FE BR U A R Y 2 0 1 2
T H E S E C O N D A RY N E W S L E T T E R Secondary News from the Pupils and Teachers of The British School of Alicante
PA D I : S c u b a Diving Certificates
He ad o f S e c on d ary Me s s a g e It has been an incredibly exciting time for all of our students over the past month, culminating in our very first Trips and Activities week. We were delighted with the level of participation from the pupils who were able to take part in a whole host of activities and educational visits. In addition to the Year 9 trip to France, the senior school Ski trip and the Year 10 Work experience, the pupils who stayed with us in school were also able to take advantage of some exciting opportunities. All agreed that the pupils were able to derive a great deal of educational benefit from taking part in the
week’s events. In particular, they had the opportunity to undergo experiences not available in the classroom. The visits helped to develop pupil´s investigative skills and the longer visits, in particular, encouraged greater independence. I´m sure you´ll agree when you see the photos inside that this will be a week that will live long in the memories of all who participated.
Stephen Green Head of Secondary
THE YEAR 12 GEOGRAPHERS TACKLE BARCELONA! On a beautifully sunny Monday morning the year 12 Geographers navigated their way to Alicante station to start their intrepid journey to Barcelona for a week of Geography related field work. Heeding the advice of their teacher and the various weather reports, all students arrived with cases brimming with warm layers, hats, gloves and scarves; in some cases enough to clothe most of the other passengers on the train.
After five hours of IPods, eating, drinking, chatter and sleep the train pulled into Barcelona Sants station. It was then a short hop on a local train before we arrived at our home for the week, a hotel by the sea, just outside the city. Thankfully we were greeted by friendly staff who ushered us straight into the dining room for a hearty dinner to refuel after our long journey. We were given a brief introduction as to the format of the week and then there was free time to unpack and prepare for the following day.
I think both students and I would have to say we were not expecting to be working quite as hard as we did the whole week. Day one saw us being led by a well travelled and very knowledgeable Dutch man around the El Raval area of Barcelona. Here students carried out various field work techniques to examine the rebranding that has taken place in this area in order to assess whether or not it has been successful. Even for those of us who had visited before, we were introduced to the Barcelona that you do not necessarily see in the tourist brochures, exploring areas ´off the beaten track´ and hidden away down small side streets. We were fascinated by the alternative side to Barcelona, that of arts students, musicians and activists, an intriguing hidden world.
The following days were equally as interesting and equally as hard work! The students worked very hard to complete their work quickly and efficiently and this meant they were then able to have more time to explore their new surroundings in their own way before returning to the classroom each night for a follow up to the day’s findings. The evening sessions were held by a member of staff from the Barcelona Field Studies Centre who specialise in taking school groups out for field work. Staff with a particular interest in each destination would join us in the evening for some time in the class room. This usually involved collating data, learning new statistical formulas and analysing patterns, facts and figures in order to formulate conclusions. Every day saw a new adventure in a new setting involving new techniques; the students did themselves proud by adapting to their surroundings each day, moving from a bustling city on day one, to the quiet villages of the Priorat region in day two to the beautiful coastal resort of Sitges for day three.
The work that took place during the week was an incredibly valuable learning experience for the students and something which could not have been replicated in the class room environment. The skills they acquired will prepare them for their exams later this year and for subsequent exams the following year. Geography is one of the few subjects that requires field work outside the usual class settings.
This is such an important experience for all students to have, not just in terms of the Geographical skills and learning but also to their development as an individual. The freedom to explore new surroundings, mix with new people and enjoy some independence in their world they are growing up in cannot be undervalued, they are our future. Thank you to my Year 12 Geographers, you made my week a happy and successful one... now back to work!
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KING’S COLLEGE ALICANTE’S FIRST BEACH CLEAN On Wednesday 22nd February 2012 King’s College, The British School of Alicante, in conjunction with Dive Academy Santa Pola and Project Aware, took part in the school’s first ever beach clean of a local community beach in Alicante.
