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Learning in the sun!
BSB students travel to Niu Jie Mosque. FS Friendship Secondary DNA
24 SEPTEMBER 2010
24 SEPTEMBER 2010
September 24
Friday Fuzz goes Go-Karting!
28
Secondary Muffins with Mums
30
Secondary Mid Term Reports
30
Shunyi Primary House Music (pm)
October 1
Friday Fuzz Club
13
Shunyi Pancakes with Parents
15
BSB Secondary Idol
20
Secondary Residential Visits
21- KS2 Activity Days 22 (all KS2 children and staff) 25- Last week of After29 School / ExtraCurricular Activity Programme, Season 1
SHUNYI
SANLITUN
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SHUNYI
Secondary DNA tests!
Niu Jie Mosque
Niu Jie Mosque
Secondary extract Kiwi DNA as part of their science lessons this week.
Children from Sanlitun enjoyed a day at Niu Jie Mosque, more photos inside!
Shunyi also had the opportunity to visit Niu Jie Mosque and also enjoyed their day there, photos within!
From the Executive Principal
D
ear Parents
Within this newsletter you will find a proposed solution to one of the issues at our Shunyi campus in regards to the morning drop off. We are intending to implement this plan after the October break. The diagram gives an outline of the plans that will be in place to address the issue of ensuring our drop off in the mornings are safe and efficient. The area will be fully staffed with guards and during the first couple of weeks teachers and myself will be present. There might be some initial issues at first but I’m confident these will be quickly worked out. Constructive feedback is welcome. This plan will only work with the full cooperation of all parents. No one can be an exception to this rule during the busy morning period and so I will ask and require that all parents, drivers and others are made aware and do not attempt to drive up to the school gates on their own. Of course during the day when we’re not so busy parents are very welcome to park at the gates! We’re engaged in a continual process of improvement at all times, as any good organisation should be! One of our continuing commitments is towards health and safety and Mr. Andy Duffield is here conducting an audit of the school. Andy works for Nord Anglia Education in the UK and travels the world advising our schools and governmental advisory services on matters of Health and Safety. His full report is always very detailed and includes and number of technical points. I will present his full report along with my Principals report to the Parent Advisory Board at our first meeting next Tuesday at Sanlitun. Our first “Family Picnic” is approaching. The letters will go home soon detailing the times and the (small) costs involved. I do hope you will join us. In addition the letters regarding the winter uniform and the improved ordering and pickup process will also come home. Finally your children will be talking about lockdown drills to you. These are important of course and we’re committed to security. During the drill we do not aim to scare the children, especially the very little ones, but we do aim to make them familiar with the process. They are also important training opportunities for our guards. Over the next few weeks we will be upgrading to photo-id for families and staff. Families will use these during pick up. Production of these will take some time and we will roll these out at the Sanlitun campus first in the next couple of months before moving on to address the Shunyi campus. Have a lovely weekend, Mike Embley
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24 SEPTEMBER 2010
passport change edit jr
An important reminder from the British Embassy
30/6/10
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If you live abroad the way you obtain a passport, and where you need to apply, will change over the next three years. This leaflet explains what’s happening and why. After more than 20 years of running separate passport services, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Home Office have agreed that from April 2011, the Identity & Passport Service (IPS - an agency of the Home Office) will become the single provider of full validity passports for British nationals at home and overseas.
Why is this happening? > By taking this action now, customers overseas will still have access to a passport service > In October 2010 IPS will introduce new style passports containing more sophisticated security features. They are required to do this to continue to meet international quality and security standards. It is not affordable to print these new passports overseas
theft and passport fraud; protecting you and international borders > Integrating the two passports services into IPS will reduce the cost of maintaining a passport operation overseas, allowing us to continue to offer secure passports to overseas customers
So what’s changing? > A new emergency travel document available in most British Embassies by November 2010. If you don’t have a valid passport and need to travel urgently, this will provide a fast, secure and readily available way to do so > Regional Passport Processing Centres in place by the end of 2010 > All passport printing centralised in the UK in 2011 > In the longer term all passport application processing will also be moved back to the UK
> The UK remains one of the few countries still printing passports in Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates overseas. This is expensive to do and transferring blank passports around the world presents a greater security risk
By the end of 2010 we will have created 7 Regional Passport Processing Centres, based in Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, Madrid, Paris, Pretoria, Washington, and Wellington. These Centres will process all the passport applications for customers overseas until that work is centralised in the UK.
> New designs and new processes are being introduced to reduce the likelihood of identity
The majority of overseas passport applicants will be able to send their passport applications direct to a
passport change edit jr
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30/6/10
18:03
Regional Passport Processing Centre. In a few countries, however, customers will still have the option to submit their application via their nearest Embassy, High Commission or Consulate reflecting specific local circumstances. You can find out where and how to submit your application by visiting your local British Embassy/High Commission website. In 2011, all passport printing will be sent to a central production facility in the UK, shared with IPS. Most customers will receive their new passport directly from the UK, but some will need to collect their new passport from their nearest Embassy, High Commission, Consulate or courier depot. British Embassy/High Commission websites will contain clear guidance on local delivery and collection options. There are longer term plans to move all passport application processing back to the UK. We will inform customers as soon as we know when and how this will affect the service.
