IBSB Student Wins NAC

IBSB Student Wins National Art Competition

The competition was set up to encourage and expand innovative and creative thinking among children aged 5 to 14 years old, offering them the opportunity to express their unique creativity and to give shape to their imagination through writing, drawing, painting, singing, rapping, or dancing. The theme for this year’s competition was to include Flaminia in the Christmas traditions of their country, with a variety of prizes offered, including a tablet + art private lessons for the overall winner. Well done Andrei! We are incredibly proud of your achievement!

Congratulations to IBSB Year 6 student, Andrei Urjan, for winning the 2020 Lukico Expressive Arts Competition.

Twelve Days of Kindness

Christmas Food Collection for Touched Romania

At the beginning of December, we, the members of the CAS Club ‘Touched Romania,’ started to work on the 12-days of Kindness campaign. This consisted in participating families collecting 12 items (food, toiletries, daily use products, etc.), one per day to donate to the charity. We created online posters and sent out a school letter, with a list of recommended items as suggested by the staff at Touched Romania. IBSB’s families were extremely generous this year and helped us collect as many as 35 bags of food, which were donated to Casa Agar, by our team, with the school drivers’ help. Many of the packages also had many more than the 12 suggested items.

The staff at Casa Agar said that the large donation, delivered by IBSB on the last day of term was a real blessing, will help to support not just the families living at Casa Agar, but many other families in the local community supported by Touched Romania.

Thank you to everyone for contributing to the Christmas spirt. We are extremely grateful to be a part of the IBSB family and we thank you for your kindness and generosity!

IBSB Sixth Form Touched Romania CAS Club

Community Action Service

Term 1 2020

Our wonderful team of Key Stage 5 volunteers started the year with much confidence. The physical distance imposed by the global pandemic was not going to prevent us from doing good deeds. We were going to do what was always humanly possible in any challenging situation: adapt and grow!

We were very thankful to be able to use the online medium for our induction, the CAS Open Day, the recruitment process, and our planning meetings.

The first successful event of the year was the Back to School Collection, an annual event, with donations of school supplies and electronic devices being gathered for disadvantaged school children supported by Touched Romania and Punctul Nordic.

“Poverty is a plague. It erodes the life chances of the people who suffer from it; it ruins their self-esteem and shatters their dreams. The only chance they have to escape is through education” says Cristina Capatan, the representative of Punctul Nordic Association.

Many of the families supported by the association do not have access to running water, heating, or electricity, not to mention the technology that would allow the children to continue their school courses online. These people are also the hardest hit by the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The donations you made will make a big difference to their lives. The next emergency appeal was organised by Jaime Baker, a year 13 passionate conservation activist working with the Animal Rescue volunteers. You may remember Jaime’s enthusiastic article that appeared in the previous edition of the TIV and described her experience at the Juara Turtle Project in Malaysia. This time, a plea for financial support reached our community. The pandemic situation left many conservation projects underfunded, as their main source of revenue was from volunteer and tourist donations. Raising awareness about the conservation of biodiversity is something that we do in our school assemblies and school media. Therefore, we invite all of you who love our living oceans to find out more about the JTP project and support them visiting their website at:

We would also like to wish Jaime good luck with her application for a three-month internship at JTP before her undergraduate studies start as a marine biologist!

September October

November

The Speranta pentru Tine volunteers prepared a quarantine edition of the annual Halloween Party, which included spooky stories, quizzes, origami, a pumpkin decorating and contemporary art competition. All the activities were delivered by the Speranta volunteers and some younger colleagues who felt inspired by the cause (Medeea, Maria, Ioana, Patrick, Elian, Catarina, and Calin). With a total of 4050 RON raised and donated for the needs of the children hospitalised at the Fundeni hospital, this was probably one of the most successful editions of our Halloween celebrations.

Also, the Paper Tree Project group introduced us to alternatives to single plastic use, hoping that our community will be receptive to at least some of the methods that would allow us to keep the planet cleaner and safer for the future.

The Light into Europe project volunteers continued to record audiobooks for the blind and create arts and crafts videos for the School for the Deaf. A brilliant idea by Ioan Cazacu had us decorating the Angiomedica Clinic for a substantial donation towards the Light into Europe charity. We couldn’t have done this without the kind support of the IBSB Office that lent the Christmas decorations for the job! Thank you! Another inspired thought by Ms Baker encouraged the Touched Romania volunteers to organise a Twelve Days of Kindness (or reverse Advent Calendar) Collection of nonperishable food in support of the families who left the Casa Agar maternal shelter.

And finally, the Shoebox Appeal delivered to the children supported by Punctul Nordic Corbeanca made the volunteers sorting the beautiful gifts delivered by the families of IBSB feel like Santa’s helpers. Being in that room overflowing with gifts for the poorest children of Corbeanca filled our hearts with a sense of purpose and gratitude. We would like to thank the PTF who has offered enormous support to all our activities, to all the students and parents who got involved in all the acts of kindness that we have managed to achieve in 2020! May all the kindness that you poured into the world return to you in countless ways!

December

Back to School

The first half term was a busy time for our sixth form students working on their Community Action Service projects under the support and guidance of their tutors and programme organiser, Ms Johanna Croci.

One of the CAS projects, working to support Touched Romania and Punctul Nordic, arranged a ‘Back to school collection’ for children affected by domestic violence, poverty, and social exclusion, collecting school bags, stationary, clothing, and digital devices.

Well done to Fibi, Daria, Armand, and Anusha, supported by Ms Iona Tanguay, for making a positive difference to the lives of those in need. All items and money collected were delivered today to the Touched Romania children, bringing some welcomed happiness into their world.

The donation of electronic devices, much needed by the children that have started their online learning programmes, was delivered to the children supported by Punctul Nordic in the final week of Term 1a.

Speranta Pentru Tine Halloween Activities

By Leo Ye, Year 13

One of the Community Action Service groups running this year, is Speranta Pentru Tine, working to support a charity dedicated to helping children with chronic health problems.

For Halloween this year, we knew we wouldn’t be able to organise the traditional Secondary School Halloween Party, due social distancing protocols in place. So, with our stockpile of decorations sitting there in front of us, we knew we needed an alternative. We put on our thinking caps, and eventually came up with Plan B, which was to have our CAS group members visit each year group from Year 1 to Year 9 to run one hour of fun in-class activities. But just to be sure, in case school was closed, we came up with Plan C. In the end, the inevitable happened, all schools closed, so we used Plan C, with all activities moving online.

As a result, we made two videos teaching students how to make Halloween origami, with students having the ability to choose between two origami options on offer.

We also came up with a Kahoot activity, and for the smaller students we had story reading.

Screenshot during the story telling activity with a class of Year 3 primary school students.

For the Year 9 students, we prepared more challenging activities, such as the “Escape Room” Challenge! Even though we had to do the activity online, it was still very successful! It was obvious that students enjoyed the activities we organised for them.

As a reward for the hard work of our CAS Group, we managed to raise 4050 RON through the Halloween activity; all the money raised will go to the children suffering from terminal illness, receiving treatment at Fundeni Hospital!

In the end, we would like to thank the SLT, the teachers, the primary school, and last but not least, the 5 year 11 students who helped us deliver the activities. We would not have had such a successful event without everyone’s valuable contributions!

Bonfire Night Light into Europe

On the 5th of November, we would normally be celebrating the Light into Europe Bonfire Night together with you all. This year, however, due to the COVID19, we experienced the event to you in a different way; with a virtual Bonfire Night- it was certainly a Bonfire Night to be remembered unlike any of those in the 415 years gone before!

We of course really missed the opportunity to get together and eat and drink around the bonfire in the presence of our life changing Guide Dogs. However, we were able to enjoy a short video, narrated by our patron HMA Andrew Noble to remind us what Bonfire Night is all about and why we do this event here in Bucharest each year We were also able to watch the ‘Virtual Bonfire Night’ via the following link

Even if we did not manage to have Bonfire Night this year, you can still support Light into Europe by donating to their worthy cause. “Despite this event being virtual, our day to day work here in Romania is actual and goes on day to day, thanks to your generous support! All the money we raise each year goes directly to the work of Light into Europe with the Blind and Deaf communities of Romania, particularly our Guide Dogs for the Blind programme. We hope to visit you with one of these wonderful dogs in training soon to say thank you!”

On behalf of the Light into Europe Team & Guide Dogs

Motorcycle Mayhem

By George Boronea, Year 8

Going out with your motorcycle in the woods or at the track is generally considered an extreme sport. This is because you can hurt yourself or get lost, for example. There are many variables that can go wrong at any time. On the other hand, there is also the thrill of the adrenaline that flows through your body when you’re going fast or jumping over an obstacle. As much as it is extreme, it is also amazing. There are beautiful views and lovely fields, and it is a really nice experience to own a motorbike and go out with it.

What is the difference between Enduro and Motocross? What is the difference between Supercross and Motocross?

Enduro and Motocross are considered two different sports, even though they appear to be very similar. Enduro is all about patience and self-control. This is because in Enduro you are usually in a forest, where there are trees. I would say that Enduro is generally considered harder because you need more skill to climb hills, to avoid trees, and to go down large descents. Motocross is all about ripping it down the track at high speeds on a specially made motorbike that has an engine with very specific features. But you also need lots of skill for motocross. As much as it sounds simple to speed along a track, you also need to know how to go around corners with speed and accelerate from the start line. These are considered different, but not as different as Enduro and Motocross, for example. Supercross events are usually held at night in a closed arena with artificial lighting, like the Monster Jam events. In Supercross, you need lots of skill to get the timings right because Supercross tracks are full of rhythm sections which you have to negotiate perfectly otherwise you lose your speed and fall back a lot. Motocross is usually in an open track during the daytime. Motocross usually involves 2-stroke bikes like 85cc, 65cc 125cc, and 250cc. Supercross is racing with 4-stroke bikes which have a lot more power, are heavier, and generally much faster than the 2-stroke bikes.

Who is the best Enduro rider in the world?

Graham Jarvis is generally considered to be the most famous and best Hard Enduro rider of all time, but Jonny Walker is also really good and has won several Hard Enduro events. But it’s not just Jonny Walker - there are a ton of faces who are up to beating Jarvis. Some of them are Andreas Lettenbichler, Taddy Blazusiak, and many others who are surely up to the test and they all have a good chance of beating Jarvis one day. Jarvis is now much older than the usual Hard Enduro competitor, so it will become harder and harder to keep up with the young ones who want to dethrone him from his world’s best Hard Enduro rider title.

Which of the three sports is considered more dangerous and extreme?

I would say that all of the sports are dangerous and extreme in their own ways. For example, in Enduro you really have to know the course if you aren’t going with a guide, because you might get lost and might not know how to get back to your camp or where your car is. Motocross and Supercross are very dangerous as well because you aren’t riding in a forest, but you are travelling at very high speeds on tracks and can get seriously injured if you aren’t careful. In conclusion, I would say that they are all extreme and dangerous in different ways. What gear do you need to ride a motorcycle?