The team, armed with rubber gloves and bin bags, worked tirelessly for over an hour picking up the detritus left behind by the beach’s users. In total they cleared 32 bags worth of rubbish and collected several larger items including a car bumper, cash register, various doors, chairs and suitcases. Prizes, donated by Dive Academy, were also awarded to Julia (Y12) and Karl (Y11) for finding the most original piece of trash and collecting the biggest volume of trash respectively.
25 students from Years 11, 12 and 13, along with Stephen Green (Head of Secondary), Simon Wicks (Director of Studies) and Sam Cook (Science Teacher) joined Damon Rose (owner of Dive Academy) on San Gabriel beach to participate in an international initiative to rid our world’s beaches of trash and debris. Simon Wicks, Director of Studies at King’s College, commented, “We are delighted to be able to assist the local community keep the beaches of Alicante clean. We encourage all our senior pupils to undertake some form of community service as part of our enriched curriculum in Years 12 and 13. I have been extremely proud of the way in which our students have wholeheartedly thrown themselves
into this activity in order to help protect the beaches and marine life of the Costa Blanca. It has been a great opportunity to contribute to this global initiative and we hope this will become a regular event on our school calendar.� The local community also came out to show their support and passers-by offered messages of encouragement. As the BSA pupils left the beach it was great to see some other beach users arrive with bags in tow to continue the work the group had started. Head Girl, Laura, commented, “We have had the opportunity to help the environment by cleaning the beach while at the same time having a great time together. I would definitely encourage other schools and young people to do their bit.�
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TRIP TO FRANCE 2012 TRIP AGENDA Friday 17/02: Flight to Paris and visit of Paris (Boat trip on the Seine, visit of Montmartre and SacrĂŠ Coeur, night time visit of the Eiffel Tower...) Saturday 18/02: Visit of Versailles Palace in the morning and Mont Saint Michel (with a treasure hunt) in the afternoon. Bowling in the evening Sunday 19/02: Visit of Dinan, lunch in a creperie and coastal walk. Evening in French cafĂŠ. Monday 20/02: Visit of Saint Malo, French hypermarket, night time visit of Paris Tuesday 21/02: Disneyland Paris
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Wednesday 22/02: Return to Alicante
MY BEST MOMENTS: Iara: my best moment was in Disneyland Paris when I went on the Space Mountain ride. This moment will remain in my memory forever because I was terrified before riding on it. Luisa: my best moment was with my friends Alex, Natalia, Javi, Maria and Alejandro. We were queuing in Disneyland and Alex and Alejandro made us laugh during the whole 2 hours. We couldn´t stop laughing at all. My second best moment was sharing a room with my friends. It was one of the best moments I´ve ever had with my friends. Having a shared room was hilarious, it was fantastic. Carlos B: My best moment was when Arturo, Takuma, Miguel and I were in the Rock and Roller Coaster. When the carriage was just about to go, there was a screen that said, 3,2,1....Boom. And the carriage went from 0km/h to 120km/h in 3 seconds. It was my first scary rollercoaster and it was amazing. Arturo. My best moment was when we did the 1,5 hour walk from the Castle to the Lighthouse. The scenery was beautiful along the coast. I also had a lot of fun in the Rock and Roller Coaster and on the plane. Candela P: My best moment was on the boat in Paris and we saw all the sights. We were saying “bonjour” and waving to all the people we saw on the street. But really, I liked EVERYTHING!!! Maria: My best moment was in the Mont Saint Michel when we did the treasure hunt. Javi and I wanted to win the prize so we were running very fast to answer all the questions. It was the best trip ever!!! Natalia: I really enjoyed Paris and if I could, I would have stayed another week!!! Jesús: My best moment was in Disneyland, it was amazing and incredible. The rides were scary but really good. The main street zone and the castle were beautiful in the night with all the lights. Nouran: For me everything was magical. From the moment I was in France, I was excited. We did a lot of amazing things and no words can describe how fantastic it was. But still, there is a moment that will stick in my memory and I will always talk about: Disneyland. It was our last day in France so I tried to enjoy it as much as I could. Pag e 7
TEAM BUILDING DAY We kicked off Trips Week with a bang in Secondary when Y11-13 participated in a teambuilding day on Monday 20th June. After an ice-breaker involving students, blindfolds, animal noises and lots of laughter, everyone knew whose team they were in and worked together for rest of the day on different tasks. All the pupils eagerly participated in the activities, all of which were designed to get them to think about how they can work together and what skills they bring to a team. It was unanimously agreed that the day was great fun and many people made new friendships or learnt new things about themselves.