What will this mean for me? As a British national living overseas you will still have the ability to apply for your passport overseas whether it is a renewal or you are applying for the first time. When making your application you will need to allow time for the passport to be returned. In line with the service in the UK, for customers renewing a passport we aim to return your new passport within four weeks from receipt of correct
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documentation and fee. If you are applying for a passport for the first time you should allow at least six weeks. For more information see the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk
Will there be any additional cost? Yes. You will need to pay to send your application (and any supporting documents) to the Regional Passport Processing Centre and for the return of your new passport and supporting documents. We will keep our customers informed of any future price changes.
What should I do now? > Continue to look after your passport. Identity theft, passport fraud and related crime are on the increase. This is a precious document > Check when your passport expires and plan ahead > When you need a new passport allow plenty of time to renew: Did you know you can renew your passport up to 9 months before it expires? The extra time will be added to the validity of your next passport > Check the local British Embassy/ High Commission/ Consulate website for details on how and where to apply
What if I need a new passport urgently? Should you need to travel urgently and you do not
Changes to Overseas Passport Services
have a full validity passport (including if you have applied for a new one and have not yet received it) the local British Embassy/High Commission/ Consulate will be able to provide you with an emergency travel document to allow you to travel.
What if I lose my passport? You should contact your local British Embassy/High Commission/Consulate for assistance. If you need to travel urgently the Embassy/Consulate will be able to provide an emergency travel document and advise you on the new process of applying for a new full validity passport.
What other options are there? If you travel frequently to the UK and have a UK residential address, you can also apply to renew your passport by post or at your nearest IPS Regional Office. Details about how to apply while resident in the UK can be found at www.direct.gov.uk. Alternatively if you travel frequently you can apply for a second passport. For details please check your local British Embassy/High Commission/ Consulate website.
Where can I find more information now? www.fco.gov.uk The Identity and Passport Service are working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that these changes are introduced seamlessly. We look forward to welcoming our overseas customers.
www.fco.gov.uk
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From the Headteacher, Sanlitun
A busy week! Dear Parents Only a four day week but we managed to fit so much in. It was fabulous to see so many parents at the ‘Pastries for Parents’ in Foundation Campus. We worked out that 87% of families were represented that morning. The weather was not kind to us but the pastries baked by Eurest were delicious. I look forward to seeing our Y1-6 parents next Wednesday at our ‘Pastries for Parents’ at the main campus. Our Nord Anglia Health and Safety Inspector spent Wednesday and Thursday with me in both our campuses checking the systems we have put in place to ensure everyone’s safety. Since his last visit we have replaced the company who provide our security guards, put in surveillance cameras, re-evaluated our fire drill, earthquake and lockdown procedures and ensured there is a qualified first aider on every floor. We will have a practice of each type of drill every term. On Thursday I took 6B over to our Foundation Campus to gain experience of what it is like to be a Teaching Assistant. They helped to cut out pictures, stuck children’s work in their excellent workbook, read to them, guided them on the carpet and helped them eat their lunch. They were quite surprised when they had to finish their jobs during lunch hour as our Teaching assistants don’t get a full hour to themselves. The children did an excellent job and our younger children loved having them around. Mr Young also visited Foundation to have lunch with our Pre Nursery children and was so impressed with how well they sit at the table and use the cutlery. Please read the Parent Society page as they are organising International Day and it would be great if every nationality could be represented by our parents in Sanlitun. May I remind you that any child found with head lice will be sent home and asked not to return till their head is clear. It helps enormously if you check your child’s hair every night before they go to bed and keep them off school if any signs are found. This is also the season for conjunctivitis so please check if your child has sore itchy eyes, redness in the white of the eye or inner eyelid, increased amount of tears, thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep, green or white discharge from the eye or itchy eyes. If they have any of these symptoms you need to take them to the doctor or pharmacy for eye drops. You should have received the calendar for October today which informs you of all happenings next month. Have a lovely weekend Janet Brock Headteacher, Sanlitun Campus 6th Sense Tennis is up and firing at BSB Sanlitun Campus! The coaches are here until 5.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, so if you are doing another ASA but would like to play tennis after school clubs finish please feel free to come along! Please notify Mr. Hubbard if you would like to play, and make sure you make arrangements for a later pick-up. Also, don’t forget the 6th Sense Tennis Camps over the Half-term holiday. See flyers at school for more information. Please see the back pages of this newsletter for more information.
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24 SEPTEMBER 2010
Foundation Stage, Sanlitun
Friendship Friendship was the theme of our assembly this week and we heard the story of a beaver who found some new friends thanks to an echo and our teachers have been looking out all week for children who have been especially friendly. We also had a very successful “Pastries with Parents” on Tuesday – lots of parents, croissants and pains au chocolat despite the rain. Thanks to all the parents who were able to take part in our phonics workshop just after. The Pre-Nursery classes are still learning about clothes this week. We dressed up our bears with clothes for different seasons. We talked about winter and snow, and since it rained this week, we also talked about what we wear on rainy days. We had a go at doing things on the interactive whiteboard and we have been very busy playing with our new wooden blocks. We have been stacking with them, making roads for our cars to drive on and building houses. It has been a great week for Pre-nursery! “My body” has been the final theme in Nursery’s “Ourselves” topic. We have made a life size painting by drawing round one of our friends and had fun painting it. We also learned what we can do with the different parts of our body and how we must look after our bodies by drinking lots of water and resting after exercise. Nurse Sally showed us how to wash our hands properly before eating and after going to the toilet. We had fun making our “I can ….. “ book. Reception have had a hot and sunny week this week pretending to be at the beach! We painted beach pictures for our role play area, made ice creams for our beach hut and enjoyed building sandcastles in the sand tray. We created our own patterned beach towels using different 2D shapes in different ways. We were all amazed at how different beaches are all over the world and it was very exciting as some of us are going to the beach for our October holiday.
