- IBSB News and Views By the Students for the Students
Issue 1: October 2014
www.ibsb.ro
On behalf of all the office staff, and teachers we would like to thank the students and parents for contributing to a smooth start to the 2014-15 academic year. The school continues to grow and develop with each year and we are interested to receive your feedback. If you have time and would like to be more involved in the school, please come along to one of our PTF meetings. We look forward to seeing you there.
Aura Bogdan - Executive Director-
Contents Page
Staff & Editorial Coordinators Student Editor: Ruxandra R.
2
Editor’s Note
56
Primary School Halloween
3
Assistant Editor’s Note
59
IBSB Clubs
3
Senior School Prefects
STUDENT VIEWS
6
Head of School & Executive Director Message
61
Improved IBSB Facilities
62
Movie Reviews
8
BSO Inspections 64
Maria Recommends
10
IBSB Summer 2014 Examinations Results
66
TV Shows Review
Staff INSET
68
The Road is Life
70
Favorite Historical Figures
72
New Teachers
76
Restaurants of Bucharest
Student Assistant Editors: Andrei D. Teacher Coordinator: Ms Andrea Carman, Mr Paul Jennings Junior School Whiteboard: Ms Alina Radu Student Journalists/Contributors
12
CAS 14-15
CAS Term 1A Review
16
“Claims Re-told”
SPORTS 19
Sports Day
19
Casiopeea Fun walk Run
20
Teacher Inspires Sporting Success
Emilia M.
23
Memories for a Lifetime
Alin B.
24
Year 10 Trip
Maria I
26
Duke of Edinburgh Silver Qualifying Journey
28
The Duke of Edinburgh Preparation Journey
31
The Qualifying Journey
Ruxandra R. Andrei D. Raluca S.
Achille R. Maria M. Loren B. Contributing Staff Mr Kendall Peet
Office Staff
WHITEBOARD
Mr Ciprian Tiplea
33
Welcome Message
Mr Robert Hewitt
34
Early Years
Ms Stephanie Jones
35
Year 1
Ms Andrea Carmen
36
Year 2
Mr Afzal Shaikh
38
Year 3
Primary School staff
40
Year 4
Layout:
43
Year 5
Mr Florin Ghita & Ms Lea Cohen
44
Year 6
SCHOOL EVENTS
Contact Information:
47
World Sight Day
Address: 21 Agricultori St. District 2,
48
Awards at Royal Gala Ceremony
50
UN Day
53
Peace One Day
54
Bucharest History Conference
Bucharest, Romania, 021841 Tel: (+4) 021.253.1698, Fax: (+4) 021.253.1697 E- mail: office@ibsb.ro Website: www.ibsb.ro
CREATIVE CORNER 79
Trapping Flies
Editor’s Note Education is largely based on accumulating knowledge from large stuffy books and reproducing it under timed conditions. While that statement is quite reductive, it is also not so far from the truth, usually. Simply being in a school means learning not by experiencing the real world, but by reading about it in a controlled and protected environment where the focus is on studying. However, these are no longer the times we live in. More and more importance is placed on ‘thinking outside the box’ and similar concepts that may sound like clichés but are actually quite interesting when put into practice. The general idea behind them is that children should be taught not only the theory behind Economics or Sociology, but also how to be a part of society and to explore the world.
One way of learning this is constantly featured in our magazine and that is the Community Action Service (CAS) programme. Aimed at Sixth Formers, who have the choice of volunteering for one of the 9 running programmes, CAS taught me to care about the wider community and to put myself in the shoes of the less fortunate. It has also taught me that whilst you cannot make a huge change on your own, every initiative starts off small and grows, but it must start somewhere. Politics is not taught in this school, but I believe that CAS teaches us how to be active citizens in a far more realistic and useful way. It teaches us how to stand up for what we believe in, but also the hardships of raising money or awareness and the negative consequences of other people’s passivity, as well as of our own. Winning the CAS Gala at the end of the year is like winning any political election and it can be as much about your efforts and results as about popularity and support.
The how-to on handling challenging situations and team work is provided by sports activities, of which there is plenty of choice, from swimming and football to golf. But the rapidly growing Duke of Edinburgh programme incorporates that and much more. Having joined a Preparation Journey myself, I must admit that it taught me a few valuable lessons. Firstly: on a narrow stone path in the middle of the mountains there are no excuses and there is no going anywhere but forward. Secondly: if you can survive going up a long wet staircase with no safety net, you can survive any mundane challenge. While the Adventurous Journey is not for everyone, the Duke of Edinburgh does provide students with valuable lessons on how to adapt to an unfamiliar and challenging environment. Personally, that is something I wish I had been taught better as I will in less than a year head over to university in another country. While participating in CAS or the Duke of Edinburgh Award is certainly useful, there are many other opportunities to learn valuable skills outside the classroom. From leadership as taught by holding the position of house captain or prefect to the organisational and public speaking skills learned by participating in debating or Model United Nations, all it takes to develop as a person is to get involved. Prioritising is important, but so is being proactive and trying to expend your world as much as you can because while Economics and Sociology are fascinating subjects, there will certainly come a time when you wish you had learned something which they cannot teach earlier on. Moreover, getting involved in something extra-curricular will help you manage your time better once you succeed to balance that with studies. I hope this note and others I’ve written in this magazine will encourage students to get more involved. It’s a great pity seeing people letting opportunities pass them by when the school offers so many. There is much to be learned from simply choosing to have an active role in the school community and it can start with writing in this magazine!
By Ruxandra R.
Assistant Editor’s Note Dear TIV readers, What you are holding in your hand right now, or perhaps what you see on your screen right now (depending on your circumstances or how keen on technology you are) is the physical product of a little over two months of work. As such, I would like to thank all the students who got involved in this issue, producing some very interesting and well-written articles! Also, a special thanks to Lea for this wonderful design.
Some of the highlights of this issue are the challenges of Duke of Edinburgh hiking expedition by our students , the new CAS training sessions, the traditional UN Day , Ms Carman's fabulous summer holiday and many other insights into our community. If you have any suggestions or wish to somehow contribute, please do let me or Ruxandra know and get involved! Enjoy flicking through this issue!
Having recently come back from a COBIS Student Leadership Weekend held in Madrid, with students from schools all over the world such as Egypt, Qatar, Russia, France and many others, I was surprised but happy to find out that we are one of the very few schools to have their magazine run 100% by the students. It is with this in mind that I will continue to work for the TIV this year and next year as well, to proudly keep this tradition going. It’s all the more exciting to be part of this production when realizing that it became the common denominator and a platform for expression for everyone in our small community.
By Andrei D.
Senior School Prefects About the role of the Prefects The IBSB Senior School Prefects play an important role in helping to support both students and teachers in maintaining vibrant life on an around the school campus. Prefects assist new students in their adjustment to life at IBSB; they act as liaisons between students and faculty; they act as ambassadors of the school touring parents around the campus and special events; they are academic mentors for students needing extra help; they are student mentors for students needing extra support or maybe a friend to help them through a difficult time; they monitor the school to ensure that bullying does not take place; and they help the teachers run the school in many areas.
