the leading provider of British education in the city. Her experience in a variety of educational settings nurtures a philosophy that includes leadership and development underpinned by the principles ‘nothing is impossible’ and ‘all those who have contact with the school will have a positive and enjoyable experience’. Mrs Brock believes the best schools offer a broad, balanced curriculum with teachers seeking every opportunity to include creativity and enrichment.
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Tim Collinson explores the way in which the family unit is still a vital part of parents’ and children’s lives
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t’s nice when the whole family spends time together. You share a special bond that can’t be recreated with anyone else. Father, mother, sister, brother – you all belong to each other in a special way. Each member of the family needs to rely on each other for love, companionship, advice, support… and sometimes just to listen. Life isn’t always going to be smooth sailing. A family that is strong in love can make it through the worst of times. In order for a family to work well together, each member needs to give of themselves to one another, without thinking about getting anything in return. This is giving from your heart. If each member were to do this, everyone’s needs would be met and there would be no selfishness in your family, only true love for one another. Sometimes in a family, there can be a fight that’s so bad that someone separates themselves from a family member or the entire family for a long period of time. It’s a shame when something like this happens. It can hurt a family really badly. There’s bitterness and pain that winds up leaving a void in the heart, a sense of losing that bond they once had. No matter what happened or how terrible it may have been to cause such a separation, families need to be reunited. Forgiveness can mend more than one heart. Pride is not worth losing family over. There’s nothing like having dinner together as a family. It makes the end of the day more pleasant. If you’ve had a bad day or have a problem you need to discuss, here at the table you have loved ones willing to listen and help you get over your bad day. Nothing like quality time with your family. You have to eat, right? Eat together and spend that time keeping the bond tight and the love flowing. Family outings are important, whether going to a movie, spending a day in the park or maybe going on a camping trip (here’s a hint:
you could even camp out in your backyard). There’s plenty of things a family can do together. Sometimes there’s that one member who doesn’t want to go. If that’s you, forget about yourself and think of your family. Remember that you’re not always going to be living together. The time is going to come when people are moving out. Don’t miss out on the time you could be sharing with one another. Make space for quality time together. Many households have both parents working. The kids come home from school to a empty house. These days, even if everyone’s home you can still be separated. There are so many electronic gadgets to keep everyone busy by themselves. Mobiles, gaming consoles, laptops, iPods, mp3 players, the Internet and more. All the things on the web that will keep you busy like blogging, chat rooms, Facebook and so on. There are so many things people can do to entertain themselves without their family. Most of these things can be addictive; people can become strangers in their own family. It only takes one family member to get the ball rolling. So if your family’s not as tight as it should be, you could be the one to change it. There’s nothing worse than sitting down one day and looking back at the family time missed. You can’t go back and change it. §
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The world on a platter in Warsaw Nosh is no longer just native, nor only Western-focused, as a wave of ethnic culinary venues from the East envelops the Polish capital. Anna J. Kutor explores Warsaw’s everdiversifying ethnic dining scene. By Anna J Kutor
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estern gastronomic ways have long held sway over Warsaw’s dining scene, with much of the fork action focused on fancy French and Italian venues. Recently, though, the surging popularity of dining out, coupled with the influx of immigrants from such places as India, Vietnam, Japan and Eastern European countries has driven the demand for new, more diversified dining options. As a result, the Polish capital now boasts a bevy of ethnic eateries that liberate taste buds with well-crafted exotic treats. Some are cheap, fast and filling; others are atmospheric and authentically delicious; while some take ethic cuisine to a contemporary level. Adventurous foodies can now nibble their way east to west from Nepal to Nigeria, Indonesia to Israel, all without leaving the centre of Warsaw.
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Feast from the East For the game but greenhorn ethnic food scout, a good port of call is Russian cuisine. Traditional czarist fare, much like native Polish dishes, is earthy, simple and wholesome – providing ample nourishment during the bone-rattling chill of winter. Serving up the stuff of soothing Russian homeyness is Bistro Babooshka (‘grandmother’), a restaurant chain with three locations in downtown Warsaw. Each outpost is done up in friendly farmhouse fashion with sturdy wooden tables and wall panelling, rural kitchen utensils and a mish-mash of decorative objects. Its hearty specialities – from soul-warming vegetable soups to potato and meat-filled pielmieni (raviolitype dumplings), pancakes and characteristic beef stroganoff – consistently provide a flavour bang of intensity. Of all the ethnic foodways making inroads into Warsaw, those hailing from Central Asia have been particularly unknown to Polish diners, that is until the recent launch of Mala Gruzja. Wonderfully warm and inviting with its bare-brick walls, folkloric tablecloths, ornaments and Caucasian music, this moderately-sized underground haven is the city’s impressive introduction to the national dishes of Georgia. “Georgian cuisine is unusual but not frightening,” says Pawel Czarnecki, the communications director of the restaurant and son of the proprietor, Piotr Czarnecki. He came up with the concept of this lively ethnic enclave upon returning from a super-tasty trip to Georgia, where he met and later recruited the stellar talent of native chef Mindia Abashidze. To showcase the best of his homeland’s culinary culture, Abashidze created a menu filled with piquantly seasoned grilled meats, vegetables and an assortment of chinkali (boiled dumplings with various fillings) and chaczapuri, a tangy stuffed flatbread. “Initially, the dishes proved to be too spicy and hot, so we turned down the heat a bit, adjusting and changing the menu to the tastes of our Georgian and Polish clientele.”
Keeping kosher As tragic historical events move into the past, Poland’s once thriving Jewish culture is slowly reawakening, bringing with it a new-found appreciation for foods of the Holy Land. Menora, a long-time fixture in the city’s Jewish epicentre, Grzybowski Square, is an unassuming retreat into a world of babkas (rich sweet yeast cakes) and blintzes (thin pancakes rolled around various fillings). Similarly lacklustre in aesthetics but much more dynamic in service and clientele is Pod Samsonem, a smallish spot situated just outside Warsaw’s Old Town barrier, which showcases an array of affordable Polish-Jewish options. A cut above in style and substance is Shlomo’s, Warsaw’s first completely kosher kitchen, which opened on the top floor of a glitzy office block in 2010. Luring the city’s kosher-observant movers and groovers, this airy venue serves healthy, preservative-free meals and some knock-out drinks at the bar, shaped like a Star of David.
Western Europe has been high on Indian flavours for decades, but only in recent years has this fiery cuisine started to come into its own in Warsaw’s eating arena
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Curry corners Western Europe has been high on Indian flavours for decades, but only in recent years has this fiery cuisine started to come into its own in Warsaw’s eating arena. The first bona fide Indian hotspot, Tandoor Palace, opened its doors to gourmands in 1998 near the hip and happening Zbawiciela Square. Founded and run by Charanjit Singh Walia, a Singaporean Indian Sikh, this spirited haunt delivers quality Indian eats, from sizzlers to shashliks, in addition to a wide range of Indonesian, Singaporean and Thai goodies. Other curry venues quickly followed suit, including Arti, a one-room neighbourhoodstyle outlet located on the traffic-heavy boulevard; the trendy but out-of-the-way Ganesh; sensual and boisterous Bollywood Lounge; and the hole-in-the-wall Namaste India, which is part fast-food restaurant, part ethnic grocery stocking a massive selection of Indian items in two downtown locations.
chinkali
Annapurna, named after a popular trekking route in Nepal, is also a newer launch in the lower Mirow area that provides Warsaw with a delivery, takeout and eat-in option. Though its location might appeal more to nearby office dwellers, understated and cliche-free design in the room and bold Himalayan flavours on the plate draw a loyal clientele from the far reaches of the city. The lengthy menu of dishes is culled from India, Nepal, Thailand and Tibet, with some items cooled down for Polish palates and others richly spiced for those who want their curry to really pack a knock-out punch. With its enduring popularity, India Curry wears the crown in Warsaw’s curry kingdom. This central temple of fervent food is owned and operated by an entrepreneurial husband-andwife duo. With its collection of gold and wood folk artwork, simple wood furniture and a sizable see-through kitchen, there’s a captivating homegrown vibe to the service and the food, which is absolutely faultless. The head chef,
cheese blintzes
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Galeria Bali & Buddha Club Rakesh Mohite, flexes his culinary muscles by subtly blending the six essential tastes of Indian cooking – spicy, sour, bitter, sweet, hot and lemon – into lip-smacking creations such as thali, mutton rogan ghost, chicken tikka masala, samosa and palak panner. “When India Curry first launched in 2000, Indian cuisine was relatively unpopular in Poland with the locals, who were reluctant to try a new cuisine or spend their valuable money dining on unknown foods,” explains Shaira Bojwani, the general manager. “Our clients back then mainly included the Brits, Americans, French and Germans, who already had lots of curry, but over these past years the awareness of India has spread so vastly that it’s giving more focus to Indian food, which has been accepted by increasing number of Poles, and today, I would safely say that 80 percent of our clients are Polish.”
oriental eats The influence of mushrooming Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese communities in Poland has also deepened Warsaw’s culinary melting pot. While the Vietnamese snack cabins around Srodmiescie had a dubious reputation For your information:
for serving sub-par meat (often of the furry household variety), some of the newer entrants have cleaned up their culinary act and brought a high-style revival to the Far-Eastern cuisine. Du-Za Mi-Ha on ulica Widok, a small splitlevel joint, has done its fair share to revive Vietnamese fare with its always-delicious selection of pho soups and oodles of noodles. Nearby, on ulica Wilcza, newcomer Yummy is also far from the greasy oriental spoon of yore, dishing up fresh spring rolls and spicy chicken strips. The city’s decade-long fixation on Asian cuisine, particularly Japanese food, has flooded the capital with fashion-forward sushi bars, tiny noodle joints and shamelessly flamboyant oriental outlets. Those whose pockets are feeling particularly deep can splash out on fresh and sumptuous sushi rolls and sashimi filets at Akashia, a bright and theatrically furnished spot in Zlote Tarasy, at the business-friendly Tomo or at the more sombre and traditional Tokio, positioned near the Vistula River. For folks with an appetite for dim sum, Peking duck and panfried noodles, there’s Bliss Garden, a low-key underground locale, and Canton, a down-toearth place with a stereotypical dragon decor, as well as Dzonka, a tiny pumpkin-hued place that cooks up Chinese, Thai and a smattering of Korean and Southeast Asian flavours.