You need some special gear to ride a bike because your bicycle helmet and some knee pads won’t do the job. You need an off-road helmet. You have a special armor which is almost like a jacket because it keeps you warm and protects you as well. You have special knee pads to fully protect your knees and a bit of your leg as well. You have thick boots so that little-to-no water goes in the boots and so your feet won’t be soaking the whole time. Last but not least, your helmet is probably the most important part of your gear. It’s very important to get a good helmet so that if you fall you don’t risk injuring your head.

I hope this has helped to answer many of the questions you have about riding Enduro and Motorcross. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask me during a break. I would be happy to your questions.

Sailing with Aleksis Radu

I started sailing three years ago. At the time, my mother was searching for a sport my sister and I might both enjoy, so she took us to the Bucharest Sailing Club. It was the Spring Cup Day and all the sailors were getting ready for the race. I decided to stay because I thought the activity itself was exciting. Interestingly, my sister liked the sport too, so we are now both members of the Bucharest Sailing Club, but in different boat categories.

Sailing is a complex sport. It doesn’t only require strength, it also requires planning and strategy. Heavy winds can be problematic if one does not have enough physical training, but strategy is key. So we train a lot, on and off the water! In spring, summer, and autumn we sail on Herastrau Lake every weekend for up to 6 hours per day. We also sail after school once or twice per week. In the summer we also go on sailing camps for 4 weeks or longer and race the National Championship on the Black Sea. Then throughout the year we go on sailing camps in Greece, usually once per month, where the sailing conditions are better. During winter, we only do fitness training at our base in Herastrau; this is very important because one needs strength and mobility for the various kinds of winds. I sail the Optimist boat, which can be sailed until the age of 15 years. The Optimist is only for one person, about 2.5 metres long and 1 meter wide. There are several basic components of an optimist sailing boat.

The sail is practically the engine of the boat, without which the boat wouldn’t sail. The rudder is also called the steer; without it one wouldn’t be able to control the boat and it would capsize (flip over). The centerboard is the part of the boat that helps the boat go straight ahead and not drift. The hull is practically the base of the boat. The mast, boom, and gaff rig are all the components that hold the sail: without them the sail would fly away.

The sailing races are called regattas. A regatta can consist of two or three days of racing, with two or three races each day. Racing demands a lot of focus and stamina. But it is also a lot of fun with my teammates and other sailors. I like going to different countries with my team. Last summer I was supposed to go to the World championship on Lake Garda, but it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 virus.

During a race, the boats sail from a starter boat and around at least two buoys placed on the water. The starter boat uses loud whistles and raises various code flags to communicate with the sailors during the race, for example, to say if a storm is coming and the race needs to stop.

When racing, one needs to check a number of things: The power of the wind is important, because the sail needs to be rigged specifically for the power of the wind.

You must also check a lot of things before the start because the start is 80% of the race if achieved in a good position. If you make a strong start, then it really needs to go disastrously wrong for you to lose a good place in the race. Then, the direction of the wind needs to be checked and the first mark (buoy) position needs to be identified, as this will influence if the start should be closer to the race committee boat or closer to the pin end. If it is closer to the pin end, the start needs to be taken from there and vice versa. Last but not least, if sailing on the ocean or sea, the currents need checking (throw a bottle in the water and see which way it goes).

My first sailing competition was with sailors only from our sailing club. It was quite complicated, as I was inexperienced, but I got third place in the boys’ category. Later I went to a lot of competitions that our club hosted. They were small races, but they were good training.

My first international competition was called Burgas Sailing Week. Some sailors were extremely experienced, but I still managed a good result in the silver group. I also went to some competitions in Greece. There are also the National Championships every summer; the places obtained in the various races decide the composition of the national team. I have made the national team for a past couple of years and look forward to more competitions next year. Although racing is a lot of fun, the best thing about sailing is gliding on the surface of the water and mastering one’s boat!

Persevering in the Pacific

By Andreea Albu, Year 10

This year has been very hard for everyone, but one thing that affected my team was that we had limited locations in which we could train. Because seemingly every sports club in Bucharest wanted to continue their swimming lessons in the Lia Manoliu outdoor swimming pool, we had to do our best to find a swimming lane that was not occupied at the time we usually had our swimming lessons.

At first, we had the luck to find lanes and were able to train 3 times per week, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. But as the number of COVID-19 cases began to steadily rise, the swimming pool introduced new rules and had to reduce the number of swimmers in the pool, not letting coaches place more than 8 children in a lane.

Our swimming coach usually made us swim long distances, like 3 km with a break every 30 minutes, so we get used to the boredom of long-distance swimming. This is because in 2021 we hope to travel to the USA to swim the Catalina Channel, between the Catalina Island and the city of Los Angeles, California. Two years ago, my team and I crossed the English Channel in 10 hours and 25 minutes, from Dover to the French coast. The team that crossed the English Channel was called “Romania” and we were proud to set 3 records:

• The first Romanian relay team to cross the English Channel • The fastest relay to cross the English Channel in 2019 • The fastest mixed relay team to cross the English Channel in 2019

We were awarded a superb diploma signed by the president of the English Channel Swimming Association and two other awards named the “Ray Scott Trophy 2019” and the “Garnet Martin Trophy 2019”, which are both in the shape of a diamond.

The time it took us to swim the English Channel gives us some idea of how long the swim in the Catalina Channel will take as it is approximately 33 km long. This is the same distance as the English Channel, but of course we can’t know for a fact how long it will take us because there are different currents and marine animals - including sharks - living there. We are going to wear some protective bracelets that repel the sharks. There are also various types of jellyfish - I hope I don’t encounter any because it’s a huge distraction when you are swimming. You just get very anxious. Another challenge we are going to meet is that we are going to need to swim at night as the strongest currents and winds occur during the day. People often ask me if I have a certain diet that I have to respect. The answer is no, I don’t. Because we put so much effort in our swim training, we burn a lot of calories and also to swim in the open water, we need a layer of fat so we don’t get hypothermic during the swim. The water temperature is between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius.

To swim the Catalina Channel, every member of the team must be physically strong and determined. The swim is due to take place in August 2021, staying several weeks in the USA so we can acclimatise to the water temperatures and conditions. In the swim, the team and I will be taking 1 hour turns in the specific order the coach puts us in with the boat carrying the rest of our team and some other crew moving along next to the person swimming at all times. This will be a very fun, but hard experience requiring us all to overcome the challenges faced if we are to be successful as a team.

Tennis Success!

Well done to Vlad Sandu for his 3rd place result in the 11 year old boys National Selection Team Trials. We hope one day to see you playing on the ATP circuit, following in the footsteps of Simona Halep, Ilie Nastase, and Horia Tecau, flying the Romanian flag high!

House Competition

Many students have been in a competitive spirit this term, having taken part in any number of the thirteen house competitions that have taken place. These competitions have been based upon a variety of themes, including designing face masks, making rangoli patterns to celebrate Diwali, and even a virtual bake-off. The quality of entries has been outstanding and massive congratulations should be extended to each of the winners.

At the time of writing this contribution, Transilvania maintains a slim lead of less than 200 house points over Muntenia, with Dobrogea trailing by 700 points in third place. Looking to next term, we have a host of competitions lined up, including competitions to celebrate the International Day of Education, a meme-making competition, a Valentine’s Day competition, and many more! House Captains will also be setting their own challenges, which will be a great opportunity for Muntenia and Dobrogea to close the gap!

If you have any good competition ideas that you would like to see happen, please email all suggestions to your House Captain or directly to Mr Varden, who would be most grateful.

Parents, Teachers, and Friends

The IBSB community has always supported the PTF in showing that it is possible, even in a difficult period, to carry out many projects involving students from both our Primary and Secondary schools. The pupils have shown great enthusiasm and resilience, also teaching us as adults how to cope with these extraordinary months.

In recent months, the PTF team has challenged themselves to find new ways to involve families in the school’s social life.

Starting with the return to school in September and continuing on after the switch to online learning, the PTF has carried out several projects, demonstrating that if you have the will then anything is possible and that many things can still be achieved online.

Carmen Peli (a Y4 and Y8 mum) about the PTF: “I admire and I am grateful for your positivity and endless effort to make the school feels more like a community”. October 9th was Teachers Appreciation Day, with the children giving their teachers a note to thank them for their super hard work and the PTF delivering a sweet surprise to each of them.

Speaking of teachers, the PTF has started to present a Teacher of the Week on the school Facebook page. Be sure to check it out to learn more about the teachers teaching our children!

On October the 16th, for United Nations Day, the PTF promoted a challenge chain on the Facebook Page: everyone could present his country with a collage or short video. Another great success was our Halloween Pumpkins Carving Contest: many families enthusiastically participated by sending photos of their decorated pumpkins to the Facebook page, contributing to the PTF’s donation of 1000 RON to the non-profit organization Light into Europe.

On November 13th, the page was filled with rangoli-style drawings by our students for the Diwali festival.

Mona Opran (Y6, Y9 mum) about Diwali: “Diwali was my favourite school event. It encouraged us to celebrate school diversity and to understand other cultures through activities and stories. I also believe that being on-line and sharing pictures from our homes, with our families, made the celebration more special, more personal, bringing the children closer to each other.” Another new idea for this year was to dedicate each month to one or two topics related to parenting.

In October, we talked about dyslexia, with some articles and videos on the subject. In November, we dealt with Children’s Mental Health Support and Children’s Hidden Disabilities Awareness. During the PTF general meeting we had a special guest; Nicoleta Orlea, the coordinator of Autism Voice organization, who presented the workshop ‘Autism and Children around us’.

Between November 16th and 20th we celebrated World Kindness Day and asked our students to share with us their thoughts on what means KINDNESS to them, how they feel when someone is kind to them, and how they could show KINDNESS to someone they know and someone they don’t know. In December, the PTF sent all students a sweet gift for St. Nicholas and also Hanukkah festival will be remembered.

But the PTF is always looking to the future and is already working on the next year’s projects: Alumni Association and the celebration of the IBSB 20th Anniversary.

Wishing you a Happy Christmas and New Year.

Madalina Georgescu Albu (a Y6 and Y10 mum and PTF Vice-President): “Oh god, what a year… But you know what people say: “What doesn’t knock you down, makes you stronger!” In spite of COVID, we have had many events that I was glad to be able to take part in, even if some were just to help the children to get house points! Very funny and demanding too… I wish you all a happy, fulfilled holidays and 2021 to be as you want it”.

Daria Dietrich (a Y4 and Y6 mum and PTF President): “The whole year and this term especially were remarkable for me as it proved my idea that together we can make a difference, not just for ourselves, but for others. I am very grateful to our families and to the PTF Team and of course in 2021 I want to wish you all to love and be loved always, to be healthy and emotionally strong, to have no limits to reach your dreams and goals. Happy Holiday season!”

Sincerely Yours, PTF Team

Duke of Edinburgh expedition

On the 25th of September, my team and I went on an adventurous journey, as a component of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. Needing to wake up at 5.00am in order to get to Cheia early enough to avoid completing our trek in the dark, we were all wide awake with anticipation before the first rays of sunlight breached the horizon.

There were two teams going on the bronze journey. The first, made up of myself, Maria Sticlea, Ioana Aizic, Melissa Aydogan, Ana Cristescu, Ioana Musetean, and Kathleen Hughes. The second included Medeea Constantinescu, Andrei Vernon, Nichita Rosca, Calin Constantinescu, and Oskar Atas.

