Insight  
Autumn/Winter 2015
Inside: Internationally Excellent Outstanding BSN inspection results Mother Tongue Development Supporting language learning Uniformly Different A look inside the BSN Uniform Shop Character Building Stuff New enrichment options at Senior School
Internationally British
Louwman Museum Special in all perspectives • One of the world’s most famous collections of historic automobiles • Reachable by both car and public transport (170 parking places) • Architecturally impressive building with modern facilities • Beautiful landscaped environment • Corporate event and entertainment possibilities at a unique venue
From December 17th till February 14th 2016, exhibition Horse-Power
www.louwmanmuseum.nl evenementen@louwmanmuseum.nl | +31 (0)70 - 304 73 73
Contents Publisher The British School in The Netherlands
Letter from the CEO and Principal 5 Internationally Excellent 6
Editor-in-chief Tracy Tigchelaar
Results from the ISI 2015 Inspection report for the BSN
Editor Ginny Mees
Supporting Mother Tongue Development 8
Editorial and research Sallie Taylor Uhuru Tyrie-Socha Ginny Mees Selma Aktas
A look into how the BSN supports language learning
News Coordinator Uhuru Tyrie-Socha Advertising Pauline de Zwart Telephone: 070 315 40 79 Email: advertising@britishschool.nl Design and layout Craig Stevens www.craig-stevens.co.uk Distribution Pauline De Zwart If you would like to receive additional copies of the magazine, please send an e-mail to BSNInsight@britishschool.nl Printed by Kapsenberg van Waesberge bv Schuttevaerweg 160 3044 BB Rotterdam
BSN Students Taking on the World 10 A review of the exam results and university destinations
Uniformly Different 12 The valuable role of the Uniform Shop
Character Building Stuff 14 A look at the enrichment options on offer
Alumni News 18 News of former students and staff, and upcoming dates
Family Association News 21 Meet your Family Association leadership team
The Arts 26 A collection of our students’ cultural activities this term
Trips and Visits 28 A round up of the latest trips and visits
BSN Insight is a termly publication from The Marketing Department The British School in The Netherlands Vrouw Avenweg 640, 2493 WZ Den Haag Telephone: 070 315 40 76 www.britishschool.nl All rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, or used in any form, without prior written permission from the Publisher. Every effort has been made to ensure that information in this publication was correct at the time of publication, the publisher and writers cannot accept any liability for the accuracy of the information included. The BSN takes no responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in this publication. Image credits Shutterstock.com: page 5 (torn paper) Robyn Mackenzie; 11 (map) Kolonko; 14–15 (tree and sky) WDG Photo; 19 (statue) palasha; 21–23 (snowflakes) Novi Elysa
Spring 2016 issue Advertising deadline: Monday 8 February 2016 Email: advertising@britishschool.nl
Experience 31 A snapshot of some of the many experiences enjoyed by our students
Sport 41 A summary of sporting action this term, including ISST results
Beyond These Walls 43 Celebrating BSN students who achieve success outside the BSN walls
The Blue Pages 45 A directory of services and suppliers useful to the BSN community
Cover photograph by Andy Catterall www.andycatterall.com
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 3
MAKE MORE OUT OF YOUR HOLIDAYS AT ZEIN! Whether you’re simply looking for ways to entertain your child during the holidays, or need full-time holiday care while you are at work, Zein Holiday Camps have the answer… Trusted partner to all International Schools in The Hague
Zein Child Care Group BV Jozef Israëlsplein 36 2596 AV Den Haag www.zeinchildcare.nl info@zeinchildcare.nl 070-3268263
Our popular holiday activity programme offers high quality fun and memorable experiences giving your child a holiday camp adventure to remember. During all British School holidays (including the Christmas break) we provide a range of activities to keep your children happy, involved and energised. Each day has something different to offer including unique workshops and exciting activity fieldtrips. Spaces are limited so don’t miss out - check out the full programme at www.holidaycamps.nl and sign up now!
Call us on 0900 2 222 377 (€0.20 ct/min) or email us via helpdesk@access-nl.org for answers to questions. s e r v i n g t h e i n t e r n at i o n a l c o m m u n i t y
ACCESS-Netherlands
• Want to volunteer?
• All too much?
Use your skills, acquire new skills and expand your network, start by attending our Volunteer information mornings.
We have expat friendly, English and other language counsellors who can help.
• Time for something else? Want to work, find a new direction, learn a new language? Our Trainers provide a variety of courses to help you along the way.
• On the ACCESS website: A wealth of information and features from our Associates, Partners, Trainers and Counsellors as well as FREE Guides on life in the Netherlands.
www.access-nl.org
4 | Insight
ACCESS_NL
Letter from the CEO and Principal
Dear Parents
Having read every edition of Insight from the last couple of years, I am delighted to now be writing the opening letter in one. This first term has been wonderful and challenging in equal measure, serving as a reminder that life in education – whether you are a student, teacher, parent or principal – is always dynamic and exciting.
People winced when I told them I was overseeing an ISI inspection in my first half term. In truth, this provided a great opportunity to get to know the school very quickly. There is a longer piece about the inspection outcome later in this edition, but I want to take this opportunity to emphasise the significance of the BSN’s achievement over time. My predecessor, Dr Coles, was therefore equally thrilled to hear of the outcome. Our children continue to get the very best from the opportunities the school and staff provide; this edition of Insight is packed with some of their inspiring stories and pictures. When one is used to working in an environment of excellence it may be possible to lose perspective on the day-to-day quality our children enjoy. I have a unique perspective in that I am new, an educational leader and a parent and I am very pleased with the professional and family experience we have enjoyed so far; it was definitely the right decision to move to the Netherlands and to the BSN! I encourage you to follow our social media channels (and to follow me on Twitter: @kieran_earley) to receive some of the more immediate, serendipitous moments of joy and success I see working at the BSN. Further developing our Digital Communication Strategy is a priority and something I am keen to move forward with quickly. I hope that by the time you read this magazine I will have had the opportunity to meet even more of you in person at school events during the seasonal celebrations – it’s going to be a busy and exciting end of term! As we head into the festive season, I’d like to wish you all a happy, restful family time.
CEO and Principal | Kieran Earley The British School in The Netherlands
Farewell from the Editor-in-chief After almost 15 years of overseeing the words and pictures of the BSN, this will be my final issue of Insight as Editor-in-Chief. Although most of the hard work is done by my excellent team – so I know I leave things in safe hands – it will be a bitter sweet moment to send this issue off to print. We have come a long way from the monthly black and white ‘BSN News’ back in 2001, and although it has been a ‘love/hate’ relationship at times, the introduction of BSN Insight in the Spring of 2008 is something I look back on with great pride. Insight tells the story of your child’s time here like nothing else. In this age of digital imagery, social media and online posts it is increasingly rare to find a printed record of today’s life. So, I ask you to value this magazine – hold on to your old copies and look forward to the day that you get them out again with your adult child and review in awe the amazing range of things that they were part of here at the BSN. I know I will. How strange it will be to see the Spring issue hit my doormat and not have a clue what will be contained within…
Editor-in-Chief | Tracy Tigchelaar Autumn/Winter 2015 | 5
Internationally
excellent School inspection supports continuous improvement
“A School Inspection” – a phrase destined to instil trepidation into the most confident of teachers and the most outstanding of schools. Why then would the BSN voluntarily put itself through such a thing? The answer is easy. We are a school that believes in continual progress – in learning about ourselves, about what we do well and what we need to do better. In understanding what more we can do to develop and build on the opportunities we provide for students every day.
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And so it was that the BSN opened its doors this term to a team of 18 highly experienced senior teachers and school leaders from around the world. The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) were in school over the course of a week. In addition to a two day preinspection visit, our detailed self-evaluation and planning formed the basis for the inspection – a process that left no stone unturned across our sites! It is with great pride, therefore, that following the publication of the final report we can now share that the BSN achieved a rating of ‘Excellent’ across all criteria. New BSN CEO and Principal Kieran Earley explains the significance of this rating: “This is an extraordinary achievement for everyone involved with the school. Although I am witness to the superb education our children receive every day, it is a wonderful thing to have it formally confirmed. Particularly pleasing is the progress made since the last inspection in 2009. Dr Coles is also thrilled with the outcome and justly proud of his legacy of excellence; he certainly did the “hard yards”. It was simply my job to take the baton and drive the team on for the sprint finish. Clearly, the report does not mean that we are perfect – there are always areas which can be developed further and improvements that can be made. The inspection team recognised that we are a school that strives for continuous improvement in our own practices as well as in our pupils. They found us to be deeply reflective and having had no fear that an excellent outcome would lead to complacency. We were left with some recommendations for improvement which we will, of course, be following up.
Internationally excellent
The Board of Governors appointed me to take the BSN to the next level – to keep moving forward in ensuring that we are providing the facilities, the environment and the highest standards of teaching possible to enable every child in our care to achieve their fullest potential. I was so pleased to read a report that spoke of the BSN in its entirety and together I know we can reach greater heights as we move beyond excellence into world-leading practice. We hope to be able to share some of the exciting plans for the future in our next publication, but stay tuned to all channels for some early themes for innovation.”
Excerpt from ISI Inspection report – 2015 “The school is highly successful in achieving its aims for educating the students in an international environment of excellence. At all levels of the school, the achievement of students is excellent.” “The curriculum is excellent. In all parts of the school it is demanding and appropriately reflects the international character of the school.” “The personal development of the students is excellent. The great diversity of their languages and cultures is an invaluable part of the students’ development; it sits very securely alongside the Internationally British basis of the school. Students grow up to be tolerant, knowledgeable, and confident members of the world community, drawing from each other’s experiences.” “Teaching is excellent; teachers have strong knowledge of their subject and of the students’ needs. Lessons are well planned; great care is taken to match work to the abilities and language skills of the students.”
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and Inspection process The ISI reports to the English Department for Education (DFE) on the extent to which schools meet the relevant standards and requirements for British Schools Overseas (BSO). ISI inspections report on all aspects of the school including: ● the fulfilment of its aims ● the extent to which pupils achieve genuinely good educational standards ● the extent to which pupils are supported to be healthy, stay safe and enjoy school ● the extent to which pupils make a positive contribution to their own or the wider community ● the extent to which pupils develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being The judgements are based largely on direct observation of pupils’ and teachers’ work and also by extensive evidence gathering by the inspectors. They cover all the aspects of the school including the quality of governance and of leadership and management. There are four grades for the school, and all aspects of the school, to be judged by: 1 = excellent, 2 = good, 3 = satisfactory, 4 = unsatisfactory. There are clearly defined standards for the grades and the inspection team is rigorous in checking all of the evidence before deciding on the grade to be awarded.
