TIV Issue 3 - August 2015 by International British School of Bucharest

Issue 3: August 2015

Contents Staff & Editorial Coordinators

Editor’s Note

SCHOOL EVENTS

Assistant Editor’s Note

Citizenship Day

Head of School and Executive Director Letter

German Educational Visit

58 6

Continuing Professional Development

Journee International de la Francophonie

Spanish School Visit

Key Stage 3 Debating Competition

PTF Event

Student Editor: Ruxandra Rogojinaru (Year 13) Student Assistant Editor: Andrei Dogaru (Year 12) Teacher Coordinators:

COBIS MUN

St. Geroge’s Day

Ms Andrea Carman, Mr Paul Jennings

Year 7 End of Year Trip

Spring Show

Junior School Whiteboard:

Dragons Den

Graduation & Awards Ceremony

University Trip Visit 68

Year 6 Moving on Ceremony

End of Year Awards 69

Summer Fete

Work Experience 70

Senior School Activities Week

Key Stage 3 Evening

Alina Radu Journalists/Contributors Ruxandra Rogojinaru (Year 13) Andrei Dogaru (Year 12) Raluca Sabau (Year 10) Petru Neagu (Year 9) Kyriaki Mallioglou (Year 8)

Cycling Romania

Teaching Geography

Triathlon News

New Eyes: Travelling

Bucharest Half Marathon

Bucharest Got Talen

Mr Robert Hewett

Running For a Cause

CREATIVE CORNER

Mr Afzal Shaikh

Annual PTF VS Student Cricket 83 Match 84 Lumina Cup

Athletics Success

Mr Ciprian Tiplea

Ms Rebecca Hunter Mr Mark Storey Ms Blessy Savu Photography Mr Silviu Nastase Layout: Ms Lea Cohen Mr Florin Ghita

Tel: (+4) 021.253.1698, Fax: (+4) 021.253.1697

SCHOOL VIEWS

Why should we study history today?

Ms Andrea Carman

Bucharest, Romania, 021481

SPORTS

Mr Kendall Peet

Address: 21– 25 Agricultori St. District 2,

CAS Gala

Bermuda Triangle?

Contributing Staff

Contact Information:

Maximilian Mihailovici, Christie Vernon (Year 7)

Office Staff

CAS

An Iron Man Amongst Us

Sports Day

My Grandma Robot World

WHITEBOARD 39

Welcome Message

Early Years

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 6 Residential Trip

Farwell Ms Becky, Mr Quysner and Ms Jones

E- mail: office@ibsb.ro Website: www.ibsb.ro

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note & Farewell Wearing my Head Girl badge for the last time on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, I could hardly believe that I would not return to IBSB in the autumn. These past two and a half years have been incredible and I could not have achieved so much without the help of the wonderful IBSB community, so I would like to thank the people who most inspired and supported me. Thank you, Ms Diana Lia, for all your support and motivation throughout the years. You are gentle and caring, but stand firmly by your values and you have always inspired me. Ms Johanna Croci, thank you especially for your support in this difficult final year and for always being ready with some warm tea and a smile to listen to my concerns and offer advice. Thank you for supporting my initiatives and teaching me so much not just about sociology, but also about responsibility and organisation. Thank you, Mr Afzal Shaikh, for sharing your passion for history and your university experience with me and helping me find what I would most love to study. History is sometimes a very difficult subject, so thank you for always reminding me to see the beauty in it.

Ms Andrea Carman, thank you for your guidance and help with the TIV this year and for always being such a cheerful presence on campus! I look forward to reading more of your travel pieces next year! Thank you, Lea, for teaching me things about design; I had lots of fun working with you on the TIV! Thank you Alex, Ioana, Denisa, Adina, Maga, Valeria and Andreea, who worked with me on the Cartile Copilariei project this year. I am really happy that so many people joined and were excited about this project and that our work was rewarded at the CAS Gala. Thank you for the hard work, I think this project is off to a great start! Thank you as well to our partners at Curtea Veche who made this collaboration possible and inspired us with their dedication to spreading the love for literature! Thank you very much Andrei Dogaru for being a great Assistant Editor this year and a great Deputy Head Boy. I am glad we worked so well together and I think we did an excellent job. Good luck next year and I am sure that the TIV is in very good hands!

Thank you, Mr Neill Lee; I greatly enjoyed our discussions on various odd topics. You always motivated me with your calm enthusiasm and strong belief in your students. Thank you, Mr Paul Jennings, for inspiring me with your creativity and flexibility and incredible love for literature, thanks to which I even grew to like Pinter. Ms Blessy Savu, you made my dream come true when you brought MUN to this school and thank you for being a supportive Form Tutor last year and for taking us on that amazing MUN trip to Madrid. Thank you, Mr Kendall Peet, for your constant encouragements to develop my public speaking and for believing in my ability as a student leader, it helped me learn valuable skills for the future. Thank you, Ms Ioana Nitescu, for making exams less scary and even isolation enjoyable. Your reassuring presence in the exam room always helped calm my nerves. Mr Trevor Kingston, thank you for encouraging me to write for the TIV, from the very first issue that was published after I moved to this school. I learned so much from this experience and I am very grateful!

Ruxandra Rogojinaru Chief Student Editor

Assistant Editor’s Note I can’t quite believe it, but here we are: the end of school. Looking back, it has been a very exciting year, for me at least, albeit a challenging one as well. So, I thought I would share five things I learned throughout these three terms, that will hopefully be useful to you. Plan your revision well in advance Let’s face it: the climax of being in Year 12 is your AS exam session. You will have to sit exams in three or more subjects, which equates to about 6+ papers, so to get good grades you need to be well prepared for them. First of all, find out the exact dates and times of your exams, which come out in autumn – so there is plenty of time to plan ahead! The way you plan should suit you: there is no ideal way. The only advice I can offer is to allow more time for the areas you feel you are weakest in. Also, never skip a chapter or topic, even if you find it easy and think you know it inside out! You just might forget that easy thing when it comes to exam time because you didn’t practice it enough. Starting your revision around March is ideal; February too early, and April a little late; but when it comes to revision, it is never too late! Do not try to predict what you will get in an exam Figuring out specific patterns in past papers is, quite frankly, pointless in my opinion, especially in essay-based subjects. There are so many things they could ask that the probability of you getting it right is small. Also, every year they introduce something new to see how you handle it. The point is to not base your revision on hopeful assumptions. The only exception is multiple choice papers. Questions may appear again from old past papers, and the “tricks” can sometimes be repetitive. Beware, however: do not jump to conclusions, as the question may appear to be similar to one you know, when in fact it’s not. Learn when to say “No” What I mean by this is by no means to say “no” to anything and everything. Rather, what you should aim for is balance. Do not get involved in too many extracurricular activities, so much so that it detracts from your studies. If you are aiming to get good grades, you need to give up a fair bit of your time to schoolwork, especially when it comes to exam time. Doing those past papers and revision notes can be a lengthy process. So, learning to say “no” to something because it is not vital to you or the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, is something I recommend you should do especially when the exam session is looming. Also, if you find yourself already

doing something that takes up too much of your time detrimentally, you should try to stop do it. Learn when to say “Yes” Seeing as I said that you should aim for balance, I felt that a “learning to say yes” section would be appropriate. Extracurricular activities, especially the ones you like, should not be given up, at least until the exam session. They too have a very important role to play, as they are meant to complement your academic work. Also, by getting involved in such activities, you acquire some experiences and maybe even skills you would otherwise not be able to get, and it would be a shame to miss out on those. If you are doing sports, for example, it is a great way to relax and it will help you to study better. The risk, however, is that you get involved in too many things without realising. So, before signing up for something, find out what it entails. Do consult friends, parents, teachers, or whoever can offer you good advice, and make an informed decision. Learn when to take breaks Over-studying is as dangerous as under-studying: both can give you the impression that you accumulate information, when you really aren’t doing it effectively. If you under-study, it’s quite obvious: you are missing out on key information. The best way to avoid this is to revise with the syllabus, constantly looking over it to see if you covered everything. Over-studying can be a bit more dangerous, in the sense that you do not necessarily realise when you are doing it. If you are becoming tired, you are no longer retaining information in the long-term, the way you need to. The best thing to do when you are feeling too tired is in my opinion to stop and rest, even if you did not finish, since carrying on will probably get you nowhere. Do not push yourself unnecessarily and learn strategically. Ask your teachers for help, as they will have useful advice. I hope these tips will help you. Use this advice in a way that suits you, be true to yourself: know your strengths and weaknesses and all will be fine.

Andrei Dogaru Assistant Student Editor

Head of School and Setting a New Course With the school inspection now firmly behind us, and the next inspection on the distant horizon, the question is where to from here? The answer to this question lies somewhere between the current needs of the students, the future needs of the students, and the school Vision Statement, all of which featured prominently in the End of Year Graduation Speeches of the Head of School, Mr Neill Lee (Head of Sixth Form), Ms Johanna Croci (Year 13 Form Tutor), and the Deputy British Ambassador, Mr Adam Sambrook.

Change is in the Air We have been hearing the word UNCERTAINTY a lot lately both in the news and in Education. The Curriculum of England is currently undergoing a major transformation, with levels disappearing and curriculum content being reviewed and renewed in an attempt to bring education into the 21st Century, empowering schools to determine content and direction to a greater degree, taking into greater account the local context and the needs of the specific students within the school. Education boards are finally realising or at least accepting that a ‘one size fits all approach’ does not best match the needs of each student, in a climate where there is increasing pressure from parents toward differentiated and individualised learning. For some schools this has been a welcome change, and one that is long overdue, with the staff quick to embrace change, setting a new direction, hoisting sail, and heading off in a new direction with a clear game plan in mind. For others it has been a time of reflection, with open discussion and dialogue preceding long-term planning and those first tentative steps. For others still, it has been a time of indecision, inaction, and in some cases dogmatic rigidity, with feelings of fear or apprehension about the future leading to the desire to stick one’s head in the ground and wish it all away.

The Uncertain Future Part of the problem is the future itself, which is changing in hyper-speed as the pace of technological advancements continues to increase and impact the world and modern lifestyles at a parabolic rate. We are told at conferences and in open forums that the new challenge facing education is the need to prepare our students for a world that does not yet exist and jobs that have not yet been created or dreamed up. With this in mind, the shift in education has been away from

content focused on the mere acquisition of traditional skills and moved towards educating our children to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, experts in data management, and independent learners with the confidence to work in these unknown future jobs.

The Challenge Facing the Next Generation Neill Lee, in his Graduation Speech, spoke openly about the world that awaits the graduates of 2015, speaking in tones of condemnation about the legacy left by the current generation, our generation, offering a brief reference to a number of looming issues relating to global warming, energy use, food supply, and the unsustainable consumeristic lifestyle that is driving this planet and our civilisation toward the precipice. His speech echoed out as both an apology from one generation to another and a challenge to the next generation to solve the problems created by the previous generations for all future generations.

IBSB- Leaders in Learning- Educating the Next Generation of Problem Solvers In a recent book I read on school leadership, titled ‘Leaders of Learning’, it states that the greatest challenge facing Education today is to create a learning environment that inspires our children to become ‘Life Long Learners’, and that this should be the current aim of every school. This message is well-timed as IBSB, after considerable reflection, adopted the School Vision Statement which states just that, quite simply:

IBSB VISION STATEMENT

‘Building a Community of

Passionate, Lifelong Learners’

Executive Director Letter Easily said, but less easily done. The first step is to ensure that we have a team onboard dedicated to this pursuit- the measure of this is to be seen in evidence to indicate that our teachers are themselves role models of lifelong learning, and there is plenty of evidence to be found. In the last years alone we have had at least 3 or 4 staff members complete a Masters. I sent an email out to staff encouraging them to become CIE Examiners, and within 12 months seven of our staff have received letters confirming their examiner status, with more applications still being processed. The majority of our staff have each completed 4 or 5 Educare courses, with still others completing courses available through the Optimus Education website that IBSB is subscribed to. This is not to mention the countless hours of research and study that go into preparing inspiring lessons. In sum, there is no shortage of evidence to show that staff are holding up their end of the bargain.

The Importance of

uestioning

Research relating to life-long learning tells us rather interestingly that 5-year-old children have no problem thinking divergently- which is to say- thinking outside the box. Research also informs us that children, aged 3, ask their parents about 100 questions a day. Aura and I are more aware of this fact than ever because both our daughters are approaching this age and the questions are starting to come thick and fast.

Unfortunately, in most schools by the time our children reach the age of 10 or11 they have pretty much stopped asking questions; and by the age of 25 only 2% of people think outside the box. These are concerning statistics and indictments of the education system most children enter into.

But why is this? According to the research of Gentry and McGinnis, they found that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;students donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop asking questions because they lose interest, but rather that they lose interest because they stop asking questions.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

The challenge that we as educators face then is to develop a Thinking Curriculum focused on encouraging our children to continue to ask questions, and in so doing ensure they develop into life-long and life-wide learners.