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ASA
In KS2 football ASA students are learning all of the individual skills needed to become better football players. All positions and abilities are being discovered as we develop new skills every week! Hopefully Mr. Bobby and Mr. Lee will discover the next Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at BSB Sanlitun! As the course progresses students will focus on the trickier skills of teamwork and more advanced tactics, such as inside foot passing,shooting with shoelaces, team attacking and defending.
Key Stage One, Sanlitun
Hunting! What do you think of KS1 so far? “Year 2 has been great so far. The stories they have written are so exciting. I’m really impressed.” Miss Cowdril 2K “Year 1 is very perfect.” Amy 1SB “I like the toys. I like to play Maths games.” Christina J 1SB “It’s feeling quite good. The best bit is Numeracy.” Helen 2K “1B are sometimes like monkeys but they have shown me they can work really hard.” Mr Lee 1B “Playtime is the best. I play with my friends Tom, Peter, Max, Tobias and Kevin.” Andrew 1S “Building a train set with my friends is fun. “ Andrew 1S “The classroom is really fun.” Ryan !J Here are some of the things we’ve been doing… Year 1 continued “hunting” (last week it was a bear hunt, this week it was a shape hunt) We have been learning all about the names and properties of 2D and 3D shapes and we found lots of examples around the school. Some of us used shapes to build towers, some of us created lovely patterns with beads and potato prints. Year 2 learned more about the seaside, this week looking at habitats and animals that live there. Well done to Kerry in 2H who was a star citizen this week.
Self Portraits
In topic this week the Year 1 children learned how to sketch a self portrait. We used mirrors to look at our faces as we were drawing to make sure our eyes, nose and mouth were the correct size and in the correct place. Once the had finished their self-portraits some classes started to make funky frames to hang their pictures in. They used lots of different materials; tissue paper, pebbles, beans, glitter, sparkles and feathers; to collage their frames. 1S’s self-portraits are now hanging up in the Year 1 corridor for everyone to see. They look absolutely amazing! In Literacy this week, the children had amazing fun tasting and smelling lots of different foods blindfolded. The children then had to think of WOW words to describe the flavours and smells. The children used the following describing words: sour, sweet, disgusting, herby, spicy, salty, lemony, fishy, fruity and many more. We will use this descriptive language in our poetry writing next week. Great work Year 1!
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KS1 Sports
EAL
Not even a holiday on Wednesday could disrupt the learning rhythm that Sanlitun EAL students have entered this term. Everyone is continuing to make good, steady progress, both inside and outside the classroom. Daily lessons with our Year 1 students give us a first-hand look at how much improvement has already been made, and in-class support lets us see many of our students participating in the regular classroom environment with confidence. Keep up the great work! Here’s a tip for the beginners: Fall is finally here! How many words can you think of to describe this season?
Sanlitun Library
Sanlitun Primary and Foundation stage children have brought book catalogues home on Tuesday from the Scholastic Book club. It’s a good opportunity for parents to obtain books from the UK to support your children’s reading. The school library will also be receiving a percentage of free books according to the children’s order. We do hope that you and your child will want to participate. Attached with the catalogue is a separate order form indicating the book price in RMB. Please use this separate sheet to put your order in, and return it along with RMB cash in a sealed envelope marked with your child’s name, class and “Book Club” by Monday 27th September at the latest. I’d appreciate you enclosing the right amount of money as it will be easier to process the order. Thanks for your support. Catherine Mang, SLT librarian
Chinese
This Wednesday is the traditional Chinese holiday called the Mid-Autumn Festival. In SLT Chinese classrooms, we had many different activities to celebrate this festival. We told the legend story of Chang E, a beautiful lady that the Chinese people believe lives on the moon. We also talked about what we can do to celebrate the day. Students now understand that the Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunion and that we should eat moon cake. Children in KS1 also colored Chang E and moon cakes.
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Key Stage Two, Sanlitun
Niu Jie Mosque visit
Last Friday, year 4 set off in the pouring rain to visit Niu Jie mosque, as part of their Literacy and ICT work. The trip started with a visit to the Red Rose restaurant to sample some delicious Muslim food. Everyone enjoyed eating the skewers of lamb and chicken as well as the tasty vegetables and juicy fresh fruit.
After lunch we set off to the mosque. Despite the weather the mosque still looked beautiful with all the turquoise and gold patterns around the courtyards. The mosque was full of hustle and bustle as there were many people there for the Friday prayers. We crept into the court yard nearest to the prayer hall and we could hear the voice of the imam calling everyone to prayer. Rows of shoes were lined up outside and inside we watched spell bound as the worshippers listened knelt facing Mecca. Later we walked around the mosque and we were able to see the women’s prayer hall and the Arabic writing on some of the vases and statues. Finally we went to the shop and many of us chose to buy colourful prayer hats as a memento of our trip. On Monday we began to use our experiences in our literacy lessons as we wrote poetry about the mosque. The teachers were very the high standard of the poems.
