INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Arturo in the News
Beijing Gap Year
The Three Gorges Danm
The British School of Alicante Monthly Update
Newsletter SECONDARY NUMBER 14 MARCH 2010
Message from the Head of Secondary A time to recharge our batteries
Summer Uniform
By the time you read this, we will have broken up for our Easter vacation. Our second term in school is always very busy; we have fewer weeks than 1st term and more deadlines to meet. The pupils notice a marked increase in workload, especially our senior pupils, with coursework deadlines and oral examinations for GCSE and A Level. This term we also successfully introduced Monitoring Days for Y7, Y8 and Y10 and I am very pleased to report that over 95% of parents attended. I am also very pleased that all of our pupils managed to report to their respective room on time! This shows a commendable attitude to their work and also a level of responsibility which is both encouraging and praiseworthy.
When we return after the Easter vacation (on April 12th) we will be in SUMMER UNIFORM. (see below)
We also held our third annual Sports Day which you can read about later in this newsletter. You can also link to our full reports pages from this site. Each year, this event grows in stature and activity; we introduced races and field events for Y6 and received wonderful support from our senior students in Years 11, 12 and 13. This event contributes greatly to our school ethos and I look forward to its development and further parental support in the years ahead. Congratulations to the winning house team: Darwin. On behalf of all the staff at BSA I wish you a relaxing, pleasant holiday and the opportunity to recharge your batteries for the remainder of the school year.
Derek Laidlaw Head of Secondary School
• White Polo shirts with school logo • Black/grey school trousers • (school kilts for girls with navy blue or flesh coloured socks only) • School Jumpers (if required) • Black School shoes (NB: ´casual pump style´are not allowed) NB : dress shirts/blouses , ties and blazers should not be worn in summer uniform. If coats are worn they should be only navy blue or black and not casual/hooded style.
the public education system must improve on this matter.
Arturo in the News A former student of the British School of Alicante has started at Alicante University but is heading for London. He admits that not everybody has the money to pay for the type of education he has received but urges that the public education system improves to make English fundamental to it. VICTORIA BUENO: What have you done to
achieve the award for the Best Grade in the World for A Level History and Spanish in the Cambridge International Exams? They are the results of the English equivalent to Selectividad and I achieved the best result in History and Lengua in the whole world, as well as the best mark for Geography of all the bilingual centres in Spain. The truth is, it’s not bad, I’m very happy but it arrived too late to get Into Oxford. What happened? If I had received the results certificate sooner they would have probably let me in to Oxford University because they pay particular
attention to your results. There is an entrance exam and you are there for a week doing interviews, so it is very frustrating that they didn’t except me. Never mind, the University of London is one of the best in the UK for History. Where are you studying now? In Alicante University but I would prefer to specialise more for my career and in England you can – the Plan Bolonia has in part been inspired by the UK. Here, education is more universal and in London particularly so. I really like History and want to go so I can get better training. Seems that this isn’t enough for you, don’t you think your education is a little elitist? Really, yes. I am fine here and enjoy University but it’s true that not everybody is able to achieve the level of English I have. It’s another option but in Spanish schools the level of English is very bad. Learning everything in English is very important and
Isn’t the British teaching style stricter also? I wouldn’t say so. In Year 12 and 13 I have had more freedom than my friends in other centres. I could structure my day as I liked. Also the classes are smaller, last year there were only two of us in History but when I started there were 17. Everything is more personalized and I am very satisfied with the teaching I received at the British School, and I can see I have more of a future in England. Where did you study before the British School? In Voramar School in San Juan Beach, until I was six years old. We have always lived in Alicante although my parents speak English because they lived in the US for a couple of years. Do you speak English at home? At home, and with my friends, I speak Spanish but I do read and watch movies in English. Was it difficult to be immersed in English at seven years old? The first two years were hard but the teachers are natives and they speak English the whole day and I am now totally bilingual. You obtain a very high level, though my first language is still Spanish. VICTORIA BUENO DIARIO INFORMACION
El Títol Elemental de la JQCV Elemental Degree from the JQCV Després de cinc-sis anys aprenent Valencià, alguns dels alumnes de year 12 i 13 del BSA han aconseguit el títol de nivell Elemental de la Junta Qualificadora de Coneixements de Valencià (JQCV) de la Conselleria de Cultura i Educació. Amb aquesta titulació s’asseguren el mateix nivell de Valencià que en qualsevol altre col•legi de la Comunitat Valenciana.