The Next 3 Years So this is our direction for the next three years: to develop a Thinking Curriculum and an Inspiring, Support Learning Environment to ensure that by the time our students graduate they have become confident, independent, life-long learners, critical thinkers, problem solvers, experts in data management, with good communication and social skills, ready to face the challenges that lie ahead in the rapidly developing world that awaits them.

Aura Bogdan Executive Director

Kendall Peet Head of School

Continuing Professional Development Advanced Child Safeguarding On Monday, April 20, 2015, IBSB hosted an interschool Advanced Child Safeguarding Workshop, inviting international schools from throughout Romania to send staff for this training, which is considered compulsory for British schools. In total, six schools attended the one day training workshop that focused on:

• Understanding broad definitions of child abuse and neglect

• Refreshing and enhancing knowledge of signs and symptoms of abuse

• Dealing appropriately with disclosures

• Acting appropriately on suspicion or knowledge that a child may be being abused

• Understanding the Child Protection system and professional roles within this

• Understanding child abuse victim and offender behaviour • Having an opportunity to explore attitudes and values with regard to safeguarding children We would like to thank Robin Watts for a great training session. Now to put theory into practice!

• Having an awareness of how a child’s race, culture, gender and ability inform an assessment of their needs

Instructor: Robin Watts Robin worked as a Police Officer and Detective for 30 years, focusing on the area of Child Protection, creating courses for police officers and social workers, training them in joint investigation, achieving best evidence, and for police officers the national ‘Specialist Child Abuse Investigators Developers Program’. After retirement Robin became a Child Protection Adviser and Trainer, working with international organisations such as COBIS, assisting international schools in improving their Child Protection Practices, Standards and Procedures and helping them to prepare for school inspections in the arena of Safeguarding- all of which achieved 'Outstanding'.

Key Stage 3 Debating is an intensive, fun and intellectually challenging activity and it has a long tradition in top British schools, dating back to the nineteenth century. It promotes research, quick thnking and rigour, as well as oral and composition skills and so is an ideal activity for students, especially those looking forward to careers in Law, Politics, and Teaching. Following on from the success of the Senior team this year, winning the Sir Winston Churchill International Schools Debating Competition and then coming Third in the COBIS World Debate Competition, the Key Stage 3 team, who have been part of a Middle School Debating Club since Spring Term, went to BSB for an Inter Schools Debate Tournament. There was a Prepared Round and then a second Impromptu Round. The Prepared Round involved schools debating the Motion- This House believes that the internet is becoming more bad than good. This was a timely motion, especially for Key Stage 3 students, who are at the vanguard of such revolutionary technological change and facing the ensuing potential benefits and threats, such as greater reach in a global village but also new potent viruses and hacking threats with ever-personalised, intrusive platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat. IBSB opposed the motion, the team of Max, Christie, and Luiza had to debate against the idea that the internet was becoming more bad than good. In other words, their job was to successfully argue, as a team, that the internet was still as good if not better than before. In the intensive preparations

in the weeks leading up to the event, Captain Luiza (Year 9) and Vice-Captain Max (Year 7) devised an economic/social/ political strategy, with Max as first speaker arguing for economic benefits, Christie as second speaker arguing for social benefits, and Luiza arguing for Political benefits. So Max used the example of foreign foods being available over the internet (his Walkers cookies being a favourite example- he even brought in the packaging as a prop!). His style was measured and reasoned and this drew great praise from the BSB judge. Christie then followed such economic arguments with the social side, including an explanation of the benefit of internet dating and on building socialisation for elderly â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;silver surfersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;! She was mature and logical and drew very positive comments from the BSB judge for her maturity. Luiza finished off with political arguments, such as e-democracy and user-friendly websites which scrutinise the voting patterns of British MPs (theyworkforyou.com). She was passionate and vibrant, having clearly taken lessons from Zoe in the senior team! IBSB arguments were specific and well-evidenced and passionate in the face of the Proposition, who tended to concentrate on emotional impact stories, such as the threat of online paedophilia. It was very good to see good POIs all round (Points of Information- points each rival team can put to the speakers to encourage spirited debate Following the Prepared Round, the Impromptu was a surprise Motion drawn out of a hat where the students then have 30 minutes to come up with a whole debate. It encourages more spontaneous debating, breaking away from prepared

Debating Competition speeches and more formal public speaking. It is a form in which IBSB debaters traditionally excel and the IBSB Key Stage 3 did not disappoint. Radu (Year 8) replaced Christie for this one. The surprise motion was This House believes that being a Team Player is more Important than being a Creatively Brilliant Person. With the flip of a coin going against them, IBSB again opposed the motion. Away the three went into a side room and 30 minutes later emerged with a confident team performance, based around the uniting idea of the importance of the creative genius to spark team efforts. Examples included Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and the proposition argued for the value of team work. All three of our debaters got stuck in and came up with arguments of

great flair. Radu is clearly an Impromptu natural, asking tough POIs to the other side. Well done to all who debated from IBSB and BSB and to Luiza for excellent Captaining, taking on the juniors after her successful experience at Sir Winston Churchill last year. A special well done to Christie and Radu who have never debated before and a very well done to Max, who despite never having debated before, was a dedicated Vice-Captain and won the Overall Debater award! This all bodes very well for the future of IBSB debating! Afzal Shaikh Debating Coach

COBIS MUN The first COBIS-MUN will be hosted by IBSB over four days: Thursday March 3rd to Sunday March 6th 2016. Preparations for this inaugural conference are already under way. There are three main areas that are being developed with support and contribution from both teachers and students: programme development, logistics and marketing. We envision the COBIS-MUN to be a blend of what one can experience in THIMUN conferences (which sets the pace of most high school MUNs in Europe) vis-a-vis what is available at American high schools or university level MUNs. With an expected number of 150-200 participants coming from COBIS schools around the world, it will be a grand event where students can exercise and develop their skills in many areas, including negotiations, events management, international affairs and much more.

Within the COBIS-MUN, we intend to have five committees, including UNSC, ICJ (International Court of Justice), UNHCR (refugees), ECOSOC (economic and social council), and Human Rights Council. The student chairs, along with our advisors, will draft guidelines, rules of procedure, and topicbased study guides. Input from collaborating schools and other advisors will be welcome.

Keeping in line with the standards of UN conferences, and fostering a realistic environment, our model UN conference will be hosted at the Intercontinental Hotel. With a strong team for programmes, logistics, and marketing (managed by Ms Savu, Ms Broadhurst and Mr Storey, respectively), we have a group of very motivated students and we expect to make the event a memorable one for all attendees.

Andrei Dogaru is our Secretary General and as such, the student representative who will overlook all activities. We will be recruiting more students for our delegate team and we will open up staffing positions closer to the event date. We hope to receive support from our community as well, through sponsorships (in kind and monetary) for technical needs. School applications have started rolling in and we are busy setting the groundwork for the event. We will keep you posted about our progress, through the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. Blessy Savu MUN Coordinator

Year 7 End of Year Trip On Tuesday, June 9th, 22 Year 7 students and 3 teachers headed off on a four day adventure to the Danube Delta as an end of school term excursion. The trip was a memorable one thanks to great weather, beautiful scenery, and a host of enjoyable activities.

By far the favourite activity during the course of our stay involved the variety of boats available for exploring the various channels of the Danube. One group of students even made it to the border with the Ukraine!

Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there was an abundance The students and teachers travelled by private coach to a of wildlife inhabiting the areas to enjoy, including a huge resort near Tulcea called The Danube Delta Nature Resort. This variety of birds. The students and teachers also saw lizards, establishment was a very welcome environment for a group water snakes, moles, and more than a few mosquitoes! such as ours. It is located on a gently slanting slope The Danube Delta trip was so popular, some of the students overlooking the Delta, and comes complete with comfortable didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to leave but, hopefully, another visit will be cottages, a swimming pool, tennis courts and, best of all, a arranged in the future so we can all return to this Romanian variety of boats for water sports. paradise we had the pleasure to discover. During the three night stay the children participated in tennis, swimming, boating, and even a trip into the City of Tulcea for a visit to the local Aquarium and a chance to do a little shopping.

Visiting the Danube Delta

Dragons Den The Dragons' Den is a series of reality television programmes featuring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas in order to secure investment finance from a panel of venture capitalists. The show originated in Japan as Money Tigers or Tigers of Money

knowledge and creativity put together business plans based on their own ideas. This required a lot of team work and collaboration, but also research and using IT skills. The pitching session were putting the children in challenging situations and helped them develop their communication and speaking skills.

In the United Kingdom the show is owned by BBC and has become one of the most popular programs related to the The IBSB Dragons’ Den is a project organised and coordinated business. Dragons Den was nominated in the “Reality and by IBSB and a few very supportive parents. I will take this opportunity to thank Mr Ghenea (Entrepreneur and Dragon in constructed factual” category in the 2014 Bafta awards. “Arena Leilor”) and Mr Nicolaescu (Business Angel and The Romanian version of the format called Arena Leilor (Lions Vocational Mentor) for their valuable contributions. Mr Arena) started in 2007 on TVR. IBSB started a similar project in Ghenea and Mr Nicolaescu have been involved in guiding the 2009 (IBSB Dragons Den) with the intention to enhance students while they were preparing the projects, but also as students understanding of the theoretical concepts studied part of the panel in the pitching session. Vladimir Stanoi, one within the Business Studies and Economics course at IGCSE of our Year 12 students and Prefects was part of the panel and level. We believe that this project brings a valuable gave some very useful advice to the participants. Also, many contribution to students understanding of the concepts thanks to all colleagues and students involved in building the studied, but can also help them gain and develop new skills. projects and helping with the organisation of the competition. The participants have had the opportunity to use their

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s projects We have had 27 students divided into 9 teams. They all had great projects to present and some managed to impress the dragons in the panel. Congratulation to you all! The competition was really tough and the Dragons had to think really hard before they were able to give out the awards for: Best Project, Best Presentations, Best Content and Best Idea. However, it was a competition and the winners of 2015 IBSB Dragons Den were: The switch pen (Loren, Emilia and Navya - Year 10), My Coach (Petru, Andrei and Sorana - Year

10), Fashion Site (Maria Luiza, Ana and Ioana - Year 11) and On my way (Radu, Victor and Mihnea - Year 11)!

Well done to all of you for a great job and Congratulations to the winners! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start preparing for the next year interschool Dragons Den competition! Apparently, next year we will have about 4 international schools in Bucharest involved in an interschool Dragons Den project. More details to come in the autumn... Mr Ciprian Tiplea

Guest Judges

Mr Nicolaescu

Mr Ghenea

Vladimir Stanoi

University Trip Visit In March the ever popular Oxbridge Trip headed off to Cambridge, UCL, and LSE, for a three day trip to enable our aspiring students, Zoe, Maria, Andrei, Matei, Radu, and Vladimir (Years 11 11-12) the opportunity to visit some of the most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the journey was to find out more about the courses offered, the application process, and the perspectives upon graduation. At Cambridge, the pupils first had a discussion with the International Admissions and School Liaison Officer, before enjoying a tour of King's College Alex Vlad, former IBSB Head Boy studying Human, Social, and Political Sciences at Homerton College also joined us and gave us a tour of Trinity, St. John's, Peterhouse, Emmanuel, and Jesus Colleges, offering our pupils the chance to get the insider's view of the college system, the societies, and many

other opportunities that Cambridge has to offer for its undergraduates. In London, we had guided tours at UCL and LSE - both worldleading universities. We had the pleasure and privilege of being guided by former IBSB Head Girl Alexandra Lulache, a second-year student of Anthropology at the most prestigious social sciences university in the world. Visiting the university campus, the library, the students' hub building, as well as the positive vibe of the students left a lasting impression on us. Meeting former students such as Ecaterina Vlad, recently accepted to Yale, and Sonia Savin, soon to join the LSE Economics and Philosophy course completed the tour. Our alumni network is growing and it continues to inspire success in the IBSB generations to come.

UCL /Cambridge /LSE 17

End of Year Awards Primary Awards

IBSB Award

COBIS Scholastic Award

CIS Award

Melissa Aydogan - Year 6

Ana Cristescu - Year 6

Aryan Agarwal - Year 5

For significant contributions

For Outstanding Academic Achievement

For encouraging international collaboration and community

ECIS Teacher of the Year Previous winners:

ECIS PIE Award is given to a teacher who has made:

“A significant and noteworthy contribution to the school community above and beyond normal 2012 Johanna Croci contractual obligations, a person with a high level of personal integrity, a person with high personal 2013 Katie Bickell expectations, a positive attitude and demeanour toward others, and a person who has contributed 2014 Rebecca Hunter and demonstrated the ability to excel at inspiring and leading others.” Paul joined IBSB as one of the original staff members when the school first opened in 2000, and since this time has been quietly working behind the scenes inspiring and supporting the next generation of young sportsmen and women.

He is relentless in the pursuit of excellence and as such is a role model for those around him. He is also an extremely good person, always willing to offer a helping hand to those around in need.