The week prior, our teams had gone on our practice journey in and around similar areas, so we knew what to expect. What surprised us all were the views. As we reached the plateau of the first hill, I turned and was stunned. The forests of Romania are truly beautiful. With lush green pine trees, sheer rock faces, and a river intersecting them both, it looked more like a classical painting than real life. In all honesty, I only really struggled on the first hill and with the intense winds at the top of the mountains. The first hill was a monster, but it got us warmed up and in the mindset to continue. We all wanted to collapse on the plateau, but knew this was only a small part of our future achievement.

It was, however, only the beginning, as our journey lasted about eight hours or so. We traversed the yellow line, the red triangle, and the red cross routes (not to be confused with the charity of course), pushing onward and onward. ‘The Dancing Peanuts’, not my first choice of team name, but better than nothing, all found this second journey to be far easier than our practice journey.

The thought of the achievement to be had wasn’t the greatest of motivators though. What really kept us going were the pair of Cabana Dogs that followed us up the mountain. They were beautiful, incredibly friendly, and somehow even supportive- you could tell that they were willing us to keep on going! By the end of the trip, we were referring to them as Marian and Ioana, although that changed multiple times throughout the eight hours.

What caught a few of us off guard was the descent of the mountain. The mix of steep descending paths and the fact that they had millions of rocks and pebbles all over them wasn’t the most enticing; as you can imagine, this was the least popular segment of the journey. In a certain section, the path itself fell away from the cliff and forced us to traverse horizontally using a chain attached to the cliff to keep us from falling, Mr Hudson with his rock climbing skills was the best at this. Speaking of Mr Hudson, all of us highly responsible children were supervised by Mr Hudson, Ms Croci, and our mountain guide, George. I was impressed by the fact that Mr Hudson appeared to be in his element, he looked as if he could hike while blindfolded!

Overall, the journey was tough, and is arguably the most physically demanding thing I have done in years, but that didn’t stop me from having the time of my life while doing it. I would recommend the trail to anyone, just beware of the pebbles!

CSMUN

By Maria Sticlea Year 11P

MUN stands for Model United Nations, and it is a simulation of the main organs of the UN, hoping to show students how this important body works and what it is like to become a delegate for the UN. It is not a competition (even though awards for the best delegates do exist), just a conference where young people seek to find solutions to the many problems that afflict our existence today. For example, I was a judge in the International Criminal Court together with Catarina, and we debated the issue of the Prosecutor v Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti, two Ugandan war criminals, to decide whether they are guilty of the charges they were accused of (spoiler - we found them not guilty). We were originally trying to gather enough people to go to the conference physically, but because of the COVID-19 situation in Romania, we had to cancel the trip; when we found out that we could attend in the end (albeit online), we were ecstatic. And it turned out to be an incredible experience, especially since we won 5 awards, a record for our school! All of the award winners have kindly agreed to tell us a bit about their experience:

“This was my first ever MUN. Although it was held online, it was a very interesting and exciting experience. I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it and will, for sure, be taking part in many more MUNs” - Catarina Freire, Honourable Mention in ICC.

“I was expecting it to go horribly wrong, since it was being held online, but I’d say that quite the opposite happened: we experienced the same quality of debates and interaction, without having to leave our homes. I genuinely really enjoyed it, and even though it was my first time in one of the Courts, I think I can safely say that it won’t be my last.” - Maria Sticlea, Best Judge in ICC.

Many extra-curricular activities have had to be postponed or even cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic engulfing the globe, but luckily for me, MUN is not one of them. Whilst physical MUNs can certainly be a health and safety risk, thankfully online ones cannot, and it is in this spirit that 12 students from IBSB attended CSMUN 2020 - from the comfort of our own bedrooms.

“It was my first conference and I really enjoyed it. It was an incredible experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about participating. It was a really mind opening experience, which blew away any and all expectations. The people in the committees and the chairs were absolutely incredible. I met a lot of new people and have been able to make lots of friends. And although there was an error of some sort, one of the chairs clarified to me afterwards that in the Junior Forensics Group 2 I won best delegate.” - Vlad Nedelcu, Best Delegate as Austria in Junior Forensics Group.

“I think it was a very interesting experience to adapt to a new MUN model while also working online for the first time, but overall found the experience very enjoyable and helpful.” - Rares Sas, Honourable Mention as UK in Security Council. “It was really great to be in a committee with such active and dedicated members. Despite having many newcomers, we managed to pass three resolutions and had very fruitful debate. This was my first award, despite attending 4 MUNs before, so I’m very proud of myself for this achievement.” - Melissa Aydoğan, Honourable Mention as UK in Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (GA4).

Overall, just like all of the above testimonies shared, it was an amazing experience, and we all had a lot of fun and made new friends. I would definitely recommend MUN to all my fellow students, because it can become very addictive very quickly, and truly change your life (as it has for me).

ICHBMUN 2020

By Melissa Aydogan Y 12S

This was an outdoor MUN hosted by ICHB (in case you couldn’t tell from the name) at Casa Universitarilor. The organisers split the conference over four days. Two for Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC), UN Security Council (UNSC), and Social Humanitarian (SOCHUM). And two for Crisis, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This way, the number of participants present was significantly reduced -a great idea, given the COVID-19 issues.

As my first physical MUN of this academic year (and most likely my last), I was very excited to be back in a physical committee and be able to physically debate topics. This was also my first MUN where I got to meet fellow MUN passionate people from, not only Bucharest but Romania as a whole. I represented the delegation of the United Kingdom in UNSC. The way the Security Council works is that there are 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK and USA) with veto power and 10 non-permanent members which changes every 2 years, without veto power. Our topic for this conference was the question of Iraq, which is a very open question with lots of different points to be tackled. We debated a range of things, from counter terrorism to Kurdish independence. In the end we had two resolutions, constructed by two different blocks, the Russia-China-IranSyria block and the second block consisting of everyone else. Due to the nature of these blocks and the strong opinions held by all nations, especially the veto nations, we did not end up passing any resolution… which is not that surprising for the Security Council. Upon hearing the words Model United Nations, our minds immediately rush to big halls, crowds, and tense atmosphere. I never thought that MUN could be synonymous with nature, the outside… or freezing during committee sessions. However, in light of the pandemic many formal events and activities, such as MUN, had to move either outside or online and thus, ICHBMUN became a reality. Maria Sticlea in year 11 and I both attended this MUN, with high hopes and expectations of fruitful debate.

In Maria’s committee, SOCHUM, things went a little different, here’s what she has to say about it. “We debated the issue of self-determination, and since I was representing Israel, I had a lot to say on the topic. Throughout the twoday conference, we discussed individual issues such as Catalonia and Hong Kong, and then managed to write and pass a resolution on this topic. The irony in my opinion, was that we didn’t have Palestine to stand up for themselves while I was blatantly disadvantaging them, however at one point one of our chairpersons stood up and delivered a speech in their name, attacking me with every trick in the book. At the end, I was given the honour of receiving the Best Delegate Award, which made me really really happy. Overall, it was definitely an incredible experience and I’d love to go again next year.”

When it comes to describing this experience from a social point of view, I can easily say that it has been a very fun event and that I got to meet many new people. I am very excited to meet more students who are as passionate about MUN as I am, and to further strengthen my friendships with the ones I have met. Overall, I think I speak for both of us when I say that this was a very memorable event and that we urge everyone to try MUN, even just once.

Victor Popa

Life @ Erasmus University Rotterdam

When I arrived in Rotterdam on the 15th of August, I had no idea what the upcoming two weeks before the start of my classes held in store for me. In a year where we were rattled by restrictions, had limited contact with others, and received depressing news almost constantly, I was relieved that to encounter so many new people (in a safe manner, of course), and that I made friends right off the bat. What I thought would be a challenge, ended up being a smooth and fun transition from high school to my university experience.

As with most universities around the world, mine managed to offer a blended style of learning to start the year, so that the first years like me would be able to settle into our new environment properly. This helped me by quite a margin, as I was able to frequently interact and study with fellow students, which helped to further cement my relationship with them. I was amazed by the fact that my current level of knowledge, which I gathered at IBSB during my A-Levels, was more than enough to be able to tackle the beginning week or two of each of my six courses until this moment. I possessed a solid understanding of the foundations of each subject encountered, allowing me to tackle the later stages of the course when the topics became more complex and challenging. This also allowed me to enjoy what I was being taught, and made me sure that I had made the right choice in pursuing Economics.

I also found that I adjusted to living in The Netherlands quite quickly. I explored the centre of Rotterdam and its surrounding areas in the first couple of weeks, and then and so it started to feel like home. Even though the city and the country itself are both beautiful, I sometimes feel quite saddened by the Dutch weather, which consists mostly of grey clouds and rainy days (except in the summer months, when it is as hot and sunny as Bucharest!). So, if there were one downside to this experience, it would be that my expenditure on waterproof clothing has dramatically increased in the past months.

I do not believe I could have made a better choice of university though, and I am forever grateful and thankful to everyone who helped me along my way here. I cannot wait to visit IBSB when I return, to say hello to some familiar faces.

Until then, Victor Popa Head Boy, 2019-20

Mara Mellits

My Experience at IBSB

Switching from a massive state school in America to a small international British school in Romania was a big change for me. Every single spoken and unspoken social rule from my previous life was now gone. I felt like ten years of schooling evaporated the instant my feet touched the pavement on Strada Agricultori at the gate of IBSB because my whole world changed. Everything I thought I knew about school was completely turned on its head.

Even though the British system was initially unfamiliar to me, I adapted quickly. I took full advantage of the opportunity to study with teachers from all over the world, selecting classes that enriched my learning, but also fuelled my love and quest for knowledge.

The first big difference I noticed at IBSB was the smaller classes in Year 11, where instead of having up to 25 kids in a classroom, I had less than 10 in many of my elective classes. These small class sizes helped to improve my learning greatly, because with fewer students in the classroom, I was more inclined to ask questions without having to fight for the attention of a teacher in a larger classroom. I was also able to create stronger relationships with my teachers, even after only a few months, which compared starkly to the situation back home where I was used to having teachers for an entire year who still struggled to remember my name. Not only did I create meaningful relationships with the teachers from IBSB, I also was introduced to a new type of student-centred learning. Teachers treated me with kindness and respect from the very beginning, without me having to somehow earn it from them, as was the case in my previous school. With a smaller class, all the unsaid social rules I was used to also diminished. I arrived at IBSB at the beginning of Year 11, when the students have already typically made friends and established their groups. At my previous school, cliques existed and groups were hard to break into, so I arrived thinking it would be hard to make friends- why would anybody want to welcome a new girl who didn’t know anything about her new environment? Maybe the students took pity on me, or maybe it was simply the way life is at IBSB, but I was surprised by how easily I found a new group of people who all loved and accepted me as I was. It was a completed unexpected surprise, but equally a very welcome one.

I was extremely grateful to discover at IBSB a loving and accepting community. Even though I had moved halfway across the world, I was welcomed with open arms by a rich multicultural community of people from around the globe who happily accepted and embraced the differences of others.

IBSB also stands out because of its unique mix of school events, including iconic events such as UN Day, Romania Day, and the CAS Christmas Fair to name a few. The rich community of support from both students and parents is what allows IBSB to thrive.