After five or six years learning Valenciano, some students from years 12 and 13 from BSA have obtained the degree 'Elemental de la Junta Qualificadora de Coneixements de Valencià (JQCV)' from the 'Conselleria de Cultura i Educació'. With this degree, they have obtained the same level of Valenciano than any other school from the Comunitat Valenciana.
Per tota açò i pel vostre esforç: Enhorabona i moltes felicitats a Sol San Román, Claudia Fernández, Manuel Alonso, Miguel Ángel Balibrea, Sarah Ghahremani, Marta González, Sara Del Río, Ivan Blaus, Victor Calderón, María Villaescusa, Miguel Sancho, Marcelo Del Río i Jaime Sánchez-Ferragut.
For all of this and for your effort: Congratulations to Sol San Román, Claudia Fernández, Manuel Alonso, Miguel Ángel Balibrea, Sarah Ghahremani, Marta González, Sara Del Río, Ivan Blaus, Victor Calderón, María Villaescusa, Miguel Sancho, Marcelo Del Río and Jaime Sánchez-Ferragut.
N’estic molt orgullosa, de vosaltres!
I am very proud of you!
Beijing Gap Year By Jack and Krisha Year 13 In August of this year we will both be embarking on a once in a life time journey, to work as teaching assistants at the British School of Beijing.
Little did we know it was just round the corner, although the driver insisted on taking the more ‘aesthetically pleasing route’.
him. Luckily when he returned he had a big smile on his face which partly eased Krisha’s nerves and partly made them worse.
Last month an advertisement was put up on the common room notice board, it read ‘Gap Year Experience Beijing’ and we were both intrigued by the picture of people our age sitting on the Great Wall of China. Whilst reading the advertisement, both of us pictured our new lives in China celebrating their new year and travelling around Asia, until we came to the bottom of the page and read ‘DEADLINE’… We only had two days to complete our first ever CV and covering letter.
Finally at our destination we became very intimidated by the somewhat older competition. Whilst we hadn’t and still have not completed our A-levels most of the other applicants had graduated from university and some even had PGCEs (teaching certificate). After a short wait we were invited into a room where we were given a fascinating presentation on the job entitlements and overall about life in Beijing. Suddenly we wanted it even more. All the applicants were given respective times for their interviews. During the interview we were both given a series of scenarios teaching assistants would have to deal with, along with the presentation we had prepared. Jack went first, although nervous he was surprisingly excited at the opportunity which stood in front of
When Krisha went through the door I could tell she was nervous, but I knew she was going to be fine. Unfortunately when returning all did not seem well, she thought she’d blown it. On returning to Spain Jack again was checking his emails everyday, whilst Krisha dreaded the thought of looking in her inbox. A week passed from the interview still with no news, Jack was growing even more impatient whilst Krisha had given up hope.
With the aid of Mrs Fisher and our excited but slightly worried parents, we spent the next 48 hours hammering away at it. Finally when they were finished we both emailed them over, only to encounter technical problems because the emails bounced back. Mr Wicks, technical guru, came to our assistance, emailing Janet Brock (Head of Sanlitun campus BSB) and informing her of both our applications. The following week was possibly the longest of our lives; we were playing the waiting game checking for a reply every couple of hours. A week on we received the good news… Thank you very much for applying for the position of a Classroom Teaching Assistant at the British School of Beijing. You have been shortlisted... this caused mixed emotions, although we were ecstatic we now had to prepare a presentation for our first ever interview! On the 7th of March 2010 we both flew to Liverpool, England where the interviews were being held. The nerves had now set in, but all we could do was try our best. After Jack had his full English breakfast and Krisha her more continental option of cereal, we ordered a taxi to the interview venue.