Each Prefect is assigned both a Primary and Senior class to support, which they visit on a regular basis to get to know the students, and in addition to this they also have specific duties, such as being the Editor of TIV, or the Year book, or Science Prefect, or Music Prefect, Lunchroom Prefect, etc. As a part of their function they have fortnightly meetings to discuss the problems that they see arising in the school and then work together as a team to solve these problems. Through regular meetings with the Head of Secondary they also help plan social and educational activities for the school. In this way they function as an integral extension of the faculty and administration.
Senior School Prefects
Ruxandra R. Head Girl
Andrei D. Deputy Head Boy
Andrei C. Music/Events Prefect
Maria M. Arts Prefect
Valeria G. Assembly Prefect
Sebastian Z. Music/Events Prefect
Stergios M. Science Prefect
Ana Denis C. Arts Prefect
Steve S. Assembly Prefect
Cora M. Events Prefect
Thomas F. Sports Prefect
Denisa N. Science Prefect
Head of School Inspiring the Next Generation Teaching is currently weathering a storm that seems to circling the globe, along the same magnitudes of global warming, and the depletion of natural resources, an increase in the number and severity of natural disasters, economic crisis after economic crisis, uncertainty about future job prospects, an increase in the rate of divorce, an increase in the various isms, terrorism, racism, egoism, alcoholism, annihilationism, atheism, and increasingly apparent antinomianism, and capitalism- synonymous with the aspheterixtic uprisings in the face of the reality of the 1% privileged few owning 99% of the world’s wealth- all of which is happening at a dizzying pace that is only matched by the frenzy of technological growth that leaves most of us breathless and holding on for dear life, trying to create a pocket of stability and calm amid this storm.
“This may be the case”, I hear you say, “but what does this have to do with Education?” A question well asked, and deserving of a well thought out answer. Everywhere we turn in education media we see the cracks starting to show:
seems to be the solution on all levels, looking at the few countries that are succeeding in education.
One of the best success stories of recent is the current model of education in Finland As one Finnish principal explained, “When a student struggles, the question is not what’s wrong with the student or what’s wrong with the teacher. The question is, what’s wrong with the system?”
So what are the Finnish doing right that ‘WE’ should be sitting up and taking note of at IBSB? 1. There is a heavy emphasis on play. In Finland, people believe that children learn through play, imagination, and self-discovery, so teachers not only allow but encourage play. Development of the whole person is highly valued, especially in the early years, and even at Secondary School level students have time to relax and play.
2. There is also a heavy emphasis on developing Core Values at Primary School Age. In Finland there is a clear ethics curriculum intended to ensure that students develop a healthy, positive outlook on life, and a strong sense of right from wrong, all of which are central to the IBSB approach to learning.
3. Collaboration is valued over competition. Within the classroom the emphasis is on sharing, communicating, and creating opportunities for students to work together effectively. Learning at the group level is highly valued, with students helping each other and making better than expected progress as a result, which again Is central to the IBSB approach to learning.
It seems that the world is changing faster than education can cope with, and nowhere is this more evident than in the increasing levels of student apathy, declining levels of student motivation, poor sustained levels of concentration, and- hardly surprising– the falling grades and increasing numbers of failing students witnessed in many schools and countries around the world. But the real question is who is failing who? Are the students failing, or are WE failing as parents and teachers? I emphasise the ‘WE’ because, like it or not, ‘WE’ are in this together, and also because ‘WE’
4. There is less focus on testing, and more focus on learning. Finnish schools believe more test preparation means less time for free thinking and inquiry. Accountability and assessment are therefore measured at the classroom level by the teachers, with formal external assessments not taken until the end of Primary School, which is also an important underlying principle at IBSB, with students not taking their first external test until Year 6, with Key IGCSE and A Level exams taken in Years 1013.
Executive Director 5. National standards are valued. Finland uses a national set of standards, but gives schools complete autonomy over the curriculum and how the standards are implemented, and we have seen a recent move in the National Curriculum of England toward this model, with British Schools now empowered to come up with their own leveling system, which is already firmly in place at IBSB.
6. Trust. This is perhaps one of the greatest differences observed. The Finnish government trusts their municipalities, the municipalities trust school administrators, administrators trust teachers, teachers trust students, and in return, parents and families trust teachers. Trust is central to the Finnish success story, and it is pleasing to see from recent parent questionnaires that the level of parent trust in teachers at IBSB is well above 90%, with the majority of parents replying to the recent ISI questionnaire indicating that they believe that the leadership team is running the school well and that teachers in most regards are teaching to a high standard, with students making good progress.
7. And finally, there is a focus on high quality staffing. In Finland they ensure that schools have teachers who are right for the job: knowledgeable, passionate, and dedicated to the education of young children. Part of the reason why teachers are trusted so highly in Finland is that becoming a teacher is an extremely rigorous and prestigious process. Only the best of the best are accepted into education school. In addition to having high test scores, candidates must pass an interview investigating their integrity, passion, and pedagogy, as universities are committed to finding only candidates that are the right fit for the teaching profession. The implications of this for schools around the world, including IBSB, is to recruit carefully to ensure we have the right team on board.
In many respects we see the Finnish model being applied at IBSB, with the results clearly evident in student progress made, and ironically improving exam results. Unfortunately, we are not located in Finland and so we cannot take advantage of several environmental aspects of their education system, but we can look to embody as much of their model into our school approach to education as possible. There is still much work to be done in a number of areas, including developing our facilities to provide more outdoor educational opportunities for our students, developing our curriculum to provide more subject options at IGCSE and A Level, and staff development to facilitate the provision of ever higher levels of student achievement. These are all areas firmly embedded into the IBSB Long Term Development Plan: the first stages of which are to open a new EYFS centre next year and a new Secondary School in
September, 2016.
To finish this piece we would simply like to thank all those within the IBSB Community who have supported IBSB over the past years, contributing to the continual development of our school- we look forward to celebrating all our future achievements with you in the years ahead as we work together to build a community of life long learners willing and able to make a positive contribution in the world that awaits them post graduation.
Yours sincerely,
Aura Bogdan Executive Director
Kendall Peet Head of School
BSO Inspections: It seems timely that Issue 1 of TIV is coming out just a week before our main ISI/BSO Inspection, as it provides the perfect platform from which to discuss the inspection process, why we have it, and what it means for the school. It is my hope that by the end of this short article, you will feel much more informed about our upcoming ISI/BSO Inspection and look forward to it as much as we do, as it provides an excellent point from which to look back and reflect on just how far we have come since our last inspection (May 2009), and to chart a clear course for future development.