The community at IBSB is like no other I have experienced. Enriched with key values of respect, dignity, and acceptance, it offered me a home like no other.

Andreea Stanescu

My First Semester at Warwick University

Transitioning to university has been a pleasant experience for me. Even though this year is a little different to that usually experienced due to COVID-19 restrictions in place, the blended learning approach that most universities offer has still enabled students to have a somewhat normal university experience. Thankfully, despite the restrictions in place, I have still managed to make friends within my course, my accommodation hall, and the university in general.

When I applied to universities in September last year, I had a totally different opinion about which option I would choose as my firm choice. Warwick was probably 4th on my list. However, after I went to visit the campus and the business department, I knew that this was the better choice for me. Therefore, I strongly advise all students to visit the universities they want to attend because you will develop a completely different opinion once you are there.

The A Level courses I completed at IBSB definitely helped me more than I would have imagined, with at least half of my modules being composed of exactly those topics already covered at A Level. I think this has been very helpful, since this was a pretty busy term overall, so having previous knowledge of the subjects I had to learn has made everything much easier, making me more confident and better preparing me for my final exams in January.

My university currently uses a mixture of online and faceto-face teaching, with lectures being offered online and seminars in person. I think this has actually been beneficial for most students, since they can watch and re-watch the lectures at their own pace and whenever they want. Moreover, there are no distractions in comparison to being in a crowded lecture hall with hundreds of other students.

However, there is also a negative side to the restrictions in place and that is that all the societies, sports clubs, and events have not had the chance to properly start. The ones that I have joined have continued organizing online sessions during the UK national lockdown, making it a more enjoyable experience that it would otherwise have been, especially for first year students like myself. Warwick has over 250 societies, so there is definitely something to fit everyone’s interests. I have joined 5 societies and 2 sports clubs this year and I think the first year is when there are the most opportunities available to you, since the rest of the years are busier with study and because students don’t live on campus anymore, making it more difficult to be present at all the events and activities on offer.

Overall, I am enjoying university very much and cannot wait to return for Term 2.

A new normal

by Tamara Boaca and Mia Opran Y9O

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Mia Opran, my new colleague. I asked her a few questions about our new normal, in a global pandemic, and here are her answers to my questions.

There have been a lot of myths of how it all started. What do you think led to this huge situation?

Well, people didn’t wear masks all the time and they didn’t look after themselves. Because of that, the cases increased.

That’s a very interesting answer. Were you or anybody you know in contact with the virus?

No, I wasn’t in contact with anybody that had the virus.

You were very lucky. Have you started healthy habits during lockdown?

Yeah, I tried different types of food, like healthier snacks, vegan burgers, and it was really fun.

Do you have any worries about returning from school and interacting with your family?

Well no, because we keep our older relatives in separate homes, so that we don’t spread something to them. Of course, it is important to keep the elderly safe. Has this online learning schedule caused you any stress?

Well not stress, but I am always tired. We always have lots of homework every single day.

That is kind of hard. Has this pandemic affected you in a positive way?

Yes, because I’ve dabbled in different activities I thought I would never do.

Have you and your family gotten closer during this pandemic or has it affected your relationship?

I spent a lot of time with my family during this global pandemic. I bonded with my sister more, I played with my pets more: Luna, my dog, and Grigore, my cat.

Being in quarantine for many weeks, have you discovered a new skill or passion?

Yes, well I only really knew how to cook omelettes before quarantine, but discovered I wanted to be the cook for the family, so I have learnt to cook a lot of different types of foods during quarantine.

Me too! Do you think this pandemic will affect the future in any way? If yes, how so?

Well, I think it will affect it. We sometimes say things will go back to normal, but I think this is the new normal.

I also agree. Do you think there will be any changes to the way politics work after the pandemic?

Well, yes. People want a leader that can protect them, help them, make them feel safe, and also to make for them a safe environment.

Of course. Do you think the pandemic has a bigger impact on kids than adults?

No, because kids can still learn and have a safer chance, but adults can lose their jobs, houses, and money.

Yes, it is a harder time for adults. Are you excited to see what the future holds and if anything is going to change?

Well, yeah I’m excited to see what the future holds, and to get out of this pandemic.

I agree with you. Did you use public facilities (such as malls) in this pandemic?

No, I kept myself safe. I only went to the tennis court when I had lessons. You’ve truly kept yourself safe. And lastly, do you think you have gained any benefits from this pandemic?

Yeah, I’ve learned to cook new things, bonded with my family, and done lots of homework, which will help me in the future.

Also, we learned to take more care of ourselves, like cleaning our hands more frequently, wearing masks, keeping ourselves safe. Right?

Yeah, that is very important.

All right, I think we covered all my questions. Thank you so much Mia for your time, have a great day!

Yes, thank you!

After talking to Mia about our new normal, I’ve realised that many of us have had the same experiences. Mia is a very open person, with a very big smile. I look forward to our next interaction.

A New Year, A New Sixth Form Campus

The sixth form students and teachers had a welcome surprise waiting for them when the returned to school for the start of the 2020-21 academic year. Little did they know, the Senior Leadership Team had been busy over the summer preparing a new campus for them, complete with their very own kitchen facilities, common room, a two metre long aquarium, and perhaps most exciting of all, their very own sixth form outdoor area with trees, tables and benches to be able to study and work outside, and a large fish pond with 10 Koi Carp and a waterfall to add a nice touch of feng shui to their new learning environment.

Now a term in, we asked some of our students and teachers for their thoughts and reflections on the new campus and here’s what they had to say: STUDENT QUOTES

Irina - The new sixth form college building has so far been my favourite learning environment in during my 13 years of school at IBSB. The space is very welcoming, and there is a variety of study areas - my favourite being the garden (if the weather is good).

Tamara - Our new sixth form college building allows us to enjoy some much-needed privacy to work and revise during our last year, whilst also creating a home-like environment for us to be closer to socialise and take part in activities together. I am especially fond of the fact that we can leave our own mark as a class on the building and personalise it.

Christie - I love the new sixth form college building because for the first time it feels like we have our own space. The study rooms aren’t crowded and noisy, since there’s so many spaces for people to work, and there’s so many quiet places to socialize and relax in-between classes. And, like Irina said, I especially like the garden!

Minoru - Everyday knowing that we have our own college building for studying has increased my motivation to study. The fact that we also have our own outdoor garden area where we can study or relax has been great.

TEACHER QUOTES

The current Year 13 students have been so happy to use the new sixth form college building. The sense of calm as you walk around the building is evident, reinforcing their very evident motivation to succeed in their studies. The garden and the aquarium are wonderful additions that create this calm atmosphere. I feel very blessed to work with such amazingly dedicated students and the college building has certainly enhanced the zen, family feeling. Jayne Baker, Y13 Form Tutor

I think it’s important that the sixth formers have their own space, and this campus definitely provides this, with plenty of study room options in addition to the classrooms, a large kitchen and common area to socialise in, and ample green area outside to get some fresh air and revive between lessons. Kendall Peet, Head of School The new IBSB college building is definitely a more spacious, complete with a lovely outside garden area where the students enjoy studying and socializing. The other big attraction is the new kitchen, which is well-equipped and spacious enough for the students to prepare and eat their lunch in, if they’re not eating over in the new school canteen on the main campus. Iona Tanguay, Sociology Teacher

It is a unique place for sixth form students to enjoy, providing a calm and studious atmosphere, which the students all seem to enjoy very much. David Cooper, Computer Studies

We turned a house into a school, and a school into a home (for fifty energetic teenagers, and several courageous teachers!). Kitchen conversations, classrooms with ensuites, alfresco lessons and wardrobe offices: there’s a great sense of community starting to form and lots of good learning still to come! Michelle Gourley, Head of English

Moving to a New School

by Anushka Laha, Year 8D

I think I can speak for a lot of people, when I say that moving to a new school can be terrifying. It’s like you are forcefully putting yourself into a bad situation. I, unfortunately, have moved schools about 5 times (and no, it’s not because I’m a delinquent!). This article is a list of things that may help you if you’re moving to a new school.

1. How do I find my class?

This question is usually answered by: “Just ask”, or “Someone will show you!” These answers generally come from people who are really good at directions or have stayed in one school for the entirety of their lives. Sadly, “Just ask” is actually the only solution. If you think of it like this, you are actually giving the person a favour. You are letting them skip a few minutes of their class so that they can help you (which is a good deed). When I moved to IBSB, I didn’t even need to go to school because of the coronavirus pandemic. I have actually never set foot in the school. So, I hope I’m going to be able to follow my own advice and that I’ll be able to “Just ask” when I finally attend school in person.

2. How do I make friends?

Generally, making friends comes naturally, but if you’re like me and rely on other people to start the conversation, then I would suggest the following conversation starters: • Nice shirt (this won’t work if you have a uniform) • Have you ever eaten - insert your favourite food - ? • Do you know - insert a singer or actor - ? These actually work, surprisingly. When I used to live in India, I made friends by literally sitting at my desk and starting really awkward conversations which slowly turned into enjoyable ones. Anyways, here is a pro tip: If you do embarrass yourself, don’t worry about it because it’ll all be history in a few hours. You should also talk to your teachers, so that you can know them beforehand. Trust me it helps.

I moved to IBSB during the pandemic, so my first day of school was online. I had actually never done online school before, so I was positively freaking out. One thing I would suggest for moving to a new online school schedule is to have your tabs open before the class starts, and don’t be afraid to join the meeting early. Also, you can use the Google Chats function to talk to people in your class. Group projects are really helpful too. Try talking to people who are in the group- maybe you can make friends from there too.

3. What is the first day of school actually like?

The first day of school is always difficult. In India when I entered the classroom, I was greeted with a bunch of unfamiliar faces staring at me. It’s nice to make friends with someone who knows their way around the school. You should definitely keep your timetable with you and learn how to use a locker if you have one.

My teacher made me introduce myself to the whole class and I felt like I was going to throw up my breakfast. I thought introducing myself meant telling everyone all about me. But you just have to say a few lines, like what your name is, if you have any hobbies or interests, and which school you came from.

The other students already had cliques and I was the odd one out. When the lunch bell rang, they all rushed out like wild animals and since the lunch room was packed, I just sat at the first random table I found. Then I decided to get up and sit at one of the other tables which had a lot of people in them. At first it was really awkward and we didn’t know what to talk about, but soon we found out that we had a lot of things in common. This was probably one of the best decisions I made because those people at that table are still my friends.

So in conclusion, I would say that you shouldn’t be scared of taking chances when you move to a new environment. Explore the place and you’ll definitely find people like you. Just relax and trust yourself!

School House Captains

Introducing Your New Secondary School House Captains for 2020-21

Every year as part of our student leadership opportunities, we invite students to apply to become House Captains. In the Secondary School, the role of the House Captain is to support the House Leaders, to help to organise events, and to encourage participation in all of the House Competitions that take place.