Friday the 19th of March we both received the following… Dear Candidate, I am thrilled to offer you the position of a Teaching Assistant at the British School of Beijing.
who lived in the villages and towns have drasticaaly changed their life and customs and many of them have moved to Chongqing to find work.
The Three Gorges Danm Claudia Esteve
CHINA DAILY What is the Three Gorges Dam? The Three Gorges Dam is the largest dam in the whole world and it is situated in China. Where is it? The dam is built across the Yangtze River in a steep valley Is it sustainable development? This is an argument that can be defended from both sides, depending on the point of view of the person. The following reasons suggest that the project is sustainable for the economy of China. The electricity generated by the dam will benefit many thousands of factories, other businesses and homes. Furthermore, thanks to the deep reservoir behind the dam, large ships can now go further up the Yangtze River than before, carrying cargo. Also the dam will encourage investment in the area: industry is booming in Chongqing city! Now, thinking of the consequences this project can bring to China’s environment, we are happy to say that hydroelectricity is a clean energy, so no fuel is burned to make it and no carbon dioxide is formed. Nowadays, polluting the atmosphere can irreversibly damage our world, so in this case, the dam would fight against global warming. Furthermore, the Three Gorges Dam
presents us with a variety of reasons why the dam is sustainable in for social points. First, the dam is helping to prevent flooding in China. Over the centuraies, flooding on the Yangtze has killed millions. In 1954, floods drowned over 33,000 people and left the city of Wuhan under water for more than three months. The dam now controls the flow of water avoiding flooding of the villages. So it is hoped that with the help of the dam future flooding can be avoided. Although the Three Gorges dam has shown aspects of sustainable development for China, there is also another point of view, not exactly more pessimistic, but more realistic. There has been huge impact on local people living near to the river. Around 1.25 million people were moved to make way for the dam’s reservoir. The dam’s construction has left behind 2 empty cities, 116 towns and hundreds of villages. Thees are drowned forever as were farms, family graves and historic sites. Many people felt very unhappy about all this, especially as they didn’t have a choice. People received some compensation for the discomfort but they say that it was not enough. The majority of the population
Not only has it affected and caused horrible consequences on local people, it has also affected the environment. First, the dam stops fish and other river animals from moving freely. The rise in shipping affects them too. Now the Yangtze River dolphin has almost died out, and many other habitats and creatures are reaching their end, their final extinction. Secondly, poisonous levels of sewage and toxins will build up in the reservoir harming wildlife and humans. Claudia goes on to highlight the possible dangers of seismic activity in the region of the dam and the longer term problem of the silting up of the reservoir and the consequences for the dam and further downstream. The issue of debt is raised as the megaproject was expensive to finance. In conclusion, it is a megaproject which involves a large sum of money being invested in tit and we can’t play with people’s lives without taking for granted that the benefits will be considerable. Is it really worth it? When the dam is finally built and develops in a positive way, before this happens, the government of China should think in a way of solving the problems this project presents and try to end them before it becomes impossible to do so.
World Maths Day
2010
World Maths Day is all over! In total 1,133,246 students and 56,082 schools from 235 countries have united to set a new world record by correctly answering 479,732,613 questions. The 5 Fastest brains of the British school were Pablo Lledo Romero, Yongmin Cho Park, Jorge Sola Sanz, Javier Diaz Sempere and David Muller Tomas who correctly answered 49, 45, 44, 42 and 40 questions in a minute. The top five most points were achieved by Alejandro Hernandez Benito, Elisa Chen Yao, Michael Saliba, Pablo Lledo Romero and Jose Luis Martin Burrel. Congratulations to the 138 pupils mostly from KS3 who took part and made a new World Record!