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Robinson Crusoe
In year 5, the children have been learning about Robinson Crusoe and have enjoyed reading the story. As part of a literacy project, the class had to write new chapters for the story including things that would make it read like it was written a long time ago; formal language, old technology and old fashioned words. In our assembly today, we performed part of the Robinson Crusoe story and then treated our audience to some of our own chapters acted out. Our own chapters were enjoyed just as much as the original story and if you want to know why, read this example from Joelle‌. As I was exploring the shore of my little island using my spyglass. To my great surprise, I found the shipwreck of my greatest fear lying on a piece of rock just sitting in the mouth of the great sea. My thoughts were now wholly employed whether I should swim over or build a raft. Eventually, I resolved upon swimming as I did not want to waste any time. Then, I felt my heart pounding furiously while I was swimming. Was it because I was swimming as fast as I could in the freezing cold water? Or was it because I was getting closer to the vessel? Whilst I was swimming nervously toward the vessel, I was also scanning the great sea looking for sharks and crocodile. After what seemed like finally, I reached the vessel, half-frightened and half-relieved. I suddenly noticed 2 pairs of beady eyes staring at my face. As I rummaged through my trunk, I resolved upon packing everything in a big trunk instead of bringing everything one by one. Suddenly, I noticed everything was sliding to one end of the vessel. When I walked out, I realized the strong force of the wind was pushing the vessel into the great sea. As the vessel started sinking into the great sea, I thought of a risky plan to escape the shark and crocodile, but I was doubtful if it would even work but it was worth a try. I threw two sets of clothes and with great luck, the shark and crocodile chased after it. Grabbing my trunk, I swam for dear life to my little island in the heart of the sea. I managed to jump onto the shore, which was ready for my arrival. I then thanked god for my safe return while packing my trunk.
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A Message from the Head of Primary, Shunyi
Summer Fun The summer seems to be with us for another few days and the children have been out and about making the most of the glorious days of later in the week. The playground has been abuzz with the construction of shelters and tents with the building crates, poles and tarps. Demand to play with the new equipment is so high that we have placed another order especially for KS1 children. Skipping is also taking off again with staff such as Miss Simpson teaching the children how to skip and chant new rhymes – all great exercise and fun! Year 6 TA, Mr. Smart is usually out playing football with those on the field and doing a bit of low key coaching at the same time. The cricket nets are up and running and the sand pit too. We have a minimum of 4 staff out on the playground at one time ensuring the children play safely and have fun with friends too. “Emily’s Bench” is there for children (who are feeling a bit lonely) to sit on and Y6 Playground Prefects keep an eye on the bench, watching for others in need of a friend at break. The Y5 and Y6 children both have responsibilities at breaks and lunches – calling children into eat, managing the playground equipment and tidying the shed where the equipment is stored. They do so with enthusiasm and care, helping children make the most of their time outside. So if it’s a fast action game of football or a quiet bug hunt, or a chance to build a tent or climb the “spider’s web” your children are looking for, it’s all happening in our playground! Class trips have started this year with Year 1 at the Llama Temple and Year 4 at the mosque this week . Many thanks to the mums who were able to assist on those trips – you helped ensure that pupils had lots of support in their learning and the maximum fun out in Beijing. Each class will have approximately 4 trips this year and, of course, Y2 –Y6 pupils also have their overnight trips too which are one of the highlights of the year. The annual ski trip has been expanded to include Y6 pupils this year – we have had a good level of interest and are delighted that some in Y6 will improve their skiing further. Have a lovely weekend, Jane Smith HoP
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Shunyi parking Dear Parents, We have been monitoring the traffic at our main entrance since the first day of this term. While things in general work out fine, we do have noticed that the traffic can be very busy at our main entrance with so many vehicles coming in during rush hours. As such, after thorough investigation, a new scheme is introduced which we hope will ease the situation thus improving the overall control of traffic. From Monday 11th October on, all cars of our parents/guardian/school staff are required to park on the big parking lot near the Anhua Street conjunction. There will be our security guards standing both on the street and the parking lot to help direct the traffic. We will really appreciate it if you (and your drivers if applicable) can follow their guidance. Meanwhile, all our school buses will use the main entrance. They will make a U turn then drop off students at the main entrance. Afterwards all buses should park on both sides of the road. Attached are some diagrams which clearly display the new scheme. Your cooperation on this matter is highly appreciated. Warm regards. Sierra Tan
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Dear parents, Parent Workshop: Phonics at BSB Each year we invite our parents of Foundation Stage and Key Stage pupils to a Phonics Workshop. The talk from our FS and KS1 staff will focus on how BSB develops children’s auditory discrimination, awareness and knowledge of the sounds of the alphabet to help them read and write independently. Parents will hear about both the “Letters and Sounds” curriculum, related teaching methods and our expectations for pupils of different ages and stages of development. The Phonics Workshop will be on Thursday 30th September at 9am at Shunyi Campus. All parents of children in Teddies to Y2 are invited. Refreshments will be served. Please confirm your attendance with Yvonne Quan on Yvonne.quan@britishschool.org.cn We do hope you are able to attend. Kind regards, Jane Smith
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24 SEPTEMBER 2010
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Foundation Stage, Shunyi
Silly Sock Day!
Teddies 1 finished their topic ‘All about me’ this week. They did some drawings and pointed to some parts of their face when asked. Teddies 2 have looked at different shapes and colours and have named parts of the body. They then made a life size collage of a real person. They pointed to their own body parts while making the collage.