This task has been a little more difficult this term due to the restrictions that we find ourselves under, but as you can see in the article from Mr Varden, we have had a wide variety of competitions taking place, all we need is a few more Dobrogeans to participate! As a means of introducing you to this year’s house captains, I have taken some quotes from their letters of application, where they were asked as to why they wished to be selected for their role:

Dobrogea – Filip Stanciu

“I would like to be the House Captain as I consider that it not only fits my aptitudes and personality like a glove, but also that I can use it as a selfdevelopment tool and way to give back to IBSB’s community. I truly wish to be more involved in the activities that take place in our school, such as house games, especially now since I am in year 12 and there are younger students that I could help and hopefully inspire as a role model, with the help of this position.”

Transilvania – Maria Lin

“Throughout my years at IBSB, I’ve always participated in sports-related events, such as the Lumina Cup, Autumn Cup, and Sports Days, and as a result of this, I wanted to try to encourage others to get involved as well. I will try my best to help come up with ideas for the annual and weekly house competitions as we will not be able to hold our usual house games and Sports Day”

Muntenia – Mara Constantinescu

”I wanted to be a House Captain to give something back to the school. I have always been sporty, and want to get into a career in sports science, so I thought becoming a House Captain would help me along the way”

Thank you to all of you who are involved in the house competitions, and I wish the captains, and their houses, all the best for the rest of the year.

Life in the time of Coronavirus

By Alexandra Sandu and Ana Nanau Y9O

In September, Ana Nanau answered questions related to the topic of Covid-19 and how it has affected our lives.

Is online school more efficient? Well, it can often be quicker than physical school although I find it harder to concentrate and learn.

Did you manage to concentrate during lessons online, and is it more difficult to work in this way? It is harder to concentrate online especially since sometimes the connection doesn’t work or I get distracted by other things.

Has this pandemic affected you in a positive way? In some points of view I feel like it has affected me in a positive way, and I feel that it is possible for me to do more things since I know that I survived through this and I am capable to do it. Being in quarantine for many weeks, did you try out a new skill that you didn’t know you could do? I didn’t try necessarily new things although I did try to learn some new card tricks, played some more guitar, and tried new video games that I hadn’t played previously.

How have you been keeping calm during this pandemic? I have a few things that help me disconnect from the world, for example playing video games which I really enjoy, painting, reading, playing guitar, and also playing board games with my family.

What books have you enjoyed lately and do you have any recommendations? Well, one of the books I read recently was ‘Chestnut Man’, which was a surprisingly good thriller/horror book. I also read ‘Surrounded by Idiots’, which is a psychology book that helps you determine types of people. I definitely recommend reading both.

Do you think that lockdown and quarantine were useful in protecting us from COVID-19? I do think that it was useful protecting us from COVID-19, especially since we had to take those slips to go out. Although, once we were allowed to go outside it was useless because so many people got the virus afterwards.

What do you think the government should do about the current and future situation relating to the pandemic? For now, I think that rules are still being reinforced. Nevertheless, we are allowed to do more things that I think the government should attempt to keep under control. For example, they should not let people travel outside the country or inside the country for no reason.

Over the past 6 months, has your idea changed of this situation since it started? Well, it has. Since the first time we entered quarantine and found out about the virus I was happy that I was staying home, but afterwards I was sad that I couldn’t go out, even though I acknowledged it was for my own good.

If you had the responsibility to choose how kids will learn in the future, what would you suggest and why? I believe that younger kids should be permitted to go back to learn at school since they have a lot less probability of getting sick as they have a good immune system. College students and older students should be kept in an online/ offline schedule.

When do you think the cure will be found or the vaccine will be finalized? Well, I don’t think there will be a cure that will fix it since it is an evolving flu-like virus. I think that there will just be a vaccine that will have to be something similar to the annual flu vaccine. I hope it will be found in the next 1-2 years. If you had the responsibility to choose how kids will learn in the future, what would you suggest and why? I believe that younger kids should be permitted to go back to learn at school since they have a lot less probability of getting sick as they have a good immune system. College students and older students should be kept in an online/ offline schedule.

When do you think the cure will be found or the vaccine will be finalized? Well, I don’t think there will be a cure that will fix it since it is an evolving flu-like virus. I think that there will just be a vaccine that will have to be something similar to the annual flu vaccine. I hope it will be found in the next 1-2 years.

The Importance of Goal Setting

This year our Head of School once again had the opportunity to join some of the Y13 students in their Sixth Form garden area for his traditional start of year pep talk.

At the meeting, he gave each student a sheet with the statistical breakdown from the previous exam year, asking each student to circle the subjects they are taking and the grades they hope to achieve.

This informed the students what percentage of the world they need to be in to achieve that grade: “You don’t need 80% to get an A in Business Studies, for example, you need to be in the top 13.1% of the world, based on the 2019 exam results.”

A full review of grades awarded from previous exam session is available on the Cambridge website

Mr Peet then went on to discuss the university applications process and to congratulate the Y13 students on both their work ethic and their results achieved to date, saying that they are very likely to achieve our best exam results ever, with 50% of the students currently on target to achieve an A-A* average in their final year.

Mr Peet also spoke with the Y12 students, to ensure every sixth form student has a clear goal in mind- because, as he said to the students, it is much easier to achieve a goal when it is clear in one’s mind from the outset.

The Many Directions of Life

The future? Why are we so stressed about it, especially as students? What should we do in life? Which university should we choose? How are we going to succeed in life? Should we pursue money or happiness? The pressure of school and the uncertainty surrounding our lives can really affect us and at times make us feel lost. But pause all these thoughts and questions and read this article!

There are many paths in life which we can take. We are so privileged that we actually have the choice of which direction we take in our lives because, unfortunately, others do not. Students, you can decide who you become, where you want to go, and how you want to live. No one defines your career path except you. You have the freedom to experiment, the independence to choose your passions, and the flexibility to be resilient. There are multiple paths, ways, and answers to try. The most important thing is to remember your passions that will give you the motivation and determination to succeed in your own way. Society says we should do what makes us happy. Have you ever truly considered doing that? I believe going after what you truly desire is the best direction in life. No one else is going to pursue your dreams, but yourself. I know that when thinking about dreams we all look back at when we were kids and dreamed of becoming a firefighter or a dancer. Why stop dreaming? Age is just a number. It means nothing when we know what we want> You are never too old to dream!

Moreover, think of the rewards of succeeding. Regret is a dreadful thing that can follow you all of your life, and giving up on your dream is powerful enough to cause you regret if you don’t take the chance and at least try.

My great grandad used to say that if you choose a job you love, then you will never work a day in your life. Let that sink in.

Kathleen Hughes

Year 12 Pastoral Care Prefect

Which Career?

“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” “It’s medicine you wanna study right?” “Oh no, they shall be an architect”. These are all statements and questions we have all most likely been confronted with.

SURPRISE! I still do not have a clear answer...and I am almost 17...and have started my A Levels...and I need to know what universities I will apply to next autumn! Is it stressful? The simple answer is yes.

I am strongly convinced, that this problem of not knowing what to do in life is more frequent now than it was before. Partly because back in the day, many children would usually end up having the same job as their parents, but also because there was a smaller variety of careers available. With the accelerated advance of technology, a whole new other category of jobs has been created. Undeniably, there are students who have known what career they will go for since they started secondary school, but this is not who I am writing about. I am writing about students who only have a few more years left of high school and still do not know where they are headed. There are so many thoughts racing through their minds (mine included), such as: Will I be happy if I choose this career path? Can I be financially independent? Is it a career that is looked down upon? Can I actually become that?

The question about happiness is a big one nowadays: they say doing what you love is the most important factor. But if what you love the most is sitting in bed every day bingewatching Netflix while eating a tub of ice-cream... Well you cannot exactly build a career upon that, unless you want to be an ‘influencer’ doing a mukbang while reviewing TV shows.

The bottom line is, choosing a career is now more stressful than ever and no matter how many Buzzfeed quizzes we do about it, making this choice requires us to take a closer look within ourselves to figure out what we actually like and want to do; not what our family or the people around us want.

So here are some tips I have come up with:

• Write down activities you enjoy doing. • Think about what your favourite subjects in school are. • Make a list of any personality traits that you like about yourself and you think may be helpful in your future day-today life. • Research (and not TV shows). Look for more information on careers and perhaps what are the most suitable places for you to go to. • Apply for any courses or seminars about a certain field and deepen your understanding of them. • Ask other people about how they figured it out or any advice they have. • Be patient with yourself, take your time and don’t stress yourself too much about it; small steps. • Lastly (and the most important): do a Buzzfeed quiz!

Oh, and don’t be scared of what career you may ‘click’ with, because am told that we all eventually find it or at the very least stumble across it in the end.

Science Prefect

Ana Cristescu, Year 12

University Applications Update

By Jayne Baker, Year 13 Form Tutor

This has been an unusually busy application season and there are many reasons for this, and also many reasons to celebrate. Although the buildup is ongoing from Year 11, I changed the system for this round of applications. Usually the application process starts in earnest once we come back after the summer break, however, back in May/June of 2020 I ran a series of 4 university application seminars for the then Year 12 students. This was timed to coincide with my attendance at the UCAS virtual conference for international advisors, so that the most up-to-date information could be shared with the students. The seminars that I ran in the summer were optional, but half of the current Year 13 students attended, meaning that they had the opportunity to set up some of the application portals, ask questions, and have their mind on universities over the summer.

The crushing news that hit us in June was the fact that all EU students applying to the UK would now be classed as international students - this increases the fees significantly, starting at 15,000GBP per year, but also removes access to the Student Loan facility previously on offer. This has now made the UK a more expensive proposition for many of our students now searching and applying to more countries than they would have done before. So far, applications have been sent to the UK, Ireland, USA, The Netherlands, Spain, Hong Kong, and Italy. The world is our student’s oyster and I am sure many more countries will appear on the list before the academic year is over.

The applications to the UK and the USA have to be completed by 15th of January, 2021. Most of the students have completed their UK applications, with just a couple more after the winter break, the first week back in January. Of all of the students that have applied, everyone has already received offers, with some receiving offers from all of their five choices.

Jaime was the first to apply, choosing to study Wildlife Ecology and Conservation - she has received all 5 offers and her first choice will take her back to her home city of Bristol.

Max and Christie both put in early applications, as they have both applied to Oxford to study History and Life Sciences respectively. They have successfully made it through the very competitive first stages, with final interviews for Merton and Magdalen, and second interviews with St Hughs and St Peters. Max has also received an offer from Warwick and UCL, whilst Christie has received an offer to follow in her father and Prince William’s footsteps from St Andrew’s in Scotland, along with offers from both UCL and Durham.

Mario has received three offers so far - UCL, Bristol and Queen Mary, to study Economics and Management. He is also in the process of applying to The Netherlands and is considering an application to MIT and Stanford.

Tamara has opted for one of the most prestigious courses at any university - Politics, Philosophy & Economics. She has been shortlisted for Stanford University in The United States, has received an offer from Exeter, and is awaiting offers from Kings College London, LSE, UCL, and Warwick.

Vlad wants to study Product Design - he has received offers from Bristol UWE and the University of Nottingham.

Ioan is destined to become a counsellor and has received an offer from Bishop Grosseteste University and the University of Northampton, the University of Brighton and the University of Bolton.

Matei is one of the two budding computer scientists and has received 4 of his offers – Bath, Birmingham Loughborough, and Manchester. Minoru is the other, having received offers from Braford, Leeds, and Loughborough, still waiting to hear from Kings College London and Bath.