The BASICS
another inspection for five years. COBIS is currently lobbying to afford this same privilege to schools abroad. How does the inspection work? Inspections consist of a two day initial visit (October 5/7) which deals primarily with the compliance aspects of inspection. During the pre-visit, the Reporting/Lead Inspector checks school policies and paperwork in regard to health and safety, conducts a limited number of observations, and has discussions with staff and pupils, all of which are used to inform the inspector’s judgement on aspects of compliance with the agreed Standards. During the main four day visit the inspection team focuses on other aspects of the quality of provision and outcomes for pupils. Inspection time is spent primarily in collecting first hand evidence through observation of lessons and activities, on scrutiny of pupils’ work, and in discussions with pupils and staff. Oral feedback of the team’s findings, including improvements since the last inspection, is given at the end of the final day to the members of senior management and governors, with a written report published four weeks after the inspection. Who is on the inspection team?
Who are ISI? ISI stands for International Schools Inspectorate, one of six Approved Inspectorates able to carry out an inspection of British International Schools under the Department for Education’s voluntary scheme introduced in October 2010. Of the six inspectorates, ISI is the main inspectorate of independent schools in the UK and abroad, and reports to the Department for Education (DfE) on the extent to which schools meet statutory requirements. ISI is monitored by Ofsted and approved to conduct inspections and produce inspection reports which are made available to the current and prospective parents of pupils attending British Schools Overseas. What is a BSO Inspection? BSO stands for British Schools Overseas, a new accreditation that schools receive after they have passed their BSO inspection. This inspection was introduced in October 2010, after successful lobbying from COBIS to the government to provide British Schools Overseas accreditation to indicate that they adhere to the same standards as schools in the UK.
ISI inspection teams are led by a qualified ‘Reporting/Lead Inspector’ who is normally a former HMI (Her Majesty’s Inspector), Ofsted Inspector or a suitably trained and experienced independent school head. The reporting inspector is supported by team inspectors, who are usually heads and senior teachers currently working in independent schools who have successfully completed a course of training on which their suitability for inspection was assessed, with significant experience of working in or inspecting in an international school environment.
The inspectors visiting IBSB will be:
Mr John Brayshaw Sugden Reporting/Lead Inspector Mrs Clair Jane Doubleday Team Inspector (Junior School) Head of Primary, The International School of Moscow
How often must a school be inspected? In the past inspections were traditionally carried out every five years. Under the new BSO Inspection requirements, inspections must be carried out by schools abroad every three years. If a school within the UK passes an inspection with a rating of Good-Outstanding, they are not required to have
Dr Christopher Greenfield Team Inspector (Senior School) Headmaster, St. George’s British-Georgian School, Tbilisi, Georgia
What’s all the fuss about? They will comment in general about the quality of teaching in the school overall, but will not discuss individuals or divulge individual lesson grades. What is the final outcome? At the end of the inspection process the school will be sent a report outlining the strengths of the school and areas for future development. These recommendations will be incorporated into the School ‘s Long-term Development Plan which will help the school to improve and build on its current level of provision and also provide direction to prepare in working toward the next three yearly inspection. This report will be shared with parents and posted on the DfE website in the UK. I hope this has helped in some way to provide you with a broad framework to better understand the BSO Inspection which is now upon us.
Do inspectors seek the views of parents, pupils and staff? The short answer to this question is, ‘Yes’. Before the inspection, parents and pupils are invited to complete a confidential questionnaire. This was done on-line with a letter sent out to parents in September and a number of reminder letters sent before the final deadline of October 17. During the visit Inspectors will also meet staff and pupils as they observe lessons and other activities, and will have interviews with groups of pupils and with members of staff. Staff may also arrange to speak with the Reporting Inspector directly during the visit. What are the main areas that the inspection time will focus on? The inspectors will be looking for evidence to support standards across 8 key areas: 1. The quality of education provided by the school 2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils 3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils 4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff 5. The premises and facilities provided 6. The provision of information for parents, carers and others 7. The school's procedures for handling complaints 8. Leadership and management of the school Will inspectors give individual lesson grades? No. Inspectors make a judgement about the quality of teaching which is based only in part on lessons observed.
If you have any questions about the upcoming school inspection, I would be very happy to speak with you personally and would encourage you to arrange a meeting through the school office. Best regards,
Kendall Peet Head of School
IBSB Summer 2014 A Level Results Continue to Climb Top Academic Performers for May/June Exam time is always a very nervous time for students, parents, and teachers. Students work hard for two years for both their IGCSE and A Level Courses and at the end of the second year take their final exams in May/June. They then have to wait until mid-August to receive their results, and for those completing A Levels it is not until after this date that the students finally know which universities have accepted them, making their final choice before preparing for the new life that awaits them at higher education. It was very pleasing therefore to see that the results once again overall reflect all the hard work that the students and staff have put in over the course of the year, with the support of the parents viewed as an important part of the process. For the fourth year in a row our A Level grades have increased, with the E-A* pass now up to 95%, the C-A* pass rate up from 58% last year to 70% this year, and the B-A* pass rate up from 43% in 2013 to 54% in 2014. If we look at the increasing A Level grades over the past 4 years, it is clear that we have a lot to celebrate as a school. Congratulations to all students for these extremely encouraging results raising the bar for the students to follow. I have seen all the hard work going in over the past few years, have seen the clear improvements in teaching standards and in student work ethic, and is very clear to everyone present that there is something very special happening at IBSB, from the Primary School all the way through to Year 13 in Secondary. It is important to point out that these results have been a team effort, with the students, teachers, and parents working closely together to ensure that our students are set clear, achievable goals, are monitored closely and supported through the learning process to strive and achieve, with peers, teachers, parents, and the school community celebrating their achievements along the way. Again this year we can see more improvements being put in place to ensure that students have even more opportunity to succeed in their studies with a push to increase attendance and improved tracking in place, which combined with ever improving communication between teachers and parents should result in yet further improving exams results By Mr Ciprian Tiplea Deputy Head of School
2014
Examination Results IGCSE/A Level Passing Grades Table IGCSE Passing Grade (G-A*)
IGCSE Passing Grade (C-A*)
IGCSE Passing Grade (B-A*)
A Level Passing Grade (E-A*)
A Level Passing Grade (C-A*)
A Level Passing Grade (B-A*)
June 2011
80%
82%
67%
80%
35%
15%
June 2012
84%
82%
64%
87%
44%
30%
June 2013
90%
83%
56%
94%
58%
43%
June 2014
99%
80%
57%
95%
70%
54%
Year
Staff INSET IN - Service Training (INSET) If you have looked at the school academic calendar lately you may recall some areas shaded in yellow. Take a slightly closer look and you will see that these days are referred to as Staff INSET, or IN-Service Training (INSET) Days. Now whilst this is certainly an answer, this does in no way solve the mystery. So what exactly are INSET Days and why do we have them in teaching? We have Staff INSET days twice during the school year, and each has its specific purpose. The first Staff INSET takes place in the week before the start of school, falling this year the week of August 18-22. The August INSETT is all about preparing for the school year, which involves a number of different things. First we need to ensure that the staff are properly trained and qualified to work in a school in accordance with both Romanian legislation and UK ‘Standards’. During this week staff receive a variety of training, including Medic First Aid Training, Child Safeguarding Training, and Fire and Safety Training.
