TIV Issue 1- December 2015 by International British School of Bucharest

Issue 1: December 2015

Contents Page

Staff & Editorial Coordinators Student Editor: Maria Ion Student Assistant Editors: Sofia Stefanica Teacher Coordinator: Ms Andrea Carman, Mr Paul Jennings Junior School Whiteboard: Ms Andreea Rus Student Journalists/Contributors Milena Vergara, Dilara Yildiz, Radu Florea Alexandra Dragic, Stefan Dragic, Zoe Smarandoiu Andrei Dogaru, Kyriaki Mallioglou, Adriana Bajescu Kathleen Hughes, Kevin Zhan, Catrinel Craiu Sophia Cristodorescu, Christie Vernon, Matei Surdu Contributing Staff Mr Kendall Peet Mr Ciprian Tiplea Mr Robert Hewett

Office Staff Contact Information: Address: 21-25 Agricultori St. District 2, Bucharest, Romania, 021841 Tel: (+4) 021.253.1698, Fax: (+4) 021.253.1697 E- mail: office@ibsb.ro Website: www.ibsb.ro

Editor’s & Assistant Editor’s Note

Head of School Message

The Invisible Curriculum

Head of Secondary Message

Head Prefects’ Message

Caledonian Ball

SPORTS 57

Bucharest Marathon

Triathlon Fever

Swimming in the English Channel

Student Council

STUDENT VIEWS

New Teacher Interviews

Student Summer Holidays

House Competitions

Summer Festival

House Captains

Teacher Summer Experiences

KS3 Science Fair Spectacular

Sir Winston Churchill International School Debate

Advice to Achieve Desired Grades

Book Recommendations

Work Experience

CAS 21

Training

Coming to Romania

CAS Term 1A

Restaurants of Bucharest

COBIS Leadership Weekend

ALUMNI 25

Life at Gonville and Caius

Life at LSE

Life UCL

WHITEBOARD 29

Welcome Message

Ms Andrea Carman

Early Years

Ms Katie Bickell

Year 1

Ms Jane Broadhurst

Year 2

Ms Blessy Savu

Year 3D

Mr Afzal Shaikh

Year 3B & Year 4

Ms Johanna Croci

Year 5

Primary School staff

Year 6

Photographer

Halloween Party

Layout: Ms Lea Cohen

London University Fair

SCHOOL UPDATES

Ms Alan Cornish

Mr Silviu Nastase

SCHOOL EVENTS 41

Parent -Teacher BBQ

DOE Summer Expedition

UK University

UN Day

COBIS MUN

KS3 Outward Bound Trip

Remembrance Day

Notes Another school year commences as you see the joyful smiles of friends reuniting on the first day of school, the fluttering feeling in the pit of your stomach as you enter the school grounds for another year of hard work and achievement. Autumn has come once again with it chilling breeze and falling caramel leaves representing the start of a new academic year, meaning a fresh start to “The International Voice”

tend to distance themselves from the community as their studies are prioritised) We have a great amount of students with various voices which should be heard, the TIV is a great platform to spread you beliefs and your perspective throughout our school. Hopefully in the issue we shall have more writers offering to document the many accomplishments, academic success, charitable events and thrilling extra-curricular activities throughout the school year I feel privileged to have been chosen for such a prestigious I would encourage pupils to create a voice for themselves. role, I remember when I first came to this school and had the opportunity to write and input my own ideas for articles – it I’m glad to be assisted by Sofia (as my assistant editor) and an was an indescribable emotion as I held the actual copy of the enthusiastic group of young journalists in making the best magazine in my hands. As soon as I heard of the chance to possible issue for an a curious and eager audience, we have take charge in the TIV, I offered myself as quickly as possible strongly persevered in producing a magazine full of without any hesitation – words can make such a difference remarkable articles to which I am sure you have will be and the way you choose to present them is tremendously interested in. It definitely has been a challenge creating my important. I see the TIV as a tie between all the students first every issue however is was an incredibly enthralling within our school – you get to hear the latest news from the process and I look forward to the next one! primary school and creates a connection between the Maria Ion (Year 12) Secondary school and the Sixth Form in Codecs (who usually

Fall is my favourite time of year. Sure, the falling leaves means allergies kick into high gear, but it also means cool nights, pumpkins, campfires and the constant smell of delightful cinnamon, orange and cloves. Fall also means we begin another exciting academic year. At IBSB this also means the return of 'The International Voice'.

studies but I was eager to become involved in the making of 'The International Voice', in the hope that I would maintain a strong contact with my community. I want this to be a platform for expression for all students, because each and everyone has a voice - a voice that demands to be heard and makes up this small community! I hope that by the next issue, more students will get involved. It’s a pity seeing people letting opportunities pass by when the school offers so many. There is so much one can learn simply by stepping out of our comfort zones!

The TIV staff are glad to bring you news of student accomplishment, contribution and leisure. We think it’s important to highlight the successes in Drama, Art and Music, as well as how students are developing leadership skills, helping in the community and excelling in academic and I am honoured to work alongside Maria and fellow students to extracurricular activities. In this issue, we hope to have create the best possible issue and incredibly proud of all the captured the momentous events and highlighted the articles that make up this first issue. substantial triumphs of the IBSB community. Thankfully, we did not need to harass anyone for their articles, I remember the moments as a junior school student when I and there has been a relatively relaxed ‘work environment' in would eagerly wait for the next issue to see if I made it on one our little team...Many thanks to everyone for contributing! of the pages, so naturally when I was given the opportunity to be a part of this team, I certainly did not give it a second Good luck and happy flicking! thought. As my form group moves up to Codecs, we tend to lose touch with the community as we begin to focus on our Sofia Stefanica (Year 12) 2

Editor

Assistant Editor

Head of School Message Providing Effective Student Support As I sit here writing this final piece for the first issue of TIV for 2015-16, our thoughts and condolences go out not only to the IBSB Community touched by recent events, but to the entire Romanian Community in the wake of the Colectiv tragedy, and to the worldwide community in regard to the more recent Paris terrorist attacks. It is a difficult time for many people who have been personally touched by both incidents and I know that we have students and families at school who have either friends or family that have been affected by these tragic events. Indeed, even now as a write this article I have just heard that there has been yet another bombing in Lebanon, and can hear various sirens sounding off across the city of Bucharest, be they police, fire, or ambulance, and cannot but feel concern for the way things seem to be going across Europe and around the world at present. I think we are all a little on edge, and habour certain concerns for the future, be they related to terrorism, global warming, economic challenges, or and or the many other topic issues currently receiving media time at present.

support may be needed, our staff simply fill in a Student Support Request Form and email it to studentsupport@ibsb.ro, and the Student Support Staff will arrange a time to meet with the student to assess their situation, and where a specific need is identified contact the parents to arrange a meeting to discuss the support that will be offered. At present we have two qualified and experienced student counsellors on campus, Ms Aida Ivan and Ms Cornelia Tianu, who are here to support the students and parents with issues that impact on student learning, and where the issues may extend beyond their remit, they will recommend the parents to seek additional support outside school.

Ms Aida Ivan Student Counsellor

Ms Cornelia Tianu Student Counsellor

Student-Student Mentoring Programme

And all of this of course has an impact on the general mindset Sometimes the best student support, however, is that which comes from peers. We often hear that it not always the of our students. message itself which is the key determinant of success, but At times such as these our first thoughts are toward the famithe form of message and the mode of sending it. In some lies of the victims, but as teachers we also look with concern situations a student is more likely to listen to a message if it toward our students in considering how they are feeling and comes from someone they respect or look up to in the form of how to best support them deal with these specific events, and another student. This has certainly proved to be the case for where possible protect them from the various threats that us in regard to the many successes achieved by senior exist beyond the school walls. students in the student mentoring programme. Senior Prefects and other senior students in Year 12 & 13 take on this Student Counsellors responsibility offering to help specific students with academic One of the ways we try to provide support in response to or behavioural issues and have done so with great success. student difficulties experienced is through the provision of The senior students meet with their assigned students on a Student Counselling Services. Student Counselling is a weekly basis to help them with homework or just to talk and relatively recent phenomenon in the UK system and also offer advice, and it is something the mentors seem to get a within the Romanian System for that matter, but in light of much out of as those being mentored. challenges currently facing students in recent years, especially Academic Mentoring in Years 11-13 with the number of school shootings on the rise, this is a service that is beginning to grow and for good reason as For those students moving into Years 11-13, there is the teachers are not specifically trained to deal with emotional additional stress that comes from exam pressure, with the trauma and in some cases simply do not have the time to Year 11 IGCSE exams, and also with the degree of challenge work 1-2-1 to help a student work through emotional issues that awaits all students in Years 12 & 13 in the A Level that may be very complex. Programme. Academic mentoring is a relatively new proIn a situation where a staff member identifies a student in gramme at IBSB, designed specifically in response to this need of support, not knowing the exact cause or what form of identified need. In the first two years the staff nominated 4

Head of School Message

students that they wanted to mentor, but seeing that this was not always a success, we decided this year to offer students the chance to select their staff mentors and this has proven to be much more successful. Staff meet with their students formally on a half termly basis, but informally on a weekly basis to help the student to set realistic academic goals, and also to help them to reflect on their approach to theirs studies in regard to making good choices, in using their time effectively, and in not taking on too much extracurricular pursuits that in the end may impact adversely on their exams results. In Issue 2 we will talk more about this programme.

Subject Teachers and Key Stage Coordinators

Subject teachers and Key Stage Coordinators are on the other hand primarily responsible for the academic progress of the students. Subjects teachers teach, monitor, support, and celebrate student success in regard to both effort and achievement within the class and contact parents with specific subject concerns or to celebrate success in that subject. Monthly meetings are held across a year group where academic progress will be discussed with the Key Stage Coordinator working with the teachers to identify students who are over-achieving or under-achieving. The focus, Form Tutors however, is primarily on effort, and where effort is deemed lacking, parents will again be contacted by the Form Tutor to Of all the staff it is the Form Tutors who are most present the arrange a meeting to ensure that support comes from both lives of the students, registering them in the morning when parents and staff to increase the likelihood of success. they first arrive, as well as in the afternoon, often contributing to the Life Skills lessons that take place each week. In this Working together as a team regard, they are their first point of contact for students and There is no denying that our children today are under an parents and are most likely to notice mood changes that may increasing amount of pressure to perform and with this in indicate that a student is having a bad day. Where a concern mind it is important to ensure that systems and procedures has been raised by a subject teacher, they may contact the are in place to identity and support students where needed. other subject teachers using a Round Robin Form to confirm if These systems and procedures need to involve students, a problem identified is in regard to one subject or across a parents, and teachers working together as a team, and I am range of subjects. When support is needed across a range of thankful to have both a community of staff committed to our subjects, they will contact parents to inform them of the students, and a community or parents committed to their support being provided and where necessary invite parents in children. for a meeting. They will also share information from parents with teachers as needed. Their role is primarily pastoral, being Kendall Peet concerned with the health and wellbeing of the students. Head of school 5

The Invisible Curriculum at IBSB You may be puzzled by the meaning of the title of this article. What is the Invisible Curriculum? Every school must have a curriculum. IBSB is following the English National Curriculum and the Cambridge programme for KS3, IGCSE, and Advanced Level qualifications. This means, of course, that all our children will be trained to be successful in Cambridge exams at very important stages of their academic life in school. How is this linked to the Invisible Curriculum? Actually, this is just as important as the academic preparation of our children. To explain the meaning of the Invisible Curriculum and in order to underline the importance of it in a school, I would like to use a paragraph from one of our UK specialist trainers.

Good schools understand that children only develop a love for learning and acquire theoretical concepts if they work in an environment which undertakes all of the above, and if they are constantly challenged to face their fears and overcome their weaknesses. A good school understands that learning can only take place in a safe, happy, friendly and wellorganised environment. Outside lessons: The Invisible Curriculum may take many shapes and forms. The main thing is for a school to develop a rich extracurricular programme for the children and to find various ways to involve as many children as possible. Ideally, children will develop a desire to voluntarily get involved in things that will fit their personalities, passions, and skills. The programmes that are part of this curriculum are supposed to be complex in the sense that they will cover all interests and areas related to the social and emotional development of the children.