“Poles have travelled all over the world, expanding their culinary horizons, so they’re more and more interested in trying out new and exotic varieties of food,” observes Anna Gawlikowska, the astute manager of Galeria Bali & Buddha Club, a restaurant-cum-club that thrives on the exotic. A visit to this popular downtown hotspot is an overwhelming assault on the senses, not just because of the fusion of complex textures, aromas and the zesty intricacies of Indonesian and Thai delicacies, but because of the lavish premises, jam-packed with gold-tinted statues, paintings, vibrant textiles and chic wooden furniture. Everything, including all of the fancy furnishings, decor elements, floors and kitchen equipment, was imported by the restaurant’s owner, cultured globetrotter Witold Gawlikowski. The lengthy and well thought-out menu – which includes truly exotic dishes like crocodile steak, blue crab salad, Asian-style paella and lobster cooked with whisky and other spirits – is a testament to the skills of head chef I Made Runatha and his three-man team of highly-skilled Indonesian chefs. “By using the freshest and highest quality ingredients imported directly from Asia and having them prepared by top-shelf cooks, we have set new standards for ethnic gastronomy in Warsaw.” §
Tandoor Palace ulica Marszałkowska 21/25 www.tandoor.com.pl
Annapurna ul. Twarda 56 www.annapurnarestauracja.pl
Bliss Garden 620 3519 www.blissgarden.pl
Mała Gruzja ulica Nowogrodzka 40 www.mala-gruzja.pl
Ganesh ulica Wilcza 50/52 or Al. Ken 93 lok 1 www.ganesh.pl
Du-Za Mi-Ha ulica Widok 16
Canton 838 3823 www.canton.warszawa.pl
Pod Samsonem ulica Freta 3/5 www.podsamsonem.pl
Bollywood Lounge ulica Przeskok 2 www.bollywoodlounge.pl
Shlomos ulica Bagno 2 www.shlomos.pl
India Curry ulica Zurawia 22 www.indiacurry.pl
Bistro Babooshka www.shlomos.pl
Yummy ulica Wilcza 20 Akashia 222 0333 www.akashia.pl Tomo Sushi 434 2344 www.tomo.pl
Dzonka ulica Hoza 54 Galeria Bali & Buddha Club 828 6771 www.galeriabali.pl
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rom visionary haute couture creations to forwardlooking products that blend craftsmanship with cutting edge cool, Polish creativity in its various forms has become the new engine of economic growth. Decades of political, social and cultural oppression and upheaval produced enough fuel for a slowburning creative fire, but artistic expression became a dynamic force with the emergence of capitalism in the early 1990s. The new crop of creative movers and shakers, hailing from rigorous technical and artistic backgrounds, are putting Poland on the map for innovation. Exemplifying the change-is-in-theair character and spirit of many of today’s successful design ventures in Poland is the husband-andwife team of Konarska-Konarski (www.konarska-konarski.com). Born and bred in Warsaw, the bright young tandem launched their label in 1997. Since then they have tried their hands at almost everything design has to offer – from paintings to public art, from interior design to graphics and on-air design for television – making dynamic figurative aesthetics and whimsical imagery their trademark along the way. Their shared avant-garde design sensibility has seen the facade of Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science plastered with posters of new-age Ten Commandments and has freckled the lawn of the French embassy with sixteen eyepopping two-metre-tall rotating roosters. The couple’s most recent installation, Pegasuses, features a merry band of multicoloured mythological horses standing in stark contrast to the palatial National Library in the background. “There is a strong successdriven vibe, and even something predatory, about young Polish designers these days,” says Warsawbased architect Lech Rowinski, one half (with his architect wife Marta) of the cross-disciplinary design outlet Beton (www.beton-on. com). “It’s really just a part of the process of filling the void created by 50 years of communism.” Experimental and prolific, Beton’s work spans as many design disciplines as exist, including architecture, fashion, everyday industrial design and graphic creations. On the bank of the Vistula River in the southern town of Tarnow, for example, the designer duo designed a shingle-
Warsaw’s
design dreams
Warsaw may not be a European design powerhouse yet, but with commitment to quality, functionality and distinct creative vision, a group of ambitious Polish innovators and style setters are pioneering creations that are making the design world sit up and take notice By Anna J Kutor
clad wood chapel that applies geometry and practical materials to deliver a warm and visually stunning sanctum. Their playful use of geometric concepts is demonstrated in their Fi Bags with pre-cut polyethylene foam forms that fold into street-chic handbags and in their S-Chair Transformer wrap-around chairs that create softer pieces of furniture-art. As Rowinski explains: “We really like the connection between the pure (mathematics) and the dirty (life) and to find out what the spatial limits of chaos, created by the repetition of just one element, are.” An open-minded and constructive multi-disciplinary approach to finding audience-focused solutions is the drive behind Puff-Buff Design, a Warsawbased industrial design and
architecture studio uniting the talents of industrial and interior designer Anna Siedlecka and architect Radek Achramowicz. A natural mix of the founders’ skills, attitudes and personalities is integrated into each of their architectural and interior design endeavours – ranging from the streamlined headquarters of the Polish Post in Warsaw to movable urban info-points in Wroclaw and even a twisted ice-cream cone concept for Nestle. Where the bright young tandem have really taken the leap to think outside the box is in the field of light and lamps. Based on an original self-titled brand of lighting that fuses pneumatic technology and LED systems, the twosome have crafted an assortment of large but lightweight lamps. Some of their more popular models include
the starfish-shaped Critters lamp, the Puff Column, a blow-up lamp with flourescent light-bulbs that resemble a stack of lifesaver rings and the inflatable and transparent Bubbles Lighting Room Divider – similar to a gigantic bubble wrap, with each grapefruit-sized bubble illuminated by a small LED lamp. Showing a strong sense of connection to the natural world and its resources is Knockoutdesign (www. knockoutdesign.eu), an all-female design quartet working at the intersection of product, fashion and urban design. Founded in 2005, this multi-disciplinary group draws on the creative flair of Magda Juszczak, Dorota Kabala, Maya Ober and Marta Florkowska-Dworjak, who met while attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan. They’ve since spread their wings and are currently cooperating from three different points in the northern hemisphere – Warsaw, Wroclaw and Tel Aviv. Each brings her own opinionated personality and vision to the virtual drawing board. “To be well balanced environmentally and socially, we’re always concerned with sustainability in the design process and try to design for the whole life cycle of the product,” explains Ober. Among their planet-smart creations is Make Me Up!, a foldable coffee table made of cardboard and shoelaces, and Arenasietno, a glossed waterproof plywood that when pushed into sand becomes a makeshift beach chair. New to Knockoutdesign’s portfolio is the Ryszard Kapuscinski Path, a project commissioned by the Warsaw City Council to honour the illustrious Polish writer. Set up in Pole Mokotowskie Park, this literary path comprises 14 concrete-embedded stainless steel panels, each with its own inspiring quote, set along the 3.5 kilometre route that traces Kapuscinski’s footsteps on his morning walks from his Leszowa Street house to the National Library.
Fashion flair The Polish fashion industry has certainly grown up in style over the past decade, with a slew of up-and-coming independent designers turning heads on local and international catwalks. One of the most well-known representatives of the youngest generation of designers is Ania Kuczynska (www.aniakuczynska.com),
ASK THE EXPERTS who creates deceptively simple yet intricate constructions for a large minimalist-loving following. Her slick, pared-down designs come in predominantly muted tones of black and blushing shade of peaches and cream, which can be seen in her cool boutique on ulica Mokotowska. A five-minute walk away is the hole-in-thewall headquarters of Justyna Chrabelska (www.justynachrabelska. com), another homegrown Polish design star, who combines retroinspired designs with futuristic forms to create innovative and inspiring collections. “Raw-edged and bold, subtly feminine, unabashedly romantic and somehow even mysterious, my clothes appeal to modern women who believe in craftsmanship and original vision,” says Gosia Baczynska, a progressive-minded couturier who debuted her selftitled label in 2000. Having studied ceramics and glass design at the Wroclaw Academy of Fine Arts, Baczynska hones her skills in the field of fashion while working with various acclaimed designers in London. Under her eponymous
Konarska-Konarski’s Pegasuses Beton’s chapel in Tarnow Industrial-style design store Magazyn Praga label she has developed an easily distinguishable style lauded for its diaphanous dresses and painstakingly crafted blouses made mostly from brash and metallic fabrics – pampering today’s urban fashionista with uncompromising glamour and romance. In her flagship venue on Warsaw’s Florianska Street, this distinguished style maven brings together a workshop and retail space for her new pret-a-porter collections and individual designs. Tackling both men’s and women’s fashion with equal pizzazz is Paprocki & Brzozowski (www. paprockibrzozowski.com), from a styleconscious pair who have been editorial and fashionista favourites for years. Since graduating from the Faculty of Textile and Fashion of Lodz’s Academy of Fine Arts in 2002, the design duo have interpreted the world’s most prominent fashion trends into garments that are aggressive and sensual, flamboyant and fragile all at the same time. Their latest collections are filled with streamlined silhouettes spiced with couture folds and extravagant
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ruffles in a moody palette of contrasting dark and saturated colours.