Medic First Aid Training Although it is not a requirement that all our staff are MFA trained, it is certainly good practice. According to UK Standards, our EYFS staff should have an MFA 12 hour Diploma (Valid for three years) and we should have a medic first aid qualified staff member in both the Primary and the Secondary Schools. Being an active school, however, with many school trips and extracurricular activities, we decided that with staff continually going off campus with students, that it is important that all our staff complete a Basic MFA Course, including our cleaners, drivers, and office staff. For this we brought in a UK accredited trainer, Kitty Sullivan (www.firstaidforschools.com ), as a part of our INSET and all staff received BASIC MFA Training, with 12 staff going on to complete the 12 Hour Diploma course. All classrooms now have a MFA manual on the wall, with a MFA Kit on each level of the school buildings and MFA Kits available for all schools trips. Accordingly, we feel sure that we are well-positioned with staff able to deal with any medical emergency that might arise both on and off campus
Photos from MFA course
Child Safeguarding As a COBIS accredited school we are also required to ensure that our staff are properly trained in order to be best prepared to maintain Child Safeguarding Standards in education; to know what signs to look for and the procedures to be followed when we feel that a child may be in danger of harm, either physical or otherwise. This is not always a comfortable topic for staff, and training in this area is not always easy as you learn about various case studies and discuss what actions to take in each. Thankfully we had Robin Watts join us from the UK, helping to ensure we received the latest information and the right training and support.
staff enjoy the end of week social so much, to celebrate our readiness for yet another busy year.
JANUARY INSET If August is all about preparing for the start of the new school year, the January INSET, this year scheduled to take place on the first Monday and Tuesday back after the end of Term 1 break- January 5th & 6th, is all about moving the school forward in regard to Teaching and Learning. The focus for the INSET this year will be on two increasingly popular topics in international schools at the moment:
1. Technology in the classroom
Robin worked as a Police Officer In this training session we will be looking at ways to use and Detective for 30 years, focusing technology to our advantage in the modern day on the area of Child Protection, classroom. The school has recently invested in notepads for the Primary school and we will be looking to maximize creating courses for police officers their use. We will also be looking at the latest apps and and social workers, training them in data related to learning progress through the use of new joint investigation, achieving best technology and as such will be mapping a course into the evidence, and for police officers the future for Teaching and Learning at IBSB. national ‘Specialist Child Abuse Investigators Developers Program’. 2. Differentiation to Maximise Pupil Progress The other hot topic concerns the issue of how to ensure After retirement Robin became a Child Protection Adviser and that every student in your class is making good progress. Trainer, working with international organisations such as Within any classroom the ability range can vary greatly COBIS, assisting international schools in improving their Child form students requiring special support to higher Protection Practices, Standards and Procedures and helping achievers who need to be challenged. The question on them to prepare for school inspections in the arena of every teachers mind is how to teach a lesson to provide the right level of support and the right level of challenge. Safeguarding- all of which achieved 'Outstanding'. This is not always easy, requiring a lot of skill. The workshops on Differentiation will look to introduce our Fire and Safety staff to the latest research in this area, looking at cases studies and approaches that have been proven to be Finally, the staff once again had the opportunity to use a fire successful at other leading schools. extinguisher in order to feel comfortable enough to use one should the need arise. We were reminded about which fire ONGOING INSET extinguisher to use for which situation and so in the event of a real fire, we should be ready to go. Let’s hope we won’t In addition to the AUGUST and JANUUARY INSET sessions, need to use one! We also have Fire and Earthquake Drills there is also ONGOING INSET, with our staff completing each half term for students to practice evacuating the school courses on an almost weekly basis. We have signed the school up to two UK based online staff training suppliers, buildings safely- always a popular event with the students Educare, and Optimus Education, enabling out staff to gain who see these drills as a nice break from study. access to the latest training across a whole range of areas. We also have access to CIE training online and COBIS training online, all of which ensure that our staff are up to date and able to teach to the highest standards possible. Our school The rest of August INSET is focused on lesson preparation and Vision Statement is ‘Building a Community of Life Long preparing our classrooms to ensure we are all ready for the Learners’, and so it is great to see the teachers leading by first day of school. Schemes of Work, Lesson Planning, and example. lots of meetings are the flavour of week, which is why the
Lesson Preparation
Community Action Service
CAS Term 1A Review CAS, or Community Action Service, is a tradition that has been going on in our school for many years now, with Years 12 and 13 getting involved in projects to make a difference in our local community. This new school year brings with it several new projects, meaning that we now have a total of 9 different ways in which our students can get involved! Our school cooperates with the Touched Romania charity, which has 2 projects, Casa Agar and the IOMC Hospital, the Light into Europe charity, the Speranta pentru Tine charity, the Cartile Copilariei charity, the in-school Buddy System, the in-school Paper-tree, the Bruno Animal Shelter, and the Sfanta Macrina Centre. In the past term, we had two major events going on as part of the CAS Programme: the general training sessions and then the Open Day.
Training Sessions The training sessions were a new and successful initiative this year. The aim of these was to show the students what they would have to do for every CAS project, and more importantly how to do it. It was also a very useful way to decide what project to take on for the rest of the school year. This is particularly important because CAS requires dedication, time, and energy that cannot be put into a project for an entire academic year unless they come to you sincerely and voluntarily. The success of the training sessions is attributed in a large proportion to the fact that they were mostly student-led: along with teachers, the now Year 13s, who had one year’s worth of experience in their chosen CAS project in Year 12, shared their acquired knowledge and expertise, putting together a number of very interesting and interactive workshops. It was also good to see some enthusiastic Yr 12 students such as Andreea Serban and Cora Muller-Demary offering workshops on their own initiative, and working hard to prepare them. We had a session on how to work with people with hearing and sight disabilities, for the Light into Europe charity. We learned how to guide a visually impaired person, to help him/ her sit down on a chair, to open a door, to walk down the stairs and through narrow corridors. Trust is very important in this case, as the person is reliant on you to show them around and it is also a great responsibility to act as a guide. I personally enjoyed this session very much because we had the opportunity to experience this first hand: some of us were blindfolded and the others had to act as guides. It taught both groups a lesson as we discovered how difficult it actually is to walk for a few minutes when deprived of one of the basic human senses, that of sight. We realised that some people have to face this difficulty every single day of their lives; for some it is temporary or partial, some have been blind for a few years, while others never saw what a human face looks like. It was also a learning experience for the students who acted as guides, as we now know the basics of
working with a visually impaired person and we also understand what a great responsibility we have. For part of this session there were also workshops on the hearing impaired, held by Alex Oprisan, Seb Zamfirescu, Stergios Mallioglou and Zoe Smarandoiu. We learned more about different types of hearing impairments. Myths about such impairments were discussed and explained. We also learned an interesting version Chinese Whispers, where we all stood in a line and the last person in line drew something on a piece of paper on the back of the person in front of them. He/she then had to guess what it was, based on what they felt on their back and then had to draw it again. The next training session was for the Touched Romania project, where we learned how to handle babies from a few months old to 2-3 years old. Cora and Andreea, along with other Year 13s, held workshops with general information about infants, precautions to take when working with them, and also how to hold and wash them. Even if not all of us chose to take part in these projects, we all agreed that it was a useful life lesson. It also made me worry about my future as a parent… The training for the Bruno Animal Shelter then followed. We talked about how to care for animals and how to treat them properly. For example, when we grin it is a sign of happiness, but a dog can interpret it as a sign of aggression, as in the animal world “grinning” has the opposite meaning than it does for us as humans. It was a very interesting training session and Mr Lee was a very good trainer! Bucharest still has a problem with stray dogs and helping them get a shelter is still a very important activity in Bucharest. Last, but not least, came the training session about project writing. This involved learning how to set goals, draw up plans, and a course of action – it may sound a bit dull, but it is a crucial part of every project, as it lays out the foundation for what the students will do in their chosen CAS project for the year; all the supervising teachers made it clear that we cannot go on our weekly visit unprepared. The training sessions were very useful to help all of us to decide on our project and so when we go our first visit we know roughly what to expect. Even if we trained for a project we did not choose, we walked away with some new knowledge and perhaps even a new set of skills.