“The purpose of education is to prepare young people for the future. In addition to passing exams and gaining decent grades, having the confidence to try things out, speak in public, express their thoughts and ideas, set goals for themselves and prioritise and plan appropriately, are a vital part of every young person’s basic educational entitlement. Without these basic but important skills, young people are at risk of failing both in higher education and in the workplace, so it is essential that they are part of our core purpose in school. If our young people are to face and overcome the challenges of the 21st century, then we need to give them the skills and attributes that they need to succeed. This doesn’t mean that we neglect qualifications, it simply means that, in good The things you learn can have an enormously positive impact schools, we go above and beyond simply preparing our on the rest of your life! students for exams – otherwise we leave an enormous gap in our provision, one that begs the question ‘Qualified for what?’....” Dr Rosemary Taylor The Invisible curriculum should be a core part of any good school curriculum and should be implemented by all members of staff both in lessons and outside the academic curriculum. In lessons: This is the curriculum we do not necessarily plan for; it is the way the teachers are constantly promoting values and principles of the community during their teaching; it is the way we as teachers manage to set and maintain a happy and organised environment which will induce and facilitate the desire to learn for all the children in the classroom; it is in the way we as teachers establish very good working relationships with our students, and show interest for their passions and needs in order to get their attention; it is the way we manage to create clear links between our subjects and the real world in order to show the relevance of what we do; it is the way we manage to engage our students in various activities and projects to enable them to develop valuable skills for life. 6

At IBSB, we understand the importance of the Invisible Curriculum and we put the safety and the happiness of our children first. We are a school that tries very hard to offer the children lots of opportunities to develop at all levels. Exam results are important and are a large part of student’s objectives in the school. However, the exam results are hugely influenced by the emotional development of the children. We want our students to develop an international understanding of the world around them and to develop the skills to enable them to succeed in a society that will pose our many challenges every day. This is why we have various projects in

the school as part of our extracurricular programme. Some of these are well structured within the academic timetable and happen on a weekly basis, such as the Life Skills lessons or CAS lessons. In addition, we offer a wide range of programmes meant to cover all interests, develop skills, offer support to others in our community, and celebrate diversity and internationalism. We are a busy school and our Invisible Curriculum is part of our lessons and is definitely part of our school life outside of lessons. Below is a shortlist of just some of exciting programmes offered over the course of the year: Life Skills Lessons, Guest Speakers, Prefect Body University Visits Counselling

Community Action Service, Student Council, Drama Productions Debate Competitions UN Day

School Magazine, Sport’s Day, Dragon’s Den Clubs International Duke of Edinburgh Programme Ciprian Tiplea Deputy Head of School

Head of Secondary Message The start of the term has been very busy for both staff and students. In the first few weeks we had the Year 7 & 8 Outward Bound Trip , which gave students the opportunity to experience the outdoors as well as a number of challenges including climbing, abseiling, trekking, mountain biking, water activities and other fun challenges. It also helped create strong bonds and relationships between students, instructors and teachers. It was unfortunate that we could not find a dry day for Sport’s Day, which will now take place in Term 3. Throughout the term, Tutors used registration and pastoral time to help develop student character and educate them about the world around them. This term, we have had presentations from the association of the blind and assemblies on organization, languages, fundraising and climate change. The Sixth Form have been specifically looking at the courses they want to study after graduating from IBSB, and they have been guided by university presentations and talks at IBSB from admission officers from various universities, including the London School of Economics, and by the University Fair in downtown Bucharest, and by a University Fair Trip to London. In addition, students have been volunteering for positions of responsibility, including Heads of House and Senior Prefects. This year we have been supported by additional EAL staff to help cater for the wide range of abilities of our students in English. We also have another member of staff to support students through lessons and subjects that they find particularly hard. In support of promoting English, students will have the chance to become Ambassadors for Great Britain and the School, by speaking and promoting English. For the older students they will have the chance to participate in

events and represent their School in Debating, in the Model United Nations, and in Public Speaking Competitions. Another great event was Citizenship Day, in which students learned a variety of ways to interpret and present information on the mass migration in Europe at the moment with the crisis in Syria and the surrounding area as well as enjoy some fun activities. Students have also been busy organising fundraising events, including bake sales, to help raise money and sponsorship for the various charities that the School supports. The Student Council has was elected and have taken a lead in fundraising and organising events, focusing on the upcoming Valentines Ball, due to take place in February On the sporting side, students continue to have sports everyday and we are busy preparing the indoor winter programme to keep them fit and motivated throughout the winter months. Some students have volunteered for relays in the Bucharest marathon and others events, including the Mamaia Triathlon, with success in the U9, U11, and U14 Football Competition that took place in Herastrau Park. With 1A now behind us and 1b racing toward its end, with the prospect of shorter days and longer, colder nights ahead, we plan to keep your children active in both body and mind all the way up until Christmas. As always, parental partnership for the well being of these young people is imperative and we look forward to your continued support, help, and advice in the months ahead. Robert Hewett Head of Secondary 7

Head Prefects’ Message Dear TIV Readers, It is our utmost pleasure and honour to write this year’s Head Boy and Head Girl message for the first issue of TIV. We are happy and thankful to be in a position where we can give back to our community, at least as much as it gave to us. Congratulations are firstly in order to Adriana Bajescu, Catrinel Craiu, Dilara Yildiz, Kevin Zhan, Maria Ion, Maria Mihai, and Matei Surdu for beung selected as this year’s Senior School Prefects! The selection process was very tough, as always: as successful candidates you were required to have at least a B-grade average, an exemplary behavior record, and to have had evidence to reflect a commitment to helping others and getting involved in school life. As IBSB Senior Prefects, we as a group have an important role to play in our school: not only do we organise annual events, such as the Winter Ball, but we are also actively involved in mentoring other students, as each of us works with one year group from both the Primary and Secondary school; students should know that they have someone in a higher year group to go to for advice, and we aim to be that for them. We hope that students will approach us if they have any issues they want to discuss, from bullying incidents, if they occur, to advising them about academic matters such as subject choices or even applying to university. This year’s Senior Prefect body is a strong, united and determined one, and we hope to lead our team in a successful year ahead. We are confident that together we can achieve our goals and that our contribution will help maintain a vibrant life on our campus! We look forward to seeing you around school! Andrei Dogaru (Year 13) and Zoe Smarandoiu (Year 13) Head Boy and Head Girl

SCHOOL UPDATES 10

Student Council The Student Council has the capacity to contribute significantly toward improving the lives of students on campus, both scholastically and in regard to the extracurricular programme provided. This is why I feel privileged to have been chosen by my class as their representative, and even more flattered to have been chosen as Head of Student Council this year. As Head of the Student Council, I realize there is a lot of responsibility on me and I can assure you that I will not take this position for granted. I feel a great sense of pride in being chosen to represent the voice of all students in our school and I will work hard to ensure I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappoint you. Student Council meetings are always interestingâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; and as I walk into the room I am always greeted by smiles and a passionate group of students debating something in regard to the best action to be taken to accomplish a certain aim. Being in the Student Council is rewarding as we have the chance to converse about important matters and get to know a lot about what is going on around campus first hand.

It can, however, sometimes be a daunting task to attend a meeting every Monday lunchtime; especially due to there often being many topics to discuss in such a short period of time. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just glad to have received the utmost support, and feel good about the time put in, as I now know that we can make an enormous difference within the school if we listen to our students and work in co-ordination with our Prefects to achieve our shared goals. We can go through life minding our own business, making no contribution or alteration, or we can join together and work to change our school for the better, leaving a legacy for the students that will follow. The choice is ours, whether we as students decide to speak up and say what we would like to change in our school or what initiatives we would like to introduce. What I can promise you is that the Student Council will listen to your views and that we will try our best to be proactive in working to accomplish the goals we set for a better student life. Stefan Dragic (Year 12)

New Teacher QUESTIONS: 1. What do you think sets IBSB apart from the other schools you’ve taught at? 2. What do you think is your biggest adventure? 3. Where do you consider home? 4. What’s your favorite home and why? 5. What’s your favorite Romanian dish?

ANSWERS: Ms Barbe 1. A sense of community, especially among the teachers. 2. When I moved to Macedonia. After university I joined the Peace Core and they sent me to Macedonia. I taught English there and lived with a Macedonian family. It was an amazing time, but it was very difficult. That was definitely my biggest adventure.

Ms Paune 1. The Educational System, which gives the students the possibility to practice more. The groups of students are also smaller than in the state schools, which is a great advantage for them. The environment is very pleasant. 2. I’m not an adventurous person, but if I have to choose… climbing the Bucegi mountains to the Cross. 3. I spend holidays with my parents in my native town, 100 km North of Bucharest, but I work here in Bucharest, and so spend most of my time here. I have two homes.

3. That’s a difficult question. I guess Ohio because I’ve lived there most of my life, but since my parents are British and most of my family is there, I also consider the UK my home. 4. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. I love it because of the strong female lead. She’s different than everybody else and she knows what she wants and goes for it. 5. I honestly haven’t had that much Romanian food yet, but I have to say I like Zacusca best, so far.

4. Pride and Prejudice. I really enjoy the tension between the main characters. 5. Sarmale.

Ms Punt

1. 1. Ms Magda

1. I think it’s the fact that the staff all get along so well. We really are a great team: supportive, friendly, positive, and professional. I also love that IBSB is a small school- it gives our school a real “family” feel to it.

2. My biggest adventure would have to be the fact that I left 1. You are able to mold your teachings to the child. You grow behind my family, friends, animals and the familiar to pursue a alongside the child, so they can learn whatever way works life and career in Europe. Although it can be difficult at times, I don’t regret it for a second and I look forward to all the best for them. adventures and experiences that still await me. 2. Last year in the USA I ran a marathon. It was amazing. 3. I was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, and 3. Where my own children wake me up smiling. moved to Europe in August, 2014. Although Cape Town will 4. The Little Prince. It teaches me to live freely. always be my “home” and I will always have a special place in my heart for South Africa, I would have to say that my true 5. Sarmale and mamaliga. 12

Interviews home would be where I can be with my family and animals, no matter where I am in the world. 4. There are too many to name one as my favorite, but I enjoy reading light-hearted fantasy books. I enjoyed Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series (based on Greek Mythology, one of my passions) and the Narnia Chronicles. 5. I haven’t really explored Romanian cuisine much yet (I’m a fussy eater!), but I do like Snitel de pui and Mici.

Ms Clarke 1. I have only taught at one other school after completing my degree; that school was in Abu Dhabi. I love the community spirit at IBSB and how everyone supports each other, including the parents and students. I have been here for only one half term and have already had a much better communication than n the my last school with parents, through events organized by the school such as the school BBQ and the information coffee mornings for the parents.

Ms Soare 1. The thing that I love most about IBSB is that I can see a close partnership between parents and the school. I've been here at IBSB for few months now and I can really feel the sense of unity that exists in that we are all working together as a team. 2. Last year was definitely a very big adventure for me. I decided to go to live and work in Poland for a year. I was working as a TA in an international preschool and it was an amazing year during which I learned so many things. Of course it was hard not having my family and my friends close to me, but I wouldn't change a thing. 3. When you say the word ‘home’, I always picture my house in my hometown, Galati. That's the place where I have my family and my oldest and dearest friends. 4. My favorite book was written by Hector Malot and is called Sans Famille. I read it when I was in school and I remember I couldn't stop reading it. Probably that was the book that made me fall in love with reading. 5. As a Romanian myself I could talk about Romanian traditional food for days. My favorite dish is called "sarmalute", and of course it has to be made by my mom or my grandma. Pork and beef meat mixed together, fried with onions, and rolled in cabbage leaves, then boiled or cooked in the oven. Delicious! I could eat them every day for the rest of my life and it still wouldn't be enough!