In The Frame Ana Villaescusa
As a hobby I study music. I have been taking music lessons for nearly nine years. I started in an academy where I live but after six years I moved to ‘el conservatorio professional de Elche’ to take my flute playing more seriously. I have participated in many competitions both individually and with a band or an orchestra. I have gained a lot of experience of playing in front of an audience but I still get nervous when I have to play solos or perform completely alone. I enjoy it a lot but I am unsure if I will use it in the future because it occupies my study time. It can also be very tiring when I have an event or extra rehearsals as well as coping with the demands of homework and exam preparation. After my A levels at the end of year 13 I will have a very difficult choice to make between continuing with my studies at university and pursuing a career in music. However, for now I am determined to carry on with both so I am able to keep my options open. For now, my immediate aim is to achieve some good iGCSE grades and then I will decide upon my future.
Theater in Valencian Durante cinco sesiones de Valenciano en year 8, hemos estado preparando el guión de una obra de teatro. De los cuatro grupos de teatro formados, el ganador votado por el resto de estudiantes del mismo curso ha sido el formado por Scott, Alejandro, Carmen, Hana, Kyle, Alfonso, Elena y Dani. La obra de teatro tiene lugar en un avión con destino a Hawai en el que dos matrimonios, un informático y una azafata de vuelo mantienen conversaciones de todo tipo.
During five Valenciano classes in year 8, we have been preparing a script for a play. From the four groups we made, the winner, voted by the rest of the students from the same year group, was the one made by Scott, Alejandro, Carmen, Hana, Kyle, Alfonso, Elena and Dani. The play is set in a plane flying to Hawai where two couples, a computer technician and an air hostess have various conversations.
Trip to Canal 9 And University of Valencia Visita a Canal 9 i Universitat de València Manolo and Carlos: Canal 9 was great! Afterwards we went to the University of Valencia and to the Maths college, and there were many jokes like this one: '-¿ Tu compilas ? - No. Yo con baterías.'
Manolo i Carlos: Canal 9 ha estat molt bé! Després hem anat a la Universitat de València i a la facultat de Matemàticas i allà hi havia molt acudits escrits d’aques tipus: -¿ Tu compilas ? No. Yo con baterías
Itziar: We went to Canal 9. It was incredible! I was also amazed by the university and the science college.
Itziar: Hem anat a Canal 9. Ha sigut increïble! També m’ha encisat la Universitat amb la Facultat de Ciències. Sergio: L’excursió a Canal 9 ha estat molt bé perquè hem vist com funciona el món de la televisió. Jaime i Ana Karin: Ho hem passat molt bé tant a Canal 9 com a la Universitat de València. Ha sigut una excursió genial! Cal destacar que ens ha agradat molt el plató! Ha sigue fantàstic! Sara i Sol: Aquest viatge ha sigut un dels més meravellosos del món! Ens ha agradat veure “la cabina de control” de Canal 9. Victor i Miguel Ángel: Hem vist Amaia Salamanca als corredors de Canal 9. És molt maca, però és una mica seriosa. Ivan i Marta: Ens ha agradat molt visitar la Facultat de Matemàtiques, però els acudits que hi hem llegit eren molt roïns (Ex. Hi ha un tio que cada dos per tres, sis)
Sergio: The trip to Canal 9 was very good because we saw how the T.V world works.
Claudia i María: La tele ha estat molt bé. I … una pena no haver perdut l’autobús i quedar-nos a València de festa fallera.
Jaime and Ana Karin: We had a great time at Canal 9 and at the University of Valencia. It was a great trip! The thing we most liked was the T.V set! It was fantastic!
Pablo i Miguel S.: Per diverses raons, no hi estudiarem a la Universitat de València. Aquestes raons són un secret!
Sara and Sol: This journey was one of the most marvellous in the world! We liked to see the control cabin in Canal 9. Victor and Miguel Ángel: We saw Amaia Salamanca in the corridors of Canal 9. She's very pretty, but she's a bit serious. Ivan and Marta: We liked to see the maths college, but the jokes were very bad. Eg: 'Habia un tio que cada dos por tres, seis' Claudia and María: The T.V was very good and... it was a pity we haven't lost the bus and stayed in Valencia partying in the 'Fallas'. Pablo and Miguel S.: For various reasons, we will not study at the University of Valencia. These reasons are a secret! Sarah and Isabel: We loved this trip to Valencia. We enjoyed it a lot and above all we want to thank Senyoreta Guio and Sr. Esteban for this last experience as students from the last year of the school.