Open Day During the Open Day, all the charities came to our school to introduce themselves to us, so that we know the details of the projects that interest us most. This was important as it enabled us to make an informed decision as to what project we wanted to get involved in. Interviews then followed for charities to select the candidates they felt would be best suited to work with them. Now that everyone has been assigned to a project, it’s time to get to work! By Andrei D.
“Classics retold” now part of IBSB’s CAS programme I remember searching for a project which supports reading and works to improve literacy a few years ago, after finding out about a Starbucks donation campaign in Austria for Bookbridge, an international charity that provides books to schools in underdeveloped countries and sets up learning centres. Although I no longer remember how rigorous my research was, I could not find any such charity to volunteer to. That is one of the many reasons why I ran to Ms Croci as soon as I found out about the Curtea Veche Association’s social programme “Classics retold” (Cartile Copilariei), begging her to send them a proposal to collaborate with IBSB in our Community Action Service (CAS) programme. Ms Croci’s enthusiasm matched my own and together we set out to contact the Association. They responded to our inquiries with even greater enthusiasm, being delighted to welcome IBSB volunteers to be a part of their project. The aim of our school’s CAS project is to positively contribute to the wider community and to help those in need in our society. Personally, I cannot imagine my life without the important part reading – for academic as well as leisure purposes – plays in it, nor can I imagine wanting to read a book and not having access to it. I also remember how, as a child, I used to see reading as a chore and found it quite boring.
My mother, however, pushed me to read ten pages daily, until one day I picked up a book myself and could not let put it down. My passion for reading helped improve my academic performance, especially my knowledge of the English language. It went beyond that, however, leading to my decision to study English Literature and my position as this magazine’s editor. Moreover, besides the educational benefits reading brought me, it gave me much, much more, from fictional worlds to lose myself in, away from daily life’s problems, to cultural knowledge. And I did not realise that until I imagined how it would be like not to have access to books and not to be encouraged to read. Curtea Veche published in 2012 a collection of 12 classical books for children and this laid the foundation of an alternative national reading programme, aimed at children from rural or underprivileged areas, and so far over 5000 children have become the beneficiaries of “Classics Retold”. I am incredibly excited to be a part of this project intended to help increase the level of literacy in Romania. I believe that encouraging children from underprivileged backgrounds to read will help them in the long term, aiding them in their academic endeavours. This is why I look forward to joining project and to the involvement of the IBSB community in it, working together to improve literacy. By Ruxandra R.
SPORTS
House Sports Day On the 26th of September, the IBSB students had their first opportunity to win valuable House Points in the very first House Games of the year. We all went directly to the Lia Manoliu Athletic Track, for a morning full of sports. Despite the bad weather, everybody was motivated and ready to bring victory to their house. Unfortunately, the primary school and reception had to go back to school almost as soon as they got there, but the Secondary School students stayed on, ready to do in their House Teams against the other Houses and the bad weather nature was presenting. Regrettably, some of the activities prepared by the teachers could not be done as the weather would not allow it, but the students who wished to join in the running races.
The winners got a lot of House Points as well as praise from all their colleagues. Undesirably, nature won the battle inn the end with the increasing forced us all back to school, where the prefects improvised, quite remarkably I might add, with some fun, indoor House Games activities for everyone to enjoy. Towards the end of the day, the MFL Department prepared some entertaining language activities, involving a lot of music and a lot of enjoyable memories, which I hope everybody will cherish for a long time. Overall, these were very fun House Games, even though not everything went as planned. By Maria Sousa
The Casiopeia Fun Walk-Run A lot of people enjoy running on a sunny spring morning when the temperature is just right and the world is just starting to wake up. Running on a cold, cloudy autumn morning, in stark contrast, did not please me in any way, nor did waking up for that matter. But as I reached for the snooze button on my alarm clock– for just five more minutes I my warm bed- I told myself I’m doing this for a purpose and a very important one too. After eating a light breakfast, my mother and I jumped in the car and drove to Parcul Tineretului. We spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find a parking space and when we reached the starting area it seemed like a third of Bucharest was ready to run. It was a sea of people of all ages sporting their bright pink t-shirts and we noticed there was almost a festive sensation to it as we tried to find a place to warm up. I tried to see if I recognized anyone from school and I realized that there weren’t as many people here as last year, but I wouldn’t let that alter my performance. The warm up was as embarrassing as always with all the jumping and the silly gymnastics, but I had to admit that I did it with a smile on my face as I pranced around with my mother. A few minutes later we were preparing for the race at the starting line and I didn’t even notice the start as I was still setting my phone up. Thankfully, I fixed it mid run and separated myself from my mother as I went ahead. Now, I consider myself quite the athletic person and do enjoy sports but running is at the top of the activities I do not enjoy doing on a regular basis. I think it is mostly because I don’t see the benefits of running (e.g. feeling energized or extremely active
after a run). I only feel like I want to curl up in a ball and never do anything again. But nonetheless, I kept pushing ahead, knowing it was for a good cause and actually got to talk to some of the women running alongside me as they shared some of their experiences with breast cancer (if they had any). Most of them didn’t have anyone with breast cancer in their family, but some did and their stories just made me run faster and harder. It didn’t matter to them if they were tired and they could collapse any second, but if they involved themselves now they knew they could somehow help the future generations. It was very moving and I truly felt touched by their stories. As my loud electronic house music boomed in my ears and I was very into the run, I realized we did not have to do one lap around the lake, but two, which added up to 6 kilometres. A lot more, compared with the 1.7 kilometres of the teenagers’ run from last year. I was devastated. Emotionally devastated and my ‘running’ style became similar to the zombie’s walk/ run in ‘The Walking Dead’ and I honestly felt like one in that moment. When I saw the start zone again, I broke into a sprint and quickly regretted it as pain shot through my legs and my sprint died quickly. When I passed through the cheering crowds of people I felt like a champion and very proud of myself for what I had accomplished that day. Without a doubt, you will see me at the next Cassiopeia fun run and hopefully I will see you there too! By Raluca S
Teacher Inspires Sporting Success There is something very special happening at IBSB. Our students seem to be gripped by sports fever, with an increasing number of students getting involved in community sporting events. This all started a few years ago with our Primary School PE teacher, Mr Paul Georgescu arranging the first ever interschool triathlon at May 2 Beach. Well one thing led to another and before long Paul was taking a tem along to every triathlon, including the recent event run in Mogosia in which our students braved the cool waters of Mogosia lake- the only student team present on the day, to take part in the Happy Triathlon. Mr Georgescu even convinced our Head of School to get involved, joining the parent’s team for the swim section of the triathlon.