He has given up much of his personal time- a big thank you to It is with all this in mind that we awarded Paul Georgescu the his wife Flori for her patience and support in this regard- taking ECIS PIE Teacher of the Year Award for 2014-15. our students to various sporting events on weekends and on occasions has had groups of up to 50 or 60 students with him. He has inspired students to strive to become national champions, and has encouraged both parents and staff alike to live a healthier more active lifestyle.

Paul Georgescu Primary PE Teacher

He leads by example, rising each and every morning at 5am to run 10km without fail, regardless of the weather, and is a life long learner having recently completed a Masters in Education, focusing on Special needs support in physical education.

Congratulations to this year’s End of Year Award Winners. 18

Students Secondary Awards

Irina Chemencedji

Alexandru Gekko Ioancio

Luiza Ruptureanu

Year 7 IBSB Scholastic Award

Year 8 IBSB Scholastic Award

Year 9 COBIS Scholastic Award

Navya Agarwal

Maria Ion

Ken Sequeira

Year 10 IBSB Scholastic Award

Year 11 COBIS Scholastic Award

KS3 CIS Award

Diamond Awardâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; for most merits

Chirstie Vernon

Maria Sousa

KS3 IBSB Award

KS4 CIS Award

Steve Sequeira

Andrei Dogaru

Ruxandra Rogojinaru

KS4 IBSB Award, Prefect Award

Year 12 IBSB Scholastic Award,

School Dux Award

ECIS Award, Deputy Head Boy Award

Head Girl Award 19

Work Experience 20

IBSB Student Work Experience Programme June 8-19, 2015 June 8-19 once again saw the vast majority of our senior students in Years 11-13 head out ot participate in the IBSB Work Experience Programme, offering our students the opportunity to work in a field related to their interests and possible intended future career.

Ramada Hotel

The programme is an important programme as it helps students to confirm a career choice, or possibly indicate that the field is not ideally suited to the students. It also gives students the chance to experience the working environment and to start to prepare for life after school. In many regards this is an important part of our curriculum and for

some students is a life changing experience. Work Experience also plays an important role in regard to university applications for many degrees, showing that students are serious about their career choice. With this in mind we would like to say thank you to the many parent's and companies that offered work experience places for our students this year. A thank you letter and certificate will be going out to all companies in the weeks ahead.

Partner Companies for 2014-15

Seed Consultants Price Waterhouse Coopers

Light into

ASCO Construction

Community Action Service 22

CAS Gala The annual CAS Gala marks the conclusion of the IBSB CAS Programme each academic year, as students then start to prepare for the May/June exam session. It is a chance for students to showcase their hard work, dedication and hours put into their chosen CAS project. Each group holds a presentation in front of an audience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is not an easy task at all â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the audience then votes for the project they believe was most diligent in helping their charity. The prizes are 500 lei for 1st Place, 400 lei for 2nd Place and 300 lei for 3rd Place; the prize money represents a donation for each charity, so this is also a final opportunity for students to support their project for the year.

The presentations were all highly appreciated â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the students did a really good job in speaking in front of an audience: even if for some it was their first time, they managed to overcome their emotions; the fact that they all strongly believed in their project and knew it inside out certainly helped! What makes the CAS Gala special every year is that we have guests coming from each charity our school works with to see our students present and to offer them moral support. Many guests had very kind, warm words to say about our students, vouching for them in front of everyone. The students really got attached to their projects, and this was visible when they were praised and thanked honestly by their respective charities.

CAS Gala However, even if every CAS Group was worthy of a prize, the top 3 projects had to be chosen. It was a very difficult choice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I for one found it very difficult to, especially since I saw our students in action at their CAS projects and was amazed every time at their commitment. Still, this year, the top 3 projects were:

1. Cartile Copilariei Even though it was a new project this year, introduced by Ruxandra, it turned out to be a very popular one! The aim of the project is to raise awareness about illiteracy and the importance of reading books. The students collaborated with other CAS groups in our school, such as Sfanta Macrina and Light into Europe, sharing the pleasures of reading with other children.

2. The Paper Tree This is one of the first CAS projects in IBSB. It is by now fully integrated in our school, with almost every classroom having a designated Paper Tree box for recycling paper. Every week, students carry kilograms of paper to a recycling centre closeby, selling it. The aim is to raise enough to buy solar panels for the school, which is something they achieved! In the future, IBSB could be powered by the sun!

3. IOMC Hospital Here, our students worked in the childcare ward with babies whose parents cannot yet take care of them, or sometimes, who are abandoned. Their role is to play with the babies, offering them the attention and stimulation they need at this very young age and helping out the nurses wherever possible. Occasionally, the students have to perform less pleasant tasks, for example changing diapers, but the satisfaction they get when a baby smiles and laughs with them makes them forget those jobs. Also, our students donate clothes, toys and medicine to the hospital.

Even though these three projects were voted by the audience, we must not forget to acknowledge the perseverance, determination, and devotion of the other students in their CAS groups. At Brunoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shelter, our students helped with the adoption of stray dogs and promoting their charity via Facebook. They also bought dog food and helped with the maintenance of the shelter. At Casa Agar, our students offered support to mothers in difficult situations by helping out the children with homework or playing with them, as well as doing chores around the house. At Light into Europe, our students worked with sight-impaired children by organising special games relying on body movement and occasionally reading to them â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an activity the children there enjoyed very much. At Sfanta Macrina, our students volunteered in a day centre, with kids in primary school. They helped out with homework, entertained them with games, and simply talked to them about their interests, as many children were eager to share them with our students. At Speranta pentru Tine, our students helped out at the Fundeni Hospital, spending time with children undergoing treatment there, doing their best to make their stay in the hospital a bit more pleasant. In addition, apart from celebrating the hard work of our students, the CAS Gala also represents a time when we say goodbye to the Year 13s, who are graduating this year. After two or more years of diligence, devotion, and fun as well, it is time for them to place the CAS projects in the hands of the current Year 12s, who will step into their shoes next year, when they will take on a leading role in their CAS groups. Overall, it has been a great year for CAS and I can only hope next year will be even better! Andrei Dogaru Year 12

SPORTS 26

An Iron man Amongst Us! Since arriving to Romania last year, Mr Rob Hewett has enjoyed being able to, once again, participate in Triathlon races, something he had not been able to do for a few years as both in Scotland and China such races were not easily available for him. It all started with a trip to Mamaia, at a time when Rob didn’t even know where Mamaia was. It was then that he started to hear from different people that Romanians are becoming increasingly active; bikes are now seen more often on the roads and the number of events is rapidly growing. This in itself was a great inspiration. Having been athletic since he was young and having a passion for being active; and fit, Rob, with Paul Georgescu’s help, has joined several short and long races and decided that it was time for a new challenge. Why not take part in an Ironman? Easy? Not really, but it is only swimming, cycling and running! The small detail being that it is swimming 3.8km, cycling 180km and running a marathon (42.2km). Yes, that is a challenge! So, the preparations commenced, a destination was chosen and only after it was all paid and done, Rob found out that he had chosen one of the hardest Ironman races in the world! He did as much training as possible, running and cycling before school, swimming and going to the gym in the evening and joining his “Smartathletic” group for long bike rides on the weekends. And suddenly it was time! Bike, running shoes and trisuit packed and off we went, filled with more than a little adrenaline.

The atmosphere for the event was fantastic, with almost 2000 athletes and supporters having equipment checked, organized, double-checked, triple checked! On race day, athletes start with breakfast at 4am- the race begins at 7am. The swim is absolutely incredible, with all 2,000 athletes starting at the same time and it looks from the shore as if they are literally fighting to find a space in the water! After one hour and 3 minutes Rob was out of the sea and ready to start the hardest cycle ride of his life! It took him over 7 hours to complete the cycling part of the race and it was hard for the wind did not relent for even a moment. That said, he looked strong on the start of the marathon and ran the first 21km without any problems, between 21 and 30km things got a little bit more difficult, but some extra hydration solved the problem and with a time of 13 hours and 25 minutes, Rob became an Ironman! It was a long road but it is a fantastic achievement! Well done, Mr Hewett! Silvia Hewett Primary School Teacher

Sports Day

MUNTENIA WIN ANNUAL SPORTS DAY Thursday, June 4, saw Iolanda Balas Stadium a flood with the IBSB House Colours, as students dressed in Red (Dobrogea), Yellow (Transylvania), and Blue (Muntenia), prepared to do battle for the IBSB Sports Day Cup. It was a tightly fought competition, but in the end it was Muntenia (2012 winners),

who edged out Dobrogea (2013 winners), with Transilvania (2014 winners) coming in third. Thank you to all the staff and parents for their support and well done to all the students who competed in this years Sports Day, and a special well done to the students from Muntenia!

2 Place 28

1st Place

3rd Place

Summer 2015

SPORTS DAY SUN & FUN There are few days that represent the IBSB community spirit as well as the annual IBSB Sports Day. It is a day that’s is enjoyed by all present, be they students, teachers, or parents. Not just because it is a day out of the classroom, but because it is a day when you really feel everyone working together– in this case for their individual Houses. Student- Parent - Teacher relays The students also really appreciate the involvement of the parents and teachers in the Student- Parent - Teacher relays that bring the day to a colourful end. This year in the Men's OPEN Relay it was the Senior Boys who once again won the race, with the Parents a very close 2nd, and the

Teachers managing a distant 3rd. In the Women’s OPEN Relay it was the Senior Girls who again won this year, with Parents 1 coming in 2nd, and the Junior Girls team managing to edge out the teachers and two additional parent teams for 3rd. The fact that we had so many parent teams this year was a reason in itself to celebrate as we are seeing more and more parent involvement with each year passing— we hope to see this pattern continue. We also saw the parents participate in their own event this year, involving a pair of flippers, a water melon, and a human wheelbarrow, ending with everyone enjoying eating the watermelon. All in all, a fun day out ,and a really positive way to end the school week.

Thank you to this years sponsors:

Cycling Despite the rather hectic traffic in town and some rather busy and inferior minor roads throughout Romania, cycling across the country can actually be a pleasurable and relaxing affair. As a keen cyclist, I have had the opportunity to cycle across some fantastic parts of the world: 15 days touring mainly around the western isles of Scotland as well as the whisky trail. Stopping off at picturesque sites and staying in some wonderful bed and breakfast accommodation. 7 days touring around the Orkney Islands, completely selfsufficient, carrying camping and cooking gear in paniers and on trailers. 20 days cycling from Lhasa to Kathmandu – a high altitude ride through some stunning scenery with the Himalaya and Mount Everest as the back drop; a trip back in time and a culture still untouched by western society. 14 days touring from Bangkok to Siem Reap – one of the hottest places I have cycled, passing through an amazing culture full of huge temples and tombs. 30 days cycling from Romania to the United Kingdom – a selfsufficient trip with a trailer and panniers from Bucharest across the channel to Dover, passing over the Carpathians and then along the rivers – Altmühl, Danube, Maine and the Rhein before heading west through Holland and Belgium. 2 days cycling from Bucharest to Constanta as the last part of Prince Nicolaie’s tour of Romania.

Romania However, you do not need to take on some massive expedition in order to enjoy cycling. There are some cycling friendly parks in Bucharest – Herastrau and Tineretului are two that I regularly use, but you need to be aware of other park users including pedestrians and other bike users. The great attraction of these parks, apart from the joy of cycling and being in a beautiful area, is the lack of traffic and obvious safety that goes with this. If you are feeling more adventurous there are roads behind Băneasa shopping mall that are normally free of traffic and give you the opportunity to cycle a little faster. Further afield are routes that will take you to Snagov via Baloteşti, which is a smaller road behind Otopeni airport. These routes are all on the road, so you will need a road, hybrid or racing bike, as these bikes go a little faster and do not need as much effort to pedal. Your also need gloves to cushion hour hands and protect them from scuffs if you do take a tumble, a helmet to protect the all important head as well as make you look like a real cyclist. There are some cool clothes for cyclists too, including shoes that clip in and out of the pedals, padded shorts and loud, multi coloured tops. I always wear a set of glasses, even if it is cloudy to stop dirt and grit going into my eyes When you are cycling on the road, it is always better to be in a group as you are more easily seen (and respected) by other road users. If you are on your own, definitely wear something bright (bright lights and reflective gear are a must if it is dark), keep to the right hand side, but give yourself enough space to

move around a drain or a pot hole; I normally keep about a metre away from the side of the road. Always keep an eye on other road users and make your intentions clear to others, especially if you plan to turn or slow down. I always thank and wave to those road users who are patient or give me a wide berth when passing me. If I think I am holding up the traffic, then I will stop and give them a chance to pass. If, like me, you enjoy cycling off road, then you’ll need a different bike, with knobbly tyres, a good rim and disc brakes. There are some amazing trails for bikes in Baneasa forest and further field along the Danube and high up in the Carpathian Mountains. The trails can be slippery, so caution is advised if you’re new to the game, but you are less likely to hurt yourself when you fall because you are travelling slower, the ground is softer and there are no cars to worry about. Glasses are especially important as there are more stones and branches in the way. With the different terrain, you’ll need a puncture repair kit and a few spare tools as well as the ability to fix minor problems. I always take a phone and some money too, in case something major breaks and I need a lift home. I have had some excellent training and expedition rides in Romania and throughout the world; it is a great way to see lots of interesting things, spend time with friends and keep fit. Following a few simple guidelines will also make it safe too. Robert Hewett Head of Secondary/Cycling Enthusiast

Triathlon News

IBSB Success at 2 Mai Triathlon May 30, 2015 The 2 Mai Triathlon saw an excellent turnout from the IBSB community with 30-40 students, teachers, and parents present to either compete or support those competing over the long weekend. Saturday saw the parents and teachers take to the water, swimming 1000m, cycling 32km, and running around 6km, with Mr Paul Georgescu and Mr Robert Hewett finishing 2nd

in the 120+ teams event, and Ms Hewett coming 2nd also in her age group. On Sunday it was the children's turn to take to the water, with distances varying according to age. Andreea Albu (Year 4) won her U9 race (beating not on the girls but the boys as well), Alina Barbu (Year 4) won the U10 girls race, with Andrei Georgescu being given an award as the youngest competitor in the competition. All in all, a great weekend with a great group of people and some impressive results archived! Well done to all those who participated !