Nursery classes started a new topic about senses and focused this week on hearing and seeing. They went on interesting sights and sounds walks around school, made some glasses and made shakers, experimenting with different materials for different sounds. In Reception children started to learn about Patterns. They looked around school for patterns, and tried to copy and continue patterns as well as making some of their own. Phonics started this week, with children learning the letters ‘S’ AND ‘I’. Tuesday was ‘Silly Sock Day’ to celebrate the sound ‘S’! Their shape of the week was a triangle.
Primary Library Club
The library club is inviting children to the primary library to enjoy the fun that books bring to them. There are more than 10,000 books here for children to choose, from picture books, fiction to non-fiction. Children can read their favorite books quietly by themselves or share some interesting stories with their friends. Also, they can ask the librarian for helps or suggestions. The library club could develop children’s reading and research skills that will enable them to become knowledgeable and skilled in various areas
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Key Stage One , Shunyi
Blankets and Gingerbread men
Year 1 have had a very exciting week! The children began the week sharing their weekend news. Students worked very hard to record their news in their literacy booklets. We then began our topic about poetry. We found words that rhymed to various senses and recorded our results. In numeracy, students have been learning about place value. The students have been partitioning numbers into tens and units. Students have continued to explore the senses and this week have been focusing on smell and taste. The highlight of the week was a visit to the Lama Temple! As part of our unit “Historical Buildings�, students explored the Lama Temple and answered various questions about what they observed. The children enjoyed their explorations and enjoyed a picnic lunch when they returned to the school campus. This was the first of many fantastic trips Year 1 will be taking this year! We have had another busy week in Year 2! In Literacy the children have been working on non-fiction texts. They have identified the contents, index and glossary pages and talked about the uses of these. Towards the end of the week the children learned how to make a diagram that explains a process. In Maths we have been revising number bonds to 10 and working on consolidating number bonds to 20. The children have been learning about the relationship between addition and subtraction. They have been using addition facts to solve subtraction sentences. Our topic work has been fun this week. We have been looking at swimming costumes from the 1900s, 1930s and the present day. The children designed their own costumes and stuck them in their books. They really have all been working very hard!
24 SEPTEMBER 2010
Key Stage Two , Shunyi
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Romans and Celts In Year 3 this week the children have been writing descriptive passages about kitchen settings. They have used powerful verbs and adjectives to make their settings realistic and vivid. The children very much enjoyed being creative and having the opportunity to use some interesting pieces of descriptive language. In numeracy, Year 3 has been working hard to double and halve different numbers. They are learning to understand that halving is the inverse of doubling and doubling the inverse of halving.
In continuation of the Oceans topic, Year 3 has also been finishing off their maps. To build on this work, they have also been looking at how co-ordinates work on maps to help navigate people to specific points. In Year 4 this week, the children have been thinking about Islam in preparation for their trip to the Niujie Mosque on Friday. During their trip they will be writing poetry as a culmination to our poetry topic and also doing some light sketching of different statues and architecture they will see at the mosque. We are really looking forward to our first year 4 trip! In literacy this week, Year 4 started their new literacy topic of recounts. The children have begun to identify the features of this type of text and are now looking at a variety of recounts to see if they can recognise the features they have learned. In numeracy this week, the children have been using mental strategies for addition and are now moving on to the more formal written methods. Additionally, the children have continued to practise their times tables through games and written tasks. In Science, we had quite an arty lesson! We thought about what the inside of our bones looked like and then we made sketches of the real thing. After this we labeled the different parts of the bones with scientific language. In topic, we have continued to learn about the Romans and their empire. Children compared Roman soldiers to that of the Celts and we thought about why they were so successful in battle. We learned that the Romans made their conquests for specific reasons and that Britain provided them with silver, gold, lead and wool.
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Team building and School Jungle
It has been a busy week in upper KS2 and Years 5 and 6 have all been working incredibly hard. This week Year 5 have been working together to compose our own short stories inspired by Roald Dahl’s, “George’s Marvellous Medicine”. We created a plot outline so we knew where our stories were going, wrote detailed and descriptive settings, introduced our ‘nice’ and ‘nasty’ characters and outlined the conflict and resolution. Next week, we will re-draft these sections into a whole story. In Y6 Literacy, pupils have been doing work to link in with our World War Two topic. The children examined pictures from the period and experimented with vocabulary and appropriate imagery, in preparation for their own pieces of warbased writing. They then looked at a war-based exemplar of an effective opening and had to adopt a persona, writing from the perspective of someone in the war. As part of the topic, we have looked at the main players during the World War Two period. Pupils will also have the chance to find out more about one of the war leaders in greater detail as part of a research project. Y6GT have been working on a class assembly based on our topic. The children are performing a drama and are playing evacuees being sent to the countryside after the announcement of war. It will undoubtedly be a memorable performance. Year 5 have been investigating 3D shapes and classifying them according to their properties in maths and in Y6 Numeracy, we have been looking at place value and decimal notation, with an emphasis on ordering decimals and rounding. We have also examined how to multiply and divide decimals and whole numbers. The exercises the pupils have completed has consolidated their knowledge and allowed them to use their new skills ‘in practice’. In Y5 Science, we did some role-play, during which we explored the impact of the discovery of vitamins and the need to eat fresh fruit and vegetables back in the 167h and 18th centuries and the effect this had on explorers such as Captain James Cook. The children were interested to learn that Cook was one of the first to introduce a more balanced diet on his voyages, deviating from the standard dried meat and biscuits which had been provided previously. In Y6 Science we learned about different forces and the effects of gravity.