Store styles Warsaw’s design-centred awakening is also readily apparent in the mushrooming design-shopscum-galleries, fashion boutiques and avant-garde art spaces. Pushing the envelope is ZUO Corp (www.zuocorp.com), an innovative “pop-up fashion store” shaped like a humble black cube. The brainchild of designers Dagmara Rosa and Bartek Michalek, this experimental retail space boasts a monochromatic interior flush with unisex garments, sportswear and accessories. Focusing on the other end of the colour spectrum is Gal i Lu, a beauty salon and shop with sparse, spanking white interiors that provide a backdrop to the lavish stock of premium cosmetics and perfumes. Interior design concept stores harmonising aesthetics, functionality and creative edginess are also rushing to meet the rising demand of style-conscious homeowners in Warsaw. A good place to start is Red Onion (www. redonion.pl) on ulica Burakowska, a quality-conscious interior design store filled with furniture and accessories that radiate a certain oriental Zen feel, plus a large collection of kitchen products for blossoming food geeks. Another shining example of this trend is Magazyn Praga (www.magazynpraga. pl), an industrial-style design store set up by art historian Lukasz Drgas in a corner pocket of the red-brick Koneser Vodka Factory. In the creative-cum-downtrodden neighbourhood of Praga, this jackin-the-box boutique continually offers up avant-garde creations by bright young design talents from Czech Qubus studio, British Black+Blum and French Lexon and Atypyk brands, to name but a few. Nearby, Indivi (www.indivi.pl) is another go-to place for funky furnishings set up by a group of Polish art-lovers. Part design boutique, part art gallery, this industrial space carries furniture, contemporary lighting solutions and home design apparel by bigname brands such as Naughtone, Established & Sons, Zero, Vitra and Artemide, alongside works by many up-and-coming domestic designers. If these aesthetically polished outlets are anything to go by, Warsaw is shaping into its vision of itself as an edgy Eastern design hotspot.
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MOVING WITH CHILDREN The friendly people at Allied Pickfords help Family Matters navigate through the issues of relocating with children in tow By Claudia Neumayer International Move Consultant Allied Pickfords
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any expat families with children will be moving on from Warsaw. It’s important to understand what impact this move will have on your children. The needs and concerns of children faced with relocating vary greatly depending on their age and the destination of the move. With older children and teenagers, psychological and emotional needs are the priority, whereas babies and toddlers have more basic requirements such as physical comfort during the transition. Young children will generally feel safe and comforted as long as they’re in the presence of their parents; however, a major worry for them is being left behind. It’s therefore important that, no matter what age your child,
you communicate with them effectively. The move must not come as a surprise and you should introduce the subject as early as possible. As a parent, your role is to encourage communication, providing comfort and emotional support. Your children may experience a whole range of emotions, including anger, sadness, relief and excitement. You will need to help them through this emotional battlefield and allow them to express their fears and concerns openly. It can be beneficial to hold regular family meetings where you all discuss your feelings, questions and worries. Once children feel respected and listened to they become more open to discussing the positive aspects of the move.
General hints for making the transition • Encourage children to learn about the new country in advance (this will help you learn at the same time). • Provide children of all ages with a special address book and stationery for keeping up with old friends. • Email is a cheap way to maintain daily contact with friends. • Take video and photos of the new home and area if your children are unable to see them before the move. • Arrange to visit new schools and meet teachers before the actual first day of school. • Explore your new area with the whole family as soon as possible.
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children may experience a whole range of emotions, including anger, sadness, relief and excitement
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PRE-SCHOOLERS
Children of this age worry about being left behind, especially when they see their favourite toys being packed away and their parents’ attention diverted from them and their normal home routine. Instead of getting them out of the way by sending them off to Nana’s or a baby-sitter, let them stay with you and help you pack up their possessions and toys. Never throw out any of these prior to the move, regardless of their condition, as having familiar things around is of great comfort to young children.
YOUNG CHILDREN A major factor in ensuring a smooth transition for the whole family will be the initial reactions of each child. When
you introduce the subject of moving you should be as informative as possible and explain why you feel the move will be of benefit to the entire family, not just the working parent. With younger children, it’s best to keep things lighthearted and fun, as they will want to know things like how their toys and furniture will be transported from one place to another. Acting out the process with these toys will help them relate to what will be happening. Books and games are another good way to help your children express their feelings and concerns. If your child has special needs, it’s important that they understand any variations in how their needs will be addressed. Hints • Provide the needed reassurance, stability and security. • Show them the destination on a map; this helps them become familiar with where they’re going. • Books and games are a
useful tool for explaining the moving process. • Give them things they can do to feel involved, such as sorting through belongings for outgrown toys and clothes and putting things in boxes. • Help them feel involved on moving day by allowing them to pack their flight bag, selecting the books, toys and snacks they would like to take.
TEENAGERS
Teenagers will face more complex issues when moving. During adolescence, teenagers seek validation and approval, which is often achieved within friendship groups. Leaving these friends, changing schools and giving up coveted sports positions and various hardearned opportunities will seem a daunting prospect. Although they will understand the idea of belonging somewhere other
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than where they’re presently living, they may not have the skills to accept the idea of moving easily. They may have concerns about their capability to adjust to a new culture, and fear of the unknown may leave them feeling insecure and anxious, and lacking in confidence. Hints • Be respectful of their emotional needs. • Be clear about the benefits to the whole family. • Anticipate some of the concerns that may arise and have responses prepared. • Encourage open communication and honesty. • Encourage them to keep a diary; this is a nonconfrontational way for them to work through their concerns. • Subscribe to magazines or hometown newspapers that have youth contact. • Suggest exchange visits with friends. §
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Ten must-read books for teenage girls
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By Mark Angus
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte (13+) A truly gripping novel that all teenage girls should read! It is the story of an orphaned girl who is unloved by her aunt and sent to boarding school. After school, she becomes a strong willed governess and takes a job at the house of Mr Rochester, where she hopes she might have finally found love and companionship. However, Mr Rochester has a dark secret from his past which continues to haunt him in his present. This is one that you really can’t put down once you get started!
Tess of the d’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy (16+)
As with many of Hardy’s novels, I found this one took a little time and perseverance to get into when I first read it as a teenager. However, it is truly worth the wait! It is an incredibly powerful novel which will rouse your emotions and leave you shocked and, at times, in disbelief. It is a heavy read and deals with many tragic and shocking issues, but it is also a fascinating one, revealing the strength and honour of Tess in a weak and dishonourable Victorian world. Suitable for older teens.
Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman (13+) This is a really thought-provoking and clever novel which discusses issues of racism and prejudice. Callum (a Nought) and Sephy (a Cross) find their life-long friendship being torn apart by a segregating society in which the Crosses dominate and the Noughts become increasingly oppressed. Blackman skilfully turns the world as we know it upside-down and forces us to see the world from new perspectives and in different ways.
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Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (13+) An absolute must-read for all teenage girls! It is a novel in which you can fall completely in love with Austen’s characters and lose yourself in their world. It is a brilliantly witty story which offers great insight into the world and the way we make assumptions about the people we meet. It is considered one of the greatest love stories of all time and I honestly believe it lives up to that reputation.
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Northern Lights – Philip Pullman (13+) This is another really gripping fantasy novel about a teenage girl, Lyra, living in a strange yet familiar world. Pullman’s writing and creation of this world is wholly convincing and forces the reader to consider new possibilities, questioning the world around them as they know it. It is jam-packed with adventure and action which doesn’t stop, from beginning to end!
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott (13+) Another must-read for all teenage girls. The story of the March sisters and their determined sense of fun, happiness and laughter, both in good times and hard times, is one that all teenage girls can relate to. The way that comedy and tragedy are seamlessly blended together makes Alcott’s novel one which will be forever remembered as one of the greats of American literature. The fact that it continues to break its readers’ hearts today is testament to its brilliance!
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A Series of Unfortunate Events – Lemony Snicket (11+)
Twilight – Stephenie Meyer (16+)
This is a novel and series that readers seem to love or hate! If you don’t take it too seriously and allow yourself to become absorbed in the fantasy, this is a fantastic read, as are the other novels in the series. The stories are filled with action, drama and suspense as well as a love story which seems doomed by an endless array of obstacles. It’s a good read, suitable for older teens who love a bit of horror, fantasy and adventure as well as a good old fashioned romance!
This is another brilliant series about the misfortunes and bad luck of three orphaned children following their parents’ death. The books warn readers that they are unpleasant and unhappy, and certainly live up to this warning! These stories offer a unique change from some of the more cheerful, traditional examples of children’s literature and make a point of not treating children like delicate creatures who need a happy ending every time. If you like horror, drama and something a bit different, you’ll love these!
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Vicky Angel – Jacqueline Wilson (12+)
This is a tragic yet beautiful and uplifting story of two best friends, Jade and Vicky. When Vicky is killed at the beginning, the reader is truly shocked. However, once the shock has passed you become captivated by the ongoing friendship between the two girls and Jade’s journey to come to terms with the loss of her friend and move on with her own life. This is a really inspiring and beautifully written novel for teenage girls to read.