2. I think my biggest adventure was moving from the UK after university to the United Arab Emirates. This was a challenge as it was the furthest I had ever travelled even with my family. Moving to Romania was then another change as I had never visited the country, but had always wanted to travel to Eastern Europe. 3. I still consider the UK my home, as the vast majority of my family still live there. My family is based in the North West of England between Liverpool and Manchester. I have been brought up British and have lived my whole life in the town I was brought up in. 4. This question took a while to decide. I read almost every day, mainly in the evening to relax before going to sleep. I would have to say that my favorite book of all time would be the Harry Potter series; breaking it down to just one book is a difficult task, however, but in the end I feel Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite. These books were a very popular series during my teenage years and I have reread the series too many times to remember. I started to read the series before they became popular and before the films were even made. 5. I haven't eaten much Romanian food yet. Through my research I have discovered that a lot of the Romanian food has Balkan and Arabic influences maybe brought through history. What would you recommend I try?

House Competition Who will win the House Cup this Year? Previous Winners 2001-02: Transilvania

2007-08:Muntenia

2002-03: Dobrogea

2009-10: Transilvania

2003-04: Dobcrogea

2010– 11: Transilvania

2004– 05: Muntenia

2011-12: Dobrogea

2005– 06: Transilvania

2012-13: Muntenia

2006—07: Dobrogea

2013-2014: Transilvania

Last Year’s House Cup Winners: 2014-15

MUNTENIA TRANSILVANIA DOBROGEA

House Captains

My name is Maria Ion and I am Muntenia’s House Captain for this year. Muntenia has proved itself to be a close community over the years as we know how to come together and be victorious no matter what challenges are thrown at us, this being proved by the fact that we triumphantly won the cup last year. As long as we attend all the house activities and participate in all school events there is no reason why we won’t be able to seize the challenge that is ahead of us. With our teamwork and talented individuals, there is no way anyone can stop us.

Hey, my name is Radu. I am honoured to lead Transylvania this year in the House Cup Competition. This is my first year as a House Captain, however even though I have little experience, I am confident that I can lead this house to an amazing year. I hope, alongside my vices Navya and Max, we will make this experience as fun as possible and with efficient teamwork I know that the House Cup would be ours.

Hello, everyone! My name is Alexandra and I am Dobrogea’s House Captain this year. Having the opportunity to be the Key Stage 5’s Dobrogean voice means a lot to me! As it is my last year at IBSB, I would love to see my house win once again. We have had an amazing start so far, leading the competition at the end of 1a with the highest number of house points in the Secondary School. Let’s keep our involvement in all house activities and events and I am sure that we, Dobrogeans, will have the best selfie uploaded on Instagram with the House Cup by the end of the year!

Key Stage 3 From flaming tornados to DIY lasers, nothing was missing from the 1st Annual IBSB Science Fair. With many aspiring scientists and meaningful projects ready to be demonstrated, the Science Department started their fun and exciting event planned for the students. Indicators were glowing, sodium carbonate and tartaric acid was making scientific clouds, potatoes were powering whole LED clocks and many more note-worthy projects were on display that day. Since many participants had been working on their Science Fair projects for a long time everyone was ready to share and amuse their spectators. Even our helpful teachers were all very excited throughout the whole day. Once we were all set up and ready to share our knowledge,

our audience started piling in. Demonstration after demonstration, we were finally done with this stirring event. Something we would later look back to and remember as an event you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss. At the very end we all packed away our well-rounded projects and headed home to share parts of our tiring but lively day to our friends and family. It was certainly an event that students were thrilled to have participated in. By Kyriaki Mallioglou (Year 9)

Science Fair Spectacular

Sir Winston Churchill Debating is a competition and not just a public speaking event. It disciplines and concentrates the mind and students oral skills to convey their thoughts and arguments. It forces students to think on their feet and make logical, organised and lightning-fast exposition. School debating is part of a venerable tradition that dates back to the great Public Schools in England in the 18th Century. For example, the Nobel Prize winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz said, The extra-curricular activity in which I was most engageddebating- helped shape my interests in public policy. It was a sunny, almost Indian Summer of a morning when teams from Bucharest's top six international schools flocked to the Ramada Plaza for the Sir Winston Churchill International Debating Competition. In its seventh year and hosted by IBSB, the Sir Winston grows from strength to strength with the French School, Lycee Dame Anna Noales, joining us this year and Avenor College observing with a mind to send a team next year. The competition this year was therefore even more intense than usual and for our younger debaters, Max Mihailovici, Christie Vernon and Tamara Minea, all in Year 8, it was always going to be a baptism of fire. With the fact that IBSB were back to retain their title Of Champions of last year, these students engaged in Round One, the Prepared debate. This means, weeks in advance, they were given a motion to argue for or against EU countries being forced to take in a minimum number of refugees. Having had a friendly practise with the French school two weeks earlier, they had spent

the week before feverishly finalising their speeches and list of possible POIS (Points of Information- questions to trip up the opposition). On the toss of a coin IBSB were given the Proposition, so to argue to have EU quotas for refugees. They were also drawn against a veteran debate team made up of Year 11-13, so a good 4 to 5 years older than the IBSB team. But with the odds stacked against them, our Middle School Debaters won the debate 2-1. This was quite an upset and a real scalp for the younger students, as well as a great sign for their future in debating. It was therefore not surprising that Tamara and Max won the best Middle School Debater awards with Christie a very close Third. So it became up to the veteran debaters Andrei Dogaru and Zoe Smarandoiu in Year 13, and our slightly less veteran Vladimir Stanoi, to take home this advantage. They were the Impromptu team, their job being to create a convincing debate only having been given their motion 30 minutes before the actual debate (in this case their debate was on Vaccinations). They needed to win against the French school to ensure they made the Semi-Final and this they did, beating a highly skilful emerging French team 3-0. Next up was the Semi-Final against a strong team from ISB, debating whether Single Sex schools were better than mixed gender schools. ISB came out swinging with a passionate performance, but IBSB emerged with a narrow win opposing the motion.

International School Debate

So it was the old adversaries, the veteran senior debaters of BSB and our team from IBSB in the Finals. IBSB were the winners last year and BSB had won it the year before, so they were hungry for a debate and so was the audience. Our illustrious judges in the Final were Captain Stan Platt OBE, Founder of Light into Europe, Mr Adam Sandbrook the Deputy British Ambassador, Mr David Lewis of the British Council, who co-sponsored the event, and Mrs Ella Nicolae, Chairwoman of the Romanian ESU. Audience and Judges were not disappointed. Like two heavyweights boxing for a World Title, the BSB and IBSB teams threw all they had into arguing the motion for (BSB) and against (IBSB) whether performance enhancing drugs should be allowed in all Sporting Events. Zoe used her characteristic strong presence and oral ability (thus winning the Best Debater Award for IBSB, with Ilinca Toderita winning the counterpart award for BSB), Vladimir used his trademark panache and sense of humour and Andrei used his characteristically thoughtful and highly logical (yet still quietly impassioned) approach. The debate was over, the judges deliberated and awarded a narrow victory to BSB. Most importantly, all the debaters and participants had a great time and went away at 9PM having learned some more. A big thank you to the students and coaches of all schools for making it a great day and last, Miss Blessy for spending all day judging before the Final Rounds, but not least, to Mr Peet the Competition Director. He started the Sir Winston Churchill Competition seven years ago and has steered it from strength to strength. Everyone I spoke to remarked at how well the competition was run. His hard work has ensured another fantastic day of debating in Bucharest and in a few years he is planning to invite Sir Winston Churchillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandson to judge the Tenth Anniversary competition! Mr Afzal Shaikh IBSB Debate Coach

Community Action Service 20

CAS Training OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS FOR CAS BY YEAR 12

Throughout the course of the first half term, in the Sixth Form, we have had a series of interesting activities that helped us develop our critical thinking regarding different CAS topics. My classmates and I, the year twelves, were especially excited about it, therefore showing our enthusiasm by volunteering during the weekend for some of the activities such as the Bruno Shelter and IOMC Hospital. “It was an interesting experience and I’ve learned things that are surely going to help me in day to day life activities” - Adriana Bajescu.

one of the trainers I can say that this was an unforgettable experience as it taught me to manage my preparation time, discuss and interact with people and control my working environment while creating an interactive lesson on the topic of “Care regarding infants” for my peers.

Year 12 is excited for the following CAS activities as we are all excited to volunteer for the organizations taking part in the programme. We also expect more upcoming events regarding CAS and we can’t wait to come up with new ideas in order to improve the CAS lessons and make them more enjoyable for every student.“I can’t wait to make a difference and be more involved in our society!” - Stefan Dragic

In order to show our appreciation for the workshops organized by Ms. Johanna Croci we had the opportunity to offer our help as trainers. Alongside myself, Adriana Bajescu, Cristina Gropescu and Ioana Iorgulescu also volunteered. As 21

—ongoing training Our form tutor, Ms. Blessy, is the group leader for the IOMC Hospital cause. This involves some students from our form group volunteering to help babies and toddlers that were abandoned and need emotional and physical support in order to develop healthily and be stable. Year 12 is very delighted with the opportunities that are offered in our school and can’t wait to show their

All of us have learned new things during the workshops, however there were some activities that got our attention more, “I liked the game for Vision Impairment People, where we had to learn how to behave near people that have visual problems. I liked it because they made the activity enjoyable by pairing us up with one of the colleagues that were blindfolded, and I really think that such activities need be prepared more and more as they stimulate us and engage us in the games.” – Alex Hotea

appreciation by being active members in the Community Action Service Program. We encourage any help from younger students regarding fundraising and other implications.

CAS Term 1a Nothing marks the beginning of the new school year like the start of CAS, or our Community Action Service programme. It is a chance for our students to find out what it is like to get involved in a charity project, to gain valuable volunteering experience and to prompt change in our local community. By now, CAS is deeply rooted in IBSB’s ethos and students are always excited to join a new project, or, in the case of many Year 13s, to continue their hard work in their CAS. This year, our school collaborates with Touched Romania, in their Casa Agar and IOMC Hospital projects, the Speranta pentru Tine charity, the Sfanta Macrina Centre, the Bruno Animal Shelter, and last but definitely not least, we also have the in-school Paper Tree.

Following the success of last year’s training sessions, this year’s CAS programme started off with some even more appreciated ones! The aim of the training sessions is not only to help students decide what CAS project they want to join, but also to get us accustomed to the type of tasks and activities we would have to do in the projects. As last year, these sessions were led by Year 13 students who shared their experience and knowledge gathered from last year, but also by eager Year 12 students, who although did not do CAS last year, were determined enough to learn about a certain topic, for example caring for babies and children, and to conduct workshops on it.

The next training session was on childcare. As part of some CAS projects such as the IOMC Hospital or Casa Agar, our students have to work with babies and toddlers, so it is important and useful to learn how to handle them before going into a project such as this one. Moreover, it is an indispensable life skill: at some point, all of us will have to take care of a smaller child and the sooner we know how to do this, the better. It is not easy to wash a child for example, as the baby must be held in a certain position so that injuries and accidents are prevented. Recognizing their needs and their way of communicating at an early age is also crucial when working with babies.

Then came the training session on working with animals. Our students found out about diseases that dogs and cats especially can contract and how to recognize their symptoms so that they can be addressed. We also learned how to behave around animals: even though it may seem easy, gestures such as grinning for example can be interpreted as a sign of aggression by a dog, so it is important to be aware of these things when working with animals.