Andrei and Diana have applied to the same universities in The Netherlands and the UK to study Business and Psychology respectively. Andrei has received an offer from Exeter and Diana has offers from Exeter, Newcastle, Maastricht, and Groningen.

Away from the UK, Isabelle is overjoyed with her offer to study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Las Vegas, and Milena with her incredible academic profile has a confirmed place at The Hague to study European Studies. She is attending their virtual open day, as a day as a student, which I know she is very excited to experience. Milena is one of the students that is also applying to Spain, Sweden, and Ireland, but the process regarding these countries means that we will need to wait a while longer to find out. Leo has applied to study a finance related degree at four universities in Hong Kong and applied recently to the UK, with an offer already back from Manchester University, with more sure to come in the weeks ahead. Orel has started the process of applying to various universities in Spain, and Theo is also hoping to study business there, with offers received from the University of Roe Hampton and Greenwich in the UK, with three others yet to reply.Rares is close to completing his science related applications to The Netherlands and Ireland, along with Hyeonsoo to the UK to study economics and maths, Maria (business) and Anusha (aerospace engineering) to The Netherlands and the UK.

Valeria is hoping to return to Milan, but intends to study her business degree in English there and has now completed her entrance exams. And even though Irina is taking a gap year, we have been working together in discussions with SCAD in the USA regarding scholarship opportunities for our future budding animator.

This group of students are exceptional and have been an absolute pleasure to assist with their applications. I wish them all every success in their final academic year with us. More information about each student will be shared on our social media pages in the weeks and months ahead.

Oxford University Applications

This year, two of our students Christie Vernon (Deputy Head Girl) and Max Mihailovici (Head Boy) applied to study at Oxford University, one of the oldest universities in the world and arguably one of the most difficult to gain admission to, being No.1 in the World University Rankings 2021 | Times Higher Education (THE) in 2017, 18, 19, 20 & 21.

The application process itself takes approximately three months, requiring students to complete a UCAS application by October 15, with an expected A-A* average at both IGCSE and A Level, followed by a tough subject specific Oxford University Aptitude Test, and the submission of written work, which the student has worked on independently.

From approximately 23,000 applications, around 10,000 students are selected to attend a series of final interviews on a single day, from which 3,300 students will receive a formal offer. We are very proud to inform you that both Christie and Max have made it through to the final stage of the application process; an incredible achievement, and even more so considering they are applying two of the most prestigious colleges: Christie is applying to study science at the Magdalen College www.magd.ox.ac.uk, with an impressive list of alumni, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Oscar Wilde, and 5 Nobel laureates (3 in medicine, which is Christie’s current career choice); Max is applying to study history at Merton www.merton.ox.ac.uk, with an equally illustrious alumni, including Walter Scott, Sir Roger Banister, T.S. Eliot, and J.R. Tolkien, to name just a few.

On behalf of the entire IBSB Community, we would like to congratulate Christie and Max on their tremendous achievement, making it through to the final interview stage. You are both wonderful ambassadors of high performance learning and role models for the generations of IBSB students to come. We wish you the very best as you wait to receive final feedback on January 12.

The Oxford Interview

I hesitantly approached the computer. This was it – the culmination of several months’ hard work, condensed into a mere half-hour. The clock ticked ominously in the landscape, as if to jeer at my futile attempt to strike the right impression. The needle struck quarter past; my paranoia momentarily taking over – it was all but a blur in retrospective time. Time is relative to each object individually, scientifically speaking, but mentally time is relative to one’s personal, subjective outlook. And so, without further notice, the interview began, much to my surprise.

How many successful people had once traversed this drawbridge? I could count several just off the top of my head. No, great men aren’t always top academic material, but it sure helps in decomplicating a great many things. Then the questions rolled in, one by one, but to my disappointment – dear reader – I am tightly bound by a non-disclosure agreement, so I am unfortunately not able to share the secrets that guarantee you a place. I’ll leave you speculate and infer how it progressed – a narrator’s job, after all, is only to provide the details, not to shove them down your throat however they may please.

I would however very much like to wish my fellow colleague, Christie Vernon, the very best in her Oxford interviews- yes I did apply the ‘s’ correctly, as Christie was interviewed for not one, but two Oxford colleges: Magdalen and St. Hugh’s.

Hopefully we’ll both have some good news to share with you on January 12. For those of you who are not aware, the Oxford tutors will make their final decisions based on all aspects of our application:

• our personal statements • the academic reference from the school • IGCSE and AS Level examination results and predicted A2 Level grades • the admissions tests and any required written work submitted • the interview

How to overcome your fears

By Daria Raducu, Year 12

Fear is one of the most powerful feelings generated in our minds, dependent on genuine or unreal danger. Take a moment and think about how easy life would be if you knew how to overcome it.

In my opinion, it is the most significant barrier that prevents individuals from reaching their maximum potential. Hence, everybody could become the best version of themselves without it. Honestly, fear varies from person to person. Some people are simply good at handling it by pushing it away; others get stuck and let the anxiety overwhelm them. In some cases, it can hold you back from doing day-to-day activities, such as sleeping, eating, traveling, or socialising. In other words, it can affect your mental health and lifestyle.

The good news is that there are ways to overcome your fears, as the only thing that stops you from defeating them is yourself. You are the cause; therefore, you also need to be the answer. The first thing and most important thing to do is to precisely identify your fear, as you may be afraid of something, but did not pay enough attention to realise why. After, find out what exactly causes it, so you can take measures and face it. The key to overcoming it may be to expose yourself to your own fears, as living in your comfort zone will not take you anywhere. Another way to take over your fear is by reciting positive statements. This way, you train your subconscious mind and make it attract whatever you want. Instead of saying “I am afraid that I will fail this test,” go in front of a mirror, look at yourself and say out loud, “I have studied for this test, I will get a very good mark.” In time, you will become better at this and you will start to see those situations differently, with positive thoughts instead of a negative mindset.

Learning relaxation techniques also helps to defeat your fears. Try things like yoga or meditation, so that you can destress yourself from time to time. You could also try to reduce caffeine intake as much as possible as it may increase anxiety levels. As a final measure, if you are in a phase where you simply cannot help yourself, a therapist may just be the answer for you.

The next time you are afraid of something, perhaps you might like to try following some of the advice I have given you and pay attention to any changes in your thinking. The key to success is in your hands, or rather your mind!

Shifting sands...

By Alis Aydogan, Year 8

The Sahara Desert has an area of approximately 9.2 million km2. Deserts are home to 25% of the world’s animals. According to a new research made by the University of Maryland scientist, the Sahara Desert has been expanding at a fast rate and still is. Researchers suggest that other deserts might also be expanding as well. The researchers have different theories on why it is expanding and how it might affect us. The study was published online on March 29, 2018 in the ‘Journal of Climate’.

The researchers suggest that climate change is partly responsible. In the study, researchers examined all the rainfall data collected all across Africa from as far back as 1920! The researchers noticed how the changing conditions had affected the regions around them. They have proved that the desert is expanding due to climate change as well as natural climate cycles. Like a volcanic eruptions or ocean currents, natural climate cycles cannot be controlled by us humans.

Over the past century, the Sahara has expanded more than 10%! It is expanding at an alarming rate, which at some point one day we won’t be able to stop it anymore. The Sahara Desert has grown 8,000 km2/year during 1950–2015. It is expected to expand 6600–6900 km2 per year between 2015-2050. The fact that it is still expected to expand so much should be alarming us because it might end up affecting us in ways we don’t yet know. One of the effects of the expansion is that the desert is growing over lots of fertile land. Regions around the Sahara will become very dry, making it harder to grow crops and also affect the people living around it. It is drying all their water up as well, making their harvesting impossible. The Sahara expanding can cause the populations around it to starve or suffer droughts. The researchers have pointed out that the desert will keep on expanding and that at some point the population living on the borders of the Sahara will end up living in the middle of the world’s largest desert.

The first idea to stop the Sahara’s expansion, proposed in 1980, was building a ‘Great Wall of Africa’ which would use tree roots to help distribute water into a region’s soils. Sadly, this idea was not taken into consideration. In 2011 different countries decided to try and find different solutions on how to stop the Sahara Desert from expanding. Since 1978, the Chinese government has planted billions of trees and is hoping to have many more planted by 2050 as a border to defend against the growth of the Gobi Desert. Many other countries are also taking this idea into consideration. This project is so massive that it is thought that it would increase the amount of forest in the world by 10%. Let’s hope it works!

study strategies that work!

By Ana Mihaiescu, Year 10

Throughout the years, pupils of all ages have been studying or trying out new and improved revision strategies for better grades. For example, some believe that learning for a longer period of time is more effective, which according to the latest research is not quite the right way to go about it. More, as it turns out, can sometimes be less.

Since revision and study are the biggest part of school life, here are a few simple tips and strategies to help you improve your grades:

1. Old fashioned is better: as the years pass, we have slowly moved away from using physical books as our main source of information and focused on devices such as ebooks or laptops. However, a psychology lecturer discovered that students required more repetition to learn new material if they were reading on a computer screen versus reading printed material. Therefore, the recommendation when studying is to use books and notes, rather than a digital device.

2. Switch settings: It is believed that switching up the places you study is very effective at remembering information. Psychologist Robert Bjork suggests that simply moving to a different room to study could increase both your concentration and retention levels. 3. Mock tests: Research shows that taking a practice test before your actual test improves your results. All around the internet past exams are available, and most teachers take advantage of them and use them to prepare their students for the actual exam coming up.

4. Elaborate: Psychologists use the word elaboration when referring to ‘making meaningful associations to a particular concept’, which also refers back to the theme of schemas, where we associate questions or situations with past personal experiences. When receiving a piece of information try to elaborate or analyze, and try linking it to special personal memories or real life examples or examples from your life. This will help you to remember the information for a longer period of time.

5. Music: Most experts believe that listening to music while studying can be effective and can help students remember certain information. This, however, is not always true, so it’s usually left up to the preference of each student. Some people believe that listening to music will simply lighten up your mood, therefore will give you more motivation to work. What you listen to is important, and so easy listening background music is best, rather than music that is likely to distract you.

6. Attention and the “Multi-store model of Memory”: Psychologists Atkinson and Shiffrin came up with something called the “Multi-store model of Memory” which helps us understand how we remember things better. One of the main factors of remembering is attention. If we do not pay attention when receiving information we automatically cannot send it into our short term memory and then transfer it effectively into our long term memory. After receiving sensory input, such as sound or smell, it goes into the sensory register. For it to be able to move onto the short term memory and then into the long term you have to pay attention when receiving the information. Therefore, always pay attention in class or when studying at home.

Even after so many years of research done on memory and rehearsal, some students still aren’t able to discover a good method of learning. If this is you, then here are some things you should definitely NOT do when studying.

1. Don’t multitask: We tend to multitask when studying, especially after long hours of doing it. We lose patience or attention, and end up doing other things, such as scrolling through social media or watching unrelated videos. According to researchers, so-called “multitasking” extends your study time and ultimately may damage your grades.