The Other Side of Truth – Beverley Naidoo (14+) This is a novel which will make you think. The narrative is powerful and emotive from start to finish and raises issues of injustice, political asylum and bullying. The tragedy of the children’s lives in the novel makes you consider hard the life you have and the horrific experiences people living alongside you may have had, as well as the suffering taking place around the world.
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THE CINEMA OF DREAMS “Film as dream, film as music. No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul.” Ingmar Bergman by David Robinson
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inema is now well over a hundred years old, yet it’s still not taken as seriously in schools as novels, art or music. Could that be due to the dumbed-down, unimaginative fare all too often forced down our throats at multiplexes around the world? Sadly, much of contemporary Hollywood cinema is aimed at the lowest common denominator, and much of its audience seems content with a few cheap laughs, some tacky CGI effects and some none-too-subtle product placement for junk food or tie-in toys. However, every now and then a new film crops up and makes us remember the excitement and joy of our early cinematic experiences. Perhaps the joyful characters of Toy Story 3, the ground-breaking effects of Avatar or the melancholic magic of Up was loved by you or your children recently. The films and TV we experience as youngsters may have some effect on the subjects we study and the career paths we choose. It’s amazing how many of today’s most successful scientists can trace the beginnings of their scientific interests to a childhood encounter with Star Trek, Star Wars or Doctor Who. One wonders if the young Stephen Hawking, who actually appears in an episode of Star Trek, would have chosen the career path he did if his viewing habits consisted of reality TV and talent shows.
It was with these feelings in mind that the Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton introduced her Eight and a Half Foundation in 2009 as part of the Scottish Cinema of Dreams Project. Although she has starred in many blockbuster movies, perhaps most memorably as the White Witch in the Narnia films, she talked about how she feels children today are almost bullied into watching some of Hollywood’s trashiest films by allencompassing marketing campaigns and a lack of exposure to the other avenues of cinema that exist. The foundation aims to show that there’s a whole world of cinema out there telling stories about everything from aboriginal children forcibly taken from their parents in 1930s Australia, to a lonely Parisian school boy whose only company is a red balloon, to a Russian hedgehog lost in the fog on the way to visit his friend the bear. If you’re not familiar with these films, then you and your children are missing out on stories every bit as engaging and memorable as those of Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Many of us might be wary of force feeding ‘arty’ films to kids whose expectations of cinema have come to be all about explosions and 3D CGI effects. However, I’ve been amazed at the patience and enthusiasm I’ve seen from secondary school students for all sorts of films, including black-and-white and subtitled films. I’ve seen students with attention deficit disorder transfixed by a long,
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subtitled French film about boys trying to continue as normal in a school under Nazi occupation and stunned into silence by its understated but heartbreaking conclusion. Film can, of course, open avenues for interests and discussion about every topic under the sun, from the size of the universe to poverty in rural China. Watching a film together is a simple but very effective way for families to spend some quality time. All too often parents use films as babysitters rather than a time to share the same thrills, tears and laughter. A film shared can later lead to all sorts of discussions, ideas and memories. Why not set aside a film night once every month or so where you can grab some tasty but healthy snacks, turn the lights down low and sit down as a family and share an amazing experience together? You could then follow up the viewing with some sort of related realworld experience. Here are a few suggestions for films you might enjoy watching with your family. A lot more information can be found at the Eight and a Half Foundation website: eightandahalf.org §
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For younger kids – under 8 01. The Red Balloon
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(Albert Lamorisse, 1956, France) A young boy makes friends with a rather unusual red Parisian.
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02. Paddle to the Sea (Bill Mason, 1969, Canada) An epic journey across the waterways of Canada.
03. Kirkou and the Sorceress (Michel Ocelot, 1998, France/ Belgium/Luxembourg) A West African folk tale made for the big screen by this French animator. A big hit in the secondary school too.
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04. Spirited Away / My Friend Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988, Japan) Two of Japanese anime master Miyazaki’s masterworks.
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05. The short films of Norman McLaren (Scotland/Canada)
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Norman McLaren’s jazz-infused shorts can open the door to a whole new world of abstract cinema, and are great fun too!
06. ET (Steven Spielberg, 1982, USA) Spielberg’s classic is still as involving for children today as it was in 1982. 07
07. The Singing Ringing Tree
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(Germany 1957) Bewitching and, for some, terrifying German fairytales.
08. The Hedgehog in the Fog (Yuri Nornstein, 1956, Russia) A mysterious short animation about a nervous hedgehog.
09. The Animations of Oliver Postgate (UK) A whole generation of British children grew up on Postgate’s delightful animations, such as Bagpuss, The Clangers and Ivor the Engine.
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For 8-14 year olds
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01. The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955, USA) One of the greatest films ever made, this noir is an exciting tale of murder and deception and is even more engrossing today than when it was made over 50 years ago. I’ve yet to find a secondary student who doesn’t enjoy it.
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02. Great Expectations (David Lean, 1946, UK) Dickens’ story still looks fantastic in this classic British film. Kids will be scared and enthralled by Miss Havisham in particular.
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03. Kes (Ken Loach, 1969, UK) A fantastic story of a lonely high school student who finds escape from the dismal north of England with his pet kestrel.
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04. Not One Less (Zhang Yimou, 2003, China) Students get really engaged with this story of a young girl who has to teach a class of even younger students in a poor village in China.
05. Rabbit-Proof Fence (Phillip Noyce, 2002, Australia) 03
The heartbreaking story of three young Aboriginal children taken from their mother and their attempt to walk across one of Australia’s most remote deserts to get back home.
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06. The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1982, UK) You and your children are certain to cry but also to learn a lot about humanity and the deceptiveness of appearances from the story of Joseph Merrick in Victorian England.
07. Empire of the Sun (Steven Spielberg, 1987 UK) 04
The true story of JG Ballard, who grew up in a huge villa and attended a British school in Shanghai in the 1930s, only for it all to disappear as the Second World War arrived.
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08. La Belle et La Bete (Jean Cocteau, 1946, France/Luxembourg) Cocteau’s surreal masterpiece was a huge influence on the better-known Disney animated version.
09. Au Revoir Les Enfants (Louis Malle, 1987, France/Germany) 05
A subtly devastating portrait of high school friendship in wartorn France.
10. The short films of Jan Svankmajer This Czech film-maker’s surreal short animations transfix viewers of all generations.
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For older teens
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01. Hope and Glory (John Boorman, 1987, UK) Growing up in London during the Second World War. Much funnier and not nearly as depressing as that might sound.
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02. My Life as a Dog (Lasse Hallstrom, 1985, Sweden) Funny and touching tales of Swedish boy Ingemar growing up with his terminally ill mother.
03. The Sweet Hereafter (Atom Egoyan, 1997, Canada) 02
Echoes of the Pied Piper of Hamlin in a small Canadian town as it attempts to come to terms with grief following a terrible school bus accident. Has a 100% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website and has been voted the best Canadian film ever.
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04. La Haine (Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995, France) A day in the life of three young Parisians looking for justice and excitement from their housing estate. Startling black-and-white photography and a super cool French hip-hop soundtrack.
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05. Beijing Bicycle (Wang Xiaoshuai, 2001, China)
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Teenager Guei gets a job as a bicycle courier in Beijing but encounters some trouble in the hutongs.
06. Persepolis (Vincent Paronnaud, 2007, France) Fantastic adaption of a comic book about an outspoken Iranian girl growing up during the Islamic revolution.
07. Show Me Love (Lukas Moodysson, 1998, Sweden/Denmark) 04
One of the most emotionally honest teen films ever, about a girl growing up in a boring Swedish town. Also known by another title that can’t be published here.
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08. Boyz in the Hood (John Singleton, 1991, USA) The saga of a group of childhood friends growing up in South Central LA. A great film to show any gangster rap-enamoured teens about the importance of education, responsibility and friendship.
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09. Sweet Sixteen (Ken Loach, 2002, UK) A 16-year-old boy trapped by poverty and drugs in contemporary Scotland looks for an escape for himself and his family.
10. The Wholphin DVD collection The people behind the hugely successful McSweeney’s books and magazines produce this DVD magazine with exciting and engaging short films from all over the world.
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What’s your expat story? Neil Jensen explores the expat experience by Neil Jensen Director Allied International
S
o what’s your expat story, and how did it come about? Was it something you planned, a long-burning desire, or just something that came out of the blue?
Me? Well I blame my mother, although as always, your mother always knows best. Way back at the tender age of 16, having gone back to school to take my A-levels in the northeast of England, it was clear that I needed to be doing something different with my life. Therefore I decided to apply for a job working in a bank. An application form duly arrived in the post and I proceeded to complete all of the questions, albeit struggling with one of them: “Are you prepared to be mobile with the job?” Ever keen to do the right thing, I consulted
my mother to see what she thought. Her answer made a lot of sense. “Say yes, because the bus station in Whitley Bay goes just about anywhere.” So, having been accepted for the role with the bank, it was possibly a more mobile move than I expected when in 2000 the bank moved me to the Dubai office. Sadly the bus station in Whitley Bay had long since closed to make way for a shopping mall, meaning that we had to fly, so maybe mothers can’t be right about everything.
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I gradually came to the conclusion that there are pros and cons in every expat posting
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My assignment in Dubai was initially for three years and involved numerous visits to Saudi Arabia to visit clients of the bank in the main cities, as well as one or two far-flung outposts too. In 2004 I moved to Hong Kong with the family, which is where we remain today, having now left the bank after an enjoyable 23 years. During my 11 years overseas I have during the course of the job travelled to over a dozen countries in the Middle East and Asia. Over the years, I have gradually come to the conclusion that there are pros and cons in
every expat posting, and the way we deal with the challenges provides us with the long-term foundations of our future. I have found that the issues I and my family face are basically the same, wherever we live. Expat conversations when people meet tend to include the following three questions: • How long have you been an expat? • How long did you originally plan to be away from your home country? • How long will you stay here?
