Newsletter
Issue 3 - Term 3 - 2013/2014
The British School of Guangzhou
To download a copy of this newsletter, please visit: www.bsg.org.cn
Head’s Message Dear Parents, This has been our busiest and most productive year by far. It was a year that began with the news that we had become a member of the Nord Anglia Education group and ended with a preliminary visit from CIS - the Council of International Schools. I am delighted to say that Nord Anglia Education are impressed with the standards that our children are achieving and that CIS have also noted the quality of the school following their preliminary visit. The CIS visit is the beginning of a two-year accreditation process that will lead to full accreditation in 2015-16. Amongst the many positive features noted, some of the most significant were: • The change of ownership to Nord Anglia Education (NEA) has been very well received by all school stakeholders; and well managed by the school leadership team; • NAE have shown an ongoing commitment to improve and develop campus facilities; • The school makes a significant investment in staff Professional Development; • Relationships across the school are excellent: leading to a strong sense of family and community for students, staff and parents; • English language support for Pre-Nursery and Nursery Years is effective, and as a result, Early Years students make rapid progress in English; • Extra-curricular opportunities for the students are broad and diverse. • Administrative systems work very well and are well managed. As with any report there were also areas for development. Next year we will target any areas for improvement within numerous self-study groups. For those parents who are keen to be involved in the self-improvement process, we will be looking for volunteers to join these groups and will send out more information at the start of term. For me the significance of this past year has been that for the first time ever, 8 of our students will graduate from Year 13 and head off to top universities in the US, UK, and other places 2
“8 of our students will graduate
from Year 13 and head off to top universities in the US, UK and others around the world.”
around the world. We will follow their progress with interest and are determined to keep in touch with this fledgling group of alumni students. I am now wondering who will be the first student to complete their entire 16 years of education in our school? Perhaps I will still be around to see this, but if not, I am confident that when it happens, the education and guidance they have received at BSG will have prepared them for university life and will help them to make a positive contribution to the world around them. International schools generally deal with a very transient student body and our school is no exception. Over 400 of our students have been with us for less than 2 years and next year another 250 new students will join us. In August, we will have 5-form entry from Nursery to Year 3 and such is the growing reputation of the British School, that the reception classes are already full with a growing number of families on the waiting list. As many of you will know, waiting lists are not uncommon at top international schools around the world. I would not be surprised to see waiting lists become a feature of our school next year. Finally, I would like to wish each and every one of our parents a safe and enjoyable summer holiday. Like many of you, I will be travelling back to my home country to see friends and family but will be returning in August ready for another exciting year at BSG.
A note from the editor… Dear parents and friends of BSG, As we reach the end of another successful academic year at the British School of Guangzhou, I have been reflecting on just how much the newsletter has grown. I always have great pleasure putting together this publication as it is always brimming with activity and conveys what a vibrant learning environment we have here. Every month we are able to share around 40 pages of articles and photos flowing between phases and displaying the best of our facilities. Putting it together, I am fascinated by the range of lessons and events going on around the campuses and how interesting it is to compare the enthusiastic writing of the teachers to the excited and inquisitive faces in the images. 2014/15 will see more than 800 students filter through the corridors on a regular basis, including the new ones being built at the Hillside campus. I have no doubt that next year will see an increased wealth of reports flying my way, and as ever, you will be inundated with news. Thank you for your continuing support for the newsletter and I will see you in August. Best Wishes, Stuart Geraghty Publications Editor
Important information is often sent via email through school. If you’re not receiving emails, please contact our receptionist, Rainbow Chen, at rainbow@bsg.org.cn.
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community
Farewell to the EFC Although this school year has been a far quieter year than previous for the EFC, with all of your help we have still managed to accumulate an impressive amount of money and now it is that time to pass it on to those charities and causes we believe in. We are all extremely proud of our achievements over the last couple of years. We have managed to build on the previous event organising structure and implement many things which will be of use to the next stage of parent committees: Class Representatives, Bake Sales and the hugely successful International Day. I don’t think anyone expected how fantastic a community event that would turn out to be. We were also very humbled that we were able to give substantial amounts of money to many people who faced hardships, which no expat could ever fathom. From the many natural disasters in countries such as Japan and Thailand, and most recently the devastating storms in the Philippines, to the charities who caught our attention - Action Aid, Colouers De Chine and Hopeful Hearts. We are very grateful to all who volunteered their time- the students, the parents, the teachers and of course Mr Thomas who helped facilitate our requests. We really could not have achieved our goals without you. We wish the next generation of parent committee every success moving forward. YEAR 2012/13 INS RMB Money left over previous year 16,710 2012 International Day 72,538 British Day 26,255 Bake Sales 7,500 TOTAL 123,008 OUTS RMB Couleurs de Chine Charity 17,000 Philippines Red Cross Appeal (Action Aid) 30,000 Theatre Lights for Bugsy Malone 25,223 Secondary Proms KS2/KS3 10,450 Book Week 5,000
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TOTAL 87,673
YEAR 2013/14 INS RMB Money Left Over 35,335 2013 International Day 154,410 Bake Sales 19,260 TOTAL 209,005 OUTS RMB 10,000/ Key Stage 50,000 Hopeful Hearts Charity 50,000 Lower School 40,000 Couleurs de Chine Charity 15,000 5000/ Parent Groups (3 groups) 15,000 Sports Kits 20,000 Action Aid 10,000 Thank You dinner for EFC volunteers 9,005
Nord who? NordStar. W e are NordStar, and we’re the charitable arm of Nord A nglia E ducation. W e want to help our local communities by doing what we do best: education. There are many more students we can reach than are enrolled in our schools, and we’re determined to change lives for the better.
W hy now?
W e have guiding principles.
Nord A nglia E ducation students, parents and teachers have long been involved in different charitable initiatives. W e felt it was time to unite them under one name, and support those efforts all the more.
I nner F old
105mm
A shared mission. W e share our mission with Nord A nglia E ducation. That mission is to help others thrive. W e want to help people – whether they’re supporting NordStar or benefiting from its work – to be the best they can be. O ur guiding principles make sure we do this. W e drew these principles up carefully, because they’re important to us. Let’s take a look at each one in turn. 1. Make local education central S uccessful charities focus on what they do best, so we make sure our activities are part of our everyday curriculum, and always related to education. 2 . G ive time and money O ur expertise is just as important as our cash, so we are generous with both. 3. Do it together W e build genuine grass roots partnerships with individuals and local communities, as that’s how we make a real difference.