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Primary Music This has been another very busy week for the primary music department. In nursery music the children have looked at which classroom instruments they can shake, tap and scrape. They were very good at remembering the names of the instruments such as the scraper, the wood block and the tambourine. They were given a variety of each type of instrument on which they performed their ‘shake, shakety shake - tap, tappety tap - scrape, scrapety scrape song’. They had lots of fun trying to only play one instrument on cue according to how it is played, and finally in the last verse playing together ‘Shake, tapetty, scrape’. They all contributed to a wonderful performance! Year 1 is learning about tempo and listened to examples of a steady beat
Year 5 using traditional African dance steps and their own cyclic patterns. Y6 has been working on vocal harmonizations and learning to play nine independent music parts together as an ensemble.
becoming faster and slower. They enjoyed playing a musical game, ‘Ish Rat’ where Ms Chaplin was the train engine and the children jumped on board as carriages. Our train got very fast when we were out in the country! Year 2 has had fun making up their own music using pictures of radishes, horse shoes, carrots and a long tail to show the sounds they are playing. Year 3 has been listening to various composers describing different animals and watching Indian hastas. Year 5 has been creating rhythmic cues, patterns and steps to put together African cyclic performances. The performances were amazing! They are learning to sing a children’s song in the Bambara language.
The choir has started working on another new song this week and the students have now been put into groups so that they can begin working in parts. In addition, all the houses are busily rehearsing and preparing for the house music competition next Thursday! Marguerite Chaplin Primary Music
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ASA
Cookery ASA Following last weeks introduction to Cookery ASA, our discussion on safety in the kitchen and organising our recipe books, the ‘Little Chefs’ of KS1 have been cooking up a storm in the primary school cookery room. This week they have making Top Hat Biscuits, a very popular treat made with digestive biscuits, marshmallows, milk chocolate and sprinkles. Hopefully the children managed to get them home in one piece for all to share! Next week .......more culinary delights! PS. A gentle reminder to all those attendng this ASA....PLEASE remember to bring a container to carry your scrumptious creations home with you! Dawn Bowskill and Jenny Whiteside
ASA
Touch Rugby
This year we have started a new ASA called “Touch Rugby”. This is a fun game that requires team work, fitness, fast hands and lots of thinking. We are working with a group of 18 enthusiasts, boys and girls from year 3-6, many of whom haven’t played before. We have modified the rules this year so we can concentrate on passing, catching and supporting each person. In each session we work on basic skills of passing and catching, then finish it off with a game. We hope to run a game at lunchtime in a few weeks time that other children can watch. This may encourage other students to put their name down for future “Touch Rugby” ASA’s.
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EAL
EAL
Key Stage 1 Key stage 1 has worked towards expanding their everyday vocabulary. The children are now able to recognise words related to the classroom. They’ve then moved on to where they live and can now describe household objects and rooms in the house. Lastly, the EAL learners have done very well in acquiring vocabulary related to the body. A very good week for Key Stage 1 with lots of new words to use and practice. Key Stage 2 This week, Key Stage 2 has developed their knowledge of ‘the family’. We’ve looked at the immediate family and then progressed on to the extended family. The children did well in talking about how different members of the family are connected and related. They also drew some nice family trees and shared information about their own families. In key stage 2, we’ve also started to expand our vocabulary on clothing/attire. The children then used the future tense to become fashion designers and sketched some wonderful outfits of the future. I’m very pleased with the work this week. Mr. Jonathan Chatters & Miss. Shelley Simpson Primary EAL.
Chinese
September the 22nd is the Mid-Autumn Festival. The traditional food of Mid-Autumn Festival is moon cake. Moon cakes are round, and this shape symbolizes reunion. It represents the desire of Chinese people to get together with family and friends. Shunyi Primary students in Chinese lessons also had a wonderful week. Not only did they have their usual lessons, but they also learned many things about this festival. They listened to a beautiful fairy story about the moon and really enjoyed it! Primary Chinese
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Secondary Dear Parents, Residentials from 18 to 22 October 2010 Shortly all students in the Secondary School will have the opportunity to take part in the Residential Programme from 18 to 22 October 2010. BSB prides itself on offering a broad curriculum, and these courses provide adventure, challenge, and fun. The Residentials will be a chance for students to enjoy new experiences and explore a number of areas in China. During the week students will try new activities either to complete a journey or a task. To be successful, they will need to put in a degree of physical effort, work hard as a team and communicate with all the other group members. It will also be an excellent opportunity to strengthen friendship bonds between students and for them to see their teachers in a different light outside of the classroom. Many will also be the chance to participate in cultural visits as well opportunities to relax and play. There will be an information evening on Tuesday 12th October at 6pm for any parents who wish to learn a little more about the trip or talk to staff. U14 Football tournament Congratulations to our U14 football team who took part in the recent U14 tournament! Parents Association evening Last Saturday the School provided an excellent selection of food and refreshments and ten sixth form students turned out to help serve drinks and nibbles as well as chat and entertain the guests. A great time had by all. Kind regards, Rob Hewett Head of Secondary
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French Singing ASA French singing ASA has only started 2 weeks ago and already, our group is doing very well indeed! - Who hasn’t heard yet of the French movie called “the chorus” (les choristes in French)? This movie was realeased in 2004 and became soon a hit thanks to the beautiful voice of one of its actor, Jean-Baptiste Maunier, Pierre Morhange in the movie, who could reach high notes in his singing. Caresses sur l’ocean is one of the most difficult songs featured in this movie but there is no too big a challenge for our dedicated singers! - The second song we have chosen so far is called toi + moi, by Gregoire. Grégoire Boissenot, born 3 April 1979, is a French singer-songwriter, musically active since 2008. His music career started when he has been chosen by public on the French internet site My Major Company as the first musician ever to publish a record in its label. All the people who financially contributed to the start of his career appear in his video clip. In 2008, Grégoire was nominated at the NRJ Music Awards in the category ‘French revelation of the year’. It’s a very repetitive but energizing song that we hope to get ready for BSB idol!!! Watch this space!
