APR I L 201 2
THE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER School News from the Pupils and Teachers of The British School of Alicante
Art Exhibition 2012
Ind e p en de n t Sc h o o l s I n sp ec t o r at e As I intimated in earlier correspondence, last week we received a full Inspection visit from a team of 6 Inspectors from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Thank you to all parents and pupils who returned the questionnaires. ISI is one of only six organisations licensed by the UK Government to carry out accredited school inspections on behalf of OfSTED, the government inspection body. ISI previously inspected our school in March 2006 and returned this year as part of their six year programme of Inspections. This accreditation guarantees parents that schools inspected by ISI are rigorously judged against all compliance with schools in the UK in terms of
safety, policies, legal requirements, curriculum, academic achievements, pastoral care, teaching standards, leadership & governance and all relevant local legislation. The report from the inspection team will be available in approximately 6 weeks´ time, when I will send every family a copy. It will also be posted on our website and also on ISI and COBIS websites. I am confident that you will be very pleased to read the report.
Derek Laidlaw Headteacher
ART
2012
EXHIBITION
Congratulations to all pupils and staff who contributed to our wonderful exhibition of GCSE and A level Art on Friday 20th of April. Thanks also to Anis and Ana for their splendid musical performances. Thank you to the many parents and pupils who attended the exhibition and a special thanks to Miss Parry and Mrs Castro for all their preparation and work.
Pag e 3
WRITING AND DRAWING COMPETITIONS The winners of the Writing and Drawing Competitions that took place in the last book fair, on March 16th are: • • • • • • • •
Víctor (Nursery E) Teresa (Reception P) Sara (Y1 S) Arnau (Y2 D) Laura (Y3 S) Náyua (Y4 C) Neus (Y5 R) Aitana (Y6 G)
Congratulations to all of them for their fantastic works. They all won a free book of their choice as a prize from the book fair. Thank you to all students who took part in the competition. Keep on trying! Mª José Sánchez BSA librarian
RACE AGAINST HUNGER
On May 2nd , KS2 pupils received a talk from members of the group “Acción Contra del Hambre”. They spoke about malnutrition and hunger which affects millions of children every year throughout the world. We will be aiding this charity by holding 2 days of fun runs during May. I would be grateful for any contributions you can make via the pupils for this worthwhile global cause.
EARLY YEARS SPRING CONCERT Pag e 5
Ten Top Tips for Exam Success: CREATE A REVISION SPACE
A dedicated quiet space with good natural light or lighting with no distractions is best for studying. If you have other children who are not studying for exams, make sure that they know the importance of revision time.
TAKE A BREAK
THOSE DREADED EXAMS! MR. SIMON WICKS
D
ear Parents of Exam Students, Each year worried parents ask us the same question: “What can I do to help make sure my child does their very best in their examinations?”. Unfortunately exams coincide with the general stress associated with being a teenager. Relationships between children and parents, which may already be strained, can become even more diffi cult during the exam season. The most important thing for you and your child to remember is that there are plenty of people at the school who want to help. If your son or daughter is worried or anxious about the exams you must encourage them to talk about it. They can talk to you, their teachers and the school examinations team. We are all here to help. It is also important to remember that it is extremely diffi cult to get an A-grade in every subject. Try to keep your expectations low and focus on how to exceed those expectations. Finally, although examinations are an important and necessary part of the education of your child, they are just a snap-shot of your child's academic performance. Remember, many of the most successful and happy people have failed exams and it is always possible to take the exam again.
Ensure that your son or daughter has one evening a week away from their studies. It is also important that they take regular breaks during the study periods. Help them to relax if they need it, play nice music, get them to lie down or encourage them to go out and kick a ball around for an hour or so. All work and no play will not get the best out of them.
MAKE A PLAN
Agree a revision schedule with your child and stick to it. Offer to record their favourite TV shows for watching later. Treats are essential, it helps give a purpose for getting through that tedious revision!
BRAIN FOOD
Feed your child healthy food and proper meals. Avoid sugary snacks and junk food. Do not let them ‘burn the midnight oil’ using coffee or stimulant drinks to help them get through an all night revision session.