“Attitudes to learning are exemplary.”
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 7
Supporting mother tongue development
Hallo
Bonjour
您好
Hola
The BSN values the diversity of its community and recognises the importance of supporting language learning both inside and outside the curriculum. Maintaining and developing mother tongue languages is a long-standing and deeprooted element of the BSN’s Internationally British approach.
8 | Insight
مرحبا
Ciao
Hallå
Although children study and learn through the medium of English each day, there is great value in maintaining a connection with their home language, both now and for their future. With many students regularly speaking a different language to each parent, as well as English at school, it is easy to see the need for teaching and support in one or both of their mother tongue languages. At the beginning of this term a re-developed Mother Tongue Programme was launched, with all classes delivered on site at the BSN Language Centre in Leidschenveen. Language Development Coordinator Alison Brown joined the Language Centre last term and oversees the smooth running of this new programme. After-school language classes were previously offered at each of the junior school campuses but, as Alison explains, the amalgamation of the programme within a single location brings with it a wide range of advantages: “Before the move to the Language Centre both the teachers and their students could be isolated. Spread across all the junior school campuses, the teachers weren’t in a position to share best practice, materials or methods of teaching. As a result, for example, there could
Supporting mother tongue development have been three French clubs at three different locations each being taught differently, without space for working together and building resources.” The new arrangement not only provides more structure but is also less problematic from an operational perspective, as any issues that may arise can now be resolved more quickly. Alison continues, “There is now the opportunity for both parents and teachers to speak to us at the Language Centre, including me as the coordinator, to discuss any queries or concerns – that is a huge benefit. “ One of the key priorities this term has been to ensure better communication between parents, teachers and the organisation. Alison explains further: “What I want to do this year is to ensure parents know more about what’s happening in the programme. Previously classes could start at any time through the year, which could be disruptive, and class sizes and approaches varied. This year, the aim is that the vast majority of students will be in one location for a full year starting in September and ending in June. This approach provides much more stability for the students and allows for easier planning for everyone involved. My aim is also to use this stability to continue to build good relationships with parents by providing them with photographs from the classes and activities, as well as regular updates, so they feel a sense of connection to the content being taught.”
Popular programme So far the Mother Tongue programme has proved to be extremely popular with 180 students currently participating. Classes are currently offered in Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Swedish, Chinese and Arabic. A Portuguese class is scheduled for next term. The classes also incorporate cultural aspects and where possible reflect national celebrations and holidays in the countries of the language being taught.
Spanish students with teacher, Ana Lao
BSN parent Maribel Ortega Bragado shares the experience of her children who attend the Mother Tongue Programme: The Mother Tongue Programme is a great way to improve knowledge of the two mother tongues of my children and it also enables them to keep in touch with the cultural values of their countries of origin (Spain and the Netherlands), which is extremely valuable whilst growing up in an international environment. It is a great investment for their future. The programme has also been designed with the move to Senior School in mind, helping students to maintain a connection to their mother tongue that may continue with subsequent enrichment programme content and learning at the secondary level.
German Mother Tongue students with their teacher Sandra Mack
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 9
BSN students taking on the world… The BSN’s international focus and its broad mix of students means that university choices are equally diverse. This summer’s A Level and IB exam results ensured that we continue to be proud of the success of our students, so many of whom gained places at top universities and colleges around the world.
Degree subjects by number of students in 2015 Social Science Engineering Business Medical-related Mathematics and Science Performing Arts Art and Design English Economics/Finance 3 Sports 3 Computing 2 Law 2 Animal Science 1
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23 16 13 10 8 8 7 6
BSN students – taking on the world… BELGIUM THE NETHERLANDS CANADA U.S.A.
GERMANY
SCOTLAND WALES ENGLAND FRANCE SPAIN
POLAND GREECE
SWITZERLAND ITALY
JAPAN OMAN MALAYSIA
181
BRUNEI
AUSTRALIA
universities in 18 countries Whilst it is immensely satisfying for us to see our students achieve places at the world’s top universities – what is even more important, is that these students are able to pursue their preferred course – wherever in the world that may be. During the past five years, our students have achieved places at 181 different universities in over 18 countries – we regularly have students securing places at Oxford and Cambridge and see specialists achieving places at the top universities – for example, The Julliard School for the Performing Arts, Berklee College of Music, London School of Economics & Political Science, University of British Columbia and many more.
98%
The quality of our students’ outcomes has a direct influence on the courses and universities to which they apply. Over the years we have built up an excellent record with around 91% of our students obtaining places at their first choice university or college – rising to 98% if their second choice is included.
of students achieved first or second place universities in 2015
Summer exam results 40–45 24–29 36–39
30%
A 18.8%
B
21.1%
C D E
14.7% 10.1%
0% Total A-E grades BSN0% 94.1% E F
UK 98.4% 0% G
BSN IB Diploma points 2015
BSN AS grades 2015
30–35
BSN IB Diploma pass rate statistics
2015
Percentage of candidates who passed the diploma†
100
Average total points of BSN students who passed††
33
Highest diploma points awarded to a candidate†††
44
A*
11.2% 27.1%
A
25.5%
B
21%
C D E
10.8% 3.2%
0% Total A-E grades F
40 points or more achieved by less than 7% of IB DP candidates world wide † World pass rate (2014) = 79% †† World average points (2015) = 29.9 ††† 44 points or more achieved by less than 1% of IB DP candidates world wide
BSN A2 grades 2015
BSN 98.7% UK 98.1%
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 11
Uniformly At the BSN we believe that students from F2 up to and including Year 11. They are supported by a network of parent and student volunteers, who provide much-needed additional our uniform has a direct assistance during the busiest of times, especially and positive impact on our in the last week of August and start of September. As Alison, the Uniform Officer, explains: “We rely heavily on volunteers during our busiest students’ sense of identity periods. As an example our first month back to school and in turn their behaviour. saw 1367 transactions – we simply could not have managed without both our student helpers and parent volunteers – they have all been phenomenal!” It is considered an integral part of being in the British A new space for Senior School School – providing children With the recent extension at Senior School, the opportunity to open a dedicated Uniform Shop was with a sense of belonging made possible and has been a welcome addition for and fostering discipline and both our SSV families and the Uniform Shop staff alike. Jane Jarvis explains: “The new Uniform Shop is a purpose built space, respect for all cultures.
The sense of pride, unity and common purpose that a uniform gives is especially important within such an internationally diverse student community where we are all so very different. Ensuring that the uniform our students wear is available, affordable and of good quality is important to both parents and the school alike. The BSN Uniform Shop plays a key role especially when it comes to welcoming and helping our new families on arrival. Alison Albon and Jane Jarvis are the backbone of the BSN Uniform Shop which caters for all BSN
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complete with changing rooms. Prior to this, we shared a classroom and every week we would have to set it up and then pack it up after the shop was closed. This is so much better for everyone!”
The advent of online ordering The Online Uniform Shop came into being in July 2013. Parents now no longer have to complete a form or send cash through their school offices, as all payments are done by IDEAL online – a much safer and more effective method of payment. In the first month of term, online orders counted for 36% of the total turnover for that month. Online orders are received by the Uniform Shop once the payment has gone through. These are then processed on a Tuesday or Thursday, during term time only. Items are packed and bagged with till receipts and labelled with the student’s name, ready for pick up by the courier the following day. Once delivered to the school, the receptionists will sort the bags and have them delivered to each child’s class for them to take home that day. In the Senior School, each student will receive an email from the Uniform Shop, when their order is ready for collection at the front desk. When an item is out of
Uniformly different
different The BSN Uniform Shop
stock, a note is made on the order slip saying “To follow”. When the outstanding item is received it is bagged up and sent off to the student. There is usually an updated list of Out of Stock items on the Uniform Shop page.
A committee approach The Uniform Committee (a group of key staff from the Operations Department, the Marketing Department, the Board of Management and a representative from the junior and senior schools) is responsible for reviewing change to the uniform and sourcing decisions. The Uniform Officer will request samples and quotes from several suppliers before presenting them to the Uniform Committee for review. Most of The BSN uniform is sourced from suppliers in the UK and the Netherlands.
Uniform Shop online orders (per school year) 2013–2014
1,047 2014–2015
1,475 40.88% increase over previous year
1 SEP–31 OCT 2015
610 Uniform Shop total sales growth (per school year) 2013–2014
increase over previous year
11% 2014–2015
13%
increase over previous year
31 AUG–10 SEP 2015
32%
of previous year in one month
The BSN uniform policy is detailed in the new uniform brochure, in the student handbook and on both Gateway and our website. Seniors | Years 7 to 9
Main Uniform Shop
Senior School Shop
Term time only Tuesdays | 8:45–10:30 Thursdays | 8:45–10:30 First Thursday of the month only | 15:00–16:00
Term time only Thursdays | 12:30–14:30 Second Thursday of the month only | 15:30–16:30
Girls ● BSN white polo long or short sleeved with royal blue trim and royal blue BSN lion or
BSN white blouse with royal blue lion, short sleeved
● BSN navy sweatshirt or
BSN navy cardigan with royal blue BSN lion
● BSN black skirt
Foundation 2 to Year 11
Banner Charleston or Trutex model with royal blue BSN Lion or
BSN School uniform
BSN black trousers
Years 10 and 11
Girls
● Black tights or
● BSN white polo
White socks
short sleeved with black BSN lion or
No white tights
BSN white blouse
Boys
short sleeved with black BSN lion
● BSN black sweatshirt
● BSN white polo long or short sleeved with royal blue trim and royal blue BSN lion
● BSN navy sweatshirt
with royal blue BSN lion or
BSN black cardigan with royal blue BSN lion
with royal blue BSN lion
● BSN black skirt
● BSN black trousers
Banner Charleston or Trutex model with royal blue BSN lion
Trutex model with royal blue BSN lion
● Black socks
● Black tights or
White socks No white tights
Boys ● BSN white polo short sleeved with black lion logo
● BSN black sweatshirt with royal blue lion logo
● BSN black trousers Trutex model with royal blue BSN lion
● Black socks
● BSN black trousers Trutex model with royal blue BSN lion – strictly no jeans or leggings
Trutex model with royal blue BSN lion – strictly no jeans or leggings
Footwear All senior school students should wear black leather closed shoes. No boots or sneakers.