The last training session we had was on first aid. It was a new workshop this year and although we will hopefully never have to apply what we learned, one can never be too safe, so basic knowledge in how to carry out first aid is something perhaps everyone should know. We learned to give CPR, what steps to The first training session was on how to interact with people take in case of an emergency and how to deal with situations who have sight or hearing impairments. It was a chance for us of crisis. to put ourselves in the shoes of those with disabilities: some of us were blindfolded and had to walk around with the help of an assistant, go up and down the stairs and through So, after the training sessions were over, it was time for us to doorways. It was fun and I personally enjoyed it very much, choose our CAS projects. We first had an Open Day, where we but it also made us realize that while at the end of the session were able to see presentations from the charities and projects we were able to remove the blindfold, others have to live with to find out more about them. Apart from the very exciting fact one on a daily basis. It may come as a cliché, but we really that the Bruno Shelter and Light into Europe brought some sometimes are not aware of how fortunate we are to not have very adorable dogs along, it was very useful in helping us to a disability: it was difficult, odd and it felt uneasy to walk decide what projects to apply for, especially since interviews without seeing where we were going, so I can only imagine were held the following week! Everyone did spectacularly and how hard it must be to have to do this routinely: it takes a lot all the teachers agreed that it was very tough to choose the students for each group. Nevertheless, everyone is now in a of strength. project that was at least their second choice, but the vast majority of students were able to secure a place in their first As part of this training session we were also taught how to choice. communicate in sign language: one of us had to listen to music loud enough so that we were unable to hear our partner. This way, we could only understand each other via This year is expected to be one of the best ones yet for CAS, sign language. We also played an adapted version of Chinese with out students already taking initiative to bring fresh ideas Whispers. We all stood in a line, and the person at the back to our projects. Personally, I can’t wait to visit every project to drew something on a piece of paper held against the back of see what they are up to this year! the other person. The person in front had to replicate the Andrei Dogaru (Year 13) image based in what he/she felt. It was a difficult game, but some admirable abstract art resulted. 23

IBSB ALUMNI 24

Life at Gonville and Caius

I thought I would take a little time out of my day to send a short message back to everyone at IBSB to let you all know that I am having a great time and that life here at Caius is above my expectations in terms of the academic excellence and the variety of opportunities offered. It often feels tiring as the amount of work we need to do is a lot, but also satisfactory to know that every week you somehow manage to go through a two page reading list and write an essay, so that by the end of it you have done so much work only to start all over again the following. I also started reading in Chapel, which is nice and a good public speaking exercise. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually live in the old courts in college as many people might think (most first years at all colleges don't), but in more modern accommodation, which is rally nice with an en-suite and a balcony with a very nice view (see photo of the garden from my window to the right). The food is great, we have a Formal Hall dinner (left) most nights and we have to wear our gowns, but do not really have to dress up. Sometimes we also have fancier dinners called "Superhall". Most of my tutors, lecturers, and my supervisor are middleaged, but some are younger and I have not yet encountered any dinosaurs, although they definitely exist (they are called "life fellows" as they actually live in college until they die and leave behind their wine collections). There are however also some very well-respected and nice older academics, but it is encouraging to see that there are quite a few young research fellowsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; so there is a place for

young people in the academic world. We had a great Remembrance Day service in Chapel today, but it's not quite like parading in front of ambassadors and the Romanian royal family to lay a wreath on beside of the school! I do miss my Head Girl privileges and prestige

sometimes. I have attached some photos of the college. The group photo is of everyone studying history in my year in King's College (you can see our chapel in the background). Wishing everyone back home a great year ahead. Best Wishes, Ruxandra Rogojinaru, Former Head Girl, IBSB 2015 Gonville & Caius, Cambridge

Life at LSE

As i walk on the busy roads of London into the multicultural and citycentred LSE campus i realise more than ever that this is a door towards a multitude of opportunities that await me. The first thing you'll notice as you walk into LSE is the competitive spirit that pervades the campus. Every here is ambitious to succeed in life and works really hard ot ensure that get good grades. Despite this, you will find out pretty quickly that the people are actually really friendly and welcoming, always ready to help or join you for a night out on the town or a weekend trip somewhere. Thanks to the great diversity of cultures on campus, you'll find that learn something new every single day. Unlike what most of you have experienced in high school, LSE is all about independent studies and independent research. There's no one here looking over your shoulder telling you to work, so have to be self-motivated and organised if you wan to keep up with all the work. The course are challenging, and the really make sure you, as an individual, develop properly so that you are ready to integrate into the working world when you leave. As for teachers, some have 26

a unique sense of humour, whilst others love to explain everything seriously and concisely. Their doors are always open- some teachers even offer cookies or jokesdepending on what the daily menu is. Alongside inspiring lecturers, and classmates, there are loads of extra societies you can get involved in. For me personally, IBSB inspired my passion for debating, so one society I decided to join was Debating (along with the Fashion and Champagne Society)! Joining societies has definitely helped me with both career advice as well as meeting and greeting new faces. Speaking of which, the university also has their own Friday-night Club, so if you have a chance to visit, don't miss out on this one as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great way to make new friends. If you are thinking of coming to LSE, make you make them understand why this is the right choice for you and why you are the right choice from them. Good luck with your applications and show them your best! Sonia Savin Ex Deputy Head Girl, IBSB 2013 LSE

Life at UCL The first thing I can say with complete confidence is that studying at UCL is a great experience because it offers you many excellent opportunities to study the subject of your choice in an interesting and practical manway. Whilst here, you'll be studying alongside other top minds from around the world, with the help of exceptional lecturers and teaching assistants who are always willing to help. This has bene my experience so far anyway. Because the courses are really practical, you are also presented with interesting projects that will allow you to gain first-hand experience working for a real world client. As a Computer Science student for example, I get to work for companies such as Microsoft Research, IBM, and even Warner Music, which not

only gives you helpful insight and experience about your field of study, but also greatly strengthens your CV and knowledge of possible career choices. Studying at UCL or any other university also doesn't mean you can't relax every now and then. When you are not studying there are lots of things to do. There are many fascinating societies and clubs, so you can most certainly find one that you are interested in. There are also many places to relax near campus, especially around Tottenham Court Road, just one street away from the main entrance, which is filled with an overwhelming choice of cafes and restaurants and places ot hang out at night.. There is much more I could write about life here in London but I think the best thing is to

leave it for you to discover yourself as that is half the fun. Hope everyone is doing well back at IBSB. I look forward to seeing some of you join me at UCL next year. Best Regards, Toby Li Ex Senior Academic Prefect, IBSB 2014 UCL

WHITE BOARD 28

Welcome Message

Welcome to the Primary School section of the continually improving TIV. I have to start by thanking our new Primary TIV editor, Ms Andreea Rus, for all her hard work editing our section and for her ideas and creativity. Our first term has been action packed. If we take a moment to reflect back on all that we have achieved in the first 8 weeks, I think you will be amazed. The educational visits, coffee mornings, BBQ, Bucharest Marathon, the Casiopeea pink run for Breast Cancer at Izvor Park, Sfanta Macrina school materials collection, Parents’ Evenings using the new 3 way conference format, World Sight Day and the visit from Bonny, Light into Europe’s guide dog in training, parent workshops presented by Ms Aida and Ms Manuela, which were very well received by those attending, and UN Day to cap it all! Are you amazed? You should be. I’m amazed that we did all this and also managed to teach the curriculum in a flexible and responsive way to meet the children’s needs and interests. Our Cross Curricular way of planning allows our teachers to be more creative, so lessons are more engaging and connected; building on the skills and knowledge learnt in all areas of the curriculum. I have also been impressed with the many models and projects I saw coming into school at the beginning of this term as the children prepare to present their homework projects to their class mates – an important skill for the future that they are practicing today. To complement the curricular work, the spiritual, moral and cultural understanding and capabilities of our children are constantly extended by our celebrations of Peace One Day, World Sight Day and UN Day. Our families raised almost 1,500 RON for Light into Europe and I am excited to

announce that IBSB will again be involved in supporting the training of two guide dogs for the blind, Bonny and Bramble. We have already met Bonny and we will be seeing more of her and Bramble over the coming year. We welcomed four new teachers to our fold; Ms Clarke, Mrs Deeble – Rogers, both from the UK, Ms Barbe, from the state of Ohio, and Ms Punt, joining us from South Africa. I am glad to say they have settled in very well and this was helped by the friendly and supportive school community we have here at IBSB. There are also a couple of returning teachers, in the grand tradition we have at IBSB. Firstly, Mr Morrison has returned teaching Y5C whilst Ms Chelsea is on maternity leave and I know you will extend him the same warm welcome you gave me upon my own return to IBSB. I am very happy to be back working with the children, teachers and parents here, it is little wonder that so many of us return; it is a special place and I wish to thank you for the kind words. This term, we look forward to Light into Europe’s Bonfire Evening at Crowne Plaza, Kangaroo competitions, a day to celebrate Diwali, organized by the PTF, the Nativity Play with our youngest children shining on stage, finishing with the traditional Carol Concert at the Anglican Church. I love this term, for me one of the best in a Primary School as we build up to the Winter Holidays. But, with much to do before then, we look forward to all that lies ahead and our continued partnership with parents to make the most of every learning opportunity. Alan Cornish Head of Primary 29

Early Years

In November, the Preschool and Reception children learned about the night and day cycle/light and dark (black and white), investigating different sources of light, such as flashlights, natural light, candles, and lamps. Related to this theme, we then organized a pyjama party on Friday afternoon as a nice way to end a busy week. After lunch all the children changed into their pyjamas and then had fun eating popcorn and other treats brought in by the parents, and playing games, including musical chairs and other popular party games. In fact, the children enjoyed the afternoon so much that we are already planning our next party.

Year 1 Year 1 children had lots of fun in their Romanian lesson this week, as they revised favourite stories from Romanian literature as well as international stories. Children checked their knowledge by guessing some riddles related to wellknown stories and their characters. They worked really hard to write the title of the stories and also to match characters from the same story. At the end of the lesson children had the opportunity to role play their favourite parts thus giving life to the characters they loved most.

Year 2

Year 2 began the year with a very exciting topic all about healthy living called ‘Staying Alive’. We learnt that we need to exercise to keep our body healthy. Some mornings we performed an exercise dance in the classroom to wake up our bodies for a full day of learning. As part of this topic we enjoyed a yoga session with our school counsellor Aida Ivan to learn some basic stretches to relax and keep our body supple. One thing we learnt was that yoga is done in absolute silence to ensure that everyone is relaxed and concentrating. This is something we could all work on together – being relaxed and taking some time for ourselves.

We really enjoyed learning about different foods and how the body needs a balanced diet to keep healthy. We identified healthy and non healthy food and sorted them into the food groups. We had great fun tasting a wide range of food and used adjectives to describe the taste of each one. Some children described hummus as ‘disgusting’ and others described it as ‘yummy’ and ‘delicious’. Since learning about eating healthily we have really been trying hard to bring a healthy snack to school and encourage others to do this too. We hope that we will use what we have learnt about exercise, healthy eating, sleep and keeping clean to keep our bodies healthy throughout the year and as we continue to grow up.

Year 3D Year 3 D have been looking at Our School and Community this term, and in connection with this topic we decided to go to the Village Museum. Once we entered the museum, we were transported into a small paradise of Romanian rural life. We were surrounded by traditional Romanian houses, demonstrating a strong community link with one another. It was equivalent to a fast forward type of experience back in the historical time of Romanian traditional culture. The homesteads were grouped by historical provinces: Tranyslvania, Muntenia and Moldavia, to which the children found similarities to their own houses. According to their area of origin we saw constructions made of wood, clay and stone, covered with shingles, straw or thatch. Back in the classroom we used our experiences at the museum in Science to experiment with different construction materials.

Year 3B

Since we are studying community, Year 3B went on an educational visit to the Village Museum. The students were able to see the different types of communities that have existed around Romania, and were able to see the different types of houses. In science class a couple weeks before, we

discussed rocks and what buildings are made out of, so as we walked around the museum, the students identified what materials the houses were made out of. The students also learned new vocabulary such as clay, shingles and tiles.

Year 4 The Year 4 Scientists left school with state-of-the art equipment in order to explore nature and more specifically the mini â&#x20AC;&#x153;beastsâ&#x20AC;? and seeds found in Cismigiu Park. They were real explorers and the more they found, the better the experience became. It was wonderful to see all small living things using magnifying lenses which allowed the Scientists to look at the beasts with great detail! After lunch in the park, it was time for some more work: bark rubbing, nature description and finally, ice-cream and play! Another great day in the outdoors! Please see more picture on the next page.