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Very quickly, I realised that the answers to these questions formed a similar pattern: • Anything up to 40 years was not uncommon. • People rarely had a plan to initially stay away longer than two-three years. • Rarely does anyone look further ahead than two more years.
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Challenges exist for all of us both personally and financially, and often the crisis you are experiencing today becomes something you learn from and in the future often (hopefully) laugh about
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ersonally, if asked these three questions I’d be no different in my answers; and while I would say to you that for question 3, I would hope to stay overseas for the long term, nobody really knows for sure. A lot of this comes down to the cost of living where you are, your ability to provide the best for your family and ultimately having the financial means to sustain all of this.
We all have numerous tales that we enjoy sharing (often more than once) in a social setting, which is one of the upsides of expat life in my view. Sadly, and all too often, we also hear tales of personal misfortune from a financial perspective, often as a result of circumstances but sometimes due to receiving the wrong advice, or more commonly not understanding what is being taken on in the first place.
Challenges exist for all of us both personally and financially, and often the crisis you are experiencing today becomes something you learn from and in the future often (hopefully) laugh about. It may be a problem with the children, relationship issues, personal injury or a complete financial disaster.
Something I have found fairly common over the years, especially within close-knit expat communities, is a willingness to openly discuss personal financial ventures. In fact, I can still remember sitting in a client’s living room in Saudi Arabia many years ago with an audience of people asking me more questions about the individual’s investments than he did. The reason for their presence was probably more to do with the fact that the client made the best wine on the compound and any excuse to come and drink it was readily accepted, but it was clear to me nonetheless that people were far more open when discussing personal financial issues than I was used to.
One of my own classics was that as an avid footballer, I unfortunately sustained a bad knee injury in Dubai, requiring a full knee reconstruction. The operation seemed to go well, but as the days progressed following the operation the pain got worse. I eventually went back to see the surgeon, who expressed concern about the wound. Upon closer probing, he started to pull bugs the size of woodlice out of my knee. It transpired that the eggs had originated in the hair of our domestic helper and nested in the bed, and were feasting on the wound each night. These days, I put it down as ‘expat life’ and can laugh about it, though I don’t remember feeling the same way at the time.
Whatever your reasons for becoming an expatriate, you probably have a high level of expertise in your chosen field and are hopefully remunerated accordingly for this. Unfortunately, when discussing how to save and invest this hard-earned money, you are all too often expected to be an expert in all things financial and can be swept along by numerous
success stories, jargon and terminology that you don’t understand, just going with the flow on the basis that everyone else is doing it, therefore so should you. Over the coming issues, I will try to peel back the layers when it comes to buying property, opening a bank account, obtaining a mortgage or investing that hard-earned money. I will explore some of the jargon that is used and strip it down into plain English, hopefully giving you the confidence to ask the right questions and to understand what it is you want to do and how you should do it. While you may not be planning to stay away from home beyond two more years, this may well change; therefore you need to ensure that you are maximising the opportunities that expat life gives you while retaining flexibility for future changes if appropriate. Anything can be as complex or as simple as one wishes to make it, and relevant education not only provides knowledge, but also gives you guidance for planning and managing your life, as well as meeting the objectives you have for you and your family. If you have a particular question or area that you would like me to cover in future editions of Family Matters, it would be great to hear from you. § neil.jensen@alliedinternational.com.hk
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FINANCE
BORROWER BEWARE NEIL JENSEN OFFERS FAMILY MATTERS A LOOK INSIDE SOME OF THE DANGERS OF TAKING OUT A MORTGAGE
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espite the financial turmoil the world is in, property sales still seem fairly buoyant. You may be buying a holiday home, or an investment property – or maybe this is the family home that you plan to return to live in. The problem that you face at the moment is how to finance the purchase.
Getting a mortgage has never really been the easiest or most pleasant experience. Reams of forms to complete, endless documentation to provide to the lender – most of which you inevitably misplace – and jargon that’s often difficult to follow. “Fear not,” cries the lender. “See our Terms and Conditions for more information.” Does anyone actually read these things? Let’s face it, how many times these days on the computer do we just hold down the scroll button, looking for the diminutive box that
says “I agree”? But hey, we’re dealing with banks, so it must be okay… Now, if you expect this article to give you the A-Z of obtaining a mortgage and understanding all of the pitfalls then I fear I may disappoint you. However, it’s worth looking at some of the frustrations and hazards that currently exist when obtaining a mortgage, and I’ll try to guide you through the maze to show why you always need to know what you’re getting into before signing.
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How much cash do I need to put down? When applying for a mortgage, the abbreviation ‘LTV’ almost always appears. It stands for Loan-to-Value and is effectively the percentage of the purchase price or value of the property that the lender will advance to you. So, for example, if a lender offers you 70 percent LTV on a property purchase of USD500,000, they are advancing you USD350,000, with the remainder coming from your own pocket. It’s worth pointing out that whenever you apply for a mortgage, the lender looks to obtain an independent valuation of your property. In this example, if the subsequent valuation of the property is lower than USD500,000 then the sum advanced will be 70 percent of this lower value, NOT the purchase price. If you’re contractually obliged to purchase the property, then it’s important that you have other funds in reserve – otherwise you risk losing any initial deposit already paid. Finally, if you’re buying a brand-new property off-plan, remember to inform the lender of this when applying, as some lend for new-build properties at a lower LTV.
What interest rate am I likely to be paying?
Deciding whether to fix your rate of interest is very much a personal matter, as nobody can be 100 percent certain how markets will move
The rate of interest that a lender charges you will be either fixed or variable. If you do fix the rate, then it will be for a designated period of time and will not be affected by market conditions. Deciding whether to fix your rate of interest is very much a personal matter, as nobody can be 100 percent certain how markets will move. Beware, though, as our friend the Terms and Conditions document may contain some unpleasant surprises here; therefore, do not be afraid to ask the lender for a written quotation prior to entering into the agreement. The most extreme example of this was a client who told me he had obtained a fixed rate mortgage for France for a period of 25 years, at a rate of 2 percent for the full term. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, after I looked at the offer letter from the bank and the terms and conditions, it turned out that my client was indeed correct and the loan was fixed at 2 percent. Unfortunately for him, if market rates increased, the lender reserved the right to add any additional interest onto the loan. On that basis, the client was in danger of owing considerably more money at the end of 25 years than when he started out.
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How much is this really costing me?
It’s commonplace these days for lenders to levy fees for arranging the mortgage and to cover bank transfer costs and so on, and these should always be listed. In addition to this, though, there are many other fees which are more difficult to quantify. Two particular fees that are often contentious are valuation fees and legal fees. In the case of a valuation being conducted on the property, this is really for the lender’s benefit as opposed to yours, and they select and appoint the appropriate company; however, you pay the fee. While you may have already instructed a company to do something similar (and paid for it), the bank is unlikely to accept this and you will effectively be faced with two bills. Typically, the higher the value of the property, the greater the cost of the valuation; therefore, as crazy as it may seem, a valuation for a small apartment that takes little time to survey may cost you more than one for a large family home, if the latter is of lesser value. As for legal fees, everyone incurs these when entering into a property purchase or sale. What many people do not consider, however, is that in some cases you also need to pay the legal fees of the lender. If you’re buying in a country where it’s necessary for the lender’s legal representative to be present, you’ll need to pay all of the expenses and costs involved. Using France again as an example, it’s a requirement for the lender’s Notaire to be present to sign at the property on the day the sale goes through. If that lender’s Notaire is based in Paris and your property is in the south of France, then your fees are considerably increased with cost of travel and accommodation. On that basis, when weighing up two different lenders based on costs shown in their fee guide, you may find that the lender who at face value looks cheaper ends up costing you a lot more.
When weighing up two different lenders based on costs shown in their fee guide, you may find that the lender who at face value looks cheaper ends up costing you a lot more
Neil Jensen
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Why does the lender want to tie me in for a minimum period of years? Typically, a lender will quote two different rates when you’re looking to borrow money from them. One part will be their cost of borrowing, plus a figure quoted as a percentage, which is what’s referred to as the margin. For example, if you are borrowing for a UK property, the bank may quote you Bank of England base rate (cost), plus 3 percent (margin). At the time of writing, your annual interest rate for this example would be 3.5 percent. The lender has no control over the base rate, which could go higher or lower and should hopefully cover their own base costs; however, the margin remains the same for the entire term of the mortgage. So what’s the big deal? Well, sadly there’s less money to go round these days, so if you’re fortunate enough to obtain a loan, then you’ll pay a premium for it. In most cases, the margin being charged for a UK mortgage by lenders three years ago was only 1 percent; clearly, these days it’s more expensive to borrow money. The lender’s chief fear is that at some point the cost of borrowing will become cheaper and attractive offers become available in the market, meaning that borrowers look to switch to a cheaper provider. By imposing an exit penalty for the first few years of your mortgage, they deter you from doing this – and you may feel aggrieved at paying more than others. For this reason, you should always ascertain how long you’re tied into the mortgage contract and take this into account when weighing up which lender to go with. In the current environment, we’re seeing far less choice in the mortgage market, which allows lenders to charge greater sums. You’ll probably have no choice but to pay the market rate if you want to borrow the money. What I would add, though, is that you should never be afraid to broach any of the subjects above with prospective lenders when looking to enter into an agreement with them. Of course, you could just contact a good independent mortgage broker and get them to do it all for you… §
Neil Jensen has spent over 23 years in banking and financial services, having left school at the age of 16 and, in his own words, “spent the first 10 months of my career making teas and coffees”. Rising through Director the ranks with one of the UK’s largest banks, he moved to work in Allied International their Dubai office in 2004 and at the time of leaving in 2010 was their Hong Kong Asia Regional Director of Sales and Marketing and also their Chief Representative for offshore banking. He now works as a writer and independent financial specialist, dealing with property, investment and mortgages and can access lending in over 50 countries worldwide. Away from work, Neil has three children aged 15, 13 and 8, who have attended international schools all their life. In his spare time, Neil is an avid footballer and is currently Chairman of the Hong Kong Football Club Soccer Section.