2.
105mm
3.
4 . Make it last B efore we get started on a project, we need to prove to ourselves that it will be of lasting benefit for the people involved. 5. Make it enjoyable You learn more when you enjoy what you’re doing. W e’re keen to avoid being too worthy in favour of being uplifting. 6 . Make it safe W e’re conscientious with our risk management plans and do our utmost to keep anyone and everyone involved in a projec t completely safe.
4.
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G L UE
A Brief Introduction to NordStar
e’re the haritable m.
105mm
Outer F old
105mm
I nner F old
TOTAL 209,005
lower school
Splash Day! By: Ellen Richards The end of the school year often brings with it lots of exciting happenings, and for Nursery, a real highlight of the run down to the summer holidays, has been lots of fun in the sun with water! With much anticipation and enthusiasm, we embarked on our first Splash Day with paddling pools, water trays, water toys and even a carwash. It was fantastic seeing the children confidently splash about in the water and experiment with different ways of moving through it. For those a little more tentative, there was plenty of exploring of gems, funnels, nets and a whole range of water toys. A real hit with the children were of course, the water shooters which when aimed accurately were very effective at soaking the teachers! However, all too soon, and with much disappointment our Splash Day had to come to an end as it was time to go home. I have no doubt that Miss Lou will be very impressed with the children’s enthusiasm when she starts swimming lessons with them next year in Reception!
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lower school 8
Getting Ready To Move On... By: Monica Daryani With only a few weeks left of school, there is a feeling of excitement as we get ready for the summer holidays and as our children get ready to move onto Nursery or maybe to a different school altogether! It has been a fantastic year for all of us here at Pre-Nursery. As teachers, it has been a pure delight to watch the children having made so much progress in all the various developmental areas. A year having gone by has brought back many memories, from the time these little ones cried for their ‘mummies’ and ‘daddies’ at the beginning of term to now being independent in many aspects of their school life. We reminisce all the fond moments, such as celebrating Halloween, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Book Week and all the other ‘fun’ and ‘learning’ experiences that took place during the year. As happy as we are that our Pre-Nursery children are getting ready to move on, there is also a little bit of sadness as we bid them farewell; they all have built a special place here at BSG with us. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the families for their continued support throughout the year. We wish all the children and their families ‘Happy Holidays’!
lower school
Superheroes By: Judith Sanderson Well it’s not everyday you see your Headteacher being given flying lessons by one of the world’s greatest superheroes - yet it happened at BSG! We were astounded and amazed when after hearing that Reception were exploring the world of superheroes, Lightening Strike himself flew in to meet us. “SSSSSSSHHHHH,” he said, when asked how he flew.” If you promise not to tell, I’ll show you.” “A volunteer from the audience to join me,” Lightening Strike cried. Before we knew it, Mr. Thomas was on his feet. “Wait!” he exclaimed. “Health and Safety if you please. If anyone is going to risk life and limb it must be me!” (What a hero, we murmured in awe at his courage). Before our very eyes it happened! Only the cries of anguish, “oh no, please don’t leave us, please don’t go,” from children and grownups prevented the dynamic duo from taking flight.
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lower school
Pirates! By: Nick Parker Today in the dark mists of the morning, the sun didn’t rise, the birds didn’t call and no insects appeared in the playground to be crushed by a dozen tiny feet. In Year One, a ghostly Pirate message had arrived. He called himself “One-Eye”. He claimed he was a good pirate; that the crimes leveled against him were false and that he was writing to us now from beyond the grave. He said he’d left clues for Year One to follow. Clues leading to a message. With a disregard for their own safety usually only exhibited on the monkey-bars, Year One took on the challenge. The boys and girls had to pace, stomp, turn and follow basic directional instructions. For many it was too much. It seemed impossible. But then, in a mouldy corner, under the whiteboard, where everything had seemed so scary, they found a scroll. A true message from One-Eye! Year One were heading off on a new adventure. In the scroll One Eye told Year One that his old crew was full of salty dogs and beleaguered bilgerats. That his old crew had narry an ounce of honour in them. That his old crew resembled UpperCampus TAs. The scroll said that One-Eye needed a new crew. He said that Year One would do, and since he said it so nicely and so excitingly with his message, it would just be awkward if Year One refused.
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So, press-ganged into becoming pirates, Year One set out looking the part. They needed headgear, the likes of which they could scare other crews into surrender.
They needed swords to fight their way towards treasure. They needed Mr Nick to teach them the fine art of growing facial hair. When this was all done, when Year One looked the part, they returned to their ships and waited. Days went by and the routine settled in. It felt like they weren’t moving. They were trapped in the infamous “play rehearsal” doldrums. Many students and teachers went mad with cabin fever. But the monotony was broken in a flash with the arrival of some handsome new pirates. Calling themselves “Captain G” and “Nefarious Nick” they told grand tales of adventure and promised what every pirate and young single man wants the most. The booty. The journey to get the booty took Year One through sticky swamps, through caves of dead souls, out across a boiling lava pool, up the Mountain of Horror, over a sea snakes back and finally into a cavern filled with real treasure. But instead of finding the dubloons, crowns, and Spanish silver that they’d come to expect, Year One found a different kind of treasure. They found quills to write, and parchment to write on. They came to learn that the most precious treasure of them all was the treasure of the journey. Knowing this, Year One resolved never to let the memories die. They exchanged cutlasses for quills and wrote with the same ferocity that they fought with. They vowed to squeeze their experiences onto the parchment in the feat surely worthy of excellence books. The adventure of the Pirate topic lives on.