Anton Zamfir emerging from the swim 2nd Alina Barbu finishing the run in 1st Place

The growing IBSB Triathlon Community

Alina Junior Barbu Swim in the run

Maria, Andreea, and Isabel celebrating

Bucharest Half Marathon There is something very special happening at IBSB. An increasing number of our students seem to be gripped by sports fever. It all started a few years ago with our Primary School PE teacher, Mr Paul Georgescu arranging the first ever interschool triathlon at May 2 Beach. Well one thing led to another and before long Paul was taking an IBSB student team along to every triathlon and running event on the calendar, including more recently the Bucharest Half Marathon Bucharest Marathon Results: Congratulations to the 60+ IBSB students who participated in

the Bucharest 1/2 Marathon, and in particular Maria Roates (Year 1) -3rd place in 6-7 year category and Andreea Albu (Year 4) 4th in 8-9 year category. Well done also to Ms Rebecca Hunter and Mr Hewett for completing the 1/2 marathon. And to the Office team for completing the team relay. A BIG thank you to Paul Georgescu for once again supporting the students in striving for sporting excellence. IBSB had the third biggest turnout with over 60 students present (the most of all the international Schools). Mr Robert Hewett

Children's race on Saturday

Mr Paul Georgescu

Running for a good cause The saying goes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away.â&#x20AC;? Today I had one of these moments. For 5km of my Half Marathon I ran with Cristi and his guide dog Hamish. Hamish only came into Cristiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life last October and he says having him changed his life. Well, I had the privilege to see and be part of it today when Cristi took part in the race, starting in the middle of thousands of people. It was an incredible experience and I am glad I could share this

milestone with Cristi and his wife Ramona. Thank you to Light into Europe for the great opportunity and I hope you find more people willing to donate so that more and more Romanian visually impaired people have a Hamish in their life! Well done Rob Hewett and Becky Hunter for completing yet another Half Marathon and to all the students, staff, and parents who ran this year. It was a great day for all present! Silvia Hewett Half Marathon Participant

Annual PTF vs Student The Chris Gale Trophy

…And so it proved on the 14th of June as 16 good men and women true of heart met together at the Moara Vlasiei International Cricket Ground to do cricketing battle for the honour of the Chris Gale trophy.

sailed towards them. The Sequira offspring showed moments of sparkle at the crease but only briefly. The surprise package was the Hewett axis who accumulated loads of runs before one Hewett decided to cause a marital tiff by running the other one out. Ouch! Questions will be asked over Sunday dinner about that one: the classic cricketing call for a run had been heard, here in the depths of the Romanian countryside: ‘Yes!!...No!!....Sorry! L” That combination of words has been heard on cricket fields from Adelaide to Bangalore and from Wellington to Old Trafford.

Teams were allocated on a somewhat random basis as we mixed staff, parents and students and ended with a harmonious compromise: all the ringers in one team and the ‘fledgling-newcomers-to-the-great-game’ on the other. The Student team, led confidently by Steve Sequiera won the toss and chose to bowl and then Steve was told in no uncertain terms by his dad that they had changed their minds and All that remained was a cameo from Ms Blessy and new wished to bat: so much for the sanctity of captaincy! cricketing devotee, Mr Silviu, who, without really realising it introduced the ‘Switch-hit’ into Staff/Parent/Student cricket. The Student/Parent team began at a gallop scoring quickly as the fielders struggled with two basic issues in the field: a) the Total: 125 from 20 overs. ball is hard b) a spectacular full length dive for a catch counts The staff side began in effective style: Mr Afzal (A.K.A. Chris for nought if you then drop the ball. Tavare/Geoffrey Boycott/Michael Atherton), dropped anchor Nayva’s dad and Steve’s dad showed the two teams how at one end and seemed to think it was a five day test match. cricket should be played and both retired at appropriate However the scorebook never lies and the redoubtable Shaikh moments never having been threatened by the Staff pace was never winkled out by the bowlers: retiring unbowed in bowling. Indeed Walter hit one ball so hard the fielders in the the last 2 overs. deep were taking cover and donning protective helmets as it 34

Cricket Match “Cricket to us was more than play; it was a worship in the summer sun.”, Edmund Blunden

The staff had some newcomers who struggled somewhat with the rigours of the bowling; Ms Andrea, Becky and Messrs Storey & Ennion fought gallantly if briefly and were soon making the long lonely walk back to the sun umbrella. Cue the secret weapon: Andrew; the representative of ‘Cricket Romania’. He was given strict instructions by me in what I deem one of my finest inspirational talks: ‘Go in,” I said. “Hang around, strike out, Mister Afzal is not progressing us quickly enough…push on, Andrew, and drive us to the finishing line!!”

Staff 111: the dreaded ‘Nelson’ for those who know their cricket superstitions. A brilliant game, terrific spirit, oven-hot but enjoyed by all. Many thanks to Andrew for arranging the event, the drivers, the parents & students but mainly my team…’We band of brothers and sisters…’ Well done! P.S: Training starts in September!

2 minutes later Andrew returned, out for nought with a rueful expression; “That’s cricket for you!” It said. Afzal and I then tried our level best and with some streaky hitting and pure slogging we pushed us on to within touching of their total. We knew we were close because they stopped discussing their holidays in the South of France and Steve and Ken were brought back to: ‘bowl straight & keep them quiet!’ Ms Jane joined me at the crease for the final two overs but the run-chase was not quite to be. We fell tantalisingly short. Heigh ho!

Paul Jennings Team Captain 35

Lumina Cup Well done â&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the U13 and U9 football teams that took part in the annual Lumina Cup this year. Improving on last years results, the U13 boys came 1st in their group, with the U9 boys coming 3rd. Victor Popa, Year 8, received a special award as goal keeper of the match for not allowing one goal past the entire tournament., whilst Mihnea Cristache received player of the tournament. A big THANK YOU to both Mr Paul Georgescu and Mr Ciprian Iacob for their support this year in running the afterschool football clubs, inspiring the next generation of footballers

LUMINA CUP OPEN SUCCESS Well done to all the team who participated in the Open Age Lumina Cup last weekend. Open Age Team Second Place. Best player of the Entire tournament was Thomas Ferfeli. Names of the players present: 1. Petru Galaseanu 2. Georgescu Luca 3. Cristea Victor 4. Florea Radu 5. Rutten Achille 6. Basgan Mihnea 7. Ferefelis Thomas (Team Captain) 8. Lopez Brea Guillen Ivan 10. Surdu Matei 11. Florin Ivan 12. Rei Nishikawa A special thank you to Yunus Cablan who was in technical staff present there all days -second trainer and masseur helping the team like no other.

Athletics Success IBSB Boys 1st Place Ccongratulations the School Athletics Team, along with the PE teachers and coaches, Mr Paul Georgescu and Mr Ciprian Tiplea, for their inspiring results in the Interschool Athletics Competition on Friday, March 27, 2015.. In total there were 9 international schools competing, with a very high standard across the competition. In the end however it was IBSB who were declared the overall winners, with the boys being

IBSB Girls 2nd Place awarded 1st Place over all and the Girls Second Place overall. Standout performances went to Victor Cristea, Giovanni Biancheri, Anisia Verdes, Alina Barbu, and Andreea Albu, to name just a few. Well done to everyone for this incredible achievement. We look forward to seeing a few of you at a future Olympic Games!

WHITEBOARD 38

Head of Primary Letter It is very appropriate that I write this message from a rather wonderful hotel in the Piatra Craiului Park, where 54 children from Years 4 and 5 are all bonding together as they face challenges, learn to appreciate their surroundings and cope with living in close proximity with so many peers and teachers. At the same time we have Year 6 in North Wales and Year 3 near Brasov, not so far from us. These are not holidays, but amazing and invaluable experiences and we so appreciate the support that you parents have given us, as well as the immense trust through lending us your children. We have seen children notice when others are feeling a bit homesick, or slipped on the way down from a magical trek up a mountain to a holy cave, and quickly come to their emotional or physical support. There have been interesting conversations about what we see, snippets of Romanian history, lessons on Romanian pronunciation, singing, scrutiny of a myriad of meadow flowers, tender play with puppies - all in addition to the planned activities of archery, paint balling, rock climbing, zip-line, cycling, swimming, team building. Looking back over this term, this week will be very much the highlight for all, but what fun we have also had at school with work on animals, seeds, oceans, rainforests, climate and the weather. We have also looked forward to next year transition time for Year 6 who became Secondary Students for 2 days, and for our Early Years children who prepare to leave their homebase for the wider world of Key Stage 1. Next year will be very different for two of our teachers and I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to Ms Becky and Mr Quysner for all they have

done for the school. I know there will be other tributes to them from people who have known them for much longer, but this year the Primary School and I have benefited so much from the total commitment and dedication of these two teachers. They are members of a remarkable team, two of whom will also be leaving, but only temporarily, as they concentrate on their own developing family; our thoughts will very much be with them both: Ms Alina and Ms Madalina. The others who remain will continue to develop the Primary School under the experienced and expert leadership of Mr Alan Cornish, and I know will take it from strength to strength. It has been a wonderful year working with these special people - and that includes all you parents too. My heartfelt thanks and warmest wishes to all members of our family! Stephanie Jones Head of Primary

Reception & Pre-School On the Farm This term, children in Early Years focused their learning on Spring. One of their favourite theme was â&#x20AC;&#x153;Baby Animalsâ&#x20AC;?. They learned about spring changes, developed an understanding of a baby animal life cycle, extended their vocabulary, e.g. calf, lamb, cub, kid, joey, etc. Children had an amazing time visiting the Animals Farm. The main attractions were the animal babies and hand- feeding the goat kids and bunnies.

Year 1 Year 1 is getting along well this summer term, learning about plants and animals in our unit on Living Things. We are planning to take a trip out to the farm soon to visit the animals there and see how they move and grow. In the meantime, we have planted seeds in class and learnt all about how plants and flowers grow. We painted pictures of a

sunflower and we learned about the lifecycle of a frog and the names of different animal groups. We will have our second assembly this year on Friday and we plan to read some funny animal poems for the Primary school and our parents. The weather is getting nicer and we are getting excited for the end of the year and moving on to Year 2!

Year 2 A & B Museums and Mini beasts Year 2 joined forces once again to head out to the fantastic Antipa Natural History Museum as part of our work on habitats. The children were excited to see some of the animals we have been learning about and to identify those they were encountering for the first time. There was lots of good discussion about how certain creatures are adapted to life in different parts of the world, especially in terms of camouflage and how different animals rely on each other as part of food chains, and some excellent questions that stretched teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; subject knowledge to the limit. After the museum we walked to Kiseleff Park where we had a nice

lunch in the glorious May sunshine. The classes then split into two groups with half enjoying the playground, a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own natural habitat, and the other half embarking on a bug hunt armed with magnifying glasses and bug viewers. Although there was a marked lack of diversity in the area we searched, the children found hundreds of bugs (Ochiul Domnului) and more ants than you could shake a stick at. It was great to see them all so engaged, working together and making observations about the world around them. Once both groups had searched and climbed and screamed and swung, we boarded the buses to head back to school tired but happy with lots of learning to follow up on in the weeks ahead.

Year 3 One of Year 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting learning opportunities this year was during World Religions Week. We learned about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and used these religions as a basis for lots of curricular activities. We discussed how stories from sacred texts may provide inspiration for us. We generated our own questions about what we would like to learn, and then worked cooperatively to create PowerPoints displaying our findings. We learned about teachings and rules in these religions and the various rituals. In order to support our work in class, Ethanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mum (Ofira) kindly visited us, and explained all about the worship involved in the Jewish religion. As well as this, two of our students, Ramzy and Aliye brought in their prayer mats and showed us what is the correct way to worship when at a mosque. Everyone was excited about getting an opportunity to kneel on the mat as it also contained a compass! We were very eager to explain to our class about our own religions and enjoyed presenting our knowledge in class.