KNOW YOUR CHILD’S EXAM TIMETABLE
Each of our pupils has been given an individual examination timetable, make sure they are using the most recent one. Ask Mrs. Laidlaw for a replacement. Stick it to the fridge door! Know the exact date, time and location for each exam and incorporate this into the revision plan. Make sure that your child has the correct equipment for the exam (calculator, ruler, pens). Remember what they are not allowed to take in to the exam (mobile phone, iPods, cameras).
EXAMOPHOBIA
Childline counsellor, Maggie Turner says: “Some kids don’t revise through sheer terror.Then if they fail they can blame it on the fact they didn’t revise. Build up their confi dence by reminding them of things they’ve done well in, in the past. Others fi nd revision a diffi cult concept to grasp. Encourage them to see their teacher to develop revision skills."
HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
Anything that may have a negative impact on your child’s performance in exams should be reported to Mrs Laidlaw or Mr Wicks. If there is a medical condition like hayfever that is particularly bad one day we should know about it. Similarly, if there is something happening at home like bereavement or divorce that may be affecting your child’s performance it is important that you inform us.
GOOGLE YES, FACEBOOK NO, TWITTER NO, MSN NO, BEBO NO!
The Internet can be a useful source of study but is often a smokescreen to give the appearance of study. The Internet can be used to enhance the revision programme; but it must not be the foundation of the programme. The computer should not be turned on unless it is being used to revise. Keep an eye on how much time your child spends on-line.
NAG, NAG, NAG, NAG, NAG, NAG...Nagging won’t help focus your child. There is enough pressure already and it is important that your relationship offers help and support when they need it. Maggie Turner says “ Keep your expectations out of it. Your kids have enough of their own. And stay calm, anger and fear are catching”
KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
If you are stressed too, try talking to other parents who have already gone through exam stress. Remind yourself, and your child, that exams aren’t the be-all and end-all. Reassure your child they can only do their best and if they do not do as well as you had hoped, you will still love them.
“The Internet can be a useful source of study but is often a smokescreen to give the appearance of study.”
Pag e 7
YEAR 13 GRADUATION DINNER This year, our Graduation Dinner for Year 13 students and their parents will take place in the Abba Centrum Hotel on Friday 18th May. This is an important event in the life of the school and formally recognises the end of the school career for our Year 13 students. We will present students with our customary departing gift of a framed year group photograph and the students´ own choice of memorabilia from their time here. Sr Esteban , Head of Sixth Form, will act as our master of ceremonies which will include pre-dinner reception, dinner, presentations and a tribute to each student.
ANNUAL PRIZE GIVING This year we are delighted to be returning to the Ciudad de la Luz Auditorium for our annual prize giving ceremony. We are very grateful to Ciudad de la Luz for this gesture and also for our collaboration with enrichment studies and work experience throughout the year. The ceremony, which is by invitation only, will take place on Tuesday 19th June at 7.30pm. We will be announcing our prizewinners at the beginning of June.
PARKING As some of you will be aware, the local Police removed several cars from the vicinity of the school last week and also imposed fixed penalty fines on others. I would like to remind parents that parking is only permitted on the RIGHT side of the road and that the ´No Parking´ signs / yellow lines in front of the main school gates must be observed at all times.
Important Dates Primary W/B 7TH May Healthy Snack Week 8th May Parenting Class – Nursery/Reception 11th May Race for Hunger Yrs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 11th May – visit from author 18th May Race for Hunger Nursery and Reception 25th May – Pupils visit new classes/Nursery Open Morning w/b 28th May – SATs Year 6 *Provisional – to be confirmed
Secondary Monday 7th Sports Trip to Murcia Monday 7th 1st exam on Summer Timetable Friday 11th Steve Smallman visiting (Writer) Weds 16th Y13 Study Leave begins Weds 23rd Y9 Trip to Cartagena Monday 28th May – Friday 8th June Y8 Examinations 30th / 31st Selectividad Examinations