An article published by Edutopia in 2019 said that “Highly successful students have generally learned to avoid multitasking. Instead of spending a lot of time doing lowintensity work with numerous distractions, these students work for shorter periods at higher intensity, without any distractions from email, social media, etc. Their studying is more effective and leads to greater achievement gains.” 2. Stop overlearning: A very common mistake we make while studying is to block our practice and overlearn things about the same subject. You should learn until you are happy with your ability, and always try to maintain a sense of balance between the detail and the larger picture.

3. Massed practice: One of the most common studying techniques is crammed practice, where we read information and try memorizing it perfectly for our exam in a short period of time. Sometimes the technique can be useful for an upcoming exam, however, in the long run this is totally ineffective. It is proved that soon after the exam, most of the information memorized by the student was recalled imperfectly and in the end forgotten. Massed practice is not effective if the information needs to be remembered for a long period of time, so organise a study plan that start in January and carries you right up to exam day without stress.

Galaxies

By David Cernea, Year 8D

What are galaxies?

Galaxies are separate bodies of the universe and can vary in sizes and shapes. Believe it or not, they can also vary in age and even in colors. There are many different types of galaxies, with billions discovered so far and more to be found. Some of them can be as small as 10,000 stars or as big as 100 trillion: that is 50 times the size of the Milky Way, our galaxy.

When was the first galaxy formed and how?

The universe is everything that exists right now. Every single thing in this world is part of the universe, including this text. There are lots of different factors that build up the universe and the next largest thing after it is a galaxy. You might have heard about the Big Bang. About 14 billion years ago, the universe was created and galaxies were formed. The Big Bang Theory is one of the more believable theories. It all started in a supercharged black hole that was infinitely dense and extremely warm. One of the more fascinating things about it is the fact that it was a few millimeters wide. When the black hole exploded, it was then that time, space, energy, and matter was created. In time, the explosion has been cooled down and protons and neutrons bounded together to make the first element in the universe, helium. 200 million years later hydrogen was created, dotting the universe with atomic clouds. Within those clouds, small pockets of gas had enough gravity to cause the elements to collect and form the first galaxy. What are black holes?

A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so strong that not even light, the fastest thing in the universe, can escape. In a black hole, space, time, and the laws of physics don’t apply. Scientists theorize that there are different types of black holes, the 2 most common being the supermassive and stellar black holes. Supermassive black holes can measure millions the size of our sun and some even billions. Stellar black holes form when a star is dying and collapses. These are typically 10, and up to 20 times larger than our sun. Scientists cannot theorize the exact birth of black holes, but what they know is that at the centre of every galaxy lies a black hole. For example, the Milky Way’s black hole is called Saggitarius A, a supermassive black hole that has a mass of roughly 4 million suns. Black holes were largely unknown until the 20th century; Karl Schwarzchild discovered the first black hole using Einstein’s theory.

What Sizes And Shapes Are Galaxies?

Galaxies are vast collections of stars, dust, and gas. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the most common being the spiral-shaped galaxy. These are traced by bright stars and dark space dust. Some have many spiral arms whilst others have just a few. These arms are all in a very thin disc around the black hole in the center. Many of these spiral galaxies have an elongated straight region in the middle. These are called barred galaxies. Elliptical galaxies are dominated by the stars and have very little gas. These are genuinely sphere-shaped galaxies. There also are irregular galaxies that have irregular patterns. The largest galaxies of all are giant elliptical galaxies, which are usually found in the core of giant clusters of galaxies. The smallest galaxies are called dwarf elliptical galaxies that can be found as satellites of giant elliptical ones. The dwarf galaxies can have around 10 million stars, while giant elliptical galaxies can have up to 1 trillion stars. What are The Milky Way’s secrets?

The Milky Way is the elliptical galaxy that we live in. In 1620, Galileo Galilei was responsible for the discovery that the galaxy’s band of light is made by stars, but later on Edwin Hubble discovered the true shape of the Milky Way as well as the existence of more galaxies outside the Milky Way. Andromeda, another spiral galaxy, and the Milky Way are now closing up about 130km per second and will collide about 4 billion years from now. But that is a very long time in the future!

Could there be life in other galaxies?

There is always a possibility that life could exist on other planets. There are 200 billion galaxies in the universe and it is quite hard to think that life only exists on Earth, in the Milky Way. NASA suggested that life could exist on Mars since they have discovered a ball on its surface, but that is not in another galaxy. Some theories support the fact that there could be a living planet in every galaxy, some say that only the spiral galaxies can support life. For creatures to be able to live on a planet, it needs a few characteristics. First, it should have water; secondly, it has to be positioned in the “habitable zone” of their system; and thirdly, there shouldn’t be huge and dramatic changes in temperature from day to night. Thinking about it, this means that all a planet needs is a warm star somewhere near, just like our sun is to our planet.

Choosing a dog: all you

need to know! Why are dogs a person’s best friend? You might wonder about this famous saying “A dog is a man’s

By Anastasia Iortoman, Year 8D

Dogs. They’re the best company to be in. As Roger Caras (photographer and writer) said, “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” Dogs are the perfect companions if you live alone, want someone to protect you as you would protect them, and help you when you’re in need or just want somebody to be there with you through thick and thin! Studies have shown that dog owners have a stronger immune system and that doggies provide us with a sense of emotional wellbeing due to the fact that they love us unconditionally the way we love them. “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” (Josh Billings)

best friend”. How did people reach that conclusion? Well dogs always lived side by side with people because of their loyalty. There are cave paintings of dogs on prehistoric rocks. They help us in hunting, shepherding, and most importantly in saving lives; it can be because they found you buried under rocks or it can just simply be due to the way they’re always there for us in times of need. Guide dogs are perfect examples of heroes; they help blind people live their lives as best as they can, helping them do daily tasks, such as crossing the road when it’s safe or going to the grocery store.

Your dog’s origin

The dawn of the dog, how did it occur? There are more than 500 million domestic dogs on the whole globe that all have some relation to each other. They all trace back to the grey wolf from an estimated 14,000 years ago according to more than one archaeological source. It is said that they were the first animals to be domesticated. There are now approximately more than 420 breeds in the world, but why do they all look different if they all have the same ancestor? Natural selection is one part of how dogs shape and size has differed along the years but it’s very small. The main part of why there are so many types of breeds is due to us humans. If you were to go back in time, you would see what dogs were used for particular jobs, like guarding property, kind of like today. Dogs have been bred to suit their roles better, meaning that their legs started to become longer or shorter or their noses started changing shape to suit their task better. Let’s take Yorkshire terriers for an example: in the north of England, Yorkshire terriers were used to catch rats and mice in mines and woollen mills. That’s why their noses nowadays are flattened because they changed shape to adapt better to their circumstances back then.

Becoming a dog owner

To become a dog owner you will need a safe home that can provide good shelter, food and love. You need to provide your dog with toys to entertain, bowls to put food in, collars, leads, and name tags with your phone number on it in case something happens to your pooch. Your dog needs to stretch their paws and exercise; if you live in a house with a garden you could let your dog outside but you would still want him/ her to go and explore places and meet new friends. A perfect example of that would be in the park. For people who live in apartments you have to think about their needs like going outside to pee so you could either make them a corner in which they can pee anytime or take them outside and let them see the sun and grass they so much love.

Dogs need a balanced diet meaning they need to eat a variety of foods: moist foods, dry foods and natural foods. This will help their fur coat and health. They need proteins, fats, fibres, vitamins and water just like us humans. It will be a good idea to feed your dog a healthy balanced diet from when they are small so that they get all the nutrients they need to grow and they learn to eat a variety of healthy foods. Your dog’s age also influences when and what they should eat. When they are smaller, they need to eat four times a day whereas adults can eat only two times per day. You also may need to change your dog’s diet when they become sick, older or pregnant - you should contact your vet about this. You also need to monitor their feeding levels so that they are at a healthy weight. If they are overweight you will need to change their diet and let them exercise a lot more even if they don’t want to. You have to push them so that they can get better. If you want to train your dog, treats would be very useful. Some examples are: cheese cubes, bite-sized treats or cooked sausage. You will want to train your dog from when they are small so it’s easier for them to comprehend your commands. Use of hand signals is a very important part of training as this will tell them what to do along with your voice; if they do it right then offer them a treat and congratulate them! Your dog will need regular baths and brushes to untangle their fur. You need to take your dog in for grooming checks to clean their ears, teeth and claws. They will also need medical checks so that you can be reassured that they are healthy and happy and don’t have parasites or diseases. Dogs have the same needs as humans, never forget that! Your perfect match

Do you want to find out which dog is perfectly suited for your life? You need to think about what you need your dog for: to be a sporting champion or your best friend? There are nine types of groups: primitive, working, spitz-type, sight hounds, scent hounds, terriers, gundogs, companions, and crossbreed dogs!

Primitive dogs, which are rare, have more of a wolf-like look than other dogs due to some of their characteristics haven’t been bred as much, so they look more like their wolf ancestors. They come from various parts of the world. Some “famous” breeds from this group are the Basenji which are 40-43cm in height and may differ in colour, but most of them have white spots on their bellies. There are only 12 breeds in this group - the New Guinea Singing Dog is endangered and more likely to be seen in zoos than in homes!

Working dogs might just as well be called hero dogs as they’ve been guarding homes, rescuing people from the verge of death, helping in war, looking after the sick and disabled and performing many other tasks in the thousands of years since they were domesticated! These dogs are large in general but they can also be small. They’ve been bred to have strength, stamina and they can stay outside in any type of weather! These dogs are very useful in “battle” but they would also make an excellent companion. Working dogs are very intelligent, easy to train and have great senses and skills in agility, perfect if you want to take your companion to compete in canine competitions! Some famous dogs in this group are: the German Shepherd Dog, the Schnauzer ,Border Collies, Corgis, Komondor, the St. Bernard, Shepherd dogs, Rottweiler, Boxer, Bulldogs, the Tibetan Mastiff- which is the world’s most expensive dog- and many more breeds!

Spitz-type dogs are the type that pull sleds over icy wastelands or are used in hunting, guarding and herding. There can be large and small types of dogs in this group and the small types are used more as pets. These dogs’ characteristics make them look almost like a wolf, with the shape of their head, their fur coloring and an alert expression. The ancient history of the spitz group is still uncertain today. There are many theories of where they originated, one theory being that their earliest origins came from Asia. The more modern breeds originated centuries ago in the Arctic Regions. Some examples of these dogs are: the Siberian husky, the Samoyed, the Akita, the Chow-Chow, all the types of spitz, the pomeranian, the papillon and many more! Sighthounds (or gazehounds as they’re sometimes called) are hunting dogs as they locate their prey very easily and follow it due to their amazing eyesight. These hounds are streamlines, lightly framed, powerful, they move quickly and have great flexibility. Archaeological evidence sustains that these dogs have been hunting alongside us humans for thousands of years! Sighthounds were kept by the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt. Hounds are easy to spot due to their look. Breeding has developed their characteristics to promote speed: strong supple backs, an athletic body so that they can stretch out in full, long striding elastic limbs and powerful hind quarters. Some examples of these dogs are greyhounds, which have been recorded reaching top speeds of around 45mph(72km/h) and are classified as one of the fastest living animals. Other examples include the Whippet, the Saluki, the Borzoi, the Irish Wolfhound, the Afghan Hound and more.