Food Caliometry Year 12 have been investigating diets, energy requirements and energy in food. The method used is called calorimetry in which a known mass of a food sample is fully combusted in oxygen. The energy in the food is released as heat, which raises the temperature of 1 litre of water. I takes 4.2kJ of Energy to raise the temperature by 1oC.
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Year 10 to 12 Hike in the Silver Pagoda Mountain Park
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On Sunday 19th September 17 students, supported by six staff , took part in a hike around the Silver pagodas Mountain Park. The activity was performed as part of the International Award / Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The students navigated their way around the route of approximately 20 kms over some quite steep and rocky terrain, which took almost 6 hours to complete. The weather was beautiful as were the views of the Pagoda Towers, the mountains and even the Great Wall in the distance. Everyone completed the journey, although there were a lot of tired and thirsty bodies at the end of the day. A big thank you to all the staff that volunteered and who helped make the trip a rewarding experience for the students. Trip Leader - Nick Bourne
Science - KIWI DNA Year 9 have studying genetics and inheritance. In particular they have been investigating how our genes and chromosomes control our features. They have also been considering some of the important ethical issues such as human cloning and even designing babies of the future. Using some simple laboratory techniques they took the humble Kiwi fruit and extracted the DNA from its cells.
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LES ACTUALITES FRANCAISES: (French news)
YEAR 8: BSB Secondary teachers wanted: Year 8 went interviewing! As part of their revision module on talking about others, Year 8 French went hunting their teachers down for information; This gave us a chance to know a little bit more about some of our new teachers this year and learn some more about our usual teachers! - - - - - - - - - -
Mr Vinagre (Science): Green is his favourite colour Ms Penn (Drama): loves pizzas Mr. Washko (P.E): hates dancing! Ms Branquinho (Science): was born in Portugal Mr. Robinson: is scary in picture but lovely in nature Mrs Molina-Cox: loves eating black beans (!?) Mr. Nelmes: Loves chocolates Mr. Bourne: is very chatty (really?) Dr. Massy: Likes diving Ms Parr; Hates her picture being taken!
Geography
The IGCSE groups are doing great work at the moment looking at population pyramids (demographic statistics) and analyzing future trends. We have had some strange results which we have then researched to try and find out why some anomalies exist. For instance, the pyramid for Russia shows a sharp decline in men in the age group 60 – 65 but then an increase after that (whereas usually you would expect it to keep declining). Researching this anomaly we found out that when President Gorbachev was in power he pushed through reforms on the sale of alcohol and therefore less people were dying from alcohol related diseases. After he left the podium of power, the numbers dying shot through the roof again. Looking at statistics can be quite dry but they come to life if a bit of research is done.
French Club news
Our little Tuesday lunchtime group has met twice already and we have all been introduced to each other. Could I remind parents who wish their child to take part to email me so that I can ensure no one is missing out! We will be preparing the IGCSE French first language so this Tuesday Lunchtime club is only for native or near-native French speakers. Merci Amelie Azeem
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Art and Design
Art and Design IGCSE students have been working hard on developing their personal studies; Topics range from architectural paintings to surrealism to studies combing the styles of Klimt, Sheile and Japanese inspired Art Nouveau. Students begin their visual studies looking at the work of an art or artist; then they begin to develop drawings, paintings and mixed media studies, exploring ideas, techniques and processes to develop imaginative pieces based on their research. Charlotte Yearn
YEAR 9: MNEMONICS Do you know MRS VAN DER TRAMP? YOU might not, but Year 9 French class certainly do now! This week, they learnt that there are special verbs in French that don’t like acting like others in the perfect tense. Most use AVOIR as an auxiliary like J’ai mangé but others, a few, use ETRE instead, like je suis allé. To remember them, we usually use an acronym-mnemonic device but Year 9 this year decided to call them frog verbs, in reference to a poster in our classroom that depicts the story of a small frog with these 14 verbs! Monter Venir Descendre Tomber Rester Arriver Entrer Rentrer Sortir Naître Retourner Aller Mourir Partir Year 9 were asked to imagine their own story in order to memorise these verbs and here is one of their creations (translated of course!) “ One day, a burglar arrived at my house. He entered and I was scared. I saw him and said hi. We stayed to have tea together. He then went up the stairs to steal a few things and then he came down. He returned to my living-room for more tea. Then, he left. I came in my bedroom. I saw that the duck born yesterday was gone! I run to the burglar and said “go out!”. He went out and fell off. The burglar died”, by Kelvin Ng. There are many ways to remember what you need to learn and creating mnemonic devices is a really useful way of doing it! Here are a few ideas, can you think of others? 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6-
Music mnemonics: melody helps remember the words Letter or word mnemonics: the 1st letter of each word in a list of items is used to make a name of a person or thing Model mnemonics: some type of representation is constructed to help with understanding and recalling important information Ode or Rhyme mnemonics: it puts information in the form of a poem. Notecards: Notecards are an easy way to organize main ideas and relevant details to be recalled Image Mnemonics: is constructed in the form of a picture that promotes recall of information when you need it
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Year 11 Business
The Year 11 Business Studies students are currently working on the topic of Human Resources Management. Over the past week they created a job description, specification and advert for one of three jobs; Teacher, Marketing Manager or Apprentice of the fictional Brightway Company. This weekend students are going to create a curriculum vitae and covering letter in order to apply for the prestigious position of Apprentice at the Brightway Company. Students producing successful curriculum vitae will be invited for an interview with Mrs Parr, Mr Hewett and myself in the first week after the October Holiday, after which the winning student will be announced. Student’s will have to imagine they are 18 and have just finished their A-Levels. This will also act as a starting point for their university applications in 2 years time. Good luck to all students taking part.