Welcome | 1 Internationally British
Uniform brochure 2015 v4.indd 1
26/08/2015 13:02
Uniform brochure 2015 v4.indd 6
26/08/2015 13:02
Uniform brochure 2015 v4.indd 7
26/08/2015 13:02
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 13
CHARACTER BU At the BSN we do our best to aesthetic, creative, emotional, or social – as well as finding appropriate challenge in our learning environment. We do provide students with a range this through a diverse Co-Curricular Activities programme, which all our students are encouraged to join, as well as of opportunities to extend through enrichment experiences.” and develop as learners – and Skills for life broaden their horizons beyond Students throughout the school have regular Life Skills lessons each week which look at issues including their main course of study. personal management, health and safety, relationships, The variety of opportunities social awareness and citizenship. Put simply, students continuously develop an understanding of themselves for ‘enrichment’ at the Senior and others, develop healthy habits, and explore feelings and attitudes. Critically, they need to develop the skills School is on the increase and is necessary to become informed and responsible citizens but above all else – to become self-confident and happy young people. part of an ongoing approach to build character and focus on the Enrichment options development of the whole child.
James Oxlade, Acting Headteacher explains the BSN’s philosophy: “We agree that character and resilience are vital components of the rounded programme of education we offer our students – not just in a classroom setting, but also through enrichment activities. These take place alongside regular learning and help students to develop broader skills such as team working and citizenship, as well as challenging themselves as individuals.” “We are careful to provide a balance of academic success with social and emotional development for our students.” continues Mr Oxlade: “Young people are entitled to an education which will enable them to develop their full potential, be that intellectual, physical,
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We recognise that students cannot live by revision and exams alone – this is especially true for students in Years 10 and 11 who, whilst remaining focused on GCSE exam success, also enjoy one lesson a week studying a non-GCSE course in an area of interest. This year, students have chosen from enrichment options including: Business Skills and Finance, Introduction to Psychology, Mother Tongue Language Programme, Textiles and two new enrichment options for this year – Sport Leadership and Classical Studies. English Teacher and Head of Year, Duncan Crawford runs Classical Studies for a group of eleven students – and explains: “The beauty of running a programme of study which is not tied to the curriculum is that we are able to explore directions motivated by the
Character building stuff
UILDING STUFF students themselves or by current events – for example we are now looking at the Classical orders of architecture and will explore difficult contemporary issues like the destruction of the ancient site of Palmyra by ISIS.” Since September, a group of 12 students have been working towards their Sports Leaders Level 2 qualification as part of the Enrichment programme. The course requires students to attend theory lessons, as well as complete 10 hours of volunteering as a leader at a local sports club. The theory lessons include subjects and themes such ‘The Importance of Role Models’ and ‘How to Organise a Sports Event’, as well as a range of other contemporary topics in a range of sports and leisure activities. As Tom Archer, who teaches the course explains: The students have just begun to take the lead in practical lessons and are currently teaching each other in the various different sports that they participate in.
One of the students, Toni Jardine explained: I don’t really know what I want to do yet, but the Sports Leadership Programme seemed like a good way to find out about something I may be interested in pursuing in the future.
Baccalaureate Diploma and Career Related Programmes respectively – but students from the A Level study stream also become involved with this activity. The aims for a Sixth Former are a little different, in that they are geared towards promoting a high degree of autonomy, self-discipline and responsibility leading to increased confidence and ability of these ambitious young people. It is fair to say that these enrichment opportunities, combined with a broad spectrum of Co-Curricular Activities, a well-structured curriculum and clear school values mean that the BSN’s focus extends beyond their ability to pass exams. We aim to give our students the best possible opportunity to develop into well-rounded, fine young people who will be ready to take on the world!
Our school values ● We honour and respect people from all backgrounds and cultures ● We believe in challenging ourselves and others ● We believe in striving to reach our maximum potential ● We pride ourselves on being environmentally friendly ● We believe in keeping our community safe ● We believe in and respect the individual ● We believe in making our own choices
General Studies The Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) study a variety of global topics through their Life Skills programme and work at developing key skills for future work and life beyond school. Many students become involved with a number of activities – ‘Creativity, Activity, Service’ and ‘Community and Service’ are requirements of the International
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 15
Sunday 31 January 2016 11.00 - 17.00 The Hague City Hall www.feelathomeinthehague.com
Join the International Community for a full day of information, FREE activities, entertainment admission and fun! when you pre-register on our website
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Quality language courses New Reduced fees for private lessons in celebration of our 30-year anniversary General English & Cambridge exam preparation Business English & In-company training English for Children & Private lessons Dutch Beginners - Advanced Courses Teacher Training Programme (CELTA)
For more information, call us on 070 315 080 or email languages@britishschool.nl www.bsnlanguagecentre.nl
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Open Registration Saturday 9 January 10:00 - 13:00
Beleef De Uithof!
For the BSN community
Den Haag
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s d i K y Happ
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DeUithof.nl
Free parking!
2015 | 17 De Uithof • Jaap Edenweg 10 • 2544 NL Den Haag • T 0900-DEUITHOF • F 070-321 32Autumn/Winter 10 • E info@deuithof.nl
Stay Connected – alumni@britishschool.nl
Fellowship awarded to Adrian Santiago Tate 2002–2012
NEWS Lars Mejnertsen – detailing Neptune’s magnetic field
Since leaving The BSN Adrian Santiago Tate has been studying engineering at Virginia Tech in the USA. In 2014, he was the recipient of the Wayne and Claire Horton Odyssey Fellowship, a scholarship for engineering students wishing to focus on the social sciences and humanities. This fellowship allows a student to travel and ‘do something to be a more interesting person.’ This summer Adrian travelled to Sri Lanka to research cultural factors of coastal engineering and disaster relief – we recently caught up with him to hear about his adventures and BSN memories:
2003–2010 Using 26-year old data and supercomputer simulations, a team of scientists at Imperial College London, including PHD student and BSN alumni Lars Mejnertsen, have modelled Neptune’s magnetic field in detail for the first time. Lars worked with Professor Jerry Chittenden of the Plasma Physics group and Dr Jonathan Eastwood, a lecturer in the space and atmospheric physics group. This finding highlights the badly behaved magnetic field of Neptune, which may also help us understand the risks from ‘space weather’ around Earth. Lars presented their findings in a presentation at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting in Wales earlier this summer, the findings of which have been published in The Royal Astronomical Society News. We look forward to hearing more from this impressive young man – no doubt his mother, Senior School Physics teacher Hilary Mejnertsen must be very proud!
Adrian in Sri Lanka
“Through academic success I was able to explore my interest in coastal engineering, which I discovered in the Netherlands, by means of scholarships and involvement in research. The BSN provided me with an environment that fostered engagement in the global community, and countless opportunities for international travel – notably the Beijing exchange and basketball tournaments in Israel and numerous European countries which had the greatest influence on me. Moreover, the high quality of my educational experience allowed me to succeed in Virginia Tech’s engineering program, whilst also developing an interest in the arts and culture. I owe much of my success to my formation at the BSN, which would have not been possible without the opportunities my family has provided me. I am eternally grateful to my parents and all the teachers and friends that have influenced me along the way.” For more information on Adrian’s adventures, you may want to read his blog: www.adrianontheroad.blogspot.com
Lars with a snapshot of Neptune’s magnetic field on his computer
Looking back, moving forward 18 | Insight
alumni association news
BSN Alumni take The Big Apple by storm! It was a lovely crisp, clear Autumn day in October that set the scene for the first ever North American BSN Alumni Reunion. Enthusiastic former BSN students – and staff – flew in from near and far to gather in New York City and reminisce about their ‘good ole days’! The day began with an advance group, mostly the ones from out of town, enjoying a four hour guided tour of Manhattan – the highlight being a visit to the World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial. As the evening arrived it was time for the main event – an evening reception overlooking the magnificent Times Square. Whilst the majority of the alumni attending live on the East Coast, or in neighbouring Canada, there were several European alumni who also made the trip. It was wonderful to see new friends being made across generations – we had quite a range of years represented from the Class of 1969 to 2004, all with one thing in common: The BSN! One of the highlights of the reception was the showing of the BSN 80 Year Anniversary film. This historical film ‘stars’ BSN Archivist Mike Weston – former German teacher of a number of the alumni attending. The film was a big hit with the viewing being interspersed by squeals of laughter and recognition as guests were taken on a trip down memory lane. Alumna Willemien Kneppelhout (1966–1969) shared:
“I thoroughly enjoyed myself – my experience was that the diverse group made for a highly successful get-together. As hardly anyone knew each other, everyone started talking to everyone and it was an interesting bunch of people. Also loved watching the video of the school’s history!” Creating opportunities for both alumni and current BSN students is a key focus of the BSN Alumni Association. The diversity and size of this group created a perfect networking opportunity for the attendees. Since this event, we have received opportunities for potential internships, work experience and career guidance from the alumni attendees. Sam Kongsamut (1970-1975) reinforced the value in this networking opportunity: “It was indeed a pleasure to meet everyone, with our shared BSN (ESH) heritage. Such a wide range of careers everyone is involved in – I hope to stay in touch with everyone periodically. I look forward to being a resource for current and recent students interested in the sciences, and/or going into industry (biopharmaceuticals). I do quite a lot of mentoring of students and would be pleased to add students from BSN.” The BSN Alumni Association would like to thank everyone who joined us on the 24th of October. It was a ‘gezellig’ evening and we look forward to watch the growing opportunities for our students and alumni. If you were unable to join the reunions this year, but would like to share your story or expertise with us, please email us at BSN.alumni@britishschool.nl.
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 19
alumni association news
Auf wiedersehen to Heidi Roeterdink Our newest BSN staff alumna is Heidi Roeterdink from JSV, who has served the BSN well for almost 30 years! Heidi was born in Vienna and was hired by the BSN as Assistant School Secretary in May 1986, located at Tapijtweg. At this time there were 243 pupils at the
Heidi hard at work in 1986 at Tapijtweg
Junior School and 189 at the Infant School. Heidi was named School Secretary two years later – which entailed handling all manner of Admissions, Public Relations, Marketing and HR activities for all four schools: Infant, Junior and Senior in The Hague and the then small ‘dépendance’ – The Helen Sharman School in Assen. During her time with the BSN she has worked with 6 Headteachers and 5 different Principals! When asked about her historical perspective on the BSN education experience and how it has progressed, Heidi explains: “The education offered now has a much broader focus and there are many more resources available today – as The BSN is always on the latest trend. Having said that, the school has never changed in the high standard of education and pastoral care we provide our students. During my time here I have met with many parents who consistently comment on the incredible quality of the BSN, and this is something we should all be very proud of!” As she enters retirement, Heidi plans to play more tennis and bridge, as well as making one of her big dreams come true in 2016 when she and her husband Marius will travel to Alaska. The BSN family extends its heartfelt gratitude to Heidi for her years of service, kindness and wisdom, and we wish her the very best in her future years of relaxation.