More recently Mr Georgescu registered some 35+ students for the Bucharest Marathon and was commended for being the school with the most students entered on the day. We also walked away with 2 Gold medals, 3 Silver, and 1 bronze, with outstanding results achieved in particular by Alina Barbu (Year 4) and Maria Roates (Year 1). Mr Georgescu himself competed in the half marathon, finishing in 1:23 and placing 23rd overall, with our Head of Secondary, Mr Robert Hewett, finishing the full marathon in a very respectful 3:30, placing 99th overall and 17th in his age group. Well done to all the students, parents, and teachers who took part in this event!
We also had a great turnout in the Cassiopea Fun, and the Mamaia Tri Challenge, where the students mixed team Alina Barbu, Anton Zamfir, and Victor Cristea placed fourth in the adults event- an impressive performance.
Most recently 40+ students registered and competed in the TriKids Challenge on Saturday, November 1st, Stadionul de Rugby, with our students receiving 3 gold, 3 silver, and 1bronze, with Alina Barbu (year 4), Andrei Sucu (Year 1), and Maria Roates (Year 1) all taking gold.
A big thank you to Paul Georgescu for all the work put in arranging the IBSB teams for the many events entered in Term 1. You are definitely our standout teacher of the term.
Bucharest Marathon
MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME
Working well together, being able to empathize and communicate with others, as well as motivate and persuade, are hugely important characteristics in today’s world.
summit or the precision required to erect a tent so that it stays up in a storm are easily transferable to a school, home, or the work environment.
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. Then 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 and 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 act responsibly towards others in school, at work and in fact, anywhere in the world.
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 reduces. What at first seemed a daunting task of carrying a heavy back pack, navigating through forests, giving first aid to a friend , cooking and cleaning and sleeping under a thin film of nylon soon turn in to a fun and enjoyable experience and the opportunity to see more beautiful things that Romania has to offer.
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 teamwork and students are also given opportunities to lead small groups in an activity or quest. They learn new skills, that firstly seem only applicable to the outdoors, but they soon realise that the determination to
Congratulations to all those Year 10 students who completed their week on the Year 10 Outward Bound Trip, and thank you to the teachers that joined them and shared the many experiences enjoyed along the way. Memories for a lifetime! By Mr Robert Hewett Head of Secondary
Year 10 Trip It was indeed a challenging trip for all of us but I believe we all enjoyed it. On the first day we took off from IBSB to Predeal where we met with Radu and his crew. Most of us knew them from an earlier trip in Year 9 so, it was good to see them again. When
We left from Piatra Arsa to Varful Babelor and all the way around Lacul Bulboroci. It was a 7 hour hike and though it was not easy we still look back on it with a smile. On the last day we took our backpacks and went to do rock climbing and tree jumping .
we arrived at the hotel we ate our lunch and then took off to an archery game which led into a treasure hunt. We learnt how to use a compass and how point at an exact direction, so to navigate from point A to point B. On the second day we were supposed to spend the night in a tent but the weather was rainy and snowy so we decided to remain at the hotel. In the morning we learnt to make our own fire and later on we went to Brasov to Parc Aventura.
We also slept in the tents in our last night and yes it was freezing. We cooked our own lunch and had a big fire camp. We would also like to thank Ms Katie for taking care of us and being such a cool teacher. By Emilia M.
The Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Qualifying Journey
Talk about overcoming our limits?
Whilst the concept of the award is presented and seen as one of individual achievement in terms of overcoming your own limits, teamwork and camaraderie play an equally important role in the award as you are not just overcoming your own boundaries, but have the pleasure of doing so among those who share your common goal.
We have done it again, we have taken every notion we once had of our own personal limits - as well as our limits as a group - and overcome it by succeeding in our endeavour to complete this year's Duke Of Edinburgh's Silver Qualifying Journey by taking on what is regarded as one of Romania's most challenging routes.
We have come a long way since the first group we had back in autumn nearly one year ago. Ever since our success last year many other students decided to join the DofE Award and with our recent successes it seems the number will just continue to go up as even younger students join.
If you are a seasoned TIV reader you will probably know that The Duke Of Edinburgh's International Award for Young People is a self-development program that our school has been running for some time. The programme, available to any individual between the ages of 14 to 25, aims to encourage people worldwide to take on challenges they would normally not see themselves fit to take on and equips them with important life skills to improve themselves, their community and ultimately, the world.
The merits for this year's Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Qualifying Journey go to a very special group of students who I had the pleasure to share this experience with. They have remarkable traits, such as Steve's unrivalled determination, Alexandra & Silvia's heart-warming smiles, Teodora's whimsical laughter, Kevin's perpetual calmness, Maria's masked but obvious enjoyment and Cora's sheer scariness, which keeps us in line. I know I couldn't have possibly done it without them and I wouldn't lie if I said that thanks to The Duke Of Edinburgh Award we all see each other in a different light.
Preparation Journey Before taking on the qualifying journey we were required to undertake a practice journey and for that purpose we split ourselves in two groups; one of six and one of five and for the duration of the preparatory journey we were joined by three Year 13 students: Andrew Cretu, Stergios Mallioglou and Ruxandra Rogojinaru, who willingjy offered to take part and join us regardless of the fact that they weren't participating in the programme. With the groups decided, we split individual roles and shared responsibilities in order to optimize and ease the preparatory work. Apart from the collection of information and general research, we also made sure to plan what every individual in each group was due to bring.
We had to manage bag space and weight as both in the end are crucial when you have to trek kilometres on vertical land. The route we decided on for the preparatory journey was situated in Piatra Mare between the city of Brasov & Predeal. The route took us right up the mountain face, making us cover nothing short of 900m vertically from the base to the chalet next to which we placed our tents. The mountain top was bombarded perpetually by cold gusts of wind and the freezing night was more than effective in preparing us for the qualifying journey we were intending to undergo. The company of the BSB party we encountered, however, helped us ease of a little as we, just like them, had a long day ahead of us. However cold it may have seemed, the second day of the preparatory journey made it all worth it, for we were able to climb to Vf. Piatra Mare and enjoy the stunning view over the land we covered, as well as the far away peaks that were due to be the destination of our qualifying journey.