GARDENING WITH EARLY YEARS Several Sixth Form and Year 11 students helped Reception children to create a new planted area where the Early Years pupils will be able to watch a variety of plants, bulbs, seeds and flowers grow over the coming months. Everybody got involved and was elbow-deep in soil and water but a great time was had by all and the Reception patio looks a lot more attractive now!
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SCUBA DIVING CERTIFICATES Congratulations to several of our Sixth Form students who received their official PADI licences and certificates at an assembly on February 7th, 2012.Students have been following an accredited course of Scuba Diving with Santa Pola Dive Academy as part of our Sixth Form enrichment programme. Three students received their advanced Open Water Certificate and a further 9 received their dive certificates.
SCIENCE TRIP TO ALICANTE UNIVERSITY The AS and A level students were invited to attend the University on the 2nd February and observe lectures. The students were divided in three groups; Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The students in the Physics group were lead to the Physics department where they spent the first part of the morning learning the theory behind electron energy levels and the effect these have on emission and absorption spectra. We then proceeded to measure the wavelength of red light using a spectrometer. The students were actively involved in the practical and where given the opportunity to use the University equipment, thus getting a full picture of what and how Science
is taught at University level. We were also shown absorption spectra of various gases, then discussed waves and resonance and were shown Barton´s pendulums and a vibration generator producing standing waves on a piece of string. The students thoroughly enjoyed their time at the University and left feeling proud to have accomplished and tackled higher level Physics. M Tsikkinis
DRAMA WORKSHOPS THANKS TO JOHN MADEJSKI ACADEMY We were honoured to be paid a visit by students and staff from the John Madejski Academy (Reading). Whilst with us they delivered excellent Drama workshops to our Year 10 and Year 9 students. They finished the day with a dramatic version of the Shakespeare play Macbeth as well as some humorous Shakespearean shorts. The staff were glowing in their appraisal of the students and we hope that this is just the start of many more exchanges between the schools.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY LOVE AND FRIENDSHIPS
Love and friendship flourish among our King’s College Alicante students, thanks to our sixth formers. On February 14, Laura, Anis and Martha were in charge of distributing “sanvalentines” cards and roses among their classmates. A week earlier, the students who so wished, deposited in a box romantically decorated cards and messages to their peers. The letters contained romantic messages, loving, funny, and so on. In addition, there was the possibility to deliver a red rose with the card. And so, on February 14, Saint Valentine arrived at our school. Pag e 11
Y7 VISITS ALICANTE AND WATER MUSEUM Wednesday 22nd of February pupils from Year 7F and 7G visited all relevant monuments of Alicante city. First we went to the Castillo of Santa Bárbara, where we enjoyed the beautiful views of the city. After we went to the Water Museum located in Pozos de Garrigós and we learnt about some interesting water myths and facts. Once the visit finished we went to visit the main three fountains in the old area of Alicante. Finally we visited the Basílica de Santa María, the Concatedral of San Nicolas, the Townhall, the Explanada, Casa Carbonell and the sea port.
VISIT TO CASTALLA & XORRET DEL CATI It was a beautiful, crisp and sunny winter’s morning when Year 8 arrived in the mountains of Castalla to learn about the local ecology. The tranquillity of the location definitely came as a shock to our citydwelling students, along with the bite of the cold mountain air. The day was spent exploring the area around Xorret de Catí, a small mountain stream. The knowledgeable guides introduced us to many of the local species and taught the students about how species interact within an ecosystem, along with the threats that many species, such as the Arruí (a type of mountain goat), face from human activities.