In memorium: Gaynor Tong 1946–2015 Gaynor Tong taught at the BSN from 1970 until 2009 and was a familiar and popular figure in our community. Her contribution to the school was enormous, both inside the classroom and out. She ran the very first fieldtrips. She founded the Swimming Club and for many years was involved with the school team, as well as with her hockey team. She was a practical, no nonsense person. Having spent the first twenty years of her career in the ‘pre-National Curriculum days’ she did not always take kindly to being told by experts how to do her job. And she expressed herself freely and forcibly on the subject. When the chance arose for her and her husband Keith to take early retirement after an amazing 77 years of service, they took the opportunity and moved to Portugal for the next phase of their lives – a phase which tragically was cut short. The flood of messages of sympathy from all over the globe gave an indication of how fortunate hundreds of alumni considered themselves to have had Gaynor as a caring and unforgettable guide in their childhood days. Text courtesy of Keith Tong
Tell us your Alumni story 20 | Insight
Gaynor (in red) amongst the BSN hockey team
The BSN Alumni Association welcomes updates and pictures from any alumni. If you have something interesting to share, please email: BSN.alumni@britishschool.nl
News from the Family Association
Parents behind
The Family Association The BSN Family Association is the school’s volunteer organisation that oversees the activities of various parent based teams. With a clear focus on the social side of school life, the BSN Family Association teams bring the school communities together.
“Individually we are one drop.. but together we form an ocean”
When a big machine runs it is not because someone pressed the “Start” button, that’s just the necessary first step. The big machine spins because all the wheels and parts are coming together, delivering their contributions and impact. Similarly, without the tireless help from volunteering parents, the Family Association would not be able to offer its broad and diverse activities throughout the school year. Here, we introduce a few of the Family Association parents behind scenes. Lisa Brunslev, Chair
Chair | Lisa Brunslev Lisa is a mother of five boys, ranging from University to Junior School age. Originally from Denmark, the family moved from Shanghai to the Netherlands three years ago. Lisa has been involved with the social aspects of school life at the BSN since arrival. Over the past years, she has lead the Family Association’s Social Team and coordinated the Winter and Summer Fairs. This year, Lisa was elected as Chair of the Family Association. As Chair, she will be seeking parents’ inspiration, ideas and feedback. “The prospect of reaching an even larger group of BSN parents excites and energises me.”
International Team Leader | Loredana Scolamiero Loredana’s oldest daughter Laura joined the BSN on 7 January 1999, followed by her twins in 2001. With the twins currently in Year 13 (and Laura at University), all three of Loredana’s children have spent their whole school life at the BSN. “The International Team is especially important for families who are not English speaking. The team participates in the three main events in the school calendar in which the BSN’s international flavour is the main aspect: the Language Village, the International Festival and the Summer Fair.”
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 21
JSV Welcome Team Leader and Sessions Team Leader | Ute Limacher-Riebold Ute has been a BSN parent since January 2007 when her son started in Foundation 1. Her son is currently in Year 8 and her twin daughters are in Year 5. Ute is German and Swiss and has also held Italian citizenship for several years. Following various volunteer roles, Ute became the Sessions Team leader in April 2014 and then also the JSV Welcome Team leader in April 2015. “My passion is supporting internationals in The Hague, and I truly enjoy organising talks on a variety of topics for our diverse BSN community and welcoming new families to our school community.”
JSD Welcome Team Leader | Anna Simmons Anna has two sons who are currently in Year 6 and Year 2. Her family is British and although they found their first international move to the Netherlands three years ago to be quite daunting, they found the community at JSD to be hugely supportive and they all settled in quickly. “Helping the Family Association as Welcome Representative is my very small way of returning the favour for all the help given me when my family joined the BSN.”
JSL Welcome Team Leader | Pauline Lee Pauline moved from the UK to the Netherlands five years ago with her husband and twin boys Alexander and Jasper who are now in Year 2. She has participated in various volunteer activities since her boys were in Foundation 1 and describes volunteering at the school as a very enjoyable experience. “Together with Noa and Victoria I enjoy getting in touch with new families and welcoming them to the school community.”
Secretary | Mariska Rupcic Mariska’s son started at the Senior School four years ago and is now in Year 11. She is Dutch and has always lived in the Netherlands. Mariska spotted an advertisement for the FA secretary post about a year and a half ago and, as she works as a secretary for a living, decided to reach out to the Chair. “From the beginning I have really been embraced by the team members. I wanted to get more involved with the school because as my son got older, I was missing the opportunity to meet other parents in the playground.”
22 | Insight
News from the Family Association
Treasurer | Marelize van der Merwe Marelize and her South African family moved to the Netherlands four years ago in the summer of 2011 and she joined the treasurer of the Family Association a year later. She has two daughters at Junior School Diamanthorst in Year 2 and Year 6. “I found out that a financing spot would be opening up via a fellow mum who asked me if I would be interested. The Chair contacted me a few months later and voilà! I met some awesome people on the committee and after three years I still enjoy contributing to the BSN community.”
Bring and Buy Team Leader | Lorraine Webster Lorraine’s daughter joined the school in Year 8 at the Senior School in January 2014. Lorraine started volunteering upon her arrival from the UK last school year and has been in charge of the Bring and Buy sales since this September. “I’ve worked in retail for over 20 years so I saw the Bring and Buy sale as an opportunity to use some of that experience to support the Family Association and the school.”
From an Autumn Welcome to a Winter Fair... With an Autumn term filled with activities, it’s been a great start of the school year for the Family Association. Right at the beginning of the school year the Welcome teams and international reps reached out to our new BSN families and provided them with a warm welcome at their Welcome Coffee mornings. The weekly coffee mornings are the easiest way to meet and catch up with fellow parents. Additionally, the Social team provides the perfect opportunity to connect with parents from all sites. This term, the team visited the Scheveningen beach to watch the cavalry train the horses and Europe’s biggest market; the ‘Haagsche Markt’. The team also enjoyed a guided tour of The Hague and a group of 70 parents went on a daytrip to the Aachen Christmas market. The Sessions team organised interesting talks on: supporting bilingualism at home, road safety in the Netherlands, the expat transition stages, and understanding the Dutch culture. The first Bring and Buy sale including second hand uniform took place at Junior School Diamanthorst, Finally, another outstanding Winter Fair kicked off this year’s seasonal festivities around the school. With performances from various dance groups and choirs alongside countless craft stands with festive products for sale it was a wonderful community event. Keep your eye on Gateway to join the activities planned for the Spring Term!
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 23
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24 | Insight
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Autumn/Winter 2015 | 25
The Arts This section showcases the breadth of artistic talent across the BSN, highlighting some of the arts related activities that have taken place this term.
Big Draw 8 October was a very special day, as the students and staff at JSL joined in with The Big Draw. This is not a competition, but rather a coming together of adults and children who can then express themselves by drawing. Drawing is fun and also very important – it is the most accessible form of artistic expression and a great way to communicate ideas, thoughts and feelings. Children should be encouraged to draw as often as possible, especially whilst they are young, and have few inhibitions about their work, as it will develop their confidence. This will help them to face the challenges they may meet later in their lives. To keep it as a collaborative exercise, everyone who participated worked on long strips of paper, creating very large ‘murals’ of individual drawings, resulting in a fantastic hotchpotch of subjects from dinosaurs to vintage cars.
The hall was buzzing with excitement as children found a place and started to draw. Some decided to collaborate on a drawing, whilst others wanted to ‘do their own thing’. One student said: “A very worthwhile experience!”
Wonderful Writing
Celebrating Strings
In the week of 19 October, JSL students from Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 participated in an array of interesting and fun activities designed to support and develop their writing and literacy skills. The focus and theme for the week was collaboration. Education consultants Phil Davies and Laura Mae Brown spent the entire week working with children to help encourage a love for writing, discover visual representation of new words, associate words that inspire abstracts, and abstracts that inspire words. Whilst working, the children used their emotion from music and sounds to improvise, write poems and create a range of colourful pieces of art.
The introduction of the violin is now complete for every Year 2 student whether or not they have played before. JSD started in November 2014 as the pilot school, JSL started during the summer term last year and JSV started this year in September. Cross Junior School Music Coordinator Joanne Kilpatrick explained: “It has been well researched and documented that children who engage in music making early on, develop the capacity for literacy skills and mathematical skills better and more quickly – we are thrilled that our Year 2 students cross the junior schools are learning to play the violin.”
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Autumn Term in Review: The Arts
Pie, Mash and Peas JSD hosted a whole school instrumental day featuring 95 musicians, from all four corners of the BSN, who worked together to perform two pieces of music from scratch. The first piece they played was a folk dance which featured Konstantin, the saxophone teacher, who added a wonderful solo over the top. The second piece was a pop piece called Pie, Mash and Peas. Joanne Kilpatrick, the cross junior school Music Coordinator, explained the process: “All the children came in having not looked at the music at all and, with the help of the music teachers and some students from the Senior School, they learned it in about 45 minutes. It was a great morning of music making!” This is a great illustration of children and students from all over the BSN working together – well done everyone!
Author in residence at Koninklijke Schouwburg with Year 8 Chilean Author Isabel Allende came to Koninklijke Schouwburg earlier in the term and our Year 8 students didn’t want to miss the unique opportunity of meeting her in person. As part of the Spanish native speaking enrichment programme they are reading The City of The Beasts, one of Allende’s best sellers. This experience was a great motivation for them to identify with the book more than ever!
Music at the heart of JSD! A familiar object has moved into the Atrium in JSD. The piano that once hid away on the school stage has a new home at the heart of the school! Children are encouraged to take a seat and play a tune whenever the piano lid is open. In just a few short days the sounds of Yann Teirsen and Elgar have resonated throughout the school. It has been great to see so many children queuing up to have a go! We wonder if any parents are brave enough to dazzle us with their talents, also...?
Music of Mozart
LEGO Youth Marching Band
The music trip earlier this term was for all Year 2 children at JSD to complement their project on Mozart. The concert told the story of Mozart as a young boy composing music for the coronation of the Dutch King Willem V. The children learnt a song to sing with the orchestra based on a piece by Mozart and helped the orchestra play two of Mozart’s symphonies (40 and 41) using body percussion to match the orchestral sounds. The children had lots of help from mums and dads who joined the trip and everybody had a great time!
JSV welcomed the LEGO Youth Marching Band who were touring from Denmark. This band performs at LegoLand in Billund, Denmark and everyone was very impressed with their standard of performance. They entertained the Foundation and Year 1 students with a wide repertoire of foot tapping, march-inducing tunes.