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lower school 12
House Events By: Graeme Hopkinson As the year comes to an end, so do the House Events of Lakefront for Reception and Year 1… but, like everything we do on Lakefront, they went out in style. Our House Events of May saw children step up to competitions on a whole new level, requiring agility, strength, creativity, strategy and skill; as well as a good bout of fun and laughter too. Tug-of-War saw many red faces biting their teeth down hard and looks of determination as each team tugged and tugged to prove their strength and stamina to the against teams. The teachers may have to team up to stop these super strong students. Spiderman’s Challenge put the children’s agility and skill to the test as they had to crawl and climb through Spiderman’s Web and avoid getting tangled up. The children clearly enjoyed this activity, and it tied in well; since Reception are learning about superheroes and Year 1 have recently finished learning about Comics. Marshmallow City Construction got the children’s creativity and logic going as they tried to build houses and towers using only marshmallows and skewers. The children were quick to see that they needed to think in 3-Dimensional terms to keep their structures standing. Finally, and my personal favourite, is the Tangram Challenge! Children had to use all the brain power they could spare, after a hard day’s work, to solve this 7 piece puzzle and make the perfect square. Here is a link for children to practise Tangrams and the many shapes they can make: (http://www.addictinggames.com/puzzle-games/tangramgame.jsp) The students thoroughly enjoyed these events, with many wanting to redo the activities in their classroom. I would like to give a special congratulations to Miss Nishanthi for her agility through Spiderman’s Web and Bell , from Reception Dragons, for solving the last few pieces of the tangram for the Normans.
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lower school 14
Treasure Island Production By: Gavin Fleck On Wednesday 11th June at the Lower School campus, something special happened. At precisely 10:00am the hall was magically transformed into the Royal Albert Hall! Parents bore witness to acting performance by junior Pacino’s, De Niro’s and Hepburn’s. There was singing that rivaled Beyonce, Shakira or even Bieber! Perhaps I am embellishing a bit, but the Year 1 performance of Treasure Island was indeed a very proud day for the Year 1 Team. Traditionally the children in Year 1 have provided a show to the parents of BSG during the Christmas period. They have been shared this performance with the children in the Reception classes. Due to the ongoing expansion of our school, this was not going to be possible this year. It was decided that they Year 1s and Reception would perform separately The teachers decided that the Year 1 students would perform Treasure Island. Not only was the story viewed to be rich in action and adventure, but the subject matter linked in perfectly with the children’s learning on pirates at school.
The children began by learning the songs, some 7 weeks before the performance. 5 weeks before the show was to be staged, the main characters began to do short rehearsals. 3 Weeks before the show and the children were rehearsing from one scene to the next. 4 Days before the show was due to be staged and the children completed their first full run through. On Wednesday 11th June, Year 1 performed their show to their parents and families. The Year 1 team were of course suitably proud by the efforts of the students. It was the praise that they have received from parents, students and other teachers alike that has been most pleasing. For a cohort of 83 students to pull off a 45-minute show with singing, acting and staging at this age was quite remarkable. We are of course indebted to the support of our wonderful parents and support staff. It would have been impossible to have achieved what we did without them. So perhaps in future years you may see one of these children treading the boards of Broadway or posing on the red carpet. In the meantime, I would advise you to catch as many BSG shows as possible in the future.
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PRIMARY
Year 2 Remember... By: Jason Yu It has been a marvellous year for our Pandas, Alligators,Tigers and Turtles. These animals have all grown accustomed to their new habitat and the tentative pitter-patter of timid feet has gradually been replaced by peacock-like struts through the corridors. This special troop has journeyed long and far in search of new knowledge to show off to their peers. Uncovering dinosaur bones in the Guangdong Science Museum, scaling the Canton Tower, exploring Yuexiu Park and discovering the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King are just a few these animals’ adventures. Back at the nest, the animals enjoyed an array of events such as the swimming gala, sports day, book week, house events and the Mulan production. However, one event perched beak and feathers above the rest and that was the Year 2 Camp Out. Who can forget Mr. Laird’s story; Mr. Andrew’s sing-along; Miss Kathryn’s ukulele; the stellar cast was endless, not to mention marshmallows by the campfire. Looking back, Year 2 have grown to take their place in the animal kingdom. It has been a delight and a privilege to see them flourish at the school and the Year 2 team look forward to hearing about their forthcoming adventures in Year 3. No doubt they will return even bigger, wiser and fiercer next year.
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PRIMARY
Diamonds Are Forever By: David Barton “Diamonds are forever,” said Miss Hales to the quizzical looking faces of her students, “Well unless you lose them that is!” As you can tell, Year 3 have been learning all about rocks and minerals in science. Because of this, Mr. Mooney being the keen scientist he is, decided to organise a trip to the New Guangdong Museum. When the children set off, their bags were packed, lunches were ready and they were all excited about their trip away from school. It was a short journey down to Zhujiang New Town, in the centre of Guangzhou, and we must have been the first ones there as there was no queue to be seen! Once the students had their snacks and had a quick look through their question sheets, which they needed to answer while walking around the museum, they set off in search of rocks. The first area was all about rocks in Guangdong and gave the students the chance to see a huge range of resources that are in fact, just on our door step. The gold area was especially popular, though unfortunately the safety glass stopped us reaching in and trying them for ourselves! As we went further into the museum, the rocks and minerals became brighter and shinier. The students were able to see some amazing jade pieces as well as diamonds, quartz and sapphires, that sparkled below the spotlights. After the children had seen all the different rocks and minerals from around Guangdong, they then had the chance to see some very interesting flora and fauna, most of which are used in local Chinese medicine. As if that wasn’t enough, the trip ended on a high note as the children went to the dinosaur area. They were huge and quite scary, but luckily the children reassured Mr Barton that they were only very old bones. There were a few sleepy heads on the way back to school but it was an amazing trip not only for the students, but also for the teachers and parents as well! 17
PRIMARY
Marketing Masters By: Alasdair Carr In Year 4 we have been learning all about the art of persuasion. In this English unit we began by looking at strategies used by advertisers in print and billboard advertising to catch your eye, make products look appealing and stick in your brain. After practising these strategies ourselves we started to compare this approach with that used by radio and TV advertisers. Lots of laughs were had looking at some of the funny, weird and downright crazy adverts (from the teachers’ youths!) As a milestone piece of work to assess what we have learnt, we were given a challenge by Mr Geraghty (our resident Don Draper) and the Senior Management Team, to come up with 3 different types of adverts; radio, TV and print. Students worked in groups in this projectbased task to come up with the best way to ‘sell’ the school. Some interviewed teachers, others asked pupils and some looked through their photos on their iPads and asked themselves, “Why do I enjoy coming to BSG?” Some outstanding work was produced in a remarkably short amount of time. Great slogans were created and Mr. Corr even suggested that Mr. Geraghty’s job might be in danger judging by the quality of ads! Follow these QR codes for examples of excellent work as well as the prompt from the Senior Management Team. http://goo.gl/p9xQsu http://boo.fm/b2255873 http://youtu.be/6dZTdfr5wb0
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PRIMARY
Maths Games By: Alexandra Paul Over the last few weeks, Year 4 have been using all the maths skills and knowledge they have learnt this year in a project about maths games. Problem based learning (PBL) has been a central aspect of this project. The pupils were set a problem based on filling a gap in the market. The problem was: ‘The educational game market is severely lacking a maths game which is fun and supports learning for pupils aged 8-10. They were proposed the idea that an educational games company had invited them to design a new maths game. The requirements were: - A game for Y4/5 students to support their learning - Includes a specific area of maths - Challenging, fair and exciting to play The students worked in small groups to plan and create their games. They investigated a variety of games by playing and evaluating current games, creating questionnaires to survey other people and even contacting real game designers using Skype for advice! They designed and made their own game and then used their success criteria checklist to self-evaluate and even asked other groups to offer constructive feedback. The conversations overheard between groups of students about their games and the justifications for each of the elements of their game were excellent! The students have now completed their games and have enjoyed playing them with their friends. The Year 4 team were particularly impressed with how well the pupils engaged in this task and pushed themselves to produce some excellent games. Well done, Year 4.