Year 4 Year 4 students have been busy writers every week. Researching Romans and Rainforests has led to non-fiction writing that explains why the Romans were so powerful and details the rise and fall of the Roman Empire across Europe and North Africa. Beautifully illustrated descriptions of different major rainforests around the world have accompanied a greater understanding of tropical areas and how climate influences flora and fauna as well as how humans affect climate by chopping down trees. Performance poetry culminated in captivating recitals in both assemblies - read the example below and see how rhyme and rhythm influence the choice and economy of words. The children have learned to persuade, supporting their declarations with convincing arguments, and indicating that many will go on to make a difference in their world. We all look forward to the time we shall spend together in the mountains, appreciating all that is around us and facing challenges that make us stronger and better people.

A&B Earth Day Rap Yesterday was Earth Day, We should shout ‘Hurray, hurray!’. So help the Earth and save the day, Come on people, help 4A. It will be fun, it's just one day, The sun will shine, so come and play. Don't forget we have an obligation, Save the world to avoid complication. Yesterday was Earth Day, We should shout ‘Hurray, hurray!’ So help the Earth and save the day, Come on people, help 4A. Don't waste paper, save our trees, Plant lots of flowers to protect our bees. Make sure you're careful with the lights, Others in the world have fewer rights. Yesterday was Earth Day, We should shout ‘Hurray, hurray!’ So help the Earth and save the day. Come on people, help 4A. Every day we go down the street Thinking that our life is sweet But every day we are killing the world Throwing away things that are old. Yesterday was Earth Day We should shout hurray, hurray So help the Earth and save the day Before it all fades away!

Year 5 "A very topical term for Year 5 as we looked at Weather and Climate. We all know that the weather can change suddenly, but do you know why thunder rumbles and lightning flashes? Well in our lessons we have learnt to recognise and explain different types of weather, as well as how we can measure and observe it. As part of our learning this term, Year 5 pupils made a series of projects at home: a cloud mobile, homemade biomes and weather diaries. From these we learnt more about our own climate and weather (our ecosystem).

From weather to climate, we finally looked at climate change and global warming. our final project was to work in groups to design a new product to help reduce energy usage and climate change. Each group presented their products to our Dragon's in order to win the best energy saving product. Maybe one day they will become a reality and end up in your homes!"

Year 6 The end of the school year will see our Year 6 students move on to secondary school. We asked some of them to think about their favourite memories of their time in Primary School: I came to this school in 2008. Ms Flori was our teacher and we spent our days counting, learning letters and playing! (Yakub Kablan)

The Year 5 residential trip is a special memory because it was my first trip away from my parents. We had first aid education, mountain walking, and many other fun activities. (Utku Bicer)

Even though I’ve been at this school for just one year I have lots of beautiful memories. On Martisor Day, Year 6 had to organise some house games for the other year groups. I organised a game with Philip and Shashy. The main rule of our game was to have fun! (Matei Atimariti)

My favourite memory is when I was on the ski trip and Ms Becky was wearing Ms Cami’s glasses. I told her she only LOOKED smart, and she took me outside and put some snow on my face. My whole face got wet and I was wearing nice clothes for dinner. Then Ms Becky and I took some snow inside and scattered it on the others. I will always remember this because no other teacher would have done something so funny! (Ana Cristescu)

My favourite memory was last year when I saw snow for the first time and built a snowman with my friends. I had never seen snow until that moment. (Shashwat Kumar)

Our favourite memory was when we were in Year 1. We were both having fun during indoor break when I came up with an idea. I dared all the girls to cut one lock of their hair. All the girls took some scissors and started to cut. Ms Theresa caught us and made us stay in detention for the first time ever! (Meea and Melissa)

When Ms Hewett accidentally called Mr Ennion “Mr Onion” and she drew an onion with eyes, mouth, arms, and legs on the board. (Philip Kamara)

My favourite memory at IBSB was in Year 5, when I had to participate at the Girls’ Football Competition. All the girls form the team were very nervous and excited because it was our first football competition. Even if we lost we had a lot of fun and we learned how to work as a team and support each other. It was a special day that I’ll never forget. (Alexis Paslariu)

Year 6 Residential Trip The Students’ View Year 6 spent five days at Kingswood Centre in Colomendy, North Wales. We flew to Manchester Airport and then travelled by coach to the camp. Kingswood is a company which specialises in activities for schools, so there was plenty to do!

Archery, Aeroball, Volleyball, Environmental Art and Bushcraft Shelter! Our camp was intensely populated by many, many wild rabbits, which greeted us every morning and evening. It was set in a deep and beautiful valley in between 3 mountains, so the scenery was amazing. We also had miraculous weather – in five days in the UK we didn’t see a drop of rain!

On the first day, we managed to get to the camp without Overall, it was amazing and fun, and we challenged ourselves collapsing or falling asleep, which was a big accomplishment. to do new things we had never tried before. We were shown around and we had dinner, then we went to the rooms to unpack our stuff. I think all of us fell asleep very Ioana Museteanu and Gruia Pascale fast! The favourite activity of our class was the 3G Swing, which was basically an enormous swing on which you had to pull to release, and let me just say everyone really liked being suspended 15 metres in the air and then swinging down through the forest! Another great activity was caving - and yes, we had a cave there, a very deep one actually. We tried to wriggle though holes and tunnels and at one point we even turned off the light in the cave. It was pitch black! We did many more activities like Giant Zipwire, Nightline,

Year 6 UK Adventure Daily Report Excerpts Day 2

are a little tired because we have had 3 very busy days, but they will get a good night's sleep and be ready for tomorrow's activities.

We have had a very good day here in North Wales. Our day began with a walk to the river where the students were taking measurements and samples as part of a science project, which Day 4 The students have taken part in "CSI:Kingswood" which has they are completing as I write. involved 3 sessions of crime scene investigation techniques. They have tested soil samples, dusted for prints, used Day 3 microscopes to examine samples, and made casts of The students are currently in one of the ICT labs creating footprints. In between, they have had Aeroball, fencing, low music. Earlier today they enjoyed Frisbee Golf, Team Tech and ropes, and Nightline. Our last evening activity will be Camp Volleyball. In the afternoon they have been in the forest Fire, before we go to bed. building shelters and creating environmental art. The students

Farewell Ms Becky! The time is almost upon us when we must say goodbye to a person who has epitomised everything good about IBSB. Dedicated educator? Check. Active in the community? Check. Friend of parents, teachers and students alike? Check. Ms Becky borrowed my class for her first ever lesson at IBSB, during her interview with the school. Needless to say, they didn’t want me back after that! From that day until now, as we wish her the best of luck as she moves to Kuala Lumpur, he has been a wonderful colleague, teacher and friend. In three years, Becky has worked with three different year groups, attended three successful ski trips, produced two successful Spring Shows, and introduced events like Peace One Day to our calendar. On top of all that, she has been heavily involved in the Secondary School’s International Young Person’s Award (Duke of Edinburgh), so it is fair to say that she has provided a lot of students from across the entire school with some very special memories. Becky has some family in Worcestershire, but it is her Scottish heritage for which she is better known. She came to us after working in Aberdeen and completing her training in Edinburgh, so she is very proud of her home country. In her time here she has been known to prepare Burns Supper for hungry colleagues and has taken part in Scottish dancing and traditional Caledonian events. However, much to her chagrin, here in Romania she has never been able to buy the Irn Bru (a soft drink manufactured in Scotland; basic ingredients are water, excessive amounts of sugar and rusted iron) she craves; good luck with that in Malaysia!. As a big fan of Scotland, she doesn’t have too much to say about either football or rugby. She is however a very keen player of the latter sport, and has been a member of a Bucharest Ladies’ Rugby team for the last couple of years. As their most valuable player, she has been too scared to tell them that she’s leaving, so keep it a secret. Becky was also one of the coaches for our school’s first girls’ football team when we participated in the first international schools’ tournament for girls in Bucharest, which took place in January this year. She has also been a keen supporter of the school’s swimming club and has progressed from doing 10 km runs to half marathons as a result of taking part in the Bucharest running events every year. At the time of writing, we are expecting Ms Becky to score her first ever century during the annual school cricket match on June 14th. Ask her how that went. Becky has also branched out from skiiing to snowboarding due to her enthusiastic participation in the last three Primary School Ski Trips. The trips involved a lot of teamwork and enjoyment for the students. Becky has given them all a great experience in the mountains. IBSB has many links with charities, and Becky has been the charities coordinator in the Primary School for the last three years, working with Ms Katie to raise money for various projects. More importantly, they have given students the chance to show initiative and creativity in their money-raising

efforts, so that the students have enthusiastically made donations to different charities and will continue to do so in the future. So, as you have read, there will be a huge Ms Becky-shaped gap in the school next year and it will probably take at least six people to fill it. But apart from her many roles in and around the school, replacing Becky’s smile, energy and humour will be very difficult. Like Scotland’s other great export, Laphroaig (or insert name of preferred Scotch whisky), Becky has the knack of giving everyone a warm glow inside. We can all consider ourselves lucky to have worked with her during what has been an early step on a long and successful journey. It will be Kuala Lumpur next, but after that, who knows? Wherever your career takes you, we hope that you will always remember us and come to visit sometimes! Good luck!

Peter Ennion Key stage 2 Coordinator

Farewell Ms Jones! It’s hard to believe that the school year has come and gone so quickly. It seems just yesterday that Alan Cornish said goodbye to us and that Ms Jones arrived ready to take up her new role as Head of Primary, and yet here we are already at the end of the school year with Ms Jones having confirmed that she will be moving on to a new school and new challenges, with Alan Cornish returning to us as Head of Primary gain next year. As a role model, Stephanie has been a great example to her team, always the first to arrive in school in the morning, out in the school courtyard welcoming the staff and parents as they arrived each morning with a warm welcoming smile, and often the last to leave. She always took the time to listen to her students and her team and worked to build a strong middle management team in the primary, providing support and encouragement as and when needed.

visible in her musical guidance in support of a number of school events, including the Winter and Spring Primary Productions, and the end of Term 1 Carol Service., all of which were a vast improvement on previous years. On behalf of the school community, I would like to thank Stephanie for the time and energy she has put into both her role as Year 4a class teacher and her Role as Head of Primary, and to wish her the very best as she leaves us to face new challenges. Kendall Peet Head of School

Her contributions across the school have been many and varied, but perhaps the most noticeable impact has been

Farewell Mr Quysner! Simon has been an important member of the Primary School team for the last two years. He joined us after spending six years teaching in London, initially as a Year 2 teacher but later extending his responsibilities to be the Coordinator for Key Stage 1. Simon is very passionate and knowledgeable about early education, and as such he has made many contributions to school life. Something we will all miss is the jangling sound of Simon’s ukelele, which has soothed us all during break times. Perhaps before he leaves he can record a few songs for us to pipe around the school in between lessons! He has recently started learning to play piano, showing once again that he is a man of many interests and talents. As you might expect of someone who hopes that one day he will be able to download his brain, Simon is a keen innovator when it comes to computing and ICT as part of primary education. Simon introduced the new computing curriculum in line with the latest National Curriculum in the UK. Of course, the school is still developing in this area, but Simon has pointed us in the right direction. He also introduced the use of the popular site Edmodo to the school. I know that my students have really enjoyed using Edmodo to share and converse outside of school hours.

his enthusiasm for science fiction with a group of enthralled students. This year’s successful ski trip was organised by Simon, and gave students some really special memories. By his own admission, Simon is not a sportsman, but for skiing he makes an exception, so Romania has been a very good choice for him! Simon has really immersed himself in his adopted country by learning the language and proudly driving a Dacia. We wish Simon all the best as he heads off on the next stage of his adventure. He is a excellent teeacher and will be an asset to any school where he works, and we are very pleased he chose to work with us upon his arrival here. He has been a supportive and helpful colleague, as well as a popular and effective teacher, so we wish him every success for the future. Good luck and thank you, Simon! Peter Ennion Key Stage 2 Coordinator

Simon has managed to make important contributions beyond his own classroom due to his ability to relate to the interests of all students in the school, boys in particular. One of the most popular clubs in the last two years has been the Comic Book Drawing club, which allowed Simon the chance to share 51

SCHOOL EVENTS 52

Citizenship Day Groggy students dragged themselves in through the gates, each proudly wearing the colour assigned to them; even though they looked like they had just woken up, they were ready for the fun ahead. As we lined up, we noticed a new presence; a presence that would help us gain most of the house points during the day. That ‘presence’ was… Year 6 in transition! Next, we got into our groups and studied the important subject of ‘Genocide’. These lessons were factual and sad but the teachers tried hard to make them relevant and accessible. After our learning, we shook off the gruesome reality and went on to the House Games. Now in our organised groups, we sped through the activities, cheering each other on. The different teams all supported and included every last member and we all had fun. Lastly, we had a school assembly, where we all talked about and presented the different activities and experiences of that day. The teams also found out which team had collected the most house points. With Transylvania being the winner of these House Games, we all said our goodbyes for the day, feeling a sense of accomplishment and happy we were all part of such a pleasant day. Kyriaki Mallioglou Year 8

German Educational Visit Celebrating Good Results in a German Restaurant On Tuesday, May 26, Year 7 and 9 students celebrated their good results achieved in German after a year of hard work. Both Year 7 and 9 had studied a chapter about food and ordering in a restaurant, so visiting a traditional German restaurant to enjoy some German food was the perfect way to end this unit and the school year. We would like to thank all the staff of Hambar for their excellent service. We had the chance to enjoy WeiĂ&#x; Wurst specially brought from Berlin, Potato salad and a delicious Apfelstrudel. We all enjoyed the experience and are sure to be back again next year!