CAS Term Mini Beasts Safari1AinReview Cismigiu

Year 5

Year 5 has worked really hard this term in all areas of school life. As part of our work on “What a Wonderful World” this term, we decided to give children in Year 5 a chance to learn about their world by visiting the Arges Museum in Pitesti. There they enjoyed the experience, and discovered facts about the formation of Earth and a brief history of life on Earth and how it has changed throughout the ages. It was a great day and we hope that in the next term we’ll have another opportunity like this. 36

Year 6 As part of our studies into sight and the human eye, Year 6 looked at some Optical Art images. After three weeks of introduction and preparation work, we decided to give ourselves a challenge by recreating our Op Art images on ceramic tiles. This was quite difficult because the images we created required great accuracy and patience, but as you can see we produced some excellent work! To do this, we went to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Made By Youâ&#x20AC;? ceramics workshop (www.madebyyou.ro), where we were able to use their specialist paint and equipment. The trip was a great success, and we hope to visit again soon!

Halloween Party Once again, the PTF did an excellent job of organizing the Halloween Party for the children (and ghastly ghouls) of IBSB. Claudia Marta and Alina Pascale worked tirelessly to ensure the children enjoyed the party at Kiddo Academy. The children also played their part as they came dressed in their funny, scary and original costumes. There were some children I could not even recognize so complete was their transformation into hideousness. We had our traditional contests for costumes and pumpkins. People won and people lost but no one was sad about it because all of us had fun playing, bouncing, climbing, running, sliding, dancing, eating, drinking and just being downright gruesome. Over all you can see how much fun we had!

SCHOOL EVENTS 40

Parent/Teacher BBQ The Annual Term 1a Parent-Teacher BBQ took place this year on the 12th of September. Although it was cloudy and generally quite an overcast day, it didn’t prevent our tight school community from mingling. New connections were created between parents with new students in our school and parents were provided the perfect opportunity to meet their child’s teacher in a relaxed, friendly setting. As usual, there was a large variety of food and beverages which were all brought thanks to the dedicated contribution of parents and staff. The assortments ranged from healthy fruits to the ever-traditional Romanian “mici”, alongside mouthwatering salted French fries and delicious, delightful desserts such as gooey chocolate mint cookies, which were heavily complimented by several flavours of ice cream. With such a delicious and glorious feast it wasn’t a surprise that the food disappeared quickly- thoroughly enjoyed by all the people lucky enough to attend this event. Children also had the opportunity to play ping-pong, football, or to check out the book stand with a diverse choice of genres to choose from. There were Lego Books, cooking books, world record books, and almost any other type imaginable to captivate one’s interest. It was certainly a charming event as people chatted away about relevant school information as they ate from the buffet with lovely music to enhance the mood. The Parent-Teacher BBQ was an excellent occasion for parents to get together at the start of the year to catch up and share stories about their respective summer adventures, but also to speak about the future school year ahead for their children; this was clearly why so many people attended this event as it is a welcome greeting back into the school system. Milena Vergara (Year 8C)

DOE Summer Expedition

Diary notes from the Gold Practice Expedition… of gateway to Fagaras, at midday… and the sun was shining upon us… I mean right above our heads, mercilessly, melting the the Good Little Donkeys

tarmac beneath our feet as we started our journey on the country road, winding between corn fields (hence the name “Porumbacu”). The exhausting trip to Porumbacu de Sus, did not discourage us, as every simmering step fuelled our desire to get to the mountains faster, and shortly, there we were… Face to face with heavy dark clouds, that cooled us down thoroughly on the forest road to Cabana Negoiu. A heavy thunder rain was our blessing and greeting into the Fagaras.

9-12 July 2015: We (Alexandra, Maria, Anastasia, Steve, Alin and Tudor) set out to discover the Fagaras Mountains and to train for the greatest adventure of our Duke of Edinburgh International Award experience: the Gold Expedition! After having hiked an important part of the Piatra Craiului Peak Route, in extraordinary conditions (Thank you, Valentin Ogner, our amazing assessor, we couldn’t have done it without you!!!) we were ambitious enough to try an equally The way to the chalet was full of providential meetings; we challenging route this time, in the “Romanian Alps”. were impressed by the local people who were willing to go We left Bucharest in the dark, early morning, on a steaming out of their way to help us with information, and to share hot summer day. Remember? 37 degrees Celsius in the their love for the mountains with us. However, the most shade… the kind of temperature that would turn your cold important lessons we earned came from the donkeys of drink into a lukewarm potion in a matter of minutes. We Negoiu. The Negoiu chalet is a beautiful stone building, set at escaped the burning city. We arrived at Porumbacu de Jos, our 1546 m altitude. It can only be reached by foot, on a forest

The Caltun shelter is a small, but robust hut made out of metal, that can accommodate up to 16 people. It is the local 5 stars hotel… intimate and welcoming, or at least that’s how we felt as soon as we took refuge from the coldest, wildest wind we have ever experienced. Good thing we had heavy backpacks to keep us steady, otherwise we would have ended up flying our way to the bottom of the valley! We spent the night listening to the howling wind, at -2 degrees Celsius, hoping not to be lifted with refuge and all, like little Dorothy flying to the Kingdom of Oz… We cuddled up in our sleeping trail. It does have its own power generator, but the food and bags thinking that back home, our dear friends were melting many other supplies are sent to the isolated house in the in the boiling city summer. woods by donkeys. The donkeys can be seen travelling the trail twice a week, carrying heavy packs, sometimes only remotely supervised. You may wonder: “what is there to learn from these allegedly stubborn creatures?” We’ll tell you: besides the fact that the donkeys are extremely good and cute (because Anastasia says so!), they seem to know they have a mission to carry out, and they complete it no matter how hard it is for them to do so (says Steve), they look after each other and they wait for each other along the way (Tudor and Maria noticed), the younger members of the group are protected by the others and learn from them (Alin found out), and despite the fact that they have “heavy backpacks” they do not complain at all (Alexandra commented). Thus, in sheer and honest admiration for these inspiring creatures we decided on the spot to name our team “The Good Little Donkeys”. We The following day, at 8 o’clock, the sky was clear again, and went to sleep as the rain was pouring outside. We knew that if we continued our journey to Transfagarasan, one of the the rain persisted, we’d have to go back home the following greatest roads on the planet, according to 'Top Gear'. Our way was marked with a blue cross… which reminded us of day. We prayed for good weather. Scotland , country of the brave, and homeland to our dear Our prayers were heard and the following day we took the Miss Becky, a wonderful supervisor, mentor and role-model. trail that is known as the “Dragons’ path” ("Drumul Zmeilor") We had one last extraordinary encounter with a shepherd to the Negoiu peak – an enchanting route that meets and who, looking at our super-sized backpacks, advised us wisely crosses seven waterfalls. The Fagaras is a strange sort of to take the easier route to the end of our trip… and back to fantasy land. We have always felt like we were characters in a the civilized (and crowded) world: the Transfagarasan tunnel, local fairy tale, set in majestic scenery that was only the Cable car at Balea Lake, then a short journey by car to comparable to those that you could sometimes see in Sibiu and from there, we hopped on the train back to impressive films such as “The Lord of the Rings” or “The Game Bucharest. We got back home with a thousand stories to tell, of Thrones”… but we were there, experiencing every blast of and lots of enthusiasm for the qualifying trip in the Retezat cold wind, and stretch of mist, and strain in our muscles… it Mountains . was way better than '4D' It was '4REAL'!! We were climbing the tallest mountain chain in Romania. We walked for hours We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Mihai on end with clouds at our feet; we almost lost our way family, Maria and Tudor’s parents for their contribution to navigating over large patches of snow up to the knee (yes, we making this trip a successful venture. With their continuous have tested the depth… involuntarily); we climbed a steep and moral support, personal example of motivation and narrow stone wall using chains (“Strunga Ciobanului”) and determination, under their discrete supervision, we felt as if when we were almost completely drained we shared the last we were on an adventurous and fun family trip. Thank you for bit of glucose bar, and we remembered our dear Vali who sharing this wonderful experience with us! taught us how important it is to keep walking, and never lose Ms Johanna Croci hope, because shelter is “just over the corner”… or rather, in IDOEA Coordinator our case, over the next peak. And so, we finally got to the Caltun glacial lake and shelter!

UK University

We had the utmost honour this year of being visited by a representative from the prestigious London School of Economics. This university is known greatly for its studies in social studies and is academically seen as 5th best University in the world according to global ranking.

bit biased as its Secretary General). Finally, you need a well written personal statement to convince them of your

When I heard about this presentation I was completely ecstatic; it is my dream to attend this astounding institution, which interestingly boasts 16 Noble Prize Winners among its prestigious alumni, and is one of the top universities in my future occupational domain of International Relations. As I learnt from this presentation, the UN is the greatest employer of LSE students and hopefully one day with enough perseverance I shall be able to add to tally by being offered a position myself upon graduation. When thinking about going to a University with this amount

of prestige, you have to focus a tremendous amount on your studies and achieving the highest grades possible. A*AA in the general entry level required. In addition o goo grades you also need to show evidence of having complimented your studies with an a rich extra-curricular, which is considered extremely important by most top universitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are various different clubs you could join within our school (eg. Become a delegate in the MUN group; of course I might be a 44

conviction (it is encouraged to write 75% of it based on the topic you want to apply for to demonstrate you are interested in the subject â&#x20AC;&#x201C; should be about 4,000 characters) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; LSE provides no interviews, therefore putting emphasis on the fact that you have to represent yourself in a petite amount of textual space. Last year there were only 1,300 places for 17,000 applicants, therefore demonstrating the high degree of competition you will face in earning a place there. The two years in which you take your As pointed out by the presenter, A levels are the vital years to your future application; especially if you want to attend an Oxbridge or Ivy League school. This presentation opened my eyes to the hardships that I will soon face In joining the race for place for a sot at a good university, confirming that I need to concentrate my attention on my studies and assign it my highest priority at the moment. I also highly recommend all students to visit Universities on open days or to attend university fairs to make sure that you like the course or enjoy the city of the University where you plan to spent the next 3-5 years of your academic life. Maria Ion (Year 12)

UN DAY Term 1a came to a memorable end with the many colours and aromas of internationalism, including students walking around dressed in their national costumes, the flags of the world flying across the main buildings, and a buffet full to brimming with the cuisine of our twentysomething countries represented at UN Day this year. Some of the highlights of the programme included as always, the Studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Welcome in their national costumes, the Primary School Song, the Year 6 poetry contributions, and the presentation of the cheque to Light into Europe, with Mr Stan Platt taking the stage with Bibi the guide dog at his side to officially accept the money, raised by the students on World Sight Day, from Head Boy Andrei, and Senior Prefect Adriana.

Joining the IBSB students on stage were children from The Japanese School, offering a traditional Japanese dance, children from DSBU, offering a choral song, and children from Scoala Ferdinand 64, offering a flamingo dance. A special thank you to Minster Scalisse, from the Brazilian Embassy, for joining us and offering a few words to officially open the programme. Thank you also to the various charities and community partners preent, and to the parents for bringing in food for the international buffet. It was truly an international day enjoyed by all, despite the coolish weather, and the perfect note on which to end Term 1a. Wishing everyone an enjoyable midterm break.

COBIS MUN

What is it?

Topic 1: European Debt Crisis.

It is a simulation of the procedures of the United Nations committees when discussing and negotiating on various issues of global concern. We will host 4 committees, each discussing the following themes:

Topic 2: Renewable Energy.

United Nations Security Council

Where is it?

Topic 1: The case of the Islamic State.

Intercontinental Hotel

Topic 2: North Korea’s potential nuclear power.

With only 4 months to go to one of our major events for the year, COBIS-MUN 2016, IBSB students and teachers have been striving to make sure that this will turn into a legendary experience for all.