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the british school Warsaw, Poland
helping others to be the best they can be Education and learning have always been our focus and our area of expertise. Our people and the people we work with all have a good understanding of what this means to us. We aim to provide students with the opportunity to be the best they can be.
admissions@thebritishschool.pl
www.nordanglia.com/warsaw
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HEALTH
THE WINTER BLUES HOW TO PROTECT SMALL CHILDREN FROM GETTING SICK THIS WINTER Provided by NCICH
T
he winter months bring an increase in sicknesses including colds, flu and other viral infections. Small children are not always able to fight sicknesses as well as adolescents. However, there are ways to protect children from getting sick or at least help keep their environment cleaner and more germ-free to decrease the number of illnesses.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Germs and disease spread easiest from hands and make small children very sick, especially during the winter season when people stay indoors more. Hand washing is the best protection from sickness and infections. So always wash your hands and your little one’s hands, and have anyone around your small child wash their hands often. You can also use hand sanitiser when needed.
Keep pets and pet hair clean. Pets can carry illnesses in their hair that spread from person to person. They can carry fleas, bugs and skin conditions obtained from outdoors. Pet dander and hair has a tendency to fly all over the house, even if you don’t see it. So bathing pets and vacuuming your furniture and floors often will help protect small children from getting sick.
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Keep me healthy! Oranges Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C and will help boost a child’s immune system throughout winter. Did you know that to get the equivalent amount of fibre of one orange, you would have to eat two bowls of cornflakes?
Face Masks Although controversial as to whether they prevent pollution from affecting the lungs, they are a great way to prevent your germs from spreading to your children when you have a winter illness.
Hand Sanitiser Make a hand sanitiser part of your and your child’s daily routine to stop the spread of germs, and you could soon see a reduction in winter colds in your household.
No Smoking Children are more susceptible to cigarette smoke and second hand smoke can lead to infections in children. Smoke outside.
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5
STEP 6
If you smoke, smoke outside. Smoking in the home is the leading cause of ear, nose and throat infections in small children. Children inhale the smoke from tobacco into their lungs, making it more difficult for them to breathe. This weakens their immune system and makes it harder for them to fight off infections and viruses. Good indoor ventilation is important too.
If you or other children and adults are sick, resist kissing your little one on the mouth. Germs are quickly spread through our saliva, which means when you kiss your child, sneeze near your child or even blow your nose, you risk making them sick. You may even want to purchase facial masks that can be worn by sick adults and children to protect your small child from getting ill. These can be purchased at any pharmacy. Try to avoid getting super close to your child, at least until you or other sick people are feeling better. This will protect your child from getting ill as well.
Feed your child healthy foods like fruits and vegetables often, and make sure they take a daily multivitamin. Strengthen their immune system with good foods, vitamins and minerals. If you’re unsure about the type of vitamins to give your small child, try asking your pediatrician first. Most recommend a daily multivitamin with fluoride to protect your child’s teeth as well. Foods rich in fibre, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and D are also a great way to help your child stay healthy. Your pediatrician can suggest foods that are good for your child, depending on their age and needs.
Sunshine is a good natural supplement for child development. Remember to take your child out for some outdoor activities for two or three hours a day. Exposing their skin to the sunshine is good for the absorption of calcium and helps prevent rickets.
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HEALTH
Playing with animal friends GROW UP SAFE AND SOUND AROUND ANIMALS IN THE HOME By Dr Cindy Duan
K
eeping pets, visiting the zoo and outings in natural surroundings all provide great opportunities for children to have close contact with a variety of animal friends. As a result children can become more knowledgeable and responsible. However, there are risks parents should be aware of behind the intimacy, so that children can grow up safe and sound with their animal friends. On the next page are the common zoonotic (transmitted through animals) diseases.
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Disease
Disease source
Route of infection
Main symptoms
Vaccine
Rabies
Dogs and dog-like animals, cats, rabbits, monkeys, bats, etc.
Getting bitten, scratched or licked by sick animals
High mortality rate, paralysis, cerebral dysfunction, terror, etc.
Yes
Cat-scratch fever
Cats and felines (cat-like animals)
Getting scratched by catlike animals
Fever, inflammation and diapyesis (discharge of pus) from the wound, rash, lymphadenectasis (enlarged lymph nodes), etc.
No
Parrot fever
Birds (parrots, pigeons, turkeys, etc.)
Inhaling dust with particulates of fowl discharge or feather
Fever, cough, chest pain, pneumonia, pleuritis, etc.
No
Rat bite fever
Rodents (rats, rabbits, etc.)
Getting bitten
Fever, rash, ulcer, swelling of No the wound, etc.
Japanese B encephalitis
Mosquito infected by virus
Getting stung
Fever, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, unconsciousness, etc.
Epidemic hemorrhagic fever
Rats, rabbits, monkeys, etc.
Getting bitten or coming in Fever, shock contact with contaminated discharge
Yes
Toxoplasmosis
Cats and felines
Intaking food or inhaling dust contaminated by toxoplas
Lymphadenectasis, rash, pneumonia, myocarditis, retinitis, encephalitis, etc.
No
Slow virus infection
Dogs, cats, monkeys, etc.
Daily close contact
Encephalitis, blood disease, bone disease, etc.
No
Roundworm disease
Dogs, cats, etc.
Contact with tear gland discharge of sick animals
Epipephysitis (abdominal pain), keratitis (inflamed cornea), etc.
No
Campylobacteriosis
Various animals
Intaking food or drinking water contaminated by the stool of sick animals
Fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, pain in the joints, etc.
No
Allergy to animal fur feathers or dust
Various animals
Contact with the fur or Rash, nasitis (inflammation feathers of sick animals or of the nasal passages), inhaling dust contaminated cough, asthma, etc. by the stool of sick animals
No
Animals can carry a variety of generally in spring). pathogens (infectious agents). • Touch animals gently and However, children can still tenderly. Do not chase have close contact with animals animals or touch sensitive as long as parents are fully parts. For example, do not aware of the dangers animals poke into the nostrils, poke may bring and know how to the eyes or touch the teeth of deal with those factors properly. animals; don’t pull or tug an Here are some tips concerning animal’s ears or tail. animal contact: • Don’t play with animals in a dark or dim room; • Adults should be around animals can become while children are playing irritable and hostile in a dark with animals. environment. • Keep children at a safe distance when they feed animals. • Only touch tame animals. Animals in lactation or in heat are especially irritable and dangerous (the mating period for cats and dogs is
• Have your pets vaccinated and pay regular visits to a veterinarian for health checks and treatment of diseases. • Bathe your pets regularly. Clean their living areas. Use a wet cleaning rag and broom
to deal with stools and discharge. Wash your hands and your children’s hands after touching animals. • Children should not sleep with animals or pets. • Carpets and rugs are not appropriate in a child’s living room. Carpets and rugs should be cleaned with water. • Promptly clean a wound, bite or scratch from an animal. Get the appropriate vaccinations as soon as possible (preferably within 24 hours). Get injections of IVIG, antitoxic and tetanus toxoid when necessary. • Have your children vaccinated before going to areas where zoonotic diseases are prevalent. For example,
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Yes
epidemic hemorrhagic fever vaccine is recommended for children visiting forest areas, prairies and big cities colonised by rats. • Provide the relevant animal contact history to doctors when there are fevers for no reason, rash, epipephysitis, wound ulcers, etc. The above are principles that parents should keep in mind. Communication and experience exchanged with doctors and friends will also help build up your knowledge so that your children are much safer and happier with their animal friends. §
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Ensuring Recovery Treating basic sports injuries by SinoUnited Health
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njuries are an inevitable consequence of playing sports, but they need not recur and become your lifelong bad back or ‘dicky knee’. Injuries that are treated effectively in both the short and long term have a good chance of healing completely and permanently.