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 27
Trips and Visits Here is an update from the many fascinating locations our Senior School students visited this term as well as an update from BSN Project Africa’s expedition this summer.
Project Africa 2015 Last Summer student’s from the Project Africa 2015 Team embarked on a life-changing month in East Africa. Having spent 18 months fundraising €20,054.78 with the support of the BSN community, the team headed for their destination, the Ndege Primary and Secondary Schools, four hours’ drive north west of Nairobi, Kenya. During the first two weeks, the students laid the foundations for a primary classroom and completed the block walls and windows. The funds raised were also used to build a new toilet block as well as €900 of books and teaching resources for the Primary School Library which the Team constructed in 2013. A new venture this year was funding a nurse to come to the Primary School and run a clinic supported by two of our students who are interested in joining the medical profession. The Ndege Secondary School was established in 2013 through the help of Project Africa and this year we installed an additional 5000 litre water tank to ensure that the students have access to clean drinking water during the dry season. The Science Laboratory is an exciting project as its funding is split three ways: Charlie Nourse, a member of the 2013 Team and now studying Economics and History at Oxford, fundraised for the foundations which were laid during his adventure at Ndege. The walls were built by Team 2015 leaving the roof to be completed by the community and ensure their sense of ownership of the project. All the students have returned with a different outlook on the world and witness to the fact that happiness cannot be bought through wealth and possession, but can still be found despite a situation of extreme poverty.
The 2016 Team Africa have already been busy this term raising funds for their trip and got off to a fantastic start by organising a football coaching programme in the summer, followed by a hugely successful Disney Disco just before half term. Look out for their soon to be published international cookbook, visit their Facebook Page for further details.
28 | Insight
Autumn Term in Review: Trips and Visits
Beijing Exchange 2015 During October, eight senior school students experienced a superb cultural exchange with Beijing Middle School. Each year students are selected for the trip and host a Chinese student for a week before staying with their host family during the best time in the Chinese calendar, known as the golden period. Having met and communicated with their exchange partners since April, the students were excited about seeing them again, as well as feeling a little daunted by the prospect of living in a completely new culture. One of the biggest challenges was how to eat with chopsticks – a skill that was mastered by all by the end of the week! The students had a fascinating insight into school
A touch of Burgundy During ‘Trips Week’ a group of students and staff enjoyed a week of lovely weather, good food and interesting visits in the Burgundy area of France.
Geographers Go Jurassic This term, four keen Geography teachers set off to Dorset along with twenty-eight ambitious Year 12 Geographers. The group spent their time collecting human and physical geographical data along the English coastline, as well as exploring the array of geographical landforms in Dorset, including the famous stack formation that is Old Harry rocks and the coastal arch Durdledoor. Students and teachers alike were surprised by the sunny weather enjoyed whilst collecting their sand dune transect data at Studland beach. Unfortunately it did not last to their trip to Swanage. However, they did continue to enjoy collecting Human Geography data as well as devouring fish ‘n chips under the sheltered
life in Beijing. As well as attending lessons in English Language, annual sports competition, Traditional Chinese Art and a very unconventional Music lesson, the students were able to take part in the Flag Raising Ceremony, a weekly observance that celebrates liberation and new freedoms. Much time was spent exploring the sights and sounds of Beijing. Particular highlights were the Great Wall and the Summer Palace, a spectacular holiday site for the emperors, later rebuilt by the ‘Dragon Lady’. This was a truly immersive experience and the students were a credit to the school. They have come back richer in memories and cultural understanding and it is an experience they will never forget.
Activities included a visit to the Guédelon, a castle built according to medieval style, Sens, the beautiful town with its excellent market, stunning cathedral and old timbered buildings, La Fabuloserie – a quite different kind of art museum, Auxerre, a boat trip on the Canal du Midi and an exploratory trail to discover the unusual aspects of this lovely old town, Grottes d’Arcy with their interesting caves and incredible prehistoric drawings of mammoths – not a sight to be seen very often these days. Some students were perhaps a little overwhelmed by some of the exhibits of “l’art brut” (outsider art) but the “Manège de Petit Pierre” was well liked. The students impressed the teachers with their willingness to trying new flavours and for many the escargots went down a treat, despite Monsieur Mance telling them they had to hold it first to their ear to check whether it was snoring or squeaking!
shops and filling up their backpacks with the famous Purbeck fudge. Everybody enjoyed their luxurious stay in the Dorset Golf Resort Lodges, as well as preparing themselves for the journey towards their IB Geography Coursework or AS Geographical Skills Exam.
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 29
Vienna Trip Students from Years 10-13 who are studying German were able to experience many different aspects of the city of Vienna on the recent German Trip. From environmental issues at the city’s incinerator, to Schönbrunn palace, international relations at the UN, natural history on a night visit to the Naturhistorisches
Museum, history at the army museum and the resistance museum and through film, shopping on the Naschmarkt and, perhaps a highlight, a tour of the great paintings in the Belvedere with a front row seat to admire the work of Klimt. In between all that, students fitted in a Schnitzel and conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. A good time was had by all and Blogs will be used to help with controlled assessments and A Level and IB topics.
Lest we Forget
Hola España
During Trips Week in October, Year 9 visited Ypres in Belgium as part of their History curriculum studies which are focused on the First World War 1914 – 1918. This extraordinary trip included visits to Essex Farm, Vancouver Corner, The Memorial Museum at Passchendaele, and Tyne Cot cemetery. The day culminated with the group taking part in the Last Post ceremony held each day at The Menin Gate – a poignant and thought provoking experience for all.
This years’ Year 10–13 Spanish language students headed for the beautiful town of Malaga to test their linguistic skills. They immersed themselves in Spanish culture, including a visit to Malaga Football Club to see the former home of legendary Arsenal and Spanish international, Santi Cazorla. A visit to the beautiful town of Nerja included a visit to a historic bullring where students learned about the history of the matador.
30 | Insight
Autumn Term in Review: Trips and Visits | Experience
Experience This section highlights the variety of learning and enrichment experiences our students have been involved in this term.
Learning Focus
A New Scaly Student Joins JSL Earlier this term, JSL Years 3 and 4 took delivery of their very own ‘questioning eye’, a bearded dragon. The ‘dragon’ has now become part of the JSL community due to the persuasive writing powers of all the children in Years 3 and 4. They had spent the week before the new scaly student arrived producing posters, writing letters, creating PowerPoint presentations and animations with the intention of persuading Headteacher Mr Porritt and Principal Mr Earley, that a lizard would help them with their learning. So convincing were their arguments that it was agreed they could indeed have a lizard! Further Maths, English and Art projects are planned with the lizard playing a central role. Please do come and visit the lizard in the unit, we look forward to introducing you to another set of ‘questioning eyes’.
Year 6 students at JSV shared with the whole school what they have been learning during the first three weeks of the school year. The report on their learning included skills such as communication, knowledge, risk-taking and more. A highlight of the presentation was an illustration of ‘teamwork’ using a human chain and bringing a hula hoop from one end to the other. This was to the sheer delight of many in the audience, especially the younger children. Headteacher Ms. Aspinall told the entire school how proud she was of this presentation, especially since it was entirely created and delivered by the students themselves.
Green Fingers at SSV The Senior School Allotment is a brand new initiative to get students into growing their own fruit and vegetables. The allotment is an extension of the Environment Committee and the students are developing a 110 meters squared patch of ground to grow a variety produce. There are over 15 students involved who have been designing their ideal allotment. The Allotment is now also linked with the RHS School gardening scheme and the students will be working towards the awards they offer. Peter Hopwood
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 31
International Awards
The culmination of many months’ hard work was reached earlier this term when Year 11 and 12 students were presented with their International Award medals and certificates. These students spent between 3 and 6 months carrying out community service, playing sport and learning new skills such as a playing a musical instrument or completing an expedition. The audience witnessed an array of presentations from the students documenting their experiences of the Award. These gave a true taste of the new horizons that have been opened for them as a result of their participation. The International Award continues to grow at the BSN, the largest provider in the Benelux region, with a record breaking 41 students committed to the Gold Award, a truly worthy enterprise.
It’s Debatable Earlier this term, seven year 12 and 13 students travelled to Berlin to participate in the JFK School’s annual MUN conference – BERMUN – its theme was ‘Countering Extremism to Foster International Peace and Security’. This was the first time the MUN society had travelled outside the Netherlands to participate in a conference. The BSN represented the Ukraine in six
EAL Students Become Pizza Chefs! Some of the Year 2-6 English as an Additional Language (EAL) students who started at JSL this term ended their first week as pizza chefs! They made boxes by using a cuboid net and worked in small groups to make the dough. During the process the students learnt new vocabulary including the names of various food ingredients and kitchen utensils, as well as some important every-day verbs such as cut, wash, dry, cook, mix, draw, colour and clean up. The older students showed great responsibility in leading their small group and setting a good example to the younger students. The pizzas all came out of the oven smelling and looking delicious!
committees with topics including Media Censorship; Recruiting Potential Combatants; Digital Surveillance; The Question of Biological Weaponry and Facilitating Intercultural Dialogue. The students took part in four days of intense debating and managed to pass several resolutions. The days were long and enjoyable but the students still found time to enjoy a visit to the Reichstag building, a fitting excursion considering the objectives of the conference. Lem – Year 12 “Traveling to the conference was an honour. Delegations from many countries were present with over 700 students. I was in the Political Committee where I had the opportunity to debate some controversial topics present and make new friends doing so.” Cecile – Year 13 “I was representing Ukraine in the historical security council - a theoretical situation where we model a security council that took place on 4 October 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. We worked to pass clauses to deal with the situation in Afghanistan. Participating in an international MUN conference is definitely one I would recommend to those given the opportunity – it was an extremely enriching experience.”