Sarah i Isabel: Aquest viatge a València ens ha agradat moltíssim. Hem gaudit un muntó i sobretot volem donar les gràcies a la Senyoreta Guio i al Sr. Esteban per aquesta última experiència com a estudiants de l’últim any del col•legi.
World Book Day 11th March 2010
There were many special activities that took part during this special day and during the week in which it fell, in years 7 through to 13. These included dressing as your favourite character from a book, presenting a character profile to the rest of the class, reading aloud from books, a “Big Brother� game with characters from novels, and many other activities. Fun was had by all and lucky students received discount vouchers for a book of their choice for taking part in a marathon reading session. Make a note of the date on your calendar for next year when there will be many more exciting events to take part in! Janet Bowers
Sports Day 2010
PHOTOS
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
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 Dear Parents of Exam Students, Each year worried watching later. Treats are essential, it helps give a parents ask us the same question: “What can I do purpose for getting through that tedious revision! to help make sure my child does their very best in their examinations?”. BRAIN FOOD Feed your child healthy food and proper meals. Unfortunately exams coincide with the general Avoid sugary snacks and junk food. Do not let them stress associated with being a teenager. ‘burn the midnight oil’ using coffee or stimulant Relationships between children and parents, drinks to help them get through an all night revision which may already be strained, can become even session. more diffi cult during the exam season. The most important thing for you and your child to remember KNOW YOUR CHILD’S EXAM TIMETABLE is that there are plenty of people at the school who Each of our pupils has been given an individual want to help. If your son or daughter is worried examination timetable, make sure they are using or anxious about the exams you must encourage the most recent one. Ask Mrs. Laidlaw or Mr Wicks them to talk about it. They can talk to you, their for a replacement. Stick it to the fridge door! teachers and the school examinations team. We are all here to help. Know the exact date, time and location for each exam and incorporate this into the revision plan. It is also important to remember that it is extremely Make sure that your child has the correct equipment diffi cult to get an A-grade in every subject. for the exam (calculator, ruler, pens). Try to keep your expectations low and focus on Remember what they are not allowed to take in to how to exceed those expectations. the exam (mobile phone, iPods, cameras). 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.
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 Remember, many of the most successful and happy things they’ve done well in, in the past. Others fi people have failed exams and it is always possible nd revision a diffi cult concept to grasp. Encourage to take the exam again. 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.”
Edexcel A-level Unit Results The Edexcel A-level Unit results were published on the 10th March and we would like to offer a big congratulations to all of our Y12 and Y13 students on their outstanding results. Forty-two pupils were entered for examinations in the January session and between them they achieved an amazing 102 A grades. These examinations are incredibly important as they count towards either the AS or A2 qualifications that allow our pupils access to University. We would like to say a special ‘well done’ to the following pupils for their achievements:
Manolo Alonso, Y12
5 ‘A’ grades in Mathematics, Spanish, English Language, French and Physics 100% in AS Mathematics Unit C1
Marcelo Del Río Sanchez 100% in AS Spanish
Ivan Blaus, Y12 Victor Calderón Marco, Y12 Guillermo Solano De Vicente, Y12 Marta Gonzalez Bertó 100% in AS French
Marta Gonzalez Bertó
Grade “A” in Mathematics Unit C1 taken 1 year early
Kalim Ahmed, Y11 Victor Candela Llorens, Y11 Anis Mottahedeh, Y11
April Dates
Dates for your Diary Thursday April 1st : School Closed for Easter Vacation Monday 12th April : School Opens for summer term Thursday 15th and Friday 16th April : School holidays Monday 19th April : School re-opens
Guests in School Arturo Fernรกndez has joined us for a short time offering ICT technical support. James Larson has joined us for a 10 week teaching placement and will be working with the English department. Next term, we will welcome Emily Elzea who will be working in the Humanities departments. Miss Johanna Smith from Birmingham University will also be joining us for a short 10 day observation period in Science. We are pleased to be able to offer support and expertise to these young aspiring educators and welcome their input to our academic and pastoral programmes in school.
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