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNCHR) Topic 1: Contemporary forms of slavery. Topic 2: Death penalty. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Topic 1: Syrian refugees. Topic 2: Rohingya refugees and migrants from Bangladesh. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) 48

When is it? March 3rd – March 6th 2016 (Thursday – Sunday)

Some milestones we have hit so far: We have reached our minimum target number of applicants; though we are still accepting new additions. Our programme team has organized the first Mock Session with great success. Our video clip of the session will be available on our website: www.ibsb.ro/school-life/cobismun

to organise this event to the best of our abilities. We hope to make COBIS and our school’s name proud.” Freddy (Year 12): “I found it very enjoyable to work on the MUN videos and be part of a group that discusses real world events and puts them in a fascinating context.” Anna (Year 10): “MUN widens your perspective and is an opportunity to be an active citizen of the world. I’m joining this year in hope to gain and polish my skills.” Matei (Year 10): MUN gives you the opportunity to learn more about the world around us. I’m joining this year to develop my speaking skills.” We have created a range of content, from themes, topics with descriptions, country matrix and more, with input from all teams: Programme, Logistics and Marketing. We shared these with the applicants. Our logistics team, particularly lovely Mrs. Jane Broadhurst, has been tackling the onslaught of queries, requests, payments and more from participant schools (of which, to date, we have about 14, totalling over 70 delegates so far). We have started marketing our event on Facebook, Twitter and of course our own school website. We are keeping this up -to-date with information, links and activities for those interested. Do check us out on Facebook!

Key Targets for the next 2 months:

Secretary General Note:

I’m honoured that Ms Blessy picked me for this fantastic job Prepare and share our rules of procedure with applicants to as I aspire in the future to dedicate my career to the make sure that everyone will be on the same page in terms of marvelousness that is International Relations. I’m not going to behaviour and other expectations during the conference. kid you, organising your MUN is a lot harder than I ever Expand the local awareness about our event (press releases expected, however after our MUN trip last year we were extremely inspired by our experience and finally decided to about the event). create our own. I can definitely say that the hours of Invite some Romanian International schools and some public preparation has brought many of us closer as we persevere schools. through the hardships we face, however I have no doubt that this shall be an incredible event to attend and we should be Obtain sponsorships to enable unique features and quality proud to be hosting the first ever COBIS MUN. investments in our event (high-tech equipment, specially designed stationery, gift-packages for participants). Regarding our first ever mock MUN it went splendidly our

Student Impressions: Sofia (Year 12): “I am grateful to be part of the MUN programming team due to our unity and teamwork. I feel like I have gained in many ways, it has helped me feel part of my wider community and engaged in global discussions. I aspire to be part of the real UN someday!”

delegates cam extremely well prepared on their topics. All the day was dedicated to them and their training, presentations were shown to inform them upon the procedures they needed to follow and how they would have to present themselves in an actual conference. I’m surprised to the vast level of dedication and surprised to how quickly they learnt everything we taught them. I am extremely proud of our school’s delegate team as well as the organisation team, we are rapidly progressing and March is quickly approaching.

Catrinel – Deputy Secretary General (Year 12): “As much as planning an MUN has been a pain in many ways; it has also We are ready for the amazing opportunity to represent IBSB been one of the funniest and nicest experiences so far. We amongst the other COBIS schools. have a tight team which does all but sleep together, in order

Maria Ion (Year 12) 49

KS3 Outward Bound Working well together, being able to empathize and communicate with others, as well as motivate and persuade are hugely important characteristics in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. Give students opportunities to help others and serve the community and you will be amazed by how much they are willing to give and how much they want to make the world a better place. Next, place all of this in an outdoor context and you will be able to educate people on the importance of our ecosystem and the need to protect it. Finally, combine this with the determination to succeed, fitness , strength and a skill set to deal with any kind of challenge and you soon start to realise that you are coaching students to succeed mentally and physically as well as to act responsibly towards others in school, at work and in fact, anywhere in the world.

heavy back pack, navigating through forests, giving first aid to a friend , cooking and cleaning and sleeping under a thin film of nylon, soon evolves into a fun and enjoyable experience and the opportunity to see more beautiful things that Romania has to offer. If a student can do all these things - the art of working hard,

The Key Stage 3 Outward Bound Programme is one of the first steps that children will take on this quest to be valuable and caring members of the community. Part of the programme focuses on team work and students are also given opportunities to lead small groups in an activity or quest. They learn new skills that at first seem only applicable to the outdoors, but they soon realise that the determination to summit or the precision required to tie knots or erect a tent so that it stays up in a storm are easily transferable to a school, home or the work environment. Before long students are making their own judgements about what to take, which routes to follow, and when to push on, eat, rest and stop for the night. Very quickly their confidence increases and their reliance on the all-important instructors decreases. What at first seemed a daunting task of carrying a 50

concentrating on projects, completing tasks to a high standard and striving for goals- then success in the classroom is just but one step away. Robert Hewett Head of Secondary

Year 7 & 8 51

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Sunday commemorates those who died on all the battlefields from all wars, but first started as a way of remembering those who died during the four bloody years between 1914 and 1918 that came to be known as the years of The Great War, or World War One. It is fitting that we commemorate the dead from both sides in all distant battlefields around the world in the first truly global war, and a topic which is an integral part of study at IBSB School History. Far away from the huge cemeteries in France and Belgium where the war was bloodiest on the famous Western Front, in places like Tancabesti, where the Commonwealth Bucharest Cemetery is located, we see the true global reach of this war. 83 Commonwealth soldiers from World War One and Two lie there, from countries like the UK, Canada and even New Zealand and India. Every Sunday before the fateful 11th Hour of the 11th Minute of the 11th day in November (from the first time in 1918 when the many fighting nations 52

finally bid their farewell to arms), representatives from all the nations lay wreaths to honour the dead after prayers (in English and Romanian) and the playing of the moving Last Post. Schools lay wreaths too and this year our Head Boy and Girl, Andrei and Zoe, performed the task, laying our school’s wreaths with wonderful ceremony and gravity (pictured). Many of the wreaths were made up of poppies, the flower that we mark this day by as this was the flower that was the first to cover the muddy, churned up battlefields. Following the ceremony we were kindly treated to a nice lunch at the British Ambassador’s Residence, where Zoe and Andrei represented the school’s students admirably in the presence of many diplomats and Ambassadors. Mr Afzal Shaik Head of Humanities & History Teacher

London University Fair London University Fair quick shopping spree we took the metro to the fair itself. Lines What could be a better way to learn about your future and lines of university stalls with their representatives waiting university? Visit them of course. I was lucky enough to go, for us to sit down and ask our numerous questions. along side some of my colleagues, to the biggest UK university fair held in London every November. This experience made all of us set goals and strive towards the entry requirement grades, we finished the day by eating a We left Bucharest on Thursday afternoon in order to get a full fabulous Lebanese meal with some of the old IBSB students day visiting universities on Friday. Friday was a busy day, we who are now studying in London. Sunday was the packing up had a plan to visit numerous universities of our preference day (we managed to get in some shopping done againâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; at one some of them being : UCL, LSE, City University, Imperial of London's largest street markets) and then off we flew back University and Queen Mary. This was a great experience for all to Bucharest where we got our backpacks ready for school on of us as we got a feeling of what a London university looks like Monday. Overall it was an enjoyable and worthwhile first hand, and on tour to fall deeply in love with their libraries experience for all of us , and one I would definitely (I swear I would have moved to the LSE library if I recommend to the students next year if you are thinking to could). Saturday morning, after enjoying our Hotel's study somewhere in the UK. breakfast, we headed off to one of London's busiest shopping Adriana Bajescu (Year 12) street (where i must admit I went a bit overboard!). After a

Caledonian Ball The 18th Light into Europe Caledonian Ball, which took place this year at the Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, November 21st, saw some 170 in attendance, including a good number of students, parents, and staff from IBSB, enjoy the best of Scottish hospitality. Our students officially opened the dinner with a festive display of Scottish dancing, setting the scene for an enjoyable night ahead, complete with Haggis, delivered fresh from Scotland, a Caledonian band from Inverness, and a healthy number of Scottish reels to ensure everyone present left brimming with Scottish fun. In total, 28,000 euros was raised to help fund the Light into

Europe Guide Dog Programme, which continues to grow with public support. There were also 6 families present who pledged to look after a guide dog for a year until they are old enough to be trained and to go out to help someone in need. If you would like to support Light into Europe and get involved in the guide dog programme, please contact Rob Bousie at robbousie@lightintoeurope.com. The next event on the Light into Europe calendar is the Burns Supper, coming up on January 30. We hope to see many of you there or what is sure to be another fun night out.

SPORTS 56

Bucharest Marathon I was in Bucharest, near The People’s Palace, it was packed with children and adults. I met my friends there and while we were waiting, we did all sorts of wacky things like wait in the queue for half an hour to go on the Vodafone machine, which had 2 seats and was used to create a simulated apocalypse in 3D that seemed to come towards you by wearing some specially designed glasses! It wasn’t only Vodafone who sponsored the runners, there were many more other companies like that! A good example is Europa FM which gave us free yo-yos and discussed us on the radio! Moreover Adidas helped us with all the equipment we needed for the race; also I cannot forget Raiffeisen Bank which was very supportive as well. I had a lot of fun in the end; except for when I had to run and I was feeling exhausted! It was so challenging! I couldn’t feel my toes and I was freezing at one point, even though it wasn’t that cold outside! While my friends and I were getting ready to run I noticed that I was the most nervous out of all. In order to prepare for the race we did some jumping and some stretching, and while I did all those things, I still didn’t feel like I was ready enough to run! Then, suddenly, the whistle blew and everyone began the race and started to cheer! A lot of people attended the event, so the streets were pretty crowded, however not crowded enough to be an inconvenience, merely enough to enhance the competitive spirit. At one point, I needed some time to stop, so I stopped near a tree to catch my breath. I wasn’t tired I was just really dehydrated and I didn’t have any water with me, which was a bad decision, I know, but I didn’t want to let that stop me so I decided to push myself and try to get to the finish line. As the race approached its ending, I sprinted to the finish line and got a very good place in the race! I learned to motivate myself and, in the process, I had a very good time running and competing with other people, overall. When running you must always be positive and hope for the best, as this marathon taught me! Also, something very important, do not forget to take a bottle of water with you, under any circumstances! Kathleen Hughes (Year 7) Special congratulations to: Maria Roates—1st Place (5-6 years) Alina Barbu— 2nd Place (9-10 years) IBSB SCHOOL 3rd highest number of students entered in Romania.

Triathlon Fever Mamaia Triathlon Results

DELTA Triathlon Success

Well-done to all those students, paeans and teachers who took part in the Mamaia Triathlon on September 5.

Special congratulations to those who participated in the Delta Triathlon on August 29 . We had a number of students entered, with Alina Barbu finishing 1st in the U10 girls, and Andreea Alba finishing 2nd it the U9 girls, and Mr Georgescu coming 2nd in his age group also, so a big â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well done!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; to everyone!

Results:

Time

Placing

Olympic [1500 swim/40km cycle/10km run] Paul Georegescu Robert Hewett Team IBSB

2:0:03 2:35:06 2:31:19

5/72 5/29 5/16

Sprint [750 swim/20km cycle/5km run] Silvia Hewett 1:33:33 2/8 Sorin CRISTEA -SPRINT 1:35:37 21/41 IBSB Team 1 1:25: 18 9/35 (Anton Zamfir-Victor Cristea-Alina Barbu)

IBSB Team 2

1:27:32 11/35 (Claudiu-Vladimir Stanoi-Andreea Alba)

IBSB Team 3

1:27:32

22/35

(Andrei Minculete-Luminita Zamfir-Dana Minculete)

Childrens Race Aquathlon Andreea Albu Andrei Minculete Ana Maria Zamfir Ofek Lavi Ana Nanau

Alina Barbu Anton Zamfir Or Lavi Ana Mihaiescu Isabel Dinculescu

Duathlon Tudor Damcali- 2nd place Ana Sporis- 2nd place Alexis Chiliment- 2nd place David Kiiovschi -3rd place George Boronea Petru Boronea Rares saizu Luca Rusu Ralph Khachuk Catrina Sporis

Swimming in the English Channel Captain Matthew Webb (19 January 1848 – 24 July 1883) was the first recorded person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids. On 25 August 1875, he swam from Dover to Calais in just under 22 hours. Since that time many people have attempted the crossing, with a total of 1426 swimmers making the crossing successfully. Unfortunately, there are no Romanian swimmers on the list of the list of successful attempts. In July 2016 our very own Paul Georgescu intends to be the first Romanian– with your support- to make the crossing, swimming up to 50kms, without a wetsuit in 16’C waters. Be there to support him!