32 | Insight
Autumn Term in Review: Experience
Creativity, Activity, Service Earlier this term, as part of their International Baccalaureate CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) programme, students have participated in a range of activities including a Wheelchair Walk with residents from Forescate-Topaz during which the students took the elderly charges out to Theehuis Jansland. Students also supported a local food bank by asking shoppers at Albert Heijn to donate nonperishable food. They were surprised at the generosity of the public, some people donated a whole trolley of food and cleaning products! Each Monday lunchtime the Heart Pillow Club takes place under the supervision of Assistant to Year 7/8 Head of Year Liz Stammers, who has been involved in the club since it began three years ago. Each year the IB students sew, stuff and package sets of pillows
Quilts for an Indian Orphanage – Update As part of her IB CAS Programme Year 13 IB student Maya Davenport visited an orphanage in India during the Summer to deliver quilts made by herself and her fellow students, here Maya shares her story: From March to August 2015, I planned and carried out a project to make quilts for orphans in South India as part of my International Baccalaureate CAS Programme. The orphanage, Bala Mandir, was founded by my great-grandmother in 1949, and so the cause was very close to my heart. I visited the orphanage in mid-August, taking with me the six quilts made by helpers and Sixth Form students at the SSV ‘Quilts for Orphans’ club. As can be seen from the picture, the quilts were gratefully received by the staff and the children at the orphanage. The orphanage’s administrator felt that the quilts would be most useful to swaddle the babies in the crèche. As well as donating the quilts to the orphanage, I had the opportunity to teach at the orphanage school – I was delighted to help the underprivileged children learn English. Many thanks to the BSN community for the
for patients recovering from breast cancer surgery. The heart shape not only shows that someone cares, but is also functional as the large pillow is designed for under the arm after surgery and the small heart-shaped pillow is for under a seat belt in the car. The students have also taken part in a range of exciting challenges during a trip to Klimeiland. Whilst there, they were taken out of their comfort zone using high wires amongst trees, but they persisted and helped and supported each other at heights of up to 11m above ground level. In true IB spirit they communicated using a variety of languages: English, Dutch, German, French.
C.A.S.
incredible amount of support my project received throughout the process: the parents, teachers and students who donated bed sheets to make the quilts; the parents, Mrs Bennett and Ms McLennan, and the Textiles teacher Miss Gulliver, who dedicated their time to the ‘Quilts for Orphans’ club; the students who diligently made the quilts; and last but certainly not least, Mrs Kirkwood who encouraged me for the duration of the project.
C.A.S.
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 33
World Education Games Results!
At JSD Year 6 yet again surpassed all expectations when it came to World Maths Day. This year they participated in the World Education Games, comprising World Spelling Day, World Maths Day and World Science Day. They have made it onto the World leader board and finished in 12th position overall. This year the atmosphere was even more tense as the positions were calculated based on the average score for the whole team. Huge congratulations to all the children who took part and here’s to next year!
Maths Around the World As part of Maths Week earlier this term, Junior School Diamanthorst children from Foundation all the way through to Year 6, have taken part in a range of activities, including a mathematical treasure hunt, currency converting, maths through art and cookery, culminating with a fancy dress day. During the week the children prepared and cooked over 150 pancakes! They measured the different ingredients after learning how to say them in Dutch. They then worked together in groups to follow the recipe to make the most delicious pannenkoeken. Naturally the sessions were finished off by choosing a topping, including chocolate hagelslag and tucking in to a homemade Dutch pancake. Year 3 pupils had a little different focus on cookery, as part of their Food Technology topic, they designed and cooked their own pizzas. The activity was linked to fractions as the children had to share their pizzas into a given amount of portions. The children really enjoyed choosing their different toppings, following a recipe and of course, eating their pizza.
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Cupcakes for Edukans Just after half term JSL took part in a non-school uniform day and cake sale to launch this year’s appeal for raising money for Edukans. Their Dutch charity aims “to improve the quality and availability of education” throughout the world. Their projects and programmes cover a wide range of solutions, from training teachers to renovating schools, and from raising awareness among parents to advocating for improvements in national education policies. Edukans goal is to ensure that quality education is available for underprivileged children in developing countries. Currently, 58 million children in the world are deprived of the chance to attend school. Last year JSL raised the total of €1391.10. The aim this year is to raise €1,500 to support the children.
Autumn Term in Review: Experience
Funds for Fiji
Brabant goes Bronze
Bear With Us is a foundation that was established in 2010 to support children at rural schools in Fiji. Head of the BSN Language Centre Sandra de Bresser, was involved in setting up the foundation before joining the BSN and still maintains contact with trustees Roderic Evers and David Miller. Those who may have recently visited the Language Centre, might have noticed books, including old text books, being sold in the cafeteria and lounge area. The funds contributed from the generous donations of both students and staff through the book sales were donated to Bear With Us. In total over €500 has been raised, which ultimately has resulted in St Joan of Arc Primary School in Sigatoka, benefiting from a brand new colour printer, together with supplies for their computer lab. The printer provides the finishing touch to the lab which has recently been installed with a set of new PC’s, which were also donated through the foundation as part of their ongoing commitment towards supporting the education of children in Fiji.
The start of the new term saw four teams of intrepid teens enter into the woods of North Brabant to complete their Bronze International Award Expedition. The International Award is a globally recognised programme where young people get involved with their communities volunteering, learning new skills and playing sport. The Expedition is one of the four components of the Award and is certainly the most memorable for the students. Over 80 students have successfully completed their trek of 25km over two days and were responsible for their navigation and food. The students experienced somewhat wet weather but were stoical in the face and kept it cheerful throughout. The students are now encouraged to continue to the next challenge which is a 48km three day trek in the Ardennes after their GCSE examinations are finished in late June.
Book Bonanza The JSL Book Fair took place earlier this term, and it clearly was a big hit with the children and parents alike. Media Centre Administrator, Julie Bottomley was very happy with the results: “This fair has been a huge success and they had to actually order more books to fill in after the first day sales. We had one parent who spent over €600 on books – she and her child had been saving up for this big event. We earned an incredible €1,220 worth of free books from Usborne and €359 from Rainbow Corner – truly amazing!”
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A celebration of Languages Early this term the BSN celebrated the European Day of Languages (EDL) with its own Language Village. This year, the school was delighted to have their new Chief Executive and Principal, Kieran Earley open the celebrations by cutting the ribbon and welcoming students, staff and guests to try their hand at another language. The Senior School was transformed into a truly global village representing an array of European languages. Throughout the day, students armed with a guide book and ‘passports’, visited the Village and took part in a number of simple role-play tasks using phrases from each country and put into practice what they have learned during their language lessons. In exchange for their efforts, students were rewarded with a visa in their EDL passports and a treat associated with the culture
they had ‘visited’. The BSN welcomed students from the Noordwijkseschool, De Vos and Fortgensschool who joined BSN students to explore the many languages being showcased at the Language Village. Alexandra Skar, the Deputy Chair of Governors from the Noordwijkseschool said; “Visiting The BSN Language Village is a great way for us to teach our Dutch students about internationalisation – they can see all these different languages and cultures which are part of the BSN first hand.” Many thanks must go to the Madame Chantel Rieutort-Louis, the Modern Foreign Languages Team, BSN’s International Representatives, who harness the energy and enthusiasm of their communities to create the Language Village and we are grateful to the European Patent Office and the Council of Europe for their continued support.
Fireworks with a Spooky Twist..!
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Saturday 17 October saw families gather at Senior School for the biggest event in the Bursary Fund calendar: The Fireworks Halloween Extravaganza! This year’s Fireworks Extravaganza had an added spooky twist and saw some amazing costumes and ghoulish activities for all ages. Activities for the little ones included a haunted house, face painting, colouring and trick or treat and for the teens there was a massive bouncy castle obstacle course, football penalties, video games and more. The delicious food included traditional English sausages, pancakes and Halloween themed cupcakes. More than 1000 members of the BSN community enjoyed the fun-filled atmosphere. For the grand finale, the whole fireworks show was set to music. Through the new online ticketing system available on the Gateway, the Bursary Fund sold over 1200 tickets, increasing the money made by 50% compared to last year’s party. A big thank you goes to the 50 student and staff volunteers who helped make the event a roaring success!
Autumn Term in Review: Experience
Teaching English at Local Dutch School At the start of the current school year the BSN Language Centre embarked on an innovative new pilot English teaching programme with the Oranje Nassau School in The Hague. A pre-existing connection was already in place between the two organisations, with teachers from the Language Centre having previously delivered after school English classes on a more informal basis, to children from the age of six and older. Recognising the value in the children learning English at a younger age, The Oranje Nassau School initiated plans to incorporate English lessons, delivered by Language Centre teaching professionals, into their core curriculum. The programme received overwhelming support from their parent body, who were instrumental in bringing the programme to fruition, to the extent in which they were willing to cover the entire costs. The children’s level of English varies from nonexistent to near-native and having initially been taken by surprise from the adjustment to learning in a class in which English is the only language heard, they quickly embraced the idea and are now clearly enjoying this whole new experience. This has not least been helped by the fact classes have been specially designed to incorporate a large element of fun, by including play activities such as memory games to improve the children’s vocabulary.
Last month a government advisory group published a report in which it recommended that children from the age of four should learn English. ‘Young children find it easy to pick up a second language,’ the report says. ‘In addition, it helps their general language skills. Primary schools currently giving English lessons are positive about the experience.’ With this in mind Oranje Nassau School together with the Language Centre will be evaluating the programme throughout the year and if the positive early signs continue, the programme will continue into next year as well.
JSD Says Thank You JSD’s Responsible Citizen Club planned, created and hosted a tea party for teachers to say thank you for their support. The children involved are now well on their way towards earning their Bronze Award badge. The children baked some delicious scones and skilfully served their guests with a cold drink and a freshly baked scone – complete with jam and cream. Their guests all noted how the children’s manners and hospitality were impeccable.
Parent Traffic Brigade Rewarded Earlier this term, the JSV team of traffic brigade parent volunteers have been presented with certificates in recognition of the excellent work they’ve carried out, supervising and patrolling traffic outside the school. The certificates were presented by Tom de Bruijn – Deputy Mayor for Finance, Traffic, Transportation and Environment at Den Haag City Council, whose team are continuing to work closely with the BSN, together with the local police, to help improve road safety around the school.
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Outdoor Learning Outdoor learning has got off to a terrific start this term. Frogs, pond skaters and other little water creatures have moved into our pond in the Outdoor Learning Area. The first water lilies are about to bloom and the wooden viewing platform has been built. Years 3, 4 and 5 have started visiting the Outdoor Learning Area weekly, whatever the weather! They have enjoyed exploring the area, building animal shelters and Greek structures and, best of all (according to many of the children) sitting in a circle, drinking hot chocolate and telling stories. The weather was not particularly kind for Years 4 and 5, but it made us realise how important it is that we have the right clothes when it is time to go outside.
The children have also been busy harvesting potatoes and tomatoes that have been growing in the keyhole gardens. Year 2 will soon be harvesting the carrots, potatoes and onions that they planted whilst they were in Year 1 to make soup.
Using Numicon in Foundation Stage JSL Foundation Stage children have been busy using Numicon in their exploratory play and adult led activities. Using Numicon provides active learning opportunities and helps children to engage independently with numbers in an investigative way. Children learning in a Numicon rich environment are constantly challenged to make connections between numbers and articulate what they observe. On top of all that it is fun and can be used in all areas of the Foundation Stage classroom.