The Duke Of Edinburgh Preparation Journey
The Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Qualifying Journey
The Qualifying Journey With newfound confidence after our success in the preparatory journey we took once again to planning our next venture; this time, however, to Piatra Craiului, where we would complete one of the hardest routes in Romania and thus finalize our Silver Qualifying Journey. Now sporting a total of 8 individuals, two teams of 4 were formed and so our preparation for the journey once again commenced. The very first day involved a lot of transportation as our destination this time was not too far from the city of Zarnesti. Once we actually got to our destination however and were on the road, the weight of the bags started to take a toll on us. Feeling confident due to our achievements in the preparatory journey we took it upon ourselves to carry more provisions, but all too soon we found the fault in our planning as fatigue slowly overcame each of us, one by one. It was a long and hard trek all the way to the chalet in the first day, but the joy of having gotten there was unparalleled, not to mention the joy of having our first proper meal and the chance to get some shut eye. The second day was not all that great as we had an absurdly late start. Having planned to begin walking by 9:00 we instead barely started making our way at 12:00, which wouldn't have been all that bad if it wasn't for the 14 hour trek we were about to undertake to the top and along the mountain peaks. Even know I can remember the gravity and frustration on everyone faces as we were making our way along the cold mountain peaks at night.
We were exhausted, cold. and with our destination far from close, every little enquiry about our destination would be met by the savage uproars and snarls of the other members as they were way too tired to put up with any distraction. Even though we doubted we could make it, we didn't stop, we pushed through and went until our feet could bare us no longer, because we knew deep down we'll get there, and when we do, it will be amazing. And so it was, once everyone scurried to the slightly warmer interior of the refuge. I'm in no state to say the third day was any better either, as exhausted, dehydrated, and lacking any way of replenishing our water supply we undertook the descent in the hopes of getting to the water that would await us nothing short 600m vertically away. Shuffling around items, trying to help those with heavier bags and just general teamwork is what I think helped us greatly in this part in particular for the descent was nearly as abrupt as the ascent and needless to say some of us were in no position to stray. We have been through a lot, I'm not going to lie, but however much we regretted our decisions at the time, we ended up with a feeling of pride and appreciation as well as the willingness to face such a challenge again, for on that day, we achieved what not many would have managed and we have succeeded together. Saying we managed it together would be entirely a lie however, so special mentions go out to Mrs Raluca, who acted as one of our supervisors and our assessor Vali who undertook the journey with us and was the most amazing guy. The most honorable of mentions goes to Ms Johanna Croci who hasn't just acted as one of our supervisors on the journey but did anything in her power to help us do the best we could. By Alin B.
WHITE BOARD
Welcome Message Welcome to the Primary School section of The International Voice. You will find pages about all the members of our family, from the youngest students to the oldest, giving you snapshots of all we enjoyed and shared in the first 8 weeks of this year. It is my pleasure to have joined this family, along with our other new staff: Ms Collier, Ms Andreea and most recently Ms Claudia, and to have had many opportunities to meet with and listen to a large proportion of our parents. We began with our Coffee Mornings where we had a pleasing representation of our families and were able to share our priorities for educating and caring for the children. This continued at the School BBQ and then more individually during the Parents’ Meetings. It was particularly rewarding to see nearly every family represented there; how important it is for us to learn from parents, as much as parents learn from us. Workshops for Early Years and Year 1 parents and the UN Day that brought the half term to a wonderful climax extended the contact and we look forward to many more occasions next half term. Blessed with almost unceasing sunshine and blue skies it was ironic that rain should have interfered with our House Games, but there will be more occasions for our children to develop their teamsmanship on field and track and we have frequently celebrated the achievements of those who have taken part in Triathlons and Runs in and around Bucharest: both children and teachers. Keeping fit and eating healthily are very important for all, especially for our children as their brains develop and they establish good lifetime habits.
In the classroom there has been exciting work in Science, History and Geography as we maintain a cross-curricular approach but ensure we cover objectives of the new National Curriculum of England and develop literacy and numeracy skills to create and equip independent learners. 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, plus integrated charity drives. Learning is also extended outside the classroom in parks, museums and through tours observing the familiar in new ways. It is wonderful how much can be discovered and appreciated by focusing on our own neighborhood and environment with specific objectives and children are encouraged to take this home to extend further in their own family pursuits. We always appreciate our parents’ willingness to support learning in the home, Bucharest, Romania and indeed other countries visited on holidays. Our teachers are all constantly learning too, both through daily interaction with our ever-inspiring children and also in our own professional development through carefully chosen courses that equip us with more skills and understanding to be ever better teachers. Our objective is to make everything we do in school have an impact on the learning of the children. With much to do before Christmas we look forward to all that lies ahead and our continued partnership with parents to make the most of every learning opportunity. By Stephanie Jones Head of Primary
EYFS
"There were ten in the bed and the little one said, 'Roll over, roll over!' So they all rolled over and one fell out... BUMP!" "There were nine in the bed...."
It all started with a charming short story book based on the traditional nursery rhyme. The author created 9 stuffed animals and one little boy in a cramped bed. On each page, they all rolled over and one of the stuffed animals fell out. On the last page, all the animals jumped back into bed. Children in Early Years role-played the story and practised counting from 1 to 10 and back from 10 to 1. The story effortlessly captured their little minds as it was enjoyable and addictive.
Year 1 Last term Year 1’s Cross Curricular topic was “All About Us”. This was a great opportunity for the children to learn the science behind our bodies and our 5 senses. We experimented with different tastes, smells, sounds and touch. We measured our bodies in Maths to compare the lengths of our arms and legs, fingers and toes and we looked at changes in the life cycle of humans. We went out for an educational visit to see the city we live in by travelling on the Bucharest City Tour Bus with an open roof. Then we went to the village museum to compare houses in the country –side to the houses we live in here in the city. Year 1 brought in photos of their family members to make their own family trees. We learned about germs and what they can do to our bodies and how to stay healthy by playing “doctor doctor”. We talked about the importance of healthy foods for our bodies and even prepared a healthy meal of fruit and vegetable salads on our own in class. We painted self-portraits and represented ourselves with personal “artefacts” from home. We talked about who we are and about our special friends. We had a great time learning about ourselves last term and we are looking forward to the term ahead when we will be learning about “Toys”!