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PRIMARY
Mulan: Years 3 & 4 By: Laura Asbury Once upon a time there lived a group of very talented BSG students who put on the most amazing performance of Mulan. They transported their audience back to Ancient China and told the story of a beautiful young girl who dared to disguise herself as a man and go to war for China. The BSG gang rehearsed for weeks; learning lines, rehearsing songs and perfecting their dance routines. From traditional Chinese dances to comedy characters, from sensitive acting scenes to a battle frenzy, all students played their part in making the show a great success. The school orchestra accompanied the performance beautifully and all their teachers were very impressed that children so young could play so maturely. Show week arrived and the wonderful costumes, lighting, make-up and stage design added the finishing touches and boosted the company to give it their all! A visiting school, who watched the dress rehearsal, were full of praise and admiration and even stayed longer to be photographed with the cast! Here are some thoughts from the cast: “I loved playing the battle leader in the battle dance!” Minjun Kim, Year 4 “It was great to be in a Musical about China, because we live here.” Sofia Schamphelaere, Year 4 “My character is so crazy, but she is kind and guides Mulan.” Mila Carpano, Year 4 “I love playing Yao because he’s silly and Mulan punches me!” Timothy Lim, Year 3 And that was it for 2014. The children and teaches were proud of their performance and the parents loved it! What will next year bring….. Until then, thank you and good night!
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PRIMARY
Miss. Paul’s Pool Lesson By: Andrew Newton 4AP lived up to their name last week with a visit to ‘A Pool.’ Miss Paul had promised her class she would take part in their weekly swimming lesson to share her wisdom and offer some tips, however, due to the grueling schedule of Mulan rehearsals and recent SATs exams, she was left swimming against the current. So, this past Friday, both teacher and TA made a splash when they joined in a pool party of sorts! Even the secondary PE team took the plunge with Mr Vincent looking cool at poolside and Mr Lincoln demonstrating his shark like swimming skills. Excitement was in the air, and the water, with even serial slow changer Caua Bonetto getting dressed in record time to head the line. His array of swimming equipment was truly something to behold. The Brazilian sported goggles, a swimcap and some spectacular shorts to complete the look. This was more like a field trip to the beach than a Friday afternoon in school! Early rumours that Miss Paul will look to implement this into her timetable next year are as yet unfounded. Into the pool and straight into the action then. Ball games were the order of the day in the shallow end, including the childhood classic ‘Monkey in the Middle’ and even a spot of diving header practice for the class chatterbox Aidan Toh. Robin van Persie watch out! The further up the pool we travelled, the more actual swimming on show. Miss Paul taking her role as Sofia Schampheleare’s diving coach very seriously (Despite taking an unnatural amount of time to pluck up the courage and dive in herself ). Even in such a short space of time the improvement in the student’s technique was clear for all to see. “She’s a natural” gushed Miss Paul, full of praise and encouragement. “That was more summer holiday than Summer Olympics” was her not so encouraging critique of Mr Newton’s acrobatic effort. This was a welcome treat and a justified reward for the class’s hard work and excellent behaviour. And the children enjoyed it just as much as they deserved it. Thanks Miss Paul, a splashing time for all! 21
PRIMARY
Year 5 World Cup By: Brian Schroeder With the World Cup in progress, we decided in Year 5 to have our own football tournament! We first drew names using ‘Name Selector’ on our iPads to group the children into 6 teams; they were already familiar with this app as we have used it for previous group work. We then chose to represent the following countries: Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Uruguay and Chile. Similar to the World Cup, each group played a round-robin tournament where they each played each other just one time. The official stat keeper, Mr. Schroeder, kept track of the wins, losses, draws, goals scored, yellow cards, free kicks and penalty kicks. Our students became very competitive and were constantly asking when the next games were going to be and who was playing whom next! They were also very interested in the individual statistics, especially Harry Carlin, the top goal scorer - way to go Harry! Highlights of the tournament included: - Steve Park almost receiving a red card for his constant backchat to the referee, Mr. Watson! - Honduras dinging three goals off the post in the same game! - Mexico scoring their first goal in their penultimate game…and the subsequent wild celebrations! - Annabel Neel scoring the first goal for the ladies! - Anna Means going shoulder-to-shoulder and thwarting Schumi Chen - girl power! - Eduardo Bueno performing the best save of the tournament with a leaping goalie catch! - Keya Chag enduring the most painful (and brave) save by taking a ball to the stomach! Final Results Table
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GOOD YEA 24
DBYE AR 6 25
PRIMARY 26
Years 5 & 6: Exploring Art By: Stuart Geraghty During this academic year, Years 5 and 6 students have enjoyed a new Art experience with Secondary’s Mr. Delmotte. Lessons with Mr. Delmotte have allowed the children to explore many areas of the subject and experiment with lots of different styles and tools. Paper cutting, rivers, Greek urns and rotational symmtery are just some of the areas students have studied, and in doing so, have developed new skills and talents to express their inner artists. As both yeargroups move up in August, we can be confident that they will enter the next stage of their education with an abundance of Art knowledge and keen interests in crafts.