JournĂŠe Internationale de la Francophonie at IBSB This year, our IBSB students decided to continue the tradition and organised a series of activities, including a Bake Sale and a Non-Uniform Day to support one of our local charities in their mission to help kids with cancer in Romania. (www.sperantapentrutine.ro) The Francophone Week was entirely organised by students. I take this opportunity to thank Catrinel Craiu, Maria Sousa and Maria Luiza Verdes for this successful initiative, the inspiration to us all and the effort required to organize such an event. French cuisine, cultural quizzes on important French and francophone figures and music contributed to creating a multicultural environment.

Inspired by the passion for the French language and Francophone values, Year 9 French students worked on a Francophone Global Citizens Project where they used their knowledge of the current topic studied in class (Ways to protect the environment) and passed on this message in our local community. Students promoted the French language and the solidarity of the Francophone culture by offering spring plants (in pots) in school at the end of the lessons. This activity was a wonderful opportunity for students to express their opinions (in French) on issues of great importance. Hence, IBSB Students joined the sustainable development plan of 57 Member States and Governments and 23 Observers of OIF.

Message de la Secrétaire générale de la Francophonie (Extrait) «Ce que nous fêtons, c’est enfin notre volonté, par-delà nos différences, de vivre ensemble et de faire société ensemble, c’est notre volonté d’assumer, ensemble, notre destin commun, de préserver, ensemble, les biens communs de l’humanité, de gérer, ensemble, notre planète commune, de construire, ensemble, notre avenir commun. Alors, à l’occasion de cette Journée internationale de la Francophonie, formons, dans nos esprits et dans nos cœurs, une immense chaîne humaine de solidarité, de fraternité, de mobilisation à travers tous les continents. Demandons-nous ce que nous pouvons faire pour que change ce qui doit changer. Prenons la résolution de poser des gestes forts parce que chaque geste compte.

attendu, acceptant par-là même de sacrifier le futur des jeunes générations. Pour sa part, la Francophonie s’y refuse et elle est d’ores et déjà pleinement investie, mais elle a besoin de toutes les énergies, de toutes les forces vives, et notamment de la jeunesse, pour que son plaidoyer soit largement relayé et pour qu’enfin soient pris des engagements concrets, pour qu’enfin soient mises en œuvre des actions ambitieuses et responsables ».

New Secretary General of La Francophonie S.E. Madame Michaëlle JEAN

En cette année 2015, de grands rendez-vous intergouvernementaux engageront, pour les prochaines décennies, le devenir de milliards d’êtres humains, mais aussi le devenir de notre environnement, exposé comme jamais aux effets du réchauffement climatique. Il est urgent de réagir et d’agir ! Nous n’avons que trop

Francophones ou Francophiles? Sharing One Language and One Planet 59

Spanish School Visit This linguistic and cultural exchange has been an amazing opportunity to immerse ourselves in the diversity of other cultures with its own traditions and values. IES LA SERNA (Instituto de EnseĂąanza Secundaria La Serna) is a Bilingual English-Spanish High School located in Fuenlabrada, a city in the south of Madrid. More than 1300 students attend the school to study both compulsory (ESO) and non compulsory (Bachillerato) secondary education. Guided tours made by our school Spanish teachers and IBSB students took our guests through Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palace (the world second-largest building), the Old Historical Center of Bucharest, the Village and Cotroceni Museum where everybody enjoyed some unique mixture of urban or rural architectural styles. Some of the Brasov and Sinaia landmarks reminded students and teachers about the importance of preserving local history and that reminiscences of ancient times should be acknowledged by future generations as part of our shared world cultural heritage.

PTF EVENT Sunday, June 14 saw the final PTF gathering of the year, following the annual PTF versus Students cricket match, which you can read about in this issue of TIV.

Being just a short drive from the cricket ground, Alina and Viorel happily agreed to open their doors to welcome parents and staff over for a post-match BBQ, to rehydrate and recharge.

In total some 40+ people managed to make the pilgrimage, some missing the cricket and driving out directly from Bucharest, and were rewarded for their efforts with a wonderful buffet of healthy food, and a special treat of Moritz Ice cream to finish off what was a perfect day. A big â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THANK YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to Alina and Viorel for your warm hospitality.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the next PTF BBQ in September. Location to be confirmed.

St. George’s Day On the 23rd of April, I had the opportunity to attend an event dedicated to the patron saint of England – Saint George. The event was kindly hosted by Stan Plat, for the Light into Europe charity, in order to raise funds for guide dogs. The event took place at the historic Hilton hotel. Along with me were Mr Shaikh, Mr Jennings, Ms Jones, and Zoe from Year 13.

At the event, Zoe, Mr Shaikh, Mr Jennings and I read out some ‘Very English’ texts of our choice. Personally, I decided to read out Portia’s “Quality of Mercy” speech from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare; the reason being is that April 23rd was also Shakespeare’s birthday!

At the event many guide dogs were present. There were also some blind people with guide dogs, and this gave us the extraordinary opportunity to see how the dogs help the blind – how they tell the person to go, to stop, to sit, and so on!

Fundraising Event Beside the main event, there was also a raffle – and by mistake Mr Shaikh bought 5 tickets which yielded us nothing, sadly! There was also a silent auction for many English paintings such as paintings of the London Bridge, members of the Royal Family and guide dogs! Overall, it was a very successful event to celebrate St. George, William Shakespeare’s birthday, and to raise funds for ‘Light into Europe’! I enjoyed the event, since I learned a lot that night – the most valuable lesson being whatever obstacles there are in life, you must overcome – like being blind for instance. Maximilian Mihailovici Year 7B

Spring Show Another year, and another great Spring Showâ&#x20AC;Śor so I was told! Not long before Christmas, Mr Ennion, Ms Andreea Rus, and I decided upon Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies for the show and I am so glad we did! After months of learning lines, practising stage directions and singing their hearts out, pupils from Years 4-6 took part in the best performance of their lives.

As the director, you are always anxious about the little details, from lines being learnt to dance choreography and even to minor stage props, but with the help and support of our parents, staff and pupils, the IBSB Spring Show 2015 was a major hit. Having worked on and directed shows for the last three years, I have come to learn the best way to put on the most amazing showsâ&#x20AC;Ślet the children shine! No matter how hard you work, it is the pupils who put the work into learning their lines, rehearsing their stage directions and practising the songs, with the support and guidance of teachers and parents.

Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies This year, 47 pupils across Yearx 4 – 6, descended the stage at Tandarica theatre to perform Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies, to an audience full of family and friends. I was so proud of all our little actors and actresses on the night, to the point that they knew the show better than me (someone may have gotten the scene change wrong). After 10 weeks of rehearsals they acted like professionals, excited to share their talents and love for acting. When the curtain rose, the audience was silent and captivated by the future shining stars of Romania.

Jokes, laugher, songs, funky dance moves and thrilling words led the way to one of the most successful Spring Shows ever! After the show many parents commented: “A great performance!” “After 10 minutes I wasn’t bored, I loved every moment and really enjoyed the jokes” “Even my youngest sat still and enjoyed the show!” “The pupils are a credit to your hard work! Thanks for a great evening” Before I go, I must say that the night would not be possible without the gracious support of our Key Stage 2 parents, who slaved away to create or purchase costumes, run lines and practise song words. Also a big thank you to Mr Angel for his musical genius and patience whilst we all learnt the songs. And finally to Mr Ennion and Ms Andreea Rus for their constant support, dedication and theatrical skills that helped pupils put on the greatest show that IBSB has ever seen (or so I say!!) Unfortunately, I will not be here to see next year’s performance, but I can say with my whole heart, that it will not be as great as the show was this year!!! Goodbye from me, “Future Steven Spielberg” Rebecca Hunter Director Extraordinaire

IBSB Graduation and Awards A time of sorrow, but also of joy and excitement, this year’s graduation ceremony was, like all past ceremonies, one that will not be forgotten any time soon. Presenting this year’s graduation alongside Cora, I had the chance to see what goes on behind the scenes: planning, planning and more planning! Organised mainly by the graduates, with the support of the school, they deserve a big “Thank you!” from us for putting together such a memorable night. The ceremony started off with a warm welcome from our Head of School, Mr Peet. He gave the graduates a very useful piece of advice: do not stop asking questions. The older we get, the fewer questions we ask and the less interested we become in whatever we are doing. By the time we get to our mid-20s, only 2% of us keep asking questions on a regular basis. “May you be that 2%”, he wished the class of 2015. Following Mr Peet, our distinguished guest speaker, His Excellency Mr Adam Sambrook, the Deputy British Ambassador, addressed our graduates and he, too, emphasised the importance of asking

questions and continuing seeking answers, wishing the graduates all the best in the future. It was a pleasure to have him join us on this very special occasion. Up next was the awards section, where our students were rewarded for their generous contributions to school life and outstanding academic achievements. The expression of surprise and sheer joy on students’ faces when receiving an award was what made this moment so delightful. It is also encouraging to see some very ambitious students in Key Stage 3 receiving awards for their own efforts and hard work, who will probably go on to be the next generation of Prefects and top achievers in our school, keeping the traditions going. However, the highlight of the night was, without a doubt, the Graduation Ceremony. It was opened by Ms Johanna Croci, the Year 13 Form Tutor, with a very inspiring and moving speech, delivered beautifully with her usual calm, steady, and warm voice. Mr Lee also gave his much-awaited

Ceremony 2014 speech, which was even more touching on this occasion, as his own son graduated this year. These words from Mr Lee’s speech stuck with me, “Don’t let the grades tell you who you are. Sure, they are important, but they are not everything in life.” The graduates had some very kind things to say about Mr Lee and Ms Croci, who are always close to the students. Even though I have been to school graduations before, this time I got a different perspective of the event as a presenter: tucked away in the corner of the stage, sitting behind the lectern, I got the chance to observe the crowd for the first time. I saw joy, excitement, sadness, hope, love, suffering, happiness: the whole spectrum of human emotions felt in one room, by the whole room, for the same people: the graduates. Their honest and heartfelt speeches are what made the night truly unforgettable. Some were humorous, others were emotive, and each told a different story of their journey throughout high school, sharing it with

everyone present. At this point, I couldn’t help but think of my own graduation and how difficult it will be to say goodbye to everyone… Before I knew it, it was time for the group photo. Calling out 3, 2, 1, the graduates threw their hats up in the air, and, even though I couldn’t quite believe it, the graduation ceremony was over for another year. People started to make their way out in the reception area, raising a glass of champagne to the class of 2015. The graduates and their guests later joined them for the dinner at the Radisson hotel: the perfect way to end this emotional evening. The graduates will be missed, but at the same time, we are all excited for them as they go on to university and out into the “real world”. Andrei Dogaru Future Graduate

Year 6 Moving on Ceremony Unfortunately there just isn’t sufficient space to include enough photos to do the Summer Fete justice in the Newsletter. I promise that we will post many more photos onto the school website early next week to ensure there are photos to cover the many parts of Summer Show and stalls that made the day such a colourful and memorable day for everyone. Year 6 Moving on Ceremony 9.00-10.00am The morning started with the ‘Year 6 Moving on Ceremony’. Head of Primary, Ms Stephanie Jones, opened the ceremony with a few words of thanks to the Peter Ennion and Luiza and the Primary Staff for a good year, congratulating all the Year 6 Students for having finally graduated. Year 6 Class Teacher Mr Peter Ennion then told us about his first memories of the class back in Year 1 and how he had looked forward to having them as his class this year, again thanking them for making his year such a great year. All 21 students then came forward one at a time to offer a short speech of thanks to their teachers over the years, sharing stories about their time at IBSB, much to the enjoyment of everyone present. Finally, Head of School, Mr Peet was invited onto stage to officially closed the ceremony with a few words to remind the students that they are important and that what they think, say, and do makes a difference to the world and that next year they will need to be excellent role models for the Primary School who will then be looking up to them as senior school students. A short photo session followed and the Moving on Ceremony was over.