Every dog has a sharp sense of smell but the scent hounds’ noses are the sharpest of the sharp. They also go hunting like the sighthounds but they rely on their sense of smell rather than sight. These dogs usually hunt in packs and they can pick up day-old trails and follow them easily. Scent Hounds come in all sizes but they all have substantial muzzles with odour-detecting sensors, loose, moist lips that also help scent detection and long ears that fall down. They’ve been bred for power rather than speed like sighthounds; they are strong-bodied especially in the forequarters. Some examples of scent hounds are: the Bloodhound, the Otterhound, the Basset hound, the Beagle, the Daschund, the Dobermann, the Rhodesian Ridgeback and more.

Terriers take their name from the latin word terra (earth), referring to the original types of small dogs as hunters of underground creatures. However, there are larger, more modern terriers that have been bred for different purposes. They’re tough, fearless, self-confident and energetic. Almost all of the breeds in this group of terriers originated from the UK as hunting dogs for the working man. Some, like Yorkshire terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Norfolk terriers, are named after the regions they first lived in. Others are named by what they were used to hunt, like the Fox terrier and the Rat terrier. Terriers are quick to react to things and have great persistence. They are individuals and stand their ground around larger dogs. Some other examples of terriers are: Cesky Terrier, the Scottish Terrier, the Australian terrier, the Parson Russell terrier, the Bull terrier, the Airedale terrier, English toy terrier, Staffordshire Bull terrier, Kromfohrlander, the Miniature Schnauzer and more.

Hunters used dogs to locate and retrieve prey; these dogs are in the gundogs group. Gun Dogs were bred to do specific tasks and to work close to hunters. The breeds are split into different categories based on what type of work they were bred to do. They all hunt by scent like the scent hounds but the breeds are split into three main categories: the pointers and the setters, which locate the prey and tell the hunters where it is; the spaniels, which chase the prey out of their hide-outs; and the retrievers which collect the fallen prey and bring it to the hunters.

There are some breeds that combine all these categories and they’re known as HPR (hunt/point/retrieve). An example of a HPR breed is the Weimaraner. Some examples of gundogs are: all the spaniels, the poodle, the Spanish Water Dog, the Irish Setter, the German Pointer, the Golden Retriever, the Labrador Retriever and more. All dogs can provide companionship, but they’ve been bred for other things too, whereas companion dogs have been bred only as pets! Most of the companion dogs were bred to sit on laps, look decorative, and entertain. Therefore, most of these dogs are small. In the 19th century, companion dogs were the pampered pets of the wealthy and were often painted in portraits. Some examples of these dogs are: all the Bulldogs, Pug, Pekingese, Bichon frise, Shih Tzu, Maltese, Russian Toy, Poodle, King Charles spaniel, Chinese crested, Chihuahua, Dalmatian and more. Crossbreeds are the offspring of two different breeds of dogs. Some designer hybrids (a crossbreed with its parents being recognized breeds) are now extremely fashionable and are given fancy names, such as the Labradoodle (labrador and poodle) or the cockerpoo (cocker spaniel and poodle). A main reason why people want to combine breeds and produce as crossbreed is because they want to mix the desired characteristics from one breed with other characteristics from the other breed. Some examples are: the Bull Boxer, the Goldendoodle, the Labradinger, the Puggle and many others which lack names, but still provide the same amount of love and entertainment.

Word of advice

I personally think that any type of breed you get will provide you the same best companionship, but you need to think about what type of dog would fit you best - what you will need him/her for. You need to think about the size of the dog and the circumstances in which the dog would live. In my opinion, once you’ve figured out the breed or breeds that you would be the most comfortable with, I suggest letting the dog pick you! If you do decide that a dog is the right pet for you, then please remember that there are thousands of dogs in Romania who need to be homed. They may not be dogs of a discernable breed but they would still provide lots of love and fun in a new home.

Carnivorous Plants

By Anushka Laha, Year 8D

You must have heard of carnivorous plants. You might have wondered if there are carnivorous plants that can hurt you. You might even have watched some documentaries on National Geographic. If you haven’t, or perhaps just want to know more about them, then this is the article for you!

What are carnivorous plants and where can you find them?

There are at least 583 different types of carnivorous plants, some famous and many less famous or not very well known at all. A plant is termed as ‘Carnivorous’ when they attract, capture, and absorb nutrients from animals or insects. They are some of the most unique plants on the planet and literally ‘turn the tables’ on their animal predators. They trap insects because most carnivorous plants live in places where the soil is thin and poor in nutrients. There are some species are on every continent, except Antarctica, but are mostly found in North America, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Carnivorous plants typically survive the best in wet conditions that are open and sunny, with poor soil containing high acidic pH.

How do they eat and catch food?

Carnivorous plants derive most of their food from insects; this is different from receiving energy. They receive energy from photosynthesis. They typically consume insects and arthropods using five basic trapping mechanisms:

1. Pitfall traps (pitcher plants) trap prey in a rolled-up leaf that contains digestive enzymes. 2. Flypaper traps that use a sticky gluey material called mucilage. 3. Snap traps that use rapid leaf movements. 4. Bladder traps that trap or suck in prey with a bladder that is actually an internal vacuum. 5. Eel traps that force prey to move towards the digestive organ with the help of inward-pointing hairs.

The venus flytrap in the picture has leaves that can open wide. On top of the leaves, there are short and rigid hairs that are sensitive and can feel when an insect has landed on it. When anything touches these hairs enough to bend them the two halves of the leaves snap together trapping the insect under one second. The Venus flytrap is an example of a Snap trap. The Heliamphora chimantensis show here is an example of a pitcher plant. The insect lands on the slippery surface of the plant and falls into the pitcher-like shape which is full of digestive enzymes and fluid. They dissolve the prey and take the nutrients from them. These plants release sweet nectar on the rim of their pitchers to invite prey.

Origin of Carnivorous plants

All known carnivorous plants/insectivorous plants are flowering plants (angiosperms), so they must have evolved about 60 - 125 million years ago. They must have evolved after insects, because insects are associated with the plants as pollinators or as prey. The first fossilized specimens were found on the swampy Baltic coastline 35-47 million years ago. Now, these fossilized specimens are helping scientists figure out the evolution process of carnivorous plants. The fossils were found a long way away from where the plants normally grew which was in Africa. The plant fossil was found in Europe.

Taking care of a Carnivorous plant

Now in case you were wondering if Carnivorous plants can kill you, the answer is no. Well not yet. They are capable of eating insects and small mammals like frogs and rodents. Now if you are thinking of getting a carnivorous plant here are some tips: Yes, Carnivorous plants can survive indoors, but they are a lot more challenging than your average house plant. If you are a beginner at planting, then you might want to get a bit more practice before deciding to care for one of these plants. You will need to provide your plants with:

• Unique moist soil that’s highly acidic, normal soil won’t work. • A humid environment like inside a terrarium with some airflow • A place away from direct sunlight. Be careful not to overheat the plant if they are in a terrarium. • Purified water in order to prevent the plant from dying. • Food given in the form of a variety of insects. Hamburger and animal meat are way too high in protein for a carnivorous plant, so DO NOT feed them that.

The easiest plants to grow are:

• Asian pitcher plants • Bladderworts • Butterworts • Tropical Sundews

You should consider getting one of these before opting for a bigger plant like the Venus flytrap. Happy Gardening!

Extra Facts:

• The biggest carnivorous plant is Nepenthes also known as Attenbourg’s pitcher plant. It’s about 4 foot 9 inches tall with pitchers the size of 30cm. They can easily digest small mammals. • The smallest Carnivorous plant is Drosera brevifolia. They are the smallest species of carnivorous plants in the world found in the United States.

A Healthy Smile

the power hidden behind your mask

In this period when our lifestyle has changed radically and we need to cover our faces with masks in order to interact with each other it is easy to forget how powerful a smile can be.

A smile can change us, as well as the world around us. Every time we smile at each other, a relationship is created, we are more relaxed and confident. As parents, we naturally want the very best for our children, and ensuring a good oral health and educating them, from a very young age, on the importance of proper dental hygiene must be one of our priorities. As children, it is essential to be aware that our actions today can change our future, and a visit to the orthodontist is one of the steps that can provide us with a solution for a pathbreaking smile.

Orthodontists ensure and create healthy, beautiful smiles because only they are able to recognize possible dentomaxillary anomalies that can influence the right development of the child.

Monitoring the healthy growth of the jaws, detecting dental malocclusions in their earliest stages and guiding the growth of permanent teeth are some of the benefits that the child will enjoy following the visits to the DENT ESTET dental clinics. Timing is everything even when it comes to the child’s orthodontic treatment. The goal of early check-ups (age 7) is to detect the developing problem, eliminate the cause, guide the growth of facial and jaw bones, and provide adequate space for incoming permanent teeth.

Studies sustain that, around the age of 12, the jaw bone is 95% developed, so there is less chance for a treatment to stimulate bone growth. Also, orthodontic treatments have the role of correcting problems such as mouth breathing, which negatively affects general health causing tiredness and difficulties in concentration, ultimately influencing the results on school activity.

Orthodontic treatment is a complex biological process. It involves changes in jaw bones, facial bones and soft tissue as teeth are moved into their new positions. In some cases, the orthodontist will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing. Through an early orthodontic evaluation, you’ll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile.

As dentists, we witness the power behind a smile every day and, as parents, we aim to grow wings for our children through education and a healthy lifestyle so they become adults who have the power to conquer the world with a smile.

KS3 German Literature

By Ioana-Miliana Anghel

They say it is never too late, but not ‘never too early’. For it is never too early to experiment with literature in a foreign language, although you might be afraid that the challenge is too big for you.

In Term 1b, our KS3 students studying German had the chance to experience German literature, either by creating it themselves, like the students in years 7 and 8, or by reading a literary work consistently each week and researching the various historical aspects to better contextualise the situations.

Year 7 were courageous in displaying their creativity when writing their own story. Their writing was executed specifically to appeal to their fellow colleagues. Each student illustrated their story and personalized it by including members of their family as characters and objects from the house within the scenes of their stories. Lucian came up with the most interesting and best illustrated ghost story.

Year 8 are masters at making theatrical plays out of daily routines that happen at their homes. Mara managed to illustrate her work so suggestively, that we could picture the entire scene exactly. Year 9 had the most complex job, learning about the historical background within the literature they read. Nina Culea went the extra mile, reading an entire novel in German, using her analytical and linking skills in order to make a presentation on the historical background presented in the novel. In a planned, but at the same time creative manner, she displayed and explained aspects of German society during Hitler’s time. She identified examples of National Socialism, anti-Semitism, life in exile, and the life of Jewish people before and after Hitler’s election. Written from a child’s perspective, especially aiming to make this part of history accessible to children’s understanding, the novel Als Hilter das rosa Kaninchen stahl was presented by Nina in a poster, accompanied by a video presentation.

One of the enriching experiences of learning a new language is being able to access the literature in that language. It is an experience that opens up a new world of possibilities to our students and is an experience that every student at IBSB can look forward to, as every student learns at least one foreign language at IBSB, with most of our students being trilingual or polyglots, which is something we are all very proud of.