STUDENT REVIEWS 62

Student Summer Holidays Hello everyone! How was your summer? I hope you had a lovely holiday! To start off with, it is crucial to prepare before starting off on a journey and it is undeniable that doing this helped me a lot in this particular occasion. My first destination was Hong Kong. Before heading there, I booked my flight with a 9-hour layover in Paris with hopes that I would spend some time in that beautiful city. Although 9 hours may sound like a long time, it is important we keep in mind 3 hours of it were wasted on traveling from the airport into the city and back. The remaining time was still enough for me to start ticking off the activities I had planned on my 'to-do list' before arriving. The first one was climbing up The Eiffel Tower. This was not an easy thing. While everyone was lining up, I decided to use the stairs instead, clearly forgetting the amount of time this would take, the amount of energy I would consume and risking missing my flight. However, the moment I reached the top, I realized it was all worth it.

After arriving, I soon realised the difference in temperature from how wet my t-shirt had gotten and this drove me crazy since I wasn't used to such high degrees. Despite this, I decided to fill up my time with as many activities and attractions as possible. I went to The Peak, Madame Tussaud and most importantly met up with Mr Blythe (one of the main reasons I went to Hong Kong). We talked endlessly about our lives, ate the famous traditional 'Dim Sum' dessert, explored Hong Kong and even tasted liquid nitrogen ice cream. After saying goodbye to him, the next few days I spent time shopping and hanging around the big city. The next destination was China. Thankfully, my friend joined me on this one (I wasn't alone anymore). There, we explored a couple of cities; spent time at home and even went to a family gathering. After spending 2 weeks there, unfortunately, it was time for me to return to Romania. Unluckily, our flight to Amsterdam

was delayed due to technical issue and therefore missed the connecting flight. Thankfully, the airline company provided us with a hotel room until the next flight which would help us arrive home safely.

In the evening, I headed back to the airport and after seeing the huge A380 standing right in front of me; I couldn't wait to board and start my journey to Hong Kong.

Overall, I am really delighted to have travelled so much during my holiday and I can't wait to share more with you next time! Kevin Zhan (Year 13) 63

Summer Festivals had no idea existed in my country. I would strongly recommend visiting this city. The architecture is unreal, the food and service are amazing and the people are the most welcoming human beings you will ever encounter in your life; always prompt to offer help and give directions in their intriguing soft accents. When we finally got to the festival, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappointed. Even though the odds were

This summer I had the wonderful opportunity of going to one of the largest festivals in Romania, Electric Castle, which featured famous singers from all over the world. It was my first music festival, so I was quite excited and nervous at the same time. I had no idea what to expect, and to be honest, I only decided to go because all my friends were going, so I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really know the bands Our trip started out on the wrong foot, as most incredible adventures do, with us missing the train to Cluj, where the festival was to take place. Desperate, and pressed by time, we decided to hire a minibus to take us there. We arrived at the hotel at 4:00 am, tired and freezing because of all the flimsy clothes we somehow all decided to wear without checking the weather. To top it all, we were told that we had to wait until noon for the rooms to be ready, so we had no choice but to sit around and try to squeeze together on the small couches in the reception to get some rest.

After what felt like an entire lifetime of uncomfortable semisleeping, we finally received our rooms and were able to get some peaceful, relaxing slumber. Later that day, we explored the beautiful city of Cluj for the first time in our lives. It was incredible and there are not enough words in the English language to describe the infinite feelings of pride that warmed my soul when I saw that amazing hidden treasure I 64

against success as it had been raining for the most of the day, and the chilliness of the night cut through our clothes mercilessly, the atmosphere was the opposite: warm, beautiful, colourful, and positive vibes were dancing in the air, twirling around, whispering honey coated words in everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ear, rocking along to the music of the bands. The sound system was amazing, and the performers shared their souls, their feelings and their enthusiasm throughout the whole night.

The food court was full of a variety of weirdly interesting dishes, such as sea food shaworma, amazing burgers from the infamous Burger Van and Raw Vegan dessert stands. The overall experience was amazing, and I will have some of the best memories to treasure for the rest of my life. Catrinel Craiu (Year 12)

Teachers Summer 2015 Journal from India â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ms. Carman Jailsamer, August 2015 Peacocks, camels and antelopes, oh my! We spent a mesmerizing two days exploring Jailsamer and during that time we went on that requisite camel safari into the desert, but I never expected to see what I saw: wild Peacocks and Golden Antelope roaming the dunes at will. As we set out on our trek we were startled by the unexpected screams of the Peacocks fanning and flying in the nearby bush. To see these noble and elegant birds in the wild was a first for me but the surprises didn't end there. Suddenly there was movement, just a flash of tawny velvet in the distance and then the delicate creatures known as Golden antelope appeared. Lovely! The idea was to catch the sunset, but since it had rained and the sky was moody, we arrived at the top of the dunes and sat in the sand while our drivers covered saddles with rain protection. Apparently the desert is full of surprises because no sooner had we dug ourselves a comfortable "chair" when along comes a Bedouin and says,"cold beer?" Um, ya! An enterprising local to be sure and before you could say Abracadabra, we were enjoying some local brew and a bag of Lays potato chips (sour cream and onion) and watching the cloud play. The best part was, it never got hot and the desert turned out be a refreshing place to spend some downtime. We are travelling with a 4-year-old (her grandparents are from Kerala) and to watch her running with such abandon over the pristine dunes was a sight. Happiness is a child with nothing but open space to explore. Tomorrow we are leaving early to explore the famous fort of Jodhpur, the Mehrangarh, founded in 1459 by a man named Rao Jodha, a chief of the Rajput clan. I wonder if he would be pleased to know his city would give up its name to the riding pants I eventually wore as a kid during my horse riding phase.

Journal from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India Ms. Broadhurst Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. Often described as "the Athens of the East". Traceable history of 2000 years. Became a major commercial city trading with Greece, Rome and Chins. Seat of Tamil culture. 165 km from the coast of Sri Lanka.

Assi Ghat Varanasi. The daily 5am Puja ceremony at Asi Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. A humbling experience. Asi Ghat is one of Varanasi's oldest Ghats and apparently, attracted bathers in the days of Buddha. Hindus regard the Ganga as 'amrita', the elixir of life.

Manikarnika Chat, Varanasi. ' The great Cemation Ground'. Bodies are publicly cremated here, therefore no photography here for religious reasons and respect. 150 - 200 kg of wood are used to burn the bodies. Fire is taken from the holy flame, and bodies are burnt lighting the pyre from the feet up. The body is shaven first of any hair so it is 'pure'. Hip bones on women and chest bones on men tend not to burn completely. These are then thrown into the Ganga (Ganges) river. It takes about 2 hours for a body to burn. About 250 bodies are cremated each day in Varanasi. On the road in Rajasthan. A rare treat! Our driver Rakesh invited us to his home. After calling at the local market to pick up fresh vegetables, we headed to his village where his sisters cooked us an amazing home cooked meal. The younger sister making whole wheat Roti's.

Exciting Teacher Holiday

What Made Mr Angel Cry? Niagara Falls is part of very fabric of Canadian childhood. See the Falls, eat some overpriced junk food, buy a t-shirt, and terrify yourself touring a ‘haunted house’ with live actors, who are likely part time, teenage workers paid to wear a mask and jump out as tourists shuffle through the dark corridors. As an adult without children, what is the point of revisiting this tacky holiday town, right? That’s what I thought until I found myself visiting home with someone who had never experienced the typical tourist must-sees of Ontario, Canada. I expected Mr Angel to snap a picture of the Falls, eat a massive hamburger, buy a shot glass and jump back into the car without hesitation (in that order). His reaction, however, was unexpected. It was by seeing this almost kilometre-wide wonder through the fresh eyes of a newcomer that I came to really see it, in all its indescribable glory. He pushed me to board the Maid of the Mist, to pack onto a boat full of tourists in rain ponchos to experience the grandiose falls up close and personal. It was there, floating under the spell of nature that I was hit with a power beyond anything within my earthly grasp; I truly took in the Niagara Falls for the first time in my life. Maybe it was all that force, our relative insignificance or the sheer splendour of the sight; I am not

sure what captivated me. As I snapped back to the ordinary, I insisted on a selfie for Mr Angel’s family back in Onesti. He may claim that it was the mist from the mighty falls but I was there, so I know better; I am certain that on that boat ride the Niagara Falls brought our grumpy music teacher to tears. If you ask him, he may admit that there are some things in this world that might just be as beautiful as music. And as for the haunted houses, if I am to be fair, I must confess that it was me who screamed the loudest –by far. Ms Katie Bickell

Summer Experiences Photos

Photo Credits: Silviu Nastase & Andrea Carman

Advice to Achieve

Getting those desired 'A' Level grades: 'A Guide'. The struggle all of us have to go through, and is, unfortunately, inevitable, is studying for exams. Be it checkpoint, IGCSEs or A-Levels, they are all important and play a decisive factor in shaping our possible futures. The first time I realised that I truly have to start studying and taking things seriously as they couldn’t be ignored any longer, was in year 11; the first half term. My reaction was, of course, pure and sheer panic at the idea that I have so many subjects and only 24 hours in a day in which I had to reserve time for all my usual activities as well!! After the first wave of terror subsided, I decided to make 'An Action Plan'. First step: print the syllabuses for all my subjects. Second step: go and buy pretty notebooks that would become my revision books. Third: split the days of the week, or weekends, between subjects and try to get in at least 3 hours of studying per day. I am not usually a very organised person, so I knew that without having a plan from the start, I would never get anything done because: first of all I wouldn’t know where to start, and second of all: I would be so overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done, that I would simply

decide to ‘skip’ the day and do something else, more entertaining, like watching TV shows. Everyone has different learning strategies that they develop themselves, based on their memory type. What I found helped me remember was writing things down: so that’s what the revision books were for. I took the syllabus from the beginning to the end for each subject, and I started writing notes on each point, making sure I touched on everything and left nothing out. For me, my phone and laptop were quite a serious distraction, so for the time that I studied I put them in another room or gave them to my mom for safe-keeping; it is always better not to try to do ‘multitask’ by checking out what everyone else is doing when you’re studying for your exam. Think: in those hours, your friends won’t be doing much worth knowing! As much as I hoped and prayed for it, there is no easy way to achieve good grades: the sooner you accept that and start working, the higher your chances of achieving the grades you wanted will be and the satisfaction at the end will be worth all that pain you went through to get yourself working: the struggle is starting to do the work, not the work itself. You are all smart students; it would be a shame to let that go to waste

Desired Grades

only because you were too tempted to text instead of doing the work that might lift you higher. Let’s face it; most of us can master the art that is procrastination. However, it takes a whole new mindset to actually find your optimum study method to achieve your desired grades. Time management is a colossal factor to not over-stressing yourself with too much work: you should have an allocated amount of time per day to study for a certain subject: in my case it was never set upon each day of the week and it varied depending what subject where I knew I would be more productive. When wanting to study I must create a certain environment for myself to be in the correct mindset: my desk must be spotless and I usually put on relaxing music in the background on a low volume so (without lyrics so I don’t try to sing to it!) and never forget a coffee/hot chocolate accompanied by snacks, just in case I get peckish. I put my phone away or simply turn it off however I usually have my computer around me since I often type things up as I have a lot of essay based subjects and, after writing an 8 page essay for History, you usually get tired of writing.

prioritise in learning and you can see what upcoming topics are looming: you can then prepare in advance. Your preferred method when learning also depends on the type of memory you have. However, I strongly recommend reading the current chapter you are on in the textbook and write your own notes in your own words – this helps you memorise ideologies easier. I would also suggest colour coding as it is more eye-catching and therefore helps you to remember specific details. Please start looking over your topics as soon as you begin the academic year and not a couple of months before exam time: you can get away with it in IGCSE if you’re smart enough; however when it comes to AS and A Level if that is your strategy you are guaranteed about a C/D. Many of you probably aspire to study in high-ranking universities: what they look for in students is organisation and independence. They want people who are happy to strive on their own and produce terrific grades. Don’t waste these years not working, they are extremely crucial to your potential future and believe me: when you’ll finally arrive at your University there will be enough time for fun.