The most common basic sports injuries are muscle tears and pulls such as quad strains, hamstring strains, pulled calf muscles and dead legs, sprained ankles and acute and chronic shoulder or rotator cuff injuries. While, later on in the recovery stage, each of these injuries will require different approaches and different rehabilitative strategies, there are some basic steps you should follow in the early days after your injury. In the immediate 48-72 hours afterwards, it’s important to avoid taking anti-inflammatories. SinoUnited Health Physiotherapists advise that it’s okay to take analgesics, but they must be paracetamol-based, not aspirin-based. This is because, at this stage in the healing process, you actually need that inflammatory process to bring along the good stuff to fight infection and encourage healing. White blood cells, for example, help to remove damaged tissue. In this crucial period it’s best to take the RICE approach. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation, four actions
you need to take in order to limit damage to your tissues and create the best possible environment to allow your body to repair itself. (Occasionally you might also see PRICE or even RICER, where P stands for Protection and the final R stands for Referral. Protection means removing the risk of further injury, which can be done by taping or strapping, or by providing a splint, sling or brace. For tips on how to correctly tape an injured area and prevent further injury, check out the SinoUnited Health website at www.sinounitedhealth.com. Referral means sending the injured person to a specialist for a diagnosis on how to best treat the injury.)
rest Immediately after an injury it’s important to rest the area. If it’s causing pain, don’t try to continue exercising or playing sport. Don’t
In the immediate 48-72 hours afterwards, it’s important to avoid taking antiinflammatories
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push through the pain if you can’t bear weight in the area or if movement of the joint is painful. Please note, however, that this is not carte blanche to set up camp on the couch with every single episode of The Simpsons known to man – try to keep up a certain amount of physical activity. The point is simply that you should not cause further damage to the particular area that is injured.
ice Ice should be applied immediately after an acute injury. When there’s been a localised trauma to the body and there’s an active bleed, it’s necessary to reduce blood flow to this bleeding site, as increased bruising (blood in the spaces between the cells) slows the healing time, and increases discomfort and scarring of the tissue. All of this makes complicated rehabilitation more likely. This should be checked by applying ice (to decrease blood flow volume through vasoconstriction – narrowing of the blood vessels) for periods of 10-15 minutes on and off for around two hours. In this time, you should be able to apply ice around six times. Too much ice (longer than 15 minutes at a time) will result in reflex vasodilation (widening of blood vessels to increase volume of blood flow), whereby more blood is sent to the area to compensate. Do not use heat on the area, as this will also encourage vasodilation.
compression Use a pressure bandage to help prevent and reduce swelling, which decreases joint movement. Wrap the injured part firmly but
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make sure that you do not constrict the blood flow.
Elevation Keep the injured area elevated, as this will help to drain swelling away from the joint. The area should be elevated above the level of the heart, or at least higher than the most proximal joint of the limb concerned (i.e. hip or shoulder). The healing process takes place over 6-12 weeks, depending on the severity of the injury. In the 3-5 days immediately after the injury, the so-called ‘lag phase’, the body is trying to patch itself up. It’s like repairing something with wood glue: unlike super glue, which dries quickly, wood glue remains squishy and wet for a long time. When a wound is at this stage, it’s best not to prod it or stretch it and move it around. In some cases it may be necessary to see your doctor. Here are some red flags that you should watch out for: If it’s impossible to bear weight, you may have a fracture, cartilage damage or a serious ligament injury. Instability. If you can’t move the area as much as you used to, or indeed if it’s displaying signs of hypermobility (i.e. you can move it much more than usual), get to a doctor. Instant swelling within an hour of the injury means that bleeding is occurring, and is a sign of something serious. If at the time of injury you hear a crack, tear or pop, get to a hospital. And finally, decreased sensation (like a numb
hand after twisting your elbow) or a lack of pulse may indicate that an artery or nerve has been involved in the injury. For example, an elbow popped back into place may pinch the artery or nerve between the bones in the process. In the 5-20-day recovery phase, you can start gentle movements and stretching. After three weeks, you can begin to prepare the injured area for a return to the sport that caused the injury by targeting it with more specific rehabilitative exercises. Healing tissue is relatively dysfunctional and needs to learn how to move the way the original tissue did. The body loses its proprioceptive abilities in that area, as the receptors that send this information to the brain are damaged alongside the muscle or the ligament: thus, the muscles forget how to move properly. Consequently, injury is more likely to recur if you don’t take it slow and allow your muscles to learn how to move again.
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taking it in Budapest’s top FIVE Things to See By Ramada Resort Budapest
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udapest, the pearl of the Danube, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It’s full of unique sights and is the biggest spa city in the world. You can find Europe’s biggest parliament building, its longest cellar system (over 25 km long), a labyrinth in a rock, Roman ruins, the biggest artificial ice skating rink, Europe’s biggest synagogue, the oldest Metro line on the continent and much more… Budapest also has an intense and colourful cultural and night life, and there’s always an interesting festival going on. It’s not easy to figure out the Top 5 things to do here, but we took the challenge head-on, and this is what we came up with.
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Aquaworld
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Buda Castle Hill W
alk around historic Castle Hill and enjoy a unique view from different spots in the Castle District. Start the tour with a walk over the chain bridge, enjoying the panoramic view, then explore the small hidden paths, parks and stairs up the hill; it’s even more amazing (and romantic) at night. The side towards Pest is very busy, while the side towards the Buda hills is very quiet and relaxing. You can also take the historical Funicular Railway up and walk around Buda Castle – enjoy the view from the Fishermen’s Bastion, visit the Matthias Church, have a cake and coffee in Cafe Ruszwurm or just have a rest in one of the small parks and gardens. Don’t forget to check out the inner court of the Hilton Hotel, where you can still see the remaining ruins of a medieval monastery.
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udapest is suddenly tropical all year round at the biggest water theme park in Central Europe. If, after some exhausting sightseeing in the busy centre of Pest, you feel like having a little holiday in another world… try Aquaworld Budapest. Palm trees and exotic plants, a replica of Angkor Wat, rope bridges, a white water run and more carry you to another world, and there are also giant waterslides with names like UFO and Kamikaze. There are countless indoor and outdoor pools (including a wave pool) and a huge Wellness Area. While the kids are kept entertained in the Bongo Kids Club or the Adventure Park, you can play beach volleyball or just enjoy some refreshing tropical cocktails at the bar. There’s a free shuttle service from Heroes’ Square to this fantastic and unique place in Budapest. Have another holiday during your holiday!
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Budapest by bike T
ry the most innovative and interactive way to discover Budapest – sightseeing on a bike. Companies like Budabike.com offer bike tours where you get to see not just the usual sights but also some lesser-known parts of Budapest, like Obuda or the Roman ruins. With the bike you see things more intensely than on a tour bus, and on the tour you see a lot more than if you go walking on your own. In Pest, for example, you can explore the most important sights as well as more hidden areas in the space of two hours. A personal guide will show you the enormous Parliament building, the beautiful Opera House, Andrassy Avenue and more… and the tour ends at the very impressive Heroes’ Square, where you can have a break and enjoy a cool drink below the trees. On a bike you don’t just see the city, you feel it too.
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Night cruise on the Danube
udapest and the Danube by night are something very special. Maybe the best place to enjoy that amazing panorama is from a boat on the river. Take a Danube cruise at night for beautiful panoramic views of Buda and Pest. Several companies offer cruises; you can do a simple onehour cruise, or pull out all the stops and have a romantic candlelight dinner on the boat. You’ll see the wonderfully illuminated bridges of Budapest, Buda Castle and the Citadel, and you won’t easily forget the glory of the lights of Budapest (including the hundreds of lamps of the chain bridge) gleaming on the Danube, with the stars above glittering in response.
Aquaworld Budapest
Aqua-fun all year round One of the biggest indoor water theme parks in Europe which offers unforgettable experiences. Enjoy all the attractions; • 11 giant slides and 17 thrill pools situated around a replica Angkor temple • Bongo Kids Club, Kids’ World, play centre and playground for both younger and older children • Extreme sports, surf, scuba diving, high diving, adventure park Don’t forget… water-packed fun is available all year round! Opening hours: all year round from 6:00 to 22:00 Free shuttle service between Aquaworld and Heroes’ Square every day. For further information please visit our website: www.aqua-world.hu
Aquaworld Budapest C|A 1044 Budapest, Íves út 16. T|P +36 1 2313 760 | +36 1 2313 772 E aquaworld@aqua-world.hu www.aqua-world.hu
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f ive
margaret island E
njoy this oasis in the centre of Budapest, because it has it all: pools, beaches, a running track, cocktail bars, hotels, clubs, an open-air stage, snack bars… Almost three kilometres long, Margaret Island spans the area between Margaret Bridge and Arpad Bridge and boasts the city’s most beautiful park and a modern skywalk. In addition, it also houses ruins of medieval sacred sites, promenades flanked by statues, a water tower classified as a heritage site by UNESCO and the famous Music Well.