PRIMARY
Piano Recital By: Lin Oushu On 21st June, I organised a summer piano recital for our young BSG pianists. Even though they have only studied piano with me since April, they did a wonderful job on the recital. The recital started at 10 o’clock and the children came at around 9:30 to have a short rehearsal. For most of them this was the first time playing in a concert hall with a grand piano. In the first half of the recital, every student played two songs by themselves. We chose a wide range of songs, including folk songs, classical music and traditional music. Before the recital we also learnt concert etiquette, which helps them to recognise they are in a formal setting! The children got a bit nervous, however, that is how you grow as a musician, performing in front of all the guests! Every student received an award for their great effort after the performance. I am proud of their achievements and they should be proud of themselves too. Finally, I want to thank all the parents for their support.
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eal: a journey
By: Sam Ryan The students on the EAL programme this year have learnt so many different topics that we wanted to give them a chance to tell us what they had enjoyed the most during their time. Let’s hear from our students! Steve Park (Year 5): I enjoyed writing a short story using picture guides because I could use my own imagination to create my own interesting story. I am also enjoying our topic on biographies right now, where I am finding out about another persons life story. When I joined EAL, I thought it was too low for me, however when I started the lessons I noticed that there was a lot that I didn’t know and I have learnt a lot. Andrew Shin (Year 5): I really enjoyed reading the Penguin Reader: Around the World in Eighty Days. The book cover didn’t look exciting but when we read the story, I was surprised how much I really enjoyed it! This has taught me to ‘Never judge a book by it’s cover”. This saying can also be said of people. Elisa Zanlier (Year 4): I have enjoyed my EAL lessons and have learnt a lot of things: In our biography topic I learnt about Amy Johnson and Mother Teresa and I found this very interesting. Writing a biography myself was the hard bit. I like learning new grammar and answering comprehension questions. I enjoyed doing fables and writing my own fable about ‹How the rabbit got long ears›. I had fun acting out different stories, I think it shows how you are and it was funny to watch everyone acting their parts too. It helped us understand things better. I want to list all the topics….I liked it all and had fun doing it. Tiffany Lo (Year 4): I have learnt a lot of new things generally. The topic that was most fun was ‘Celebrating Success’ and reading the biographies. I have enjoyed researching information to write
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a biography on an interesting person. I never knew what a biography meant before or what it was but now I know. Kayui (Year 2): I enjoyed the Tower topic because you can make the Lego. I like spelling, some is easy but some are hard but I learnt the words and now I can spell them. Shirley (Year 2): I enjoyed Marcel goes to Hollywood. I like reading the stories and I did some beautiful writing about Olivia, The Brown Town Mouse. Lik (Year 2): I liked the Dinosaur topic because it is fun and interesting and I learnt about dinosaurs. Caua (Year 4) -I enjoyed the LRRH story because we created a scene about what happens next and we could use our imagination to create a dialogue. Jonny-I enjoyed the preshistoric mammals topic because we can learn about their size and where they live and we learnt vocabulary about them. James (Year 4) I enjoyed Johnny English because the story was funny and we wrote about about Pascal Sauvage, the bad guy! Isabella (Year 4) I enjoyed the ‘Holiday Island’ because it was fun and everyone had a speaking part, we also used different kinds of shells! David (Year 5) I enjoyed the ‘Letter to Bebop’ because I was excited to write a letter to an alien! Nathan (Year 4) I liked the ‘Letter to Bebop’ because we learned about his home and we told him about our world. Siwoo (Year 4)-I liked the funny story that Tom told to his cousin. The pictures were fun and I liked the monkeys in the story. Kristina (Year 7): EAL has helped me un-
derstand a lot more English. After a year in EAL I can understand 95% of what people say to me and I help my parents to translate everyday. I’m getting more confident and I can speak more easily to people and I’m not that shy. Kevin (year 7): EAL has helped me practice my spelling, reading, writing, speaking and grammar. Now I can help my family to translate when we go to America and other countries. When I was young I couldn’t understand what people were saying to me in America, but now most things I can understand. In just one year my English has improved so much I can understand 90% more than I could last year. Selina (Year 7): I am now more confident when I talk to teachers and classmates then I was at the beginning of last year. When I first came to this school people asked me questions and I did understand what they were saying but I couldn’t answer properly but now I can easily answer back. Michael (Year 7): Now I have more friends and more confidence. When I first came to this school I didn’t know how to speak to them but now I am far more confident and I have a lot of friends. Justin Li (Year 9): When I first came to BSG my English wasn’t very good at all; when I talked to the teachers I didn’t even know what they’re talking about. When they were asking questions I couldn’t answer them, it was terrible! EAL came in to my life and actually changed my English skills so much that I can now communicate with people about a lot of things easily. Jeffrey Lam (Year 8): Before I joined EAL my reports were always had below target grades and I could not communicate with teachers very well. After I joined EAL lessons my other subject’s levels improved to teachers expected levels.
I was always very shy to communicate with other people because of my English but now I have more confidence to talk and I’ve made some good friends. Benjamin (Year 8): At the start of my British International School life I couldn’t even understand teachers rules and instructions; not even classmate’s questions. However I joined EAL and my English improved so much that I cannot believe that I can now speak another language. Hue: (Year 8): When I first came to this school even though i prepared for the English environment of the school I still couldn’t talk with any people but after joining EAL lessons my English improved quickly. I could have conversations in English with my friends and even teachers said my English has greatly improved. During EAL I have had a lot fun and learned a great amount, more than just language. Yun Jeong (Year 7): EAL has improved my grammar skills by practicing and reviewing different tenses and I have also improved my vocabulary. Claire (Year 7): EAL has improved my reading skills, now I can read confidently and loudly in class. Terence (Year 7): EAL has improved my writing skills because I have learnt more vocabulary by reading more English texts. Mike (Year 7): EAL has improved my grammar skills by practicing and learning different tenses and using countable and uncountable nouns. Also it has improved my writing skills by learning more vocabulary. Tracy (Year 7): EAL has improved my writing skills because I learnt many different kinds of texts such as postcards, newspapers and letters. Also I have improved my grammar such as my tenses!