Usually, as Catrinel stated above, knowing your syllabus is a priority: then you know what information you should

Catrinel Craiu (Year 12) and Maria Ion (Year 12) 71

Book Recommendations Book Recommendation – KS 4/5:

All The Bright Places-Jennifer Niven The story of a boy who’s all but given up on life and a girl who’s struggling to stay afloat, “All The Bright Places” will take you through the whole spectrum of emotions: from uncontrollable crying fits to unimaginable laughing outbursts. It gives an insight to a more and more frequent reality of life: the struggle with depression and the offhand treatment of people suffering from mental disorders. It is the story of a girl who’s recently lost her sister in a terrible car accident. She is on the verge of giving up on life all together, and it is about a boy who struggles to stay alive. They meet on the highest tower of their school and from then on he begins to teach her the beauty of life and helps her restore her world.

I am the messenger- Markus Zusak

I first fell in love with Markus Zusak’s writing two years ago, when Mr. Kingston first discovered 'The Book Thief' and told us about how amazing it was. From then on, I decided to follow up on him to see if the spark of genius he had put to paper was legitimate or only “beginner’s luck”, and to my delight I wasn’t disappointed. His second book, 'I am The Messenger', is a life lesson described in a couple of hundred of pages that will push you in a tornado of emotions and feelings, and open your eyes to a new perspective on life. It is the story of a usual guy, Ed Kennedy, a taxi driver, nothing special, unnoticeable… until he found himself at the wrong place and the wrong time and unwittingly stopped a bank robbery. From then on, he started receiving cards with specific clues or addresses on them, and for each person he discovered from the cards, he had to deliver a message or a change to their lives. What he learns at the end of his adventure is a life lesson worth all the money in the world. Catrinel Craiu (Year 12)

2015-2016 Book Recommendations – KS 3: Revolver - Marcus Sedgwick

This book was a class assignment to read in my Year 8 class and all I can say is a great thanks to Miss Carman for choosing such a great novel. This story takes place at the other end of the world across the Atlantic and the characters within this charming tale are simple good people. The book is written during the commencment of the Big Gold Rush and like many others the Andersson family migrated from England to Nome hoping for a better life, due to the even slight potential of the good fortune of gold. At the start of the book there are four people introduced: Maria - the mother and wife, Einar - father and husband and the children - Sig and Anna. I have chosen this book for the TIV because it was an interesting read and it gives a great perspective on the idea that even if you try to play by the rules, life isn’t as easy as it seems. Throughout the book you will notice that different main characters such as Sig will currently experience flashbacks with intricate details that are the key to understanding the author’s thoughts. I recommend this novel to anyone seeking for adventures and action.

Inkheart - Cornelia Funke

Ever wonder what would happen if the characters from your favorite story could come to life? Cornelia Funke explores this in her novel Inkheart. An old friend of her father appears one night at their window, and immediately Meggie’s life is changed. They have to leave home, to avoid a fatal meeting with a mysterious individual named Capricorn. But who is he? A character that Meggie’s father read out of an aged book one fateful night that also coincided with her mother’s disappearance. Go along with Meggie, her father and the mysterious old friend in an adventure that may end with them victorious or with their deaths, as they race to push Capricorn back into his world. An amazingly enthralling book filled with twists and turns, drops and rises, love, life and hate. Sophia Cristodorescu (Year 8) and Christie Vernon (Year 8 )

Students Work Experience A great program that IBSB offers to its students is the Work Experience program. This program is dedicated to offer the students in Sixth Form a better understanding of what it is like to work in the domain they wish to begin a career in. It takes place during the final two weeks of the academic year for our students, in which you can experience various activities as an intern in your desired field of work. There is a special process in which our school interests themselves in each student’s future job interest and contacts a wide variety of different companies in which the student can get a legitimate insight to see if they are compatible with the job and actually enjoys it. From experience, I can say that the program is actually quite useful for my colleagues and I , seeing as it can be very east to idealise a certain job and then realize, when it’s too late, that

you don’t actually relish the thing you do daily. Back in Year 10, I was really interested in architecture as I realized how intricate the mixture of art and math is, it seemed like a perfect idea at the time. That same year, I went to the work experience program for the very first time, and had a taste of what it’s like to actually work as an architect. Those two weeks of work experience helped me change my mind regarding my future job. I realized architecture was simply not the right career for me. By contrast, the following year I attended a work experience program at an engineering firm that sells and repairs medical equipment. I deeply cherished my stay at this company, and came to the conclusion that this really is the job for me. This is why I believe work experience is important. It gets the student up close and personal to the job they would like to have in the future, and allows them to see a lot more clearly whether it is really for them.

This is not the only advantage of attending the Work Experience program however, if the student attends the workplace every day for the two weeks of work experience they receive a certificate which proves their presence at the firm and they may also receive a recommendation letter from the employee in charge. All this helps with the student’s future application for university, as it may be the decisive factor in getting accepted.

The Work Experience program is a welcomed change to the regular school lessons, especially since we get to be productive even though we have finished the yearly course. It is a relief from the ordinary school schedule, as well as being a great aid for the student when deciding their future career. Matei Surdu (Year 12)

Coming To Romania I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled to move. The last time I had left Washington, D.C was for Kiev in primary school, and this time around it was about to be much more difficult. Not only was I moving in the middle of the school year, but I was about to leave my best friends, volleyball team, and my school of three years behind. On top of that, no one back home seemed to know anything about Bucharest, let alone where it was. Quite funnily enough, upon my departure I actually heard shouts of “Have fun in Budapest!” behind me. I left, having no clue as to where the next three years were going to take me. When I first arrived at IBSB, I was in for quite a shock. Unlike the previous international schools I had attended, this one consisted mostly of Romanians however; thanks to IBSB’s small size, it was not too hard to make friends. Living in a country in which you don’t speak a single word of the language is harsh, adjusting at first was not easy but thankfully I got used to it. My initial arrival in Bucharest was nothing like what I had expected it to be. The cafes were more plentiful, the people friendlier and most surprisingly, everyone spoke at least a little bit of English (and yes, that included the old ladies at the market). It was also the middle of January, and therefore cold, extremely cold. At first glance, the city didn’t seem to

offer much. Now however, I have come to overlook the cons, and realize the pros of living in Bucharest: the nightlife is vibrant, the city is inexpensive, travelling to other European countries is easy (as opposed to nine -hour flights from the US to Europe), there is a wide variety of unique cafes and the list just goes on. Thanks to my new classmates, I was shown the ins and outs of the city and I slowly began to appreciate how great a place Bucharest could be. Sure, the streets were not the cleanest and the service in restaurants was unbelievably slow, but I was coming to realize that Bucharest was a quaint city, full of nooks and crannies that could reveal the most unexpected places. Bucharest may not be a huge metropolitan city like London or Istanbul, but it sure can hold its own. Moving to a new school is never easy. Moving to a new school that is in another country at 17 is even harder. Friends are left behind, familiarity is lost, and your whole way of life changes. However, new experiences are gained. I got introduced to a whole different culture and have come to realize that maybe Washington is not so different from Bucharest after all. I am happy that I moved, and I wouldn’t change this experience for the world. Dilara Yildiz (Year 12)

Where to Eat?!

Hidden Culinary Treasures in Bucharest If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a taste of authentic Italian gelato, look no further. Located within the bounds of the renowned streets of the Old City Centre, Cremeria Emilia offers a wide variety of delightful flavours from classic chocolate to exotic coconut. If you find yourself on Strada Franceza, spend an afternoon indulging in the sweet and savoury treats that they offer. It might remind you of the most remote parts of Italy where you find the best ice cream. Complete with a few tables where you can sit down and enjoy your scrumptious dessert or a fine cappuccino either as an afternoon treat or a midnight snack, this is the place. Besides the delicious ice cream, Cremeria Emilia also offers exquisite flavours, a genuine touch and a killer tiramisu. Definitely an experience worth trying!

Sofia Stefanica (Year 12) 76

Bucharest Places A Day of Indulgence – Maria Ion Bucharest is known for having a wide range of cafes and restaurant with countless different themes and specialties, one of my most beloved things to do is walk the streets of this diverse city and find new places, which seem like home as soon as you step in the door. If you are searching for a day in which you want to completely treat yourself I would definitely with no doubt recommend these two places.

French Revolution

Simbio

A place that fulfils all my desires when it comes to lush sweetness is “French Revolution”, they sell the most intriguing flavours of eclairs, which are beyond unimaginable when you first bite into it and have a lingering bonanza of scrumptiousness. Every time I have come to this place they have never disappointed and I guarantee you that each different flavour is a new experience – this is truly a taste of Paris within Bucharest.

is located in a dear antique building wrapped up in entangled vines, which they have purposely chose to leave in its full original glory whilst the inside is renovated in a Berlinesque style creating an atmosphere of cosiness protecting you from the chilly autumn breeze. The menu mainly consists of cuisine which could be classified as “brunch” such as my much-loved order of fluffy banana pancakes covered in scrumptious maple syrup in creating a divine palette of aroma which could be marvellously accompanied by a steaming and creamy hot coffee, however they also have a wide variety of food for lunch which I can definitely say are astonishing seeing as I have ordered multiple courses throughout my several visits. One thing that should definitely be tried are the smoothies that they make there, they are so refreshing and help enormously especially after a copious meal.

Maria Ion (Year 12)

COBIS Leadership Weekend leaders, powerful teenagers with the ability to change the future. In our free time we spoke about current influential and sometimes controversial topics, all of us debating on our own opinions and sometimes concluding to a general idea which most agreed upon.

COBIS leadership weekend has been an experience I will surely remember - I have made amazing friends, learned new things and had a blast; seeing as I felt this stir of positive feelings towards my long weekend, I strongly felt that I must share my experience in hope of getting more people to join me next year. As I was packing my luggage Thursday night I felt my heart pounding, I kept on questioning my presence at this conference as I was the only student attending from our school; this worried me as I thought I would make no new friends and have a lonely experience, I also thought I would fail to complete the tasks that I would receive. I began questioning my intelligence, thinking that I would naturally meet a group of highly educated future leaders which whom I did not identify with. However, I emerged out of my state of potential loneliness when I saw the two students from the British School of Bucharest, this reassured me that I was not alone and encouraged me to open up to those surrounding me and be myself. Then slowly, one by one students from COBIS schools around the globe started checking in the unimaginably spectacular hotel, seeing so many new faces from coming from countries such as: Egypt, Turkey, France, Slovakia, Spain, England, Portugal, China and so on; it made me realize what a honour it was to be there, representing both my country and my school. Everyone was so incredibly kind and thoughtful; they had an immense curiosity to know everything about me and Romania. Their broad level of knowledge and leadership skills gave me a new perspective causing for me to find a new side of myself. I felt empowered, I felt like we were all future

Then it officially started, the first course was the introduction to leadership, we began by parting in two groups across the room and debating on whether leadership meant being liked or being respected, and if true leadership was being followed or being feared, a role model or a loyal friend. It was great to see what people's passion on the topic and how the meaning of a simple word can vary across a huge group; beautiful arguments were permanently given from both sides in all examples.

The next day we were happy to work on multiple projects and activities about separating our social life from our academic life in reality and virtually, as well as getting a better grip on public speaking or goal achieving. As the night crawled in, the event which everyone was expecting finally arrived, the 1920's Murder Mystery party. The night was successfully planned by the organizers as they frightened us and intrigued us into the story line. After a long night of working in pairs and groups we managed to find the murderer and solve the case. As the sorrowful last day arrived, we all reflected upon the marvellous times we shared and the wonderfully interesting conversations we had, in which everyone had a right to their own opinion, and viewed each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movie projects. Unfortunately we had to say our painful goodbyes as we all rushed in to hug each-other, however we all exchanged phone numbers and social media accounts to stay in touch as we all wished this weekend would have lasted. I can confidently say I left the COBIS leadership weekend as a new person, a better more improved individual with connections from all around the world. I highly recommend any selfdevelopment trips to anyone out there, especially this Leadership weekend as it exceeded any type of expectations to a whole new level. I am forever grateful that I had the chance to go and I will eagerly be waiting for the next trip! Adriana Bajescu (Year 12)