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LISTINGS
Listings Mokotow Area
Chamber of Commerce C2 ul. Wisniowa 40b lok 9, 02-520 (849 7414, www.spcc.pl)
Hyatt Hotel A1 ul. Belwederska 23, 02-761 (558 1234, http://warszawa.recency. hyatt.com.pl)
Little Chef – Cookery classes for children C3 ul. Kierbedzia 4, Room 320, 3/F (501 093 691, www.littlechef.pl)
Garden Villa Hostel A2 ul. Dolna 42, 00-697 (841 1173, www.gardenvilla.pl)
fitness and beauty Mokotow Area
Hostel Agra A3 ul. Falecka 9/11, 02-547 (849 0825)
Jogart – Yoga F1 ul. Odyniec 37, 02-606 (245 3169, http://jogart.pl)
Oaza Dom Studenta (Student House) A4 ul. Madalinskiego 39/43, 02-654 APARTAMENTY SUITES A5 ul. Warowna 1, 02-654 (www.rezerwuje.pl) Sadyba Area
Fitness Park Warszawianka F2 ul. Merliniego 4, 02-511 (854 0130)
accommodation
Hotel Atos A1 ul. Mangalia 1, 02-758 (207 7000, www.starthotel.pl) Hotel Portos (Best Western) A2 ul. Mangalia 3a, 02-758 (207 6000, www.bwportos.pl) Hotel Aramis A3 ul. Mangalia 3b, 02-758 (207 8000, www.starthotel.pl) Wilanowskie Pokoje Goscinne A4 ul. Rumiana 87, 02-956 (642 9068, http://wilanowskie.prv.pl) Hotel Zebiec A5 ul. Augustowka 1, 02-981 (842 9856, www.pora.pl) Warsaw Apartments A6 ul. Augustowka 94 Hotel Rezydencja Parkowa A7 ul. Wiertnicza 94, 02-952 (642 6204, www.rezydencjaparkowa. org.pl)
Profit Club S.C F3 ul. Grottera 12a, 00-785 (851 4532, www.profitclub.join.pl) Tennis Club Rakieta F4 ul. Czerniowiecka 3 (511 170 835) Silva Sport – Golf Club F5 Pulawska 53, 02-844 (643 7001, www.silvasport.pl)
SadYba Area Zdro Fit F1 ul. Mangalia 4 (842 4410, www.zdrofit.pl) Salon & Day Spa Escape F2 ul. Limanowskiego 115, 02-943 (642 3358, www.salonescape.pl) Centre for Recovery and Training F3 Inspektowa 1 Sadyba Fitness F4 Powsinska 42
Mokotow Area
health Luxmed H1 ul. Postepu 21c, 02-676 (332 2888, www.luxmed.pl)
Mokotow Area
Centralny Szpital Kliniczny MSWiA – Hospital H2 Woloska 137, 02-507 (508 2000, www.cskmswia.pl)
The English Speaking Expatriate Business Owners in Poland Association C1 ul. Belwederska 14/59, 00-762 (389 5430, www.esebop.pl)
Merritum Medical Spa Centre for Aesthetics, Dermatology, Cosmetic & Physiotherapy H3 ul. Narbutta 83, 02-524 (403 3500, www.merritum.pl)
Scandinavian – Polish
Team of Healthcare H4
community
ul. Samochodowa 5, 02-652 (585 7219)
ul. Limanowskiego 15, 02-943 (791 041 199, www.amastar.eu)
Centrum Medyczne Damiana H5 Aleja Niepodleglosci 107/109 (566 2222, www.damian.pl)
Fantasy Park – Bowling K2 ul. Powsinska 31, 02-903 (331 8542, http://warszawa.fantasypark. pl)
Independent Team, Public Hospital Mokotow H6 ul. Madalinskiego 13, 02-513 (541 7270, www.zozmokotow.pl)
IMAX 3D Cinema K3 ul. Powsinska 31, 02-903 (550 3333, www.kinoimax.pl)
24Wet – Vet H7 ul. Raclawicka 29b, 02-601 (844 2064, http://24wet.pl)
BARS & RESTAURANTS Mokotow Area
Luxmed H8 ul. Raclawicka 132b, 02-634 (332 2888, www.luxmed.pl)
Akashia Sushi R1 ul. Suwak 3 (210 6575, www.akasia.pl)
Szpital Ginekologiczna – Maternity Hospital H9 ul. Madalinskiego 25, 02-554 (450 2200, www.szpitalmadalinskiego.pl)
Biosfeera R2 Aleja Niepodleglosci 80 (898 0155, www.biosfeera.com)
Omega Dentist H10 gen J. Dabrowskiego 75a, 02-586 (845 0469)
Sadyba Area Animal Vet H1 ul. Bernardynska 25, 02-904 (396 5641, www.animal-vet.waw.pl) Care Clinic H2 ul. Morszynska 33 (842 2413, www.zozmokotow.pl) Praktyka Lekarzy Rodzinnych – Private family physicians H3 ul. Sobieskiego 60, 02-130 (842 8513, www.lekarzesobieskiego.pl) Primary Health Care Clinic for Children and Adults H4 ul. Soczi 1 (642 6933, www.zozmokotow.pl) Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology H5 ul. Sobieskiego 9, 02-957 (458 2780, www.ipin.edu.pl)
kids and fun Mokotow Area Hakiel – Dance Academy K1 Aleja Niepodleglosci 80, 02-626 (425 7424, www.hakiel.pl) Park Dreszera playground K2 ul. Odynca (www.warsawa.wikia.com/wiki/ park_dreszera) Books Forest K3 ul. Kazimierzowska 14
Sadyba Area AMA – Young Actors Academy K1
Nei Fiori R3 gen J. Dąbrowskiego 69, 02-586 (845 2331, www.neifiori.pl) Papu R4 Aleja Niepodleglosci 132/136, 02554 (856 7788, www.restauracjapapu.pl) Anytime R5 ul. Przejazd 2 (493 0849) El Corazon R6 ul. Domaniewska 52 (635 3061, www.elcorazon.pl) Pasta i Basta R7 ul. Odolanska 5, 02-560 (849 4075, www. Pastaibasta.pl) Blue Cactus R8 Zajączkowska 11, 00-785 (851 2323, www.bluecactus.pl) Boston Port R9 Okolska 2, 02-509 (844 0315, www.bostonport.pl) Dziki Ryz R10 ul. Pulawska 24b, 02-515 (848 0060, www.dzikiryz.pl) Cafe Mozaika R11 ul. Pulawska 53, 02-508 (849 6826, www.restaurajamozaika.pl) Zielnik Café R12 ul. Odynca 15, 02-608 (844 3500, www.zielnikcafe.pl) Park Café R13 ul. Gagarina 32a, 00-754 Esencja Smaku R14 ul. Odolanska 10, 02-560 (845 0944, www.esencjasmaku.pl) Casa R15 ul. Woloska 52, 02-584 (646 5170, www.restauracja-casa.pl) Pizzeria Gaga R16 ul. Przejazd 2, 02-654 (493 0800, www.restauracjagaga.pl) Pub Fort R17
LISTINGS ul. Miaczynska 5, 02-001 (646 6979) Carmona Tapas Bar R18 ul. Chodkiewicza 3, 02-593 (414 1919, www.carmona.pl)
Sadyba Area Rubikon Bistro & Restaurant R1 ul. Wrobla 3/5, 02-736 (847 6655, www.rubikon.waw.pl) Bonsai Sushi Restaurant R2 ul. Powsinska 31, 02-903 (370 3377, www.sushibonsai.pl) Sphinx R3 ul. Powsinska 31, 02-903 (370 3109, www.sphinx.pl) Pizza Marzano R4 ul. Powsinska 31, 02-903 (www.pizzaexpress.com.pl) Fratelli Pizzeria R5 ul. Sobieskiego 18, 02-957 (858 1010) Novy Shanghai R6 ul. Sobieskiego 18, 02-957 (642 6745) Garaz Pelen Smaku R7 ul. Pastewna 25, 02-956 (858 2693) Da Grasso R8 ul. Sobieskiego 74/78 (842 4489, www.dagrasso.pl) Segment R9 ul. Powsinska 18a (424 1414, www.segment.waw.pl) Restaurant Lyzwiarska R10 Inspektowa 1, 02-711 (651 6593) Arlecchino R11 sw Bonifacego 100, 02-903 (842 2422)
SHOPPING Mokotow Area Fabrica de Pasjone – Florist S1 Przejazd 6, 02-654 (502 234 858) Kalina – Organic Food S2 Malczewskiego 6, 02-001 (792 081 429, www.kalina.sklep.pl)
Sadyba Area
Sadyba Best Mall S1 ul. Powsinska 31, 02-903 (310 3000, www.sadyba.pl) Pozegnanie z AfrykA S2 sw Bonifacego 92 (858 2209, www.pozegnanie.com)
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FINAL WORD
FINAL WORD Hybrid vigour in the classroom Mike Embley evaluates the case for ‘hybrid thinking’ and how it applies to students and teachers
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ny good gardener or farmer will be very aware of the idea and practice of encouraging cross-breeding to promote what is called hybrid vigour. The basic idea is that often crossing two pure-bred lines of plants or animals works to produce a new offspring with the best characteristics of both parents. Indeed, top-quality seeds for keen gardeners are often marked “F1 hybrid”, referring to the fact that they are a first-generation mix of two excellent lines. As with plants and animals, so with ideas. The mixing of minds and cultures often gives rise to something new and powerful. We can see this as modern communication allows ideas to move quickly around the world and mix in ways that their creators never intended or envisaged. Some of these ideas have been among the most
powerful cultural movements of the 20th and 21st centuries. While undeniably powerful, these ideas have not always been constructive or a force for good, and one can speculate on the ramifications of such cultural foreshortening as it progresses over future generations. However, one idea whose time has definitely come, and whose tangible benefits are apparent, is the movement of teachers and ideas about teaching around the world. Each and every top school must have at its core the success of its students as its first priority. This success shouldn’t be limited to, but of course must include, academic success. Many students gain just as much from musical, sporting or artistic endeavours though, and we shouldn’t overlook the role of personal challenge and development.
Each school has its own character that imparts something extra to those in its care. At The British School we pride ourselves on our commitment to strong familyfocused communication, good manners, social graces and discipline. Some would call these values traditionally British. It’s true that British culture places a strong emphasis on good manners, but this is not unique! In fact British culture is something of a hybrid itself, a fact which should not be forgotten. We are THE British School in many senses and must remain so. That fact brings great value, and our slightly traditional nature and academic, artistic, sporting and personal success is what our families expect from us. However our community is made up of families from all over the world, all of whom
have something to offer. Equally, our teachers have a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences on which we can draw. Teachers who have had exposure to a wide range of teaching methods in their training and continuing professional development also benefit from being able to choose the most relevant methods. Although the very trendy Learning Styles theory is falling rather out of favour of late due to the lack of evidence supporting it, variety remains very much an important part of a teacher’s tool kit. After all, our students must be able to operate in the modern hybrid world. What better way to succeed than for them to become exposed to a little hybrid thinking themselves? §
Senseo, now also available cubed. www.senseo.com/quadrante
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School Life
essentials guide
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