Summer Fete The final event of the year was the Summer Fete, complete with live performances and presentations, hosted this year by Head of the Senior School Student Council, Zoe Smarandoiu. Head of School, Mr Peet, officially opened the show thanking the students, parents, and staff for a standout year, inviting each of the three PTF members â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Claudia Marta, Alina Pascale, & Stan Platt- onto stage to accept their thank you gifts for the work they did throughout the year arranging various events for both the students and the parents. Each of the Primary School year groups then performed a musical piece on stage, added to with a few Secondary School offerings, along with a variety of musical piano pieces, to provide for an very entertaining morning and a memorable end to the school year. A special thank you to the various community partners who had a stands present on the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Moritz Ice Cream Stand was particularly popular in the warm summer temperatures. Thank you also to the parents who made a donation to the PTF fund, which will be used to fund PTF events in the coming year.

Paul running for the Teacher/Student Team Placed 16/465 teams. Well Done!

Senior School Activities Week One of the most popular weeks of school happens to be the last and not for the reason you might suspect. Yes, lessons are done and dusted and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a distinct feeling of impending freedom in the air but, the reason kids look forward to these final days is because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fondly known as activities week and every year there seems to be something new to do. A host of diversions await the participants including but not limited to Vertical Spirit Climbing Walls, paint ball, movies, malls and water parks. One of the most popular is definitely Vertical Spirit. This re-purposed former factory is now a place that will have everyone climbing the wallsliterally. There is something for everyone here and even if you are a beginner, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be long before you feel like a Junior Spider Man thanks to some excellent guidance and high tech equipment. Students soon combat their vertigo and before they know it they are at the top of their game. The best part might be the ride down and that ever so important feeling of accomplishment for having conquered your fears. What was it Sir Edmund Hillary said when they asked him why he climbed Everest? Because it was there! Andrea Carman English Teacher

Junior Swim

Key Stage 3 Evening For all the students, parents, and teachers present at the KS3 Performance Evening, on the Thursday, June 18, it was clear that all genuinely enjoyed the performances which included acting in the play, singing, and dancing. The Super Hero Support Group had a funny plot adequate for their age: in the story the cartoon and action movie heroes had their powers removed by a cunning doctor and desperately wanted them back!

In doing this show we all discovered that there are some very gifted students in Key Stage 3, including some gymnasts who volunteered to do an impressive acrobatic dance; the street dancers also put a lot of effort into their performance doing a combination of difficult moves, including cartwheels, head stands, and floor spinning- they rehearsed for almost a month on a daily basis to achieve the end result. The public also enjoyed the Year 7A students singing and the Ghost Busters

funny dance performed by the Year 8 kids who closed the show receiving a very big round of applause.

All in all, it was a successful night and we are all very proud of the KS3 students who took part. We wish them all a great summer holiday and I 'm sure next year the KS3 students will be back to offer us yet another very entertaining evening. Ioana Dumitrescu Drama Coordinator

SCHOOL VIEWS 72

Bermuda Triangle? The "Bermuda Triangle" is a fictional area located between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico in which a number of disappearances of marine and air craft have occurred. Is this stretch of water actually special or just a creation made for the benefit of writers?

The Gulf stream, an extremely powerful ocean current pushes all the debris out to sea.

The term “Bermuda Triangle” was first coined by author Vincent Gaddis in a magazine article in 1964. It is true that there had been a few disappearances before his publication but the stories about a triangular stretch of water that eats ships and boats started blooming in the late 1950s. The reason behind this is that five aircraft and one ship disappeared between 1941 and 1949, killing 536 people and thus creating a lot of anxiety. Were any facts buried deep down in the foundation of this triangular tower or will it imitate the tower of Pisa and slowly lean to its destruction?

The area is part of a stretch known as "Hurricane alley", the area where 7-13 major hurricanes and countless minor hurricanes occur yearly creating huge waves and spray that are extremely difficult to navigate.

Huge water spouts speedily scatter all the floating evidence and create havoc on deck.

Now that you know the truth about the disappearances, you may ask yourself why is the "Bermuda Triangle" such a big deal? Have you never thought about how much money is made from unexplained mysteries? How much of an audience the TV companies showing programmes about the triangle gain? How much money they can make from advertising? Or, how much publishers make from books claiming to explain the secret; think Lochness Monster and Big foot. Now there are over 150 different books about the Bermuda triangle for sale on amazon.com, proof of how much money is earned from selling sensational stories. I wonder why I did not write one as well. The "Bermuda Triangle" has also saved companies loads of money by ensuring that they are not blamed for accidents caused by human error by arguing that it was a force beyond human control. How can you accuse a mysterious triangle in court?

Well, one fact that suggests that the "Bermuda Triangle" is just hot air is that Lloyd, a London based marine insurance company that happens to be the biggest in the world, does not increase the fees for travel in the “Bermuda Triangle”. This tells us that it is not any more dangerous than any other area of sea or ocean. Don’t you think that Lloyd would charge more if it were any more dangerous and there was a higher chance of ships sinking?

The "Bermuda Triangle" is not any more dangerous than the "Bucharest Triangle". Do you know where that is? Petru Neagu Year 9

What about the compasses? (You might say.) Well, some argue that there is a strange force which makes the compasses go mad and spin around as if they're dancing. Actually, the compasses point towards the true north instead of the magnetic north making them about 10 degrees off. People, however, have been aware of this for over a hundred years. Why don't we find any wreckage? The reasons why we never find the ships and planes are:

Why we should "To Be Ignorant of the Past is to Remain a Child” Why We Should Study History This was the quote used as the basis for the English Speaking Union’s Public Speaking Contest held this year, that IBSB took part in and in which our students did so well in. It was suggested to me by Ms Carman that it might be a good idea to start this article on why we should study the subject. It’s a classic History quote and a good one to start with, one that I could have put on the wall of the Humanities room alongside such A bust (sculpture) of classics that are already there, such Cicero (106 BC- 43 BC) as LP Hartley’s ‘The Past is a Foreign Country, They do things differently there’ or Santayana’s, ‘Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it’, or even Churchill’s grand statement, “Study History! For in it lies the secret of statecraft [government]!” "To Be Ignorant of the Past is to Remain a Child” was first said by Cicero, a famous ancient Roman politician and philosopher. But what does he mean by this? He means that without studying History, a person cannot call themselves an adult. It therefore basically says History is necessary for everyone’s education. So the job is done there then! History is necessary and we should all study it! Only, I’d like to give you another quote now. This one is from a famous (well at least to History teachers!) Professor of History, Herbert Butterfield, and he said “History is one bloody thing after another." You may not know what bloody means here as it is an old English word and Butterfield is an old English guy, so the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as “used to express anger, annoyance, or shock”. I think what he means by that is that History can be a headache as it is annoying and shocking how the same bad things keep happening over and over! So is History really useful and is the study of it so necessary when it is so annoying and shocking? It’s a good question! Do we ever really learn from the past, as Santayana said we must do (“those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it”) If we look into most of Human History, we see wars, violence, murder, rape, pillaging

(mass destruction and stealing), genocide (when you murder an entire nation) is older than the Bible. We know all about the gory bits you read about and see in Horrible Histories from ancient historians. We know about the Spartan 300 Last Stand (known as The Battle of Thermopylae) made famous by Hollywood from the Greek historian and father of History, Herodotus. We know about the incredible Conquests of Alexander from the historian Plutarch and the crazy Punic Wars (Hannibal and his elephants marching through the Alps!) from the historian Polybius. The works of great Historians from Tacitus to Gibbon were widely available in the nineteenth century after the invention of mass printing and the rise in modernization and literacy (the ability to read), but this didn’t stop the most extreme and cruel century in History: the Twentieth Century, which is taught at Year 9, IGCSE and A Level. Germany, which led the world into two devastating World Wars, was the most cultured, educated country in the world and had some of the best historians. Indeed, Hitler, whom I am sure you all know, was mad not just about genocide and violence, but also about studying, as this quote below shows, quoting Hitler’s friend when he was a young man in Vienna in the 1910s before World War 1, ‘That’s the way it was with my friend [Hitler], books, always more books. I can’t imagine Adolf without books. At home he piled up books all around him. He always had to carry around the book he was reading at the time. Even when he wasn’t reading at the moment, it had to be in his presence. When he went out, he always had at least one book under his arm. A school photo of Hitler Sometimes taking books along became a problem. Then he would even refrain from going outside. Books were his everything.’ Kubizek [Hitler’s friend] also mentions the huge impression made by the library of the (Jewish) family Jehoda on Hitler. He says that Hitler visited the Hofbibliothek (court library) in Vienna so often that he ‘asked him in all seriousness whether he planned to read every book in the library, for which Hitler shouted at me’! (Young Hitler, Hant)

study history today Studying did not help Hitler become a better person. In fact, Hitler’s study of British and American concentration camps in Britain’s Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa and the USA’s Indian Wars (1811-1924) in the American West, are said to have inspired his Holocaust against the Jews, where the Nazis murdered six million people, mostly in concentration camps! The writer Graham Swift in his novel Waterland even went as far as having his narrator, the History teacher Tom Crick, say that “a History teacher is not good to have around”. So what’s the use of History or even a History teacher?!

Sir Winston Churchill Well, just before I hand in my resignation to the school having established the limits of History and the study of it as a subject, let’s go back to why great thinkers keep telling us to study History, from famous Romans like Cicero to great leaders of our recent past such as Sir Winston Churchill (who said his historical studies of The Nine Years War in the seventeenth century helped him understand the threat of Hitler before anyone else) and the last Prime Minister of Britain, Gordon Brown (who has a PhD in History), who said he thought the greatest profession was being a History teacher; or even the Prime Minister before him, Tony Blair, who said that he wished he had studied History instead of Law as it would have made him a better leader by being able to understand other nations more. Why do these people feel the need to tell us to study History? The UK government puts it nicely in the National Curriculum, which is their advice to teachers, quoted below “Purpose of study: A high-quality History education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to

ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.” Studying History helps to understand the growing complexity of our lives. The world grows more and more complex with globalisation (and what better sign of this phenomenon is IBSB, a British school in Romania with students from India, UK, Belgium, Spain, Pakistan, China etc.?!). Let’s go back to Hitler. I said earlier Hitler had been inspired by his historical studies to create concentration camps against the Jews. But we know he did this through our study of History, so our studying History helps us to understand extremism and work against it today, so not falling into the same traps earlier Humans fell into, such as those who lived in Nazi Germany and let Hitler rise to power and murder six million Jews. And this is very necessary, for example with over 3 British million people in the UK last week having voted for the extremist UKIP party in their General Election, whose leader Nigel Farage said he would rather live next door to a German family than a Romanian family, just because they were Romanian! We are all shaped by our histories. And so History helps us understand ourselves and others. I would probably not have been born in England, for example, had not Lord Clive won the Battle of Plassy in 1757 over the Nawab (Indian Ruler) of Bengal, as that was the turning point, the start to the British dominating India for the next 200 years. While this was a bad thing for India overall, it did mean Indians ended up speaking English and learning British systems, and so when my parents migrated in the 19th Century Painting 1960s, they went to England. showing Lord Clive acceptSo basically, “History is one ing the surrender of the bloody thing after another”. Indian ruler of Bengal But to study History is to understand someone else and that is really needed in Today’s world, when so many different people are in a community together, such as a Capital city or an International school such as IBSB. Afzal Shaikh History Teacher 75

Teaching Geography Why learn Geography? It’s a common question, usually followed by; ‘it doesn’t affect me’, ‘I don’t need it’, or ‘it’s not important.’ Maybe there’s some truth in that; after all, pick up a newspaper, turn on the news, and stories don’t mention Geography…do they? Nepal: most famous for being home to Everest. Mention it and the image of scaling the world’s tallest mountain springs to mind. Not this year, a deadly earthquake has taken the lives of thousands. The natural environment had a huge impact on an entire country and beyond. Geographers study Earthquakes, they find out why they happen, what effects they cause. That information is used to make places safer, Bucharest itself is no stranger to Earthquakes, and Geography would have played a huge part in Nepal to deal with what happened afterwards.

help people make these decisions. Not just about wind farms either, new apartments, a park, a supermarket even a new football stadium. Continuing with oil, leads us into Climate Change. The more oil we burn the more damage we do. The climate is changing, there is enough evidence to support it. People will deny it, people will keep adding greenhouse gases. Geographers will learn about it. They’ll look for the possible effects all over the world. Will the ice caps melt? Will sea levels rise? Which places will get hotter and drier? Which places will get colder and wetter? This information is vital for the people who live there, this information is Geography.