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VISIT TO GUADALEST & FUENTES DEL ALGAR In spite of the bitterly cold day on Monday 21st February 2012, Year 7 students accompanied by their teachers Sra. Guio, Sra. Castro and Mrs. Bowers “thawed out” the locals in Guadalest and Callosa d’en Sarrià with their warm smiles and sunny personalities. An excellent time was enjoyed by all as we visited The Castle in Guadalest and admired the views down to the lake and beyond. We then climbed back on the bus to travel very winding, steep roads until we arrived at the Algar Waterfalls, which are situated just outside Callosa. Samples of the water were taken for analysis and various measurements together with a variety of information, so students could complete a Geography enquiry.
TABARCA Following 3 days packed with activity, Year 12 and 13 deserved a bit more of a relaxing day out. The trip to Tabarca was the perfect opportunity. The visit began with a pleasant boat journey to the island; the fresh air really lifting everyone’s spirits for the day ahead.
The trip featured a visit to the Tabarca museum which taught the students a lot about the local marine life and the history of the island. We then took a walk through the town and around the island, taking in the fantastic views and local features of interest. Lunch was taken on the beach before the return journey to Alicante, during which the students were tested with a house competition to see what they had learnt about the island. Everyone learnt something new, even the teachers!
38° 10' 00" N
Comments about the trip: Moreshe (Year 12): "I though learning about the History of the island was interesting" Mia (Year 13): "I really enjoyed touring around the island seeing the land marks" Laura (Year 13): " It was fun learning about Tabarca's Biodiversity and the artificial reef the built"
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EXPERIENCIA MODERNISTA EN NOVELDA Visits 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Casa Museo Modernista Centro Cultural Santuario Castillo de la Mola Parque del Aete
We learnt about modernism in depth. The casa museo modernista had exquisite arquitecture and detail throughout, you could see this in the staircase and patio. On the whole it was a fun day out. Catalina and Mia (Year 12) We really enjoyed ourselves because of all the different furniture we were able to see. We had a lovely day!. Karyn, Sophie, Karl, Rosa, Gerry. (Year 11)
La Casa Museo Modernista was an excellent example of Modernism and its architectural style. We loved the ballroom with the piano. Pablo, Emilio, Nacho (Year 11) We liked the Casa Museo Modernista the most, due to its art nouveau and modernist decoration. We also liked the church; however the inside was not as impressive as the exterior. Ana, Marta, Raquel, Elisa, Isabel (Year 13)
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TRIP TO THE SNOW The skiers met on a cold and dark Sunday morning outside the school gates, the sun peering over the sea offering the promise of warmth later in the day, at 7.30am however that was of little comfort. The skiers appeared one by one at first, then at 5 minutes to 8am the trickle turned into a flood and all were present and correct for the agreed leaving time, a punctuality that was to be seen throughout the trip.
did not complain and got on with organising themselves, another trait that was to last the trip.
The first few hours travel north to Valencia were quiet ones, the ensuing tiredness of an early weekend morning outweighing the excitement of a first school ski trip for the students It was as if some of them had not been to bed the night before. But as the road carried us through the countryside and into Aragón the mood lifted and conversation of what the week might bring was in full swing as we gained altitude towards the mountains with the newest addition to our team, Señor Educo, or Dani to his friends, our monitor for the week.
Food was good and in plentiful supply at the hostel that night, with the added surprise of only one of our 10 vegetarians taking the option of the alternative meal which confused the kitchen staff, and all went to bed on a full stomach. Bed time was (nearly) adhered to, with the teachers and Dani on hand to make sure the skiers were safely asleep in their beds, and making sure the primary school children down the corridor were keeping the noise down as they played games so as not to wake our tired travellers.
Our arrival in Panticosa and our first look at our residence for the coming days was impressive. A large warm building with rooms that slept 8 were handed to us, space enough for our 4 to a room policy. Unfortunately, the single bathroom for all the floor to use was not as spacious, but the team
The organised chaos that was “Ski Hire” passed uneventfully, those new to skiing learning that it is possible to get your foot into something too small for your hand, saving us time the following morning when we hit the slopes, or so we thought.