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eal: a journey 30
Our secondary students have been working extremely hard for their IGCSE EAL exam and I sincerely wish them all the luck and success as they certainly deserve it! I can proudly say that in my entire teaching career, I have never enjoyed teaching as much as I have enjoyed teaching this cohort. Their interesting and colourful personalities can add humour and entertainment to any language classroom and all us have thoroughly enjoyed the journey of learning English. I asked them how their EAL classes have benefitted them in improving their English and this is what they said. Eu Joon Yeoh Year 11 Before I joined the EAL class, my grammar and tense was my weakest part. But thankfully we have Ms. Shaila. She is the best teacher I have ever met in my life! She always put in her best effort to teach us English and she provides us help and support whenever we need. With the help and support from her, now I can write better and longer essays in other subjects such as History and Business Studies, which require extended answers in the exam. Melisa Kalkan – Year 11 When I first started to BSG 4 years ago, I couldn’t speak any English and it was horrifying for me to have such a big change in my life... I even had to be put down one year lower to be able to only concentrate on my English and not worry about my other subjects! Even while doing topics I already knew, I was having trouble understanding the teacher and yes I do remember asking what a ruler was to Mr. Marwaha! However, shortly after my EAL lessons began, without even knowing it, I started to understand some bits and pieces that was going around me and in only a year my English was already good enough to understand the lessons comfortably. I feel like if the EAL teachers weren’t this supportive I wouldn’t be able to get through this tough stage on my own. The next year (at year 8) my English was so much better and my grades went back up and i was even able
to skip a grade and go to my original grade again. I couldn’t have gotten the grades I’m getting now without the help I got from my EAL teachers so I want to thank the EAL department with all my heart! Special thanks to Mrs. Manning, Mr. Ryan and Ms. Shaila. Gordon Wong – Year 11 I remembered that when I first came to the school, I was not able to understand a single word in English other than yes or no. Fortunately, Ms. Shaila became my EAL teacher and taught me patiently with her brilliant teaching technique. For the last few years, she has always been my pillar of strength, lending me a hand whenever I needed it. And now, I am able to write English essays and read English textbook independently. This is very useful for my future life, as English is one of the most important international languages. Avelina Randhahn - Year 12 We’ve been through many past exam papers, which have challenged us to read quickly but carefully, listen attentively and write successfully different kinds of letters and essays. Moreover it has helped us to learn new vocabulary and refresh the old ones. It has changed our whole language style. After EAL I am able to say that it has helped me not only to have a conversation in English without problems, but has also taught me to find enjoyment in the language. A huge “Thank you” should go to the teachers, who have helped the others and me with problems and questions in an extremely helpful way. Leo Zhang – Year 12 By doing EAL this year, I feel that my basic English skills have improved, and I feel quite satisfied about this. In EAL this year, Ms. Shaila basically helped me to improve my grammar mistakes, extend my vocabulary and taught me how to write formal or informal letters. What’s equally important, is that I got the opportunity to get to know Ms. Shaila and I quite enjoyed her lessons.
secondary
CREST Awards By: Chris Wright When Albert Einstein was in school he famously thought to himself, “What would a beam of light look like if you caught up with it?” It was from this thought that in 1905 Einstein went on to develop his infamous Special Theory of Relativity, that derived the equation E = mc2. This month our Year 9 students had the opportunity to emulate Albert Einstein by coming up with their own questions as they participated in Bronze CREativity in Science and Technology (CREST) Award. The Bronze CREST Award which involves 10 hours of project work, is designed to encourage students in the field of Science and introduce them to the work of real scientists. Pupils could chose to investigate an idea, design and make an item, research a subject, or design a science communication project. Whilst doing the award students experience the project process; improving their enquiry, problem solving and communication skills. Our thirty-nine budding scientists are involved in projects ranging from; examining the best materials to make wetsuits from, investigating ways in which the school can reduce carbon emissions, to seeing which cleaner is best at killing bacteria. The students have thoroughly enjoyed the process and are hoping to achieve their award when they submit their work in mid June. Kate Kielty, who investigated whether the price of cleaning product has a correlation with the amount of bacteria it kills said, “Undertaking CREST is a wonderful opportunity to conduct your very own research project and undertake a real challenge outside of the school curriculum. My research project has given me the opportunity to showcase my work, compete in a prestigious international competition and is an item I hope to proudly place on my CV. I would thoroughly recommend anybody with a passion for Science and scientific enquiry to take on the challenge of completing a CREST award. I look forward to completing the silver CREST award in the school next year.” Head of Science, Mrs Yvonne McKenna, said: “We are delighted at the enthusiasm shown by our students and impressed by the skill and resourcefulness that they brought to their projects. We wish them the best of luck and hope they are all able to achieve the award. We look forward to helping many of them progress towards science at A-level and beyond.”
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Secondary Teaching & Learning By: Aidan Edmanson
Leader journals.
Over the course of this academic year, the Secondary school has made a real effort to get to grips with ‘Teaching and Learning’. After all, we all hear those words on a daily basis…
This is what one of our Year 9 students had to say when asked how she had found the role this year… ‘At the start of the year when asked: do you want to be a Literacy Leader? Most of us thought “sure. Easy!” It was unbeknown to us how much of a challenge it would be to teach someone who wasn’t confident in English; this was the first thing we realised. We thought we would just help them read or with their homework, but during the first session we realised that this wasn’t the case. We believe that this course has truly opened our eyes to how different people learn in the sense that everybody learns in a different way and at different speeds. We have learnt a lot about how we can help others and how we can draw on our own experience to do this. It has been a very valuable experience and I recommend it! (Bethany Jayesinghe, Year 9)
TEACHING… What is GOOD teaching? How does one teach effectively and take into account their students’ needs? What is a solid lesson plan? Teachers will surely empathise…yet students may say, ‘It can’t be all be that difficult!’ Or can it? LEARNING… So, what does GOOD learning look like? What type of qualities would be found within an effective learner; what ingredients would make it into Mr. Ruck’s recipe for ‘The perfect learner’? Is being a successful learner limited to the classroom or do we need to think bigger? These are just a few of the questions that the Secondary school have been dealing with and below are some of the initiatives running this year, which have given students the opportunity to start answering them.
Overall the Literacy Leaders initiative has been highly effective and extremely rewarding (as well as a big confidence booster) for all involved. Great work Literacy Leaders and we hope to see many of you back in the role again next year!