Over the moon in the Cinema of Dreams
The BSB Cinema of Dreams film club celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival with a screening of several moon related films. These ranged from George Melies’ 108 year old science fiction film “Le Voyage dans la Lune”, complete with narration from Mr Robinson, to Yannick Puigby’s 2007 animation “I live on the Moon”. We rounded things off with footage from Neil Armstrong’s moon landing in 1969 after discussing the recently announced news that China plans to land a man on the moon in 2025. The BSB Cinema of Dreams is currently running as an ASA but we are planning to hold after school film screening ‘happenings’ for all pupils and parents to attend in the near future. The project was inspired by Oscar-winning-actress Tilda Swinton’s Beijing film festival ,held last year, and her 81/2 cinema project which aims to introduce young people to “off-theirhead, boingy films that stretch kids’ imaginations and feel like a tumble down into wonderland.” For more information on the 81/2 project have a look at this website www.eightandahalf.org and watch this space for more information on the BSB Cinema of Dreams events.
Secondary School 2010 – 2011 Student Council The Student Council form representatives for this academic year are Lucy Baxtrem 7MP, Cindy Zhao 7PE, Bill Ningyuan 7C , Melanie Legrand 8AA, Angela Ko 8EL, Amelia Stucke 8DR, Kevin Huang 9CY, Rishay Chetty in 9AP, Rebekka Mannes 10NB, Omar Ismail 10JH, Hannah Jang 11JP, Tommy Siu 12IM and Min Jung Kang 13RH. The Student Council representatives will be meeting each month with Mr Hewett / Miss Yearn in the board room to discuss student concerns, initiatives and other matters.
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Volleyball U19 Volleyball Both boys and girls teams are in action this weekend. The girls play BCIS on Friday and TIS on Saturday. The boys plays IAB on Friday and CISB and TIS on Saturday. Both teams are looking for wins to help with ceding as the countdown to their end of season tournaments has begun.
BSB Open Swimmers Meet 85 swimmers have entered to swim in the meet on Tuesday 28th September. This is a fantastic turnout and we are very excited. Officials are organised, a mixture of our enthsiastic swimteam parents and helpful Teahing Assistants. See you in the pool, Splash! Tomi Barnsley Swimming Coordinator, Shunyi
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NORMANS
SAXONS
Sanlitun House Points
VIKINGS
ROMANS
Secondary Merit Awards
Shunyi House Points
Normans
475
Normans
0
Saxons
522
Saxons
0
Vikings
438
Vikings
0
Romans
501
Romans
0
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Key Stage 3 Amelie Auvray
15
Erik Melander
15
Joseph Bradshaw
13
Lawrence Greco
13
Key Stage 4
Well done Saxons!
House points begin soon for Shunyi.
Silvia Vidinyu
7
Nurazlin Mohamed Khalit Randy Zhang
5
Tom Cho
4
5
Parents Page BSB is pleased to widen the scope of our newsletter by including a parents’ page, items for this page should be in keeping with the ethos of the School and should be submitted to our Publications and Liaison Officer on newsletter@ britishschool.org.cn before 4pm Wednesday on the week in which they are to appear. Please note we cannot advertise businesses, the aim is to promote charitable events and personal ads.
Halloween is quickly approaching--have costumes for your children? Shop from the world’s largest online Halloween store--HalloweenExpress.com--and have Dong-Xi.com ship it to you. Even better, to save on shipping costs, Dong-Xi.com is organizing a special GroupShip for the costumes, to save on shipping costs for British School families.” Three easy steps:1. Send the link of the costume/items you want to order@dong-xi.com 2. Pay through Dong-Xi.com 3. Receive costumes one week before Halloween William Heathershaw
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PARENT EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING All I want is some peace and quiet!
Mum, can I have …
Help!
I’m very confused!
Lookout! They’re arguing again!!
Hassles over issues like bedtimes, chores, rules, TV & TV programs, homework; tantrums, scenes etc. Are these situations familiar? P.E.T. offers skills to resolve these problems together with your child.
P.E.T. is an 8-session course specially designed for families to learn a time-tested model of communication that offers skills, which gives you
Better two-way communication Establish successful discipline Children who become self-disciplined, more responsible and solve their own problems Children who are more self-reliant, resilient, independent, and selfmotivated Children who are more open to parent’s ideas Warmer feelings, closer relationships and more FUN in the family
Course starts: Wednesday 13th October, 9am- 12pm at BSB Shunyi For More Information or a course outline contact: Susie Havas: susiehavas@hotmail.com or 13910024146
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More information can be found on the posters in school.
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