F1 Discovers new playground Marvellous Maths On a grey, rainy day in November the blue skies opened up just in time to shine down on the grand opening of the new F1 playground at JSV. Students, teachers and parents alike gathered to see Principal Kieran Earley open the playground by cutting the ribbon and releasing the balloons into the air – much to the children’s delight. With a distinctive Forest School focus, the children ran off in their wellies to discover the pleasures of learning, playing in this new green wonderland and on this particular day – puddle-jumping!
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In the first week of November there has been a real buzz of excitement and discovery across JSL. Initiated by amazing assemblies with mathemagician – Andrew Jeffrey, the children launched into the week, highly motivated and with a sense of keen anticipation. All the children have been engaged in investigative mathematic based challenges in all areas of their learning. Some examples of this have been; maths quests in and around the school, orienteering, writing stories, estimating weights with fruits and pasta, tessellation, making patterns, model making and a LOT more! One quote to sum up the week. “This maths is cool!” (Mathias Year 3)
Autumn Term in Review: Experience
Techies in the Making JSV Year 2 children started the first week of school with great work designing their own minion. Since that time they have developed skills with image and words where they labelled their hand-drawn adult and baby animals. Year 5 children have started using Edmodo, a blogging tool, as a platform for their learning this term, through which they are be able to submit work and share discussions with their teachers. They have also begun work on a stop motion animation project: planning and preparation stages were complete at the time Insight was going to press and the results are looking good. F2 have been taking photos with their class iPads and learning the important skill of deleting photos that were not clear. They’ve also learned how to use the mouse on a PC with skills like click drag and drop. They have picked up this new skill really well already. Meanwhile Year 3 have been exploring work with text and pictures on iPads in a book that includes sound alongside their hand drawn image. Year 4 have explored the use of algorithm and debugging skills. They are now getting very confident at controlling and drawing with straight lines and a range of angles. When the drawing goes against the plan they can also try to identify and fix the problem. Year 6 have been working on exciting assignments created a virtual classroom. They will work on six areas of the curriculum. Each one has an online submission in
a task set through Edmodo. When a child finds a good piece of their regular work that has Computing skills they can also submit it in the online classroom for Computing feedback. The virtual classroom encourages them to be independent with guidance from their class teacher and the Learning Technology Manager. It’s really great to see the children back in action. They are remembering that computing is a problem solving heaven and that communication of their skills to others is essential. They also work together to get different tasks done.
Divali Assembly In November KS1 and early years celebrated Divali at JSV, the “festival of lights” which is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn (northern hemisphere) or Spring (southern hemisphere) every year. Divali is one of the largest and brightest festivals in India: signifying the victory of good over evil. Some of our parents kindly made a Rangoli pattern during the assembly and we learned about festivals of light. This folk art from India creates patterns on the floor using materials such as coloured rice, dry flour, coloured sand or flower petals.
GCSE Awards Towards end November, Year 12 students who took GCSE’s in the summer were presented with their certificates. Their cohort achieved 94.3% A*–C grades in their exams. (The UK average is 69%).
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Junior School Entrepreneurs Roles in Reception
The Festive Apprentice
Working in school reception can be quite a busy job – but clearly JSV F2 students were up to the task! The pupils learned a lot about how the office staff answer the telephone, use the printer and also how guests are buzzed in through the security gates. All in all it was a fun way to learn about the responsibilities of our reception staff.
This year nine Year 6 teams from JSL competed in The Apprentice. The teams worked together to design and market a Christmas card to sell in support of Edukans Charity. In addition to developing the card design, the teams had to evaluate printing cost (provided at a reduced cost by Multicopy Forepark), the packaging, what sentiment to use inside the card and finally present their project to Headteacher ‘Sir David Porritt’. When asked which part of the task was most challenging, the winning team unanimously agreed: “presenting our project to Sir David and convincing him ours was best was the hardest part!” The winning team was invited to watch the printing, cutting and folding process at Multicopy, and they will be selling the packs of six cards to BSN families. After all is sold, these business minded students will have raised more than €600 for Edukans Charity.
Jam Jar Business This term, JSD Year 5 pupils worked on a special week long project to develop their enterprise skills such as problem solving, product development, marketing and sales, in addition they applied literacy and numeracy skills in a real life situation. The whole year group came together and formed small companies. Then the race was on to see how much money they could turn an initial investment of €20 into by utilising a range of entrepreneurial talents such as: negotiation, communication and initiative. Every group surpassed €100 profit within an hour, with the winning company stacking up over €200 profit by the end of trading. As Year 5 are learning about the Tudor times this term, producing a jam made to a Tudor recipe became the focus. From the cost of making the jam and to how much profit they could make on each jar, to creating a name for their product and designing a label! The final part of the project will be to sell the jam to our school community and hopefully make as much profit as possible for one of the school’s nominated charities.
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The Great Bake Off This term JSV Year 6 children have been enjoying the FT project: The Great Vlaskamp Bake Off! Inspired by the UK baking competition, the pupils have explored the design process and used it to research, design, plan, make, evaluate and improve a recipe for cupcakes. After identifying the target audiences, what occasions the cupcakes are for and they even created a persuasive advert to encourage potential customers to buy the products! The children have really enjoyed the project, especially the most important part: tastetesting the fruits of their labours! Throughout the week they used all of the learner profile attributes, in particular; taking risks, communicating effectively in the teams, being open-minded, reflective and resilient.
Autumn Term in Review: Experience | Sport
Sport Here are some of the many sporting highlights in what’s been yet another very successful term for our teams.
Hockey Champions make it six in a row! For the sixth consecutive year the young players emerging from the BSN Hockey Club surpassed all expectations. The team arrived at the tournament eager to get started, however an unfamiliar surface made for a tricky start, with International School Brussels showing their experience of a bouncy pitch. Thankfully the team adapted swiftly and secured a convincing 7-0 victory. Second up was another Brussels-based opponent, British School Brussels. The BSN had played BSB in October and knew they had some talented players. However, the team kept their focus and were incredibly sharp in front of goal eventually running out 6-0 winners. The American School London produced some impressive performances and the BSN found it very difficult to break them down. However the floodgates were eased open after the first goal was scored and the BSN recorded another 6-0 win to further boost their goal difference. And so it was to be a repeat of last year’s final BSN v ISH (The International School of The Hague), with each team finishing with a one hundred percent record, albeit with the BSN going into the final with a significantly superior goal difference. Stormy weather was due, and as darkness fell, the two teams fought out a tough encounter. The BSN applied, but ISH defended hard and were extremely dangerous on the break. The final two minutes were nail biting as ISH defended a BSN penalty corner and almost scored themselves at the other end but for an excellent save. All eyes were fixed on the umpire who was looking
at his watch, and the relief from the BSN supporters was clear when he finally blew his whistle and the BSN, in spite of the game ending in a draw, were ISST Champions again by virtue of their greater goal difference in the earlier round! Four of the BSN girls made the All Stars selection – Cara Campbell (captain), Anna Scolamiero, Francesca Lloyd and Lauren Cooper. A massive thank you must go to Paul Turner for his coaching this year. He had the added pressure of taking on a team who had five consecutive victories, and we’re delighted to now say a record six in a row! Thanks: Sophie Roper who tweeted and took photos throughout the tournament.
Team Delft Takes House Title The teamwork illustrated earlier this term by all Year 6 students was certainly impressive. With a wide range of sports on display: from Tug o War, dodgeball, football, hockey and more...the end result was Team Delft taking home the cup! As the students headed back to their respective schools smiles were abundant – clearly a sign of the fun that was had by all – well done everyone!
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Junior Success at ISH Football Tournament At the start of October almost 100 junior school children went over to the International School of the Hague for two football tournaments. The Year 5 and 6 team played some outstanding football, winning all their matches to declare themselves the best international Junior School team in the Hague. Two
Football ISST and Term report For the first time in recent memory the BSN have been playing competitive football at U12, U14, U16 and U18 level. The season kicked off with a series of matches against local rivals ISH (International School of The Hague). The U12s unfortunately began the season on the wrong end of a defeat in spite of a brave effort. The U14s got off to a flyer with a 3-1 home win, whilst the under U16s were involved in a thrilling game in which they trailed 2-0 in the opening minutes, but managed to turn the game on its head by ending up 4-3 winners.
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days later it was the turn of the Year 3 and 4 students to show off their silky skills and managed to do so by winning almost all their matches. Particularly pleasing was the attitude of the all-girls team, who weren’t intimidated by the fact they were only playing boys. The supporters were struck by the fantastic team spirit and great sportsmanship shown by the students, and the coaches home were filled with enthusiastic smiling faces of children who were keen to do it all over again as soon as possible.
Finally the U18 team, playing away at ISH, faced a tough game in fierce rain and having created some fantastic chances, the match also ended in defeat. Later in the term the ISST boys team competed in the Division 2 finals in Athens. The team went into the tournament high on optimism having made excellent progress during the season, growing as a team in each game they played and starting to look like a team to be reckoned with. The boys went into their final group unbeaten on the back of 0-0 draw and a 2-1 and 2-0 win. However with only 30 minutes recovery time before their final group match against hosts ACS Athens the boys took a deserved lead. As it happened fatigue and injuries of a couple of key players took their toll and ACS fought back to win the game 2-1. This defeat meant the BSN missed out on a place in the final and had to settle for a 3rd and 4th place play off against ASH (American School of The Hague). Having gone down 2-0, the team threw caution to the wind in an attempt to get back into the game, but were caught twice on the break and eventually lost 0-4. Although the team was very disappointed to finish with a loss, 4th place was a great result. ISST football is highly competitive and the team really did themselves proud. They were praised for their organisation and hard working attitude, and the way they conducted themselves both on and off the field was exemplary. The team was delighted to receive two All Star selections in Ulonnam Akwataghibe and Edesiri Akati-Udi, players who did themselves and the BSN team proud over the tournament.
Autumn Term in Review: Sport
Beyond these walls … our students often participate in, and achieve, great things outside school – here we mark three of them.
Diego Shines for ADO Year 10 student Diego Mendo Perrin has this season been signed by ADO Den Haag where he’s been plying his trade on the left wing for the UI6s. In spite of an injury which kept Diego out for the first three weeks of the season, he’s since recovered strongly and at the time of Insight going to print, had made 8 league appearances, scoring 2 goals with 3 assists. Diego’s performances have helped the team to a four match winning streak with one of the team’s best performances of the season so far being a well-deserved win over joint league leaders AZ. The team currently lies in fourth position where they will be hoping to stay until Christmas, which will qualify them for the winners pool, made up of the best U16 teams in the league.