Literacy Leaders
Learning Reps
The Literacy Leaders programme has had another successful year, this time around being run by Miss. Hardwicke. It involves Year 9 and 10 volunteers who have put themselves forward to help mentor Year 6, 7 and 8 students in Literacy. The volunteers support the younger students by working through some of their weaker areas linked to Reading and Writing, whether this be through supporting them working on their library text, helping in the re-working of homework, or completing the specific assessmentfocused related tasks in their Literacy
Moving on, the ‘Learning Rep’ is a new role that has been introduced this year. We have been lucky enough to be able to appoint at least one representative from most tutor groups throughout Secondary. Their role is to not only raise initiatives linked to teaching and learning, but to look at this topic with the more critical eye of a student. Scary hey? Well, they started at the beginning of the year by instigating discussions linked to this area in tutor time and collating their results and publishing these in articles that were uploaded to the school’s website. As well as this, they have been involved in school assemblies, and more recently, the Key
Stage 3 Reps have had the opportunity to critically evaluate what they think about anything and everything linked to teaching and learning, after taking part in the recent Key Stage 3 Challenge. However, it is still early days and there are certainly even BIGGER and BETTER plans for our Learning Reps next year. Here’s what two of our Year 8 Reps have to say about the bright and rosy future of ‘Learning Reps’… Learning Reps next year will become more established. We will meet much more often and after the success of the challenge, the plan is to run a junior Leadership ASA, which the Reps will be primarily eligible for. This means that teaching practice and further links with the Primary school can continue and develop, especially after how well we all worked together earlier in the year. The plan is to also become more involved with staff as this hasn’t happened yet. This could be through attending some meetings and training sessions. If they’ll have us that is! (Gloria Chan and Savanna Lopez, Year 8) The Key Stage 3 House Challenge: Student to Teacher! The Second Key Stage 3 Challenge of the year certainly lived up to its name in the billing! It was a CHALLENGE and THEN SOME! After only one day’s worth of planning, all of the Key Stage 3 students, in their Houses, had to deliver 4 lessons each to our very own BSG Year 4s, who made the step-up to Secondary for one day. Each Key Stage 3 House were tasked with the job of providing one English lesson, one Maths lesson and two random lessons of their choosing to the unsuspecting Year 4 classes, who I must say, took everything in their stride brilliantly. Then, after each lesson the Year 4s were given the power of marking the House’s effort in the following areas: Learning objectives and progress; lesson structure and pace; engagement and independence; classroom management and relationships; differentiation, and overall involvement. Those poor, overworked Key Stage 3 students I hear you say! 33
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Yet, as if this wasn’t enough, each House also had to deliver an 8-minute assembly on the topic: ‘What is good learning?’ They even had to link these to next year’s new CORE VALUES: A love of learning, respect, commitment, responsibility and integrity. AND…they certainly didn’t disappoint. For the lessons, there were: role-plays; exploding volcanoes; games of ‘Guess the slimy Viking food’; treasure hunts, and much more. In addition, they even managed to throw in some equation solving, PEE paragraphs and peer assessment, just for good measure. Likewise, the assemblies also turned out to be all singing and all dancing, with the Normans creating their very own ‘Learning’ song and Kate and Sarah from the Vikings adopting the role of crazed chefs, as they went about creating their own whacky recipe for the perfect learner. All of this, coupled with a tasty BBQ and lots of smiling Year 4s meant that the day turned out to be a big success and hopefully it was the first of many more links between Primary and Secondary. When asked whether or not her opinions on teaching and learning have changed after the challenge, Kate in Year 9 wrote… ‘At the beginning of the year I believed that of the two; teaching and learning, learning was the most difficult. However, I had only ever seen one side of the story: being a student. The Key Stage 3 Challenge taught me to believe differently. During the challenge we were given a Year 4 class, a subject and time span. We all found ourselves close to giving up and labeling the task “impossible.” In the end however, we managed to fill up the time with what we thought were enough activities. Engaging a class can be difficult and if you cannot get their attention, you will also fail to get their cooperation. I found this an eyeopener and started to ask myself if I am like this in class. There is a lot of preparation involved and the lesson plan is key to a successful lesson, however, it is also important to understand the people you are working with to ensure both the teaching and learning are equally fun!’ (Kate Kielty, Year 9)
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Likewise, two Year 7s, Caitlyn and Angel, went on to talk about the main difficulties that they faced… ‘There were various things that we found difficult with the challenge. For example, time management was a problem. We had to make sure we didn’t run out of time, but at the same time, we also had to make sure that we had enough things to teach. Also, we had to set different levels of work, so every student would not find something too easy or too hard. This would keep them interested and eager to learn more. Another thing we found difficult was that we had to make sure there were different types of activities for different types of learners: Kinesthetic learners, Visual learners and Auditory learners. Making sure that everything was in the plan was difficult as well; if you suddenly blanked out and didn’t know what to say next, it would be very awkward. We also found that if you asked a question that was too hard, no one might be able to answer, so we had to plan for this and have a clue and a treat ready for whoever managed to answer the question correctly. So, it was challenging…but we definitely felt satisfied when we had delivered our successful lesson. (Caitlyn Yap and Angel Lee, Year 7) Overall, it was an absolute pleasure seeing our students work so well together and they were a credit to their Houses, but also to their teachers, whom they had clearly gained much inspiration from! A MASSIVE WELL DONE TO ALL STUDENTS INVOLVED, BOTH YEAR 4S AND KEY STAGE 3 ALIKE!!! Secondary, make sure you are ready for next year, as there will be plenty more challenges and surprises coming your way…you can be sure of that!