Mt Everest, 8848m But Nepal is poor, so of course an Earthquake there is going to be bad, Romania has more money than Nepal, so Romania doesn’t have to worry as much. Well Geographers would look at that statement and ask why there is a difference in wealth? Not just between Romania and Nepal but with all countries. Why are some richer than others? Do they have a resource that people want, like oil? Do they have lots of workers, like China? Were they at the centre of the Industrial Revolution like the UK? The questions could go on and on. So oil. Some countries have developed great wealth because of oil. Is that wealth shared out evenly between the people or controlled by just a few? Are we reliant on oil? You could not read this magazine without oil. What is going to happen when oil runs out? Have we developed the technology to replace oil? ‘Windfarms!’ I hear you cry: brilliant! They make energy from the wind. OK, where are we going to put them? Not near your house you say. So where? Geographers are involved in these decisions, the skills learnt in Geography will

So we’re going to damage the environment through Climate Change. Let’s just add that to the list. Environments around the world have been damaged and effected by human activity since… well, since the first humans. The rate of damage has increased unbelievably. The opening ceremony of the London Olympics showed us ripping up our ‘Green and Pleasant Land’ to build factories in an effort to become ‘Great’. At what cost though? Those factories contributed to Climate Change: those trees aren’t coming back. It’s not so bad though. People learnt their lesson, the Amazon Rainforest for example, we’re saving that? We’re protecting it from being cut down, keeping the plants and animals alive because we understand how important they are. We’re doing all of this, aren’t we?

Learning About Geography When it comes to the crunch, Geography is all around us. As Geographers we can study practically anything. Take the laptop this has been typed on. The parts have come from all over the world, put together in a factory, probably somewhere in Asia, running a program designed in America, bought in the UK and being used in Romania. Five questions start us off. Who, what, where, why and when? We can ask them of anything, and we do. It can be at the coast, in a city, in a forest, spaces, places and the people who live there, it’s all Geography. Can you find anything that isn’t Geography? So why teach Geography? Well it’s because it’s all about the world we live in. It’s about opening up eyes to the possibilities, the issues and the sheer wonder of this planet and how we interact with it. There isn’t another subject like it. It provides you with the knowledge, the understanding and skills to go out into the world beyond school and make a huge success of yourself in any number of careers, and hopefully it teaches you to care about the planet and other people on it. Hopefully some of you will want to keep exploring, there are lots of articles shared on www.pearltrees.com/markstorey that may be of interest to you and consider reading some of the posts on http://storiesofgeog.blogspot.ro/ as well; you may even feel like you want to share your opinions on there too. Mark Storey Geography Teacher

Geography class on a field trip

New Eyes: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." ― Marcel Proust New eyes. That’s what this is about and what it means to me after decades of travel experiences. Those "snap-shot" moments flashing through my cortex; the most impressive or memorable sights and experiences forever seared within my slowly deteriorating grey matter; visceral and still fresh after so many years. Proust's quote, for me, is layered with meaning and recollections, not all of which are pleasant but have served to shape me into the traveller I am today. I gained my first set of "new eyes" when I was in my twenties and took off for a year of travel to Australia and New Zealand with a backpack and a rough idea of what travel could mean. Along the way we stopped for a week in Hawaii and I vividly remember my first sight of miles of spiky pineapple fields on the island of Oahu, so exotic looking and, wait, didn't

pineapples grow on trees? Then, there were the truly monster waves on the North shore where bleachedhaired, surfing gods recklessly barrelled through the glasscoloured tubes at full-throttle. Later, roaming the hectic streets of Waikiki and being ceaselessly harassed by pot selling touts or Time Share sellers and wanting to leave. And so we did, boarding our plane bound for the islands of Fiji and one of my most memorably painful travel experiences. Don't get me wrong. Fiji was a paradise straight out of Melville in every sense: aquarium-like water, lushly flowered mountains with hidden waterfalls, hospitable natives: "Bula!" they'd welcome us with white-toothed smiles as they invited us in for a Cava ceremony in their thatched huts or to see their intricately hand-printed tapa cloth stripped from the bark of a native tree. It was a few days later as I unsuspectingly jumped from a rock into a deep inland pool and landed squarely on top of a large jelly fish that I thought the excruciating pain would finish me off. New Eyes.

Travelling The continent of Australia opened my eyes wider than ever. I'll never forget the seemingly endless herds of kangaroo bounding across the openly harsh, clay- red Simpson Desert as we drove the dirt track from Alice Springs to Adelaide. The night sky! All the constellations upside-down, the trillions of stars unhindered by civilization were spilt diamonds on a tent of black velvet and I was the richest girl in the world, for just that moment. New Eyes.

we U-turned with our proverbial tail between our legs to regroup. After a couple hours of attempting to break through the loop-hole unsuccessfully and finding no trains, planes or suitable Maxi-taxis-- we were on the verge of following Plan B (what was plan B?) when we suddenly hatched an alternative idea: hire a private driver in a local vehicle. Yes, this was feasible and before too long we were entering the Republic of Moldova bound for Chisinau.

Arriving at the bizarre town of Coober Pedy, an Opal mining city in the South of Australia where temps can top 40* Celsius (104* F) so everyone lives underground. Even the hair salon is underground therefore no need for that pesky air conditioning bill. Later, meeting "Machine Gun Joe" at a bar (yes, underground) where he surreptitiously tried to sell us some uncut opals he'd stolen from the mine he was "guarding." Leaving to find our underground hostel and watching men in jeeps go "Roo” hunting using their headlights to blind the creatures before shooting them for fun and "Machine Gun Joe" leading the pack. New Eyes.

One of the great things about travel is it has a tendency to explode myths, right wrongs and change perceptions. This was definitely the case with Moldova and especially Transnistria. The rumours of danger, corruption and sinister officials never materialized. On the contrary, we encountered plenty of friendly and helpful locals, some excellent food and, in Moldova, wonderful troves of wine at bargain prices. The rolling countryside struck us as so clean and green with its herds of sheep, glistening rivers and vineyards it was a visual feast. Yes, there were plenty of monuments, buildings and relics to remind visitors this was all once the USSR, and the future of Transnistria is still in doubt, but for the time being, Proust’s quote rings loud and true: the real discovery is in having new eyes. Ours were opened.

At Christmas time back then, out of the Port of McKay, I got some work on a commercial fishing boat to fund my escapades on the Great Barrier Reef for three weeks and during that time I saw colours and fish that truly defy description. I also saw plenty of sharks and one afternoon, about 150 ks off shore, a huge Hammer-head shark appeared and started curiously circling our boat. I remember dropping to my knees in fear and watching him watch me through the perfectly clear water and realizing I was in his territory. Nice boy, swim on now, I pleaded as my hands shook and visions of Moby Dick's vengeance played in my head. Not two weeks later, a young surfer in Byron Bay was taken by a Great White as he paddled towards shore. New Eyes.

Andrea Carman English Teacher

Now, let’s time travel in hyper speed to the present and my last and most recent foray into the “wild.” This time it was to the Republic of Moldova and the unrecognized, breakaway Republic of Transnistria which translates to "beyond the River Dniester." Where? Exactly. A few Google clicks later, an available car, a long weekend and we were off to see new landscapes. Four hours of driving brought us to a port city in Romania called Galati on the Danube. It was an enjoyable visit where visitors can stroll along the shores of the mighty river and pause for a cold beverage aboard one of the shore-side barges, all very civilised and orderly; perhaps a bit too ordinary and we were anxious to get into Moldova and especially beyond. So, day two saw us driving towards the Moldovan border wondering if we would encounter any trouble. Indeed we did. The border guards rejected our small blue Panda with its Bulgarian plates since we needed insurance to enter, insurance we soon learned could only be acquired in Bulgaria; 79

Bucharest’s Got Talent On Thursday night, AISB hosted the 3rd International School ‘Bucharest’s Got Talent’. In total 6 international schools took part with students singing and dancing, in 24 separate performances. In the end IBSB collected 2 of the 5 trophies on the night, with Raluca Sabua and Emilia Mihaescu picking up the Runner Up Trophy in the category of Group Performance for their Comic skit, whilst Navya Agarwhal collected the Audience Appreciation Award for her performance of Titanium by David Guetta. Never before has any school attempted to write and adapt a dramatic performance for ‘Bucharest’s Got Talent’; we were the first! It was risky, but the judges obviously appreciated the originality, wit, and courage of Emilia Mihaescu and Raluca Sabau. Raluca had this to say about the night’s success: ‘It was frightening but also incredibly thrilling to be up on the stage in front of so many people, some that I knew and others that I did not. Luckily, I have had several experiences performing in IBSB school productions, alongside Emilia.’ Performers were younger than ever this year, which shows the

impressive talent budding across Bucharest’s international scene. In fact, there are now so many top quality performers at IBSB that we plan having one, or maybe even two preliminary rounds here at school prior to the actual show at AISB. The calibre of talent and professionalism of the performers always astonish, but what is even more remarkable is the atmosphere. The support, sense of community and positivity are palpable. Well done to all students for their memorable performances on the night and a special thank you to Mr Angel Militaru (music teacher) for his support in preparing the students. Also, a big thanks to those students, parents, and staff who went along to cheer our students on.

CREATIVE WRITING 82

My Grandma I love my Gran. She hugs me tightly and kisses my forehead and smells like lavender from the garden. I visit her every summer for her birthday and stay for two weeks. One year, when I was twelve, I knocked on her familiar front door with my pink suitcase in hand to have a stranger open it. This person looked like my Gran, but her usually carefully combed hair was wild and she was so pale, and she didn’t smile. “Hey Gran,” I grinned feebly. “What’s wrong?” “Oh, nothing dear! Just worried how fast the time is going! I’m going to be sixty this year and gone soon,” she teetered on the edge of the steps and looked as if she was going to faint. I grabbed her hand and pushed her gently inside and into her favourite armchair. “Sit here, I’ll go and make you some tea,” I said, but even then she didn’t seem better. I left her with her tea and hurried upstairs to leave my things. When I returned Gran was dozing in her chair, her head lolling. After covering her with a blanket I headed towards the attic. The attic was where I had spent most of my time the year before, organizing and tidying. There was still lots to do! So, while Gran was napping I wanted to do some work; to keep my mind off her troubles. As always, the large space was crammed with dust, boxes, shapes and who knows what else. I tackled the best looking side first, and that’s how I found it: a large, satin covered box, heavy with its contents. Curiosity overcame me and I opened it. It was a beautiful sight inside, filled with jewels and necklaces, and leather pouches and tiny boxes. Inside the pouches were rocks and feathers that shone with all sorts of magical colours. Inside the boxes were old pictures of Gran and her friends when they were young. Along the sides of the large container were newspaper clippings from a long time ago. A wonderful thing occurred to me. I lugged the huge box all the way to the living room and, when she woke up, showed it to my Gran. The colour returned to her face as she explained all the adventures and stories behind each treasure. My Gran was back. All she’d needed was a little nudge. Christie Vernon Year 7

Robot World The infernal sound of electric saws would signal that the ringed moon had risen above the glistening, glass and metal towers that rose above a sea of factories and dark slums. The elegant and pristine roads of the capital were already packed with people who seemed in no hurry to get to their place of work. Most were the latest generation of androids or robots with artificial intelligence walking among humans and even a few ‘outworlders’ who probably came to trade goods, legal and illegal. Everything was a crisp shade of white and grey with hints of yellow that signified patrol officers. The segregation wasn’t too evident in the streets but you could feel it in the filtered air. The robots were ruling and any other race was below them. As you traveled further and further from the center of the safe and clean streets of the capital, the people were cruel and brutal and the streets were dangerous and deadly. It seemed as if everything was covered in a thin layer of ash as all the colours were muted and dull. Slums were stacked on top of one another all fitting loosely together like bricks in a huge wall. The people would already be at work, either burning coal, digging for precious ores or building anything from hover cars to the towers that would scrape the sky. At first sight everything seemed to work in an order that everyone seemed to accept and follow. If you looked closer you could see flags that showed a silhouette of an eagle with its wings open soaring behind a brown background. Patrol officers were quick to take them down before anyone asked. They were also painting the same eagle on shop windows and walls; officers put youngsters to clean off the graffiti. This symbol was spreading like a viral disease, not a lot of people knew what it meant but those who did kept their mouths shut. Some even said that an enormous eagle was painted on the ‘House of Justice’, where they trail and detain convicts of petty crime. Below the iconic eagle was a single phrase ‘We are the Blackcrests.’

Blackcrests. It was a word that was part of every single whisper and conversation. Who were they? What do they want? The number of patrol officers tripled in the last week on all the streets. They arrested anyone who seemed suspicious or even looked at the officers in a way they didn’t like.

The people of the capital weren’t as worried as they kept going to work, kept following the rules and the etiquette of the city. But everyone knew. Everyone knew that something was going to happen, sooner rather than later. Workers were going on strike, entire factories were being shut down and a few non-violent protests were happening in the centre of the slums. The officers beat the friendly protesters until they all resembled bruised prunes. The slums were adorned with black and brown flags and more recently shades of scarlet in the wings of the eagle. The robots were pushing humans out of their homes without any means. Shops that were run by humans were boycotted and vandalized and no one could complain to the authorities about the situation. All the fingers were pointed to the humans. They wanted freedom. They wanted to rule. They wanted equality. No one listened to them and their pleas and after centuries of abuse. It was time to overrule the order of society. Weeks passed and no new flags were put up. No more protests. There was a silence. It was the silence before the storm. A silence no one could bear. That is until the Senator’s daughter was kidnapped. Raluca Sabau Year 10