Record Breaker Congratulations to Year 12 student Sam Airey who competed last weekend in the Junior World Cup in Groningen representing Great Britain. This competition is open to skaters up to 19 years, and Sam is one of the youngest of the competitors. During the event he set a new British record for the 500m in 39.80 sec! Well done Sam!
90 Lengths for Children in Need
Inspired by the BBC’s Children In Need Appeal, one Year 8 student decided he wanted to do his bit! A regular in the BSN Swim Team, Fintan Dancer, decided to raise money with a sponsored swim at the Overbosch pool. Supported by Hadrien Hardy, who took to the water to encourage his friend, Fintan swam a remarkable 91 lengths (or 2.25km) in 1 hour – the boys managed to raise over €321.61 euros! As Fintan sums up: “It was fun, and I enjoyed raising the money for Children in Need.” He went on to say a big thank you to those who sponsored him especially the BSN students who donated so generously, and the BSN swimming coaches who played a part in his great personal achievement.
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Get healthy Stay healthy
Chiropractic care Providing new solutions for your health concerns ● Neck pain ● Back pain ● Shoulder pain ● Posture correction ● Sports injuries ● Headaches ● Tingling ● Scoliosis
Steven Douglas Ex BSN student
Call us on 06 1240 5641 for a FREE CONSULTATION and POSTURE SCREEN for you and your family www.chiropractie-voorschoten.nl
Location Bezuidenhoutseweg 157, The Hague Mass Sunday 10.00 & 17.30 Phone +31 (0)70 328 0816 E-mail office@parish.nl Website www.parish.nl Pastor Fr. Sjaak de Boer Ph.D.
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Religious Education Programmes and 50+ Internal Parish Groups ranging from Spirituality to International Solidarity.
For the BSN Community
The blue pages Beauty Pedicure, manicure and waxing in Wassenaar ● American licensed ● OPI and Shellac nail polish ● Green tea wax Telephone: 06 2715 4213 Email: josiejuliapimenta@gmail.com
Building Professional carpenter, builder and joiner ● A complete and all-round service ● Renovation/Conversion/Maitenance Specialising in bathrooms, kitchens, roofs, doors, windows and frames ● References on request ● No obligation quotes and advice If you want it done, right! Telephone: 06 2422 5991 Email: mail@kingstimmerwerk.nl www.kingstimmerwerk.nl
Peter French and Sons – English builder/carpenter Thirty years of experience renovating and general building work in The Hague region. Free estimates and advice for a diverse range of work including; kitchens, bathrooms, dormer windows, roofing work, plumbing, plastering and electrical work. Well-equipped workshop for one-off furniture pieces/ repair. We organise planning permission when needed. Contact Peter for more information. Telephone: 06 5332 8363 Email: peterfrench@planet.nl
Children’s parties Kids Yoga Land Yoga inspired Fun! California trained Yoga Teacher & ADD Specialist Coach, Irma Qualm (Wassenaar) makes Yoga appeal to all ages using the latest innovations from around the world while YOU have time for YOU! Telephone: 06 1243 4799 Email: irmaqualm@hotmail.com Website coming soon!
Counselling Counselling International Confidential individual counselling or coaching, couple therapy or conflict mediation. Experienced multilingual professional Els Barkema-Sala, M.Phil., MBACP. Please call for a FREE initial telephone consultation or an appointment. Check the website for more information. Telephone: 071 528 2661 Email: basal@planet.nl www.counsellinginternational.com
Counselling and Coaching International Diploma course Diploma course Counselling and Coaching in The Hague (or Amsterdam) offered by CRKBO-accredited Academy for Counselling and Coaching. High quality professional and personal development in English is available for a fair price. Please check the website for details and registration. Telephone: 03 1741 5454 Email: paul@counselling.nl www.counselling.nl
Courses First aid courses Linda Malley, St John Ambulance First Aider and First Aid International Facilitator to staff at BSN offers a variety of certified courses for students and adults. Come and learn a life skill that makes a difference between a life lost and a life saved. Dates for student courses (suitable for International Award skills section) Venue: Senior School Voorschoten Three day course during half term on: 15, 16, 17 February 2016 10:00–14:00 4, 5, 6 April 2016 10:00–14:00 Five after school sessions on Wednesdays, 15:45–18:00: 4, 18, 25 November 2015 and 2, 9 December 2015 or 9, 16, 23 March 2016 and 13, 20 April 2016 Adult courses and short classes available throughout the year upon request. To register of for more information contact Linda Malley: Telephone: 06 1887 3421 Email: l.malleyfirstaid@online.nl
Interested in the Italian language and culture? Qualified mother tongue teacher offers individual and small group lessons in The Hague area and surroundings. Learning Italian is nice! Telephone: 06 2454 9094 Email: Dellamaggiorafrancesca@gmail.com
Financial services J.C. Suurmond & zn Tax Consultants Tax advice and support for expats in the Netherlands. With nearly 30 years of experience, J.C. Suurmond & zn helps expats living in the Netherlands manage their taxes, we guide them through the regulations and offer a free tax assessment. Telephone: 0174 24 47 25 Email: taxadvice@jcsuurmond.nl www.suurmond-taxconsultants.com
Garden Gardening services Need some help with your garden? Eden Landscape Gardening offers a complete range of gardening services including: ● Design ● Landscaping ● Paving ● Fencing ● Tree cutting ● General maintenance For more information contact Vaun Smith. Telephone: 06 2343 2854 Email: vaun@eden-landscape-gardening.nl www.eden-landscape-gardening.nl
Health and sports Personal training There are now a few daytime slots available to kick start your fitness regime. Personal Training from the convenience of your own home cuts out the excuses! For more information contact ACE certified Personal Trainer Maggie Bedwell Telephone: 06 2721 4349 Email: maggbed@netscape.net
The BSN takes no responsibility for the quality of the goods and services advertised in this publication
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 45
Household services
Music
Babysitter
Cello lessons
English, Dutch and French speaking lady looking for a babysitting job. Telephone: 06 1844 6293 Email: drs.brown-kapika@hotmail.com
Say hello to the cello! Experienced and enthusiastic teacher offers cello lessons for children and adults. Lessons are based on my own program and tailored according to your needs. All levels are welcome. Please visit my website for more info. Telephone: 06 4711 8631 Email: paulina@cello-art.nl www.cello-art.nl
House cleaning and ironing Do you need help with house cleaning and ironing? I travel to all areas in and around the Hague. I have many years of experience and can offer references. Please call Tina. Telephone: 070 779 0086 or 06 8588 4502
Motoring Car maintenance Autobedrijf Steyger specialises in the total maintenance, APK and special repairs for all makes of cars at reasonable prices. We are able to carry out bodywork repairs following accidents and will take care of all the necessary paperwork. We also buy and sell secondhand cars. Where customers are only planning a short stay in Holland, it is possible to agree on the repurchase price when a car is bought. Upon request, we can deliver every type of car at competitive prices. You may call us anytime for further information without obligation or check out our internet page: www.autosteyger.nl Our address: Autobedrijf Steyger, Leidseweg 420 (noord), 2253 JP Voorschoten. Telephone: 071 576 5555 Email: info@autosteyger.nl www.autosteyger.nl
Driving School EXLdrive – driving school for expats in greater Voorschoten area. Starting from scratch or looking for a refresher course? Excel with EXLdrive! Instruction in English and local pick up/drop off possible. Very patient instructor! Telephone: 06 2382 9269 Email: info@exldrive.nl www.exldrive.nl
Guitar lessons Graduated in classical and jazz music, with extensive experience as a teacher and performer. I offer private and group lessons for children and adults. Customised lessons focused on practicing tunes, rhythm and good practice habits. Telephone: 06 4370 1598 Email: ximosirera@gmail.com www.ximosirera.com
Piano lessons Pianist specialising in Jazz (Bachelor and Masters Diploma in Jazz piano) teaches piano for all ages and different styles. Extra Teaching fields: Harmony, Rhythmical training and group playing. For more information, contact George Tsolis. Telephone: 06 1149 7933 Email: georgetsolis@hotmail.com www.georgiostsolis.com
Saxophone, viola and violin lessons in English, Spanish, Dutch and French Graduated in classical music, experienced teacher and performer offers lessons in saxophone, viola and violin. Adults and children of all ages, from beginners to advanced levels. ABRSM examination. Lessons in English, Spanish, Dutch and French. For more information, contact Estela. Telephone: 06 8188 9652 Email: estelabricenomezquita@gmail.com www.estelabricenomezquita.com
Piano lessons for children from 6 years old Piano lessons for children from 6 years old. Teaching experience and ABRSM examination. Languages spoken: English, Dutch and Russian. For more information, please contact Tanya. Telephone: 06 1653 7959 Email: tanja211071@gmail.com
Spring 2016 issue Advertising deadline: Monday 8 February 2016 Book online at www.britishschool.nl/advertising or email advertising@britishschool.nl 46 | Insight
Violin and viola teaching available (also music theory) Experienced teacher/performer from Australia with a Master’s degree in performance from Sydney Conservatorium. Bachelor of Science (Physics and Theoretical Physics, Australian National University). For further information, please contact John. Telephone: 06 2936 3365 Email: mohnja@hotmail.com
Property and lets Artist’s house in Fowey, Cornwall available for holiday lets (sleeps 8) An impressive, detached, 4-bedroom residence, in the centre of the beautiful Cornish town Fowey. Luxurious, modern accommodation, with garaged parking and outstanding views of the estuary from the house and garden. Spacious open plan living room, modern kitchen, four large bedrooms each with its own bathroom or shower room. HD TV and wifi. For further information and booking, please contact Estuary Cottages Telephone: +44 1726 832965 www.estuarycottages.co.uk/artists-house
Holiday home in Pollenca, Mallorca Holiday home in Pollenca, Mallorca – Superb, peaceful location, 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom apartment in countryside with private pool. Perfect for hikers, cyclists, birdwatchers and those looking for complete relaxation. Walk to historic old town and restaurants. Air-conditioning and heating. Telephone: 0034 649 102 473 Email: alexandra2416@hotmail.com http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/ accommodation/p8046190
House for Sale in Voorschoten Perfectly maintained semi-detached house at walking distance from the BSN Senior School: ● 7 rooms, 2 bathrooms, balcony, garage, parking for 2 cars, garden looking out on cloister’s private park. ● 209 m2, 685.000 €. ● C. van Osnabruggelaan 48 (advertised on Funda) ● Contact: Graal Estate Agent Telephone: 071 516 1000 Email: info@graalmakelaardij.nl www.funda.nl/koop/voorschoten/huis49478434-cor-van-osnabruggelaan-48
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For the BSN Community
Autumn/Winter 2015 | 47
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