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Goodbye, Year 13 By: Francis Burlingham In a previous newsletter our Year 13 students discussed their University offers and plans for next year. As I write this, it is the final week of examinations and shortly I shall be flying to the Philippines with them for one final trip to an island near Coron in Palawan. There we will take advantage of the skills gained last year in Thailand and put their PADI diving qualifications to good use when we go reef diving. We will also go kayaking, hiking and snorkeling and have a tour of some of the surrounding islands. This should be a worthwhile and fitting way for them to spend their last week together before speech day. Over the last two years I have had the privilege of working closely with our first Sixth Form students at BSG. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. In that time they have taken full advantage of the opportunities offered within the Sixth Form here. I remember fondly the start of Year 12, when, to get better acquainted and in order to develop leadership skills, we all went sailing with Outward Bound in Hong Kong. Working with others to navigate a vessel safely and effectively towards a destination was an excellent metaphor for many aspects of life in our Sixth Form. They have grown and matured so much as individuals since then and now they are in touching distance of that destination; University here they come! I am sure that the students would join me in particularly thanking Ms. Hearn for all of her hard work as a tutor and Mrs. Ellis for her work with careers and university guidance. They have worked so hard and supported the students so well to ensure that they had the best possible university applications and consequently received great offers. So many of our staff have also been involved in not only providing high quality teaching and academic support but also a huge range of extra-curricular opportunities as well. Both the students and I are extremely grateful for all of their efforts and the huge part they have played in the success of our Sixth Form. Having individually mentored the students over the past two years I have seen them flourish and grow so much to become a wonderful group of mature and caring young people. I do hope that they keep in touch with the school and each other as they become our first Alumni. They have worked hard academically and have become capable students well equipped to deal with the next exciting stage of their lives. I am sure that they will all go on to be successful and fulfill their dreams. To borrow a well-used phrase in education; ‘I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.’ Best wishes year 13.
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An Exciting Year for IA By: Nicola Welch It has been an exciting year for the development of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award at BSG. We have guided our biggest cohort of bronze participants through the award as well as having our first silver participants. We have signed a new license that has seen the introduction of the online record book, making it easier for both pupils to log their progress and teachers to monitor and sign them off. For the first year the bronze award ran two successful treks to allow bronze participants to complete the Adventurous Journey section of the award. The treks were enjoyable for both teachers and students and offered a good amount of challenge whilst equipping pupils with a range of new skills. This year we have our first silver participants and the group of 10 will be put to the challenge when they complete an exploration, instead of the normal expedition, for their Adventurous Journey during the history trip to Europe. We look forward to seeing how they cope with this new challenge and hope to report back that they passed with flying colours. This has also been the first year we have had a charity committee, which many of the students helped out with to complete the service section of the award. It is our hope that this will grow into a pupil lead committee next year with more successful events being organised by the pupils and that some International Award participants will take a leading role in this.
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At the end of May we held a ceremony – for the first time – to allow pupils to share with parents and staff what they have achieved and we officially presented the awards. It proved a successful evening and it was lovely to present the certificates to pupils in a formal setting – thank you to all the parents that supported the students and us in doing this. So as the year draws to a close I’d like to thank, Mr Joyce, staff and parents for all the support with helping the students to complete their respective awards and also to say that it has been a truly enjoyable experience for me to work with the 35 students this year on the award. If you are interested in your child completing any level of the award next year then please take a look at their website (http://www.intaward. org) or speak to Mr Joyce, who will be taking over from me as IA leader next year.
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Lights, Camera, Action: The Junior Prom By: Anjelica Polychronopoulos LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Tonight was the night that KS3 had been eagerly anticipating for weeks: a Hollywood themed Prom that promised to be a fabulous night to remember. Students didn’t know it yet, but they were about to feel like stars for the evening; Prom King and Prom Queen would be awarded their crowns and everyone would share a dance at a glitzy disco. Upon arrival, the BSG grounds were fully transformed into the Hollywood theme with a welcome sign, balloons lining the pathway and a 30-meter red carpet! Here guests would strut their stuff, whilst being swarmed by paparazzi and interviewers. Before making their way past security onto the red carpet, students first enjoyed a refreshing orange juice served in champagne glasses by teacher servers. Once everyone had arrived and students had taken pictures in the giant limousine cut out, the VIP gates officially opened. Hand in hand, friends began making their way indoors and the red carpet was in full swing. There were those who took advantage of their moment in the spot light, stopping eagerly for an interview and answering some questions, or there were those who dived right to the end of the red carpet, avoiding detection before stopping for their formal Prom photo in front of a giant Hollywood sign. On the red carpet I had an opportunity to really get to know some of the guests. Bianca (Year 9), said it had taken her 2 long hours to get ready, not only did she have to get herself ready but she had also helped her friends and got them all ready to. ‘However Lisa on the other hand took the longest to get ready and we were all waiting for her to finish before we could leave’ said Bianca in a semi-annoyed, but happy tone
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Everyone slowly made their way up the decorated stairs towards the Dance Studio. Looking around at the twinkling fairy lights, hundreds of balloons, Oscar statues and Hollywood stars personalised with student names, it felt as though I was no longer in school, but truly at a celebrity bash. Whilst dancing away to the latest hits, everyone was having a blast, walking around with smiles on their faces and requesting songs from Christian (Year 7) the DJ. Not long after it was dinnertime, which was a delicious buffet served on formally decorated tables in an outside eating area. Heading down stairs to grab a bight to eat, many guests I passed said they enjoyed the food and that the night so far was going really well and they couldn’t wait for it to continue after dinner. It was evident that this was officially the best Junior Prom that BSG had ever hosted.
We would like to thank the EFC for providing funds to help make this event possible. There is no doubt that the standards for Junior Prom have been set extremely high and Ms Burgess is already planning next year’s event. The only clue she is willing to share is that it promises to be a MAGICAL event!
The evening flew over and it was the time to award the Prom King and Prom Queen. Once the teachers had calculated all the votes and declared two winners, everyone was gathered to hear the winners. With a clear win Prom King was awarded to Lynnuellle (Year 9) and Prom Queen to Caitlyn Jones (Year 7) who each received a golden engraved Oscar statue and sash. Overjoyed and pleased with the winners, every cheered with delight and it seemed like a perfect end to such a wonderful event. Looking back there were many students who wish the night could happen again; overjoyed and sad that it had come to an end and I had one last chance to listen to everyone’s final thoughts of the night. Kate (Year 9) said ‘ I had such an amazing time and I can’t image how much time and effort everyone involved put into making this night special for all of us attending. I mean the setup was decorated perfectly to fit our theme with no small details missing. I am sad that this has finished but I’m super excited for many more BSG events like this to happen.’
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Encouraging Responsibility
Stimulating Learning Environments
Inspiring Leaders
Embracing the Future
Self-Confidence
Independence
Creative Learning
Diversity
www.bsg.org.cn Engaging Curriculum
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