Now I understand that no-one enjoys being waken up at 7am by someone pounding at their door and shouting in an excited manner, least of all when you are a teenager, even less so when that person is your teacher. Luckily the students did not mind this one bit as the promise of sun and snow met them as they opened their curtains and
after a brisk breakfast we were on our way. When we arrived at the slopes we saw that other schools had also had ski fit the night before and so retrieving our skis and boots was not easy and took so long that Mr Butcher decided that keeping our equipment with us would save time in the future, a good idea at the time everyone agreed. On the mountain, groups were selected on ability and the first morning of lessons gave us all a look at the slopes. Beginners learnt to plough, Intermediates had a go at paralleling and the advanced group learnt some questionable phrases from their instructor Jesús to keep in mind as they tried to ski in a way people don´t really ski that much, on one ski, only turning one way and without poles. Method was found in the madness however as better technique was sought and found in each of the skiers. Afternoons were free ski, for the students to go where they wanted and ski how they wanted. Though this initially gave great cause for concern for the teachers, the charm and size of Panticosa meant this was not a problem. Equally, the attitude of the students to ski to their ability in a safe and sensible manner showed the teachers that concern was unfounded. The surprise at seeing beginners with one morning of lessons under their belt overtake me on a main blue piste was tempered by the help they were giving each other when they eventually fell. Still, I was sure that someone would hurt themselves…. someone always does, though for the time being there was not so much as a tight ski boot to complain about from the skiers. Day 2 brought more sun and more lessons with a few transfers between groups for those making good progress. The idea to keep the ski boots with us and save time in the morning backfired as the students forgot to take them off the bus and the cold night had frozen the boots making them smaller than normal. With minimum of fuss and maximum of pushing, the skiers
finally got them on and headed to the slopes. The advanced group were now the largest group and Jesús had his hands full making sure all were being challenged. Eduardo had laid siege to the top skier status, though those just behind were pushing hard, with Manuel, Jesús and Mario all striving to impress. Alina´s knees, Anastassia skiing backwards and Guillermo´s bravery were all commented on, and even Fiona was persuaded to ski without poles and get on a button lift, something that is just not done in Switzerland apparently. That evening the skiers were treated to a local festival in the town of Soller, an enchanting place of chalets and streams that impressed us all. Unfortunately we were not able to enjoy the full festival though the students were impressed with what they did see and i´m sure they will be stopping by again if they ever find themselves in the area. Day 3 was as sunny as the first 2, though the decision from Mr Esteban to abandon the sun cream was to prove incorrect, apparently 2 days is not enough for a proper base layer. The skiers had covered the Panticosa slopes numerous times, had found their favourites pistes and had identified the most challenging one, a red run known as “The Wall”. This challenging run claimed many victims, students and staff. Those who attempted it once fell. Those who attempted it twice did not return. Those who did return broke their finger. And so it came to pass, the rule that someone always hurts themselves on a school ski trip was proved. Admittedly it is normally a student, but as Miss Miller was driven away on the blood wagon, the fear of coming weeks wearing a bandaged hand was softened by the knowledge that at least it wasn´t one of her students.
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TENIS: LAURA 7F CAMPEONA DE ESPAÑA EN EL GRUPO DE SU EDAD CUANDO EMPECÉ A JUGAR TENIS? Comencé a jugar tenis a los siete años. Siempre me interesó mucho aprender a jugar al tenis aunque mis padres nunca lo practicaron. Era algo que me motivaba y les dije a mis padres que me gustaría jugar.
ESTE ES EL HORARIO DE MI ENTRENAMIENTO Lunes 5:00 a 10:00 Martes 8:00 a 10:00 Miércoles 5:00 a 10:00 Jueves 8:00 a 10:00 Viernes 6:30 a 10:00 Sábados Depende si hay torneo.Lo mismo los domingos.
Próximos eventos 1 de Marzo - Reunión de Padres de Year 7 – 4.45pm
2 de Marzo - Segundo Día del Deporte 13 y 14 de Marzo – Festival Literario – ´Bringing Books Alive´ 15 de Marzo – Reuniones de padres de Year 12 y Year 13 – 4.45pm 16 de Marzo – Feria del Libro 19 de Marzo – Colegio Cerrado 28 de Marzo – Día de Monitorización de Year 10
Glorieta del Reino Unido 5 Alicante 03008 Spain www.bsalicante.com info@kingsgroup.org