Year 2 Year 2 had a fantastic start to the year and we were all very excited to learn in our first topic “Romania.� We inquired into where it is in the world and the names of countries around it. We have learned the names of important places in Romania, researched what the weather was like around the country and how the land is used differently. Using drama we imagined that we went on holiday to some of these places and even made postcards from our imaginary trips to Brasov or Constanta. We were interested in the different types of buildings and landmarks in the capital city, Bucharest. We talked about the difference between old and new buildings and painted some creative artwork, looking closely at the details. On our fantastic trip on the open top bus we were then able to use our knowledge to identify a lot of these buildings for real! Another exciting learning experience we had this term was the opportunity to name, taste, and describe some different Romanian foods. We were risk takers and all tasted lots of different foods, even if we had never tried them before. Now we are all experts about Romania and are keen to learn even more!
Year 3 Year 3 have been looking at Our School – Community this term, and in connection with this topic we looked at the types of materials used to build schools. We studied the various types of rocks and tested their properties. We focused our studies on 5 types of rock, slate, marble, chalk, granite and pumice. In pairs we made predictions, such as is it permeable? Our results were very interesting, and we were extremely amazed to find out that marble is not permeable and does not split or float!
Year 4 What a fantastic start to Year 4! The children were active throughout the first half term, working hard on their Maths and English, learning about the United Kingdom and how it compares to Romania, being scientists and venturing out on a Mini Beasts Safari in Cismigiu Park! The term started with all of us sharing who we are and what our likes and dislikes are. In 4B the children created very thoughtful shoe boxes in which they placed valuable items and shared the meaning of each item with the rest of the class. In 4A the children Interviewed Ms Alina and Mrs Jones and showed off their writing skills in the subsequent reports. Basing our learning on Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach provided many opportunities for drama, descriptive work, learning about similes, finding out what plants need to grow and just enjoying a great book! One thing that became very clear is how good all Year 4 is when working in pairs and in groups. The children understand more and more the importance of team work and of respecting differences, two themes that come up in every aspect of School life. The Educational Visit to the Cismigiu Park was one of the highlights of the term and we saw the children acting like real scientists, looking closely at the mini beasts and plants around them. Well done Year 4.
Year 5
What a wonderful world...and what a wonderful first term to "The assembly was really nice, I liked it very much. It was this academic year! Year 5 have really found their feet quickly surprising and exciting speaking to someone from the Peace and have demonstrated some great work in all subjects. Last One Day organisation. I really liked it." Ion, Year 5. Term we looked at the world around us, thinking about our Human Rights, different countries and cultures around the world, how to create harmony amongst ourselves and even how the sun, moon and earth move in harmoniously. As part of the topic we learnt about Peace One Day and World Peace Day, which takes place on 21st September every year. Whilst we were learning about Peace One Day, Year 5 pupils had two amazing opportunities to expand and develop their learning through a skype chat with a member of Peace One Day and writing their own assembly, which they shared with the Primary school and parents. On Peace Day, we were joined by Ben Harrington, from Peace One Day, all the way from London via Skype, and we got the opportunity to hear about Peace One Day and ask him questions. This really helped inspire our assembly, where Year 5 told the story of Jeremy Gilley and the creation of World Peace Day. All those who saw our brilliant assembly would agree that every pupil in Year 5 were budding little actors and actresses! "It was great fun to speak to Ben Harrington and I learnt many things about Peace One Day and our world." Millie, Year 5.
Year 6 Shedding Light on Vision and Blindness Year 6 spent a lot of time looking at light and sight during Term 1a. In our science lessons we completed many investigations into shadow and vision. We also made our own camera obscuras using nothing more than a Pringles tube, some foil and some tracing paper. If you would like to know how they work then ask a Year 6 student! We then carried out investigations into light, reflection and angles, before looking at the human eye and how it can be damaged. Our topic culminated in a very informative visit from Ms Eve Riches, who visited Romania with her guide dog ‘Jet’ to talk about how visual impairment has affected her life. Ms Riches visited Romania thanks to Light Into Europe, which is one of our associated charities. She gave us a very informative and enjoyable presentation, and we hope she will visit us again.
WHITE BOARD
SCHOOL EVENTS
World Sight Day visit from Light Into Europe On Thursday October 9th, IBSB had a whole school non uniform day to raise money for Light into Europe. Throughout the day, many classes carried out activities which simulated visual impairment by using blindfolds. Many of the younger children got the chance to write their names in braille, demonstrating that children who become blind at a young age can also experience the joy of reading and writing in school. With the use of fun feely bag activities, pupils were encouraged to think about how they experience the world around them, and learn not to take their sight for granted. To complete our week, Sir Stan Platt, Chairman of Light Into Europe brought to our Friday assembly two guide dogs for the blind. All the children were in awe to see and hear that their donations from World Sight Day were going to a very good cause.
IBSB Students Receive Awards at Royal Gala Ceremony for Excellence in Education On Saturday, September 27th, two IBSB students, Steve and Alin, Year 12, received their DofE Silver Award at a special Royal Gala Award Ceremony at the Hilton Hotel from HRH Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and HRH Prince Nicolae of Romania, along with other 20 students from around Romania.
Accompanying our students for the ceremony was Ms Johanna Croci, IBSB DOE Programme Coordinator, with parents present to share the moment. Congratulations to both Steve and Alin for their wonderful achievement, leading the way forward for other IBSB students to follow in the years ahead.
UN Day Celebration
United Nations Day Celebrations Every year, around the time when leaves start changing, slowly but surely, into shades of reds, yellows and browns, scattered by chilly breeze to places they would otherwise not reach, or simply falling on Bucharest’s sidewalks, our school celebrates UN Day. It symbolises the collaboration of the different cultures within our community. I myself find this day to be one of my favourite events of the year, as we all come together and celebrate the various nationalities we are proud to have in this school with unique entertainment, scrumptious cuisine and all sorts of stalls.
The day always starts off by having a bite and this year was no exception, parents and students had a wide assortment of food to choose from. Everything anyone would ever want was laid on the table, from the divine smelling boiled dumplings to the classic cheesy Italian pizza to fluffy chocolate brownies. By the time everyone secretly stuffed themselves with the astonishing food, not a single crumb was left. Mr Peet’s traditional opening speech was inspiring as always and the Deputy Head of the British Embassy spoke after that as well. But the show truly began with the traditional international
welcome, that is students welcoming the audience in numerous languages, some of them being Chinese, Portuguese, Italian and of course Romanian. We also had the pleasure of enjoying many performances from other schools. For example the Avenor School impressively performing “You Stand Tall” in sign language or the German school performing “Das muss ein Ritter koennen” with their adorable students from Primary school. Of course, our own talented students planned some astounding entertainment as they always do, some especially
amazing moments being “Hora din Moldova” which was performed spectacularly by the melodious voices of Navya and Ileana. Another act was a beautiful song called “I Believe” which was sang in Chinese by Kevin, Li Yi, Bai Lan, Li lin and Xin Jianony. And last but not least, the now famous School Band which performed the delightfully mellow song, “Islands in the Sun”, to match the weather. However by far the most extravagant and unique performances were the Indian Dance and the Drums Act. The Brazilian rhythms, which were performed by students from the Ferdinand school, mesmerised the audience as they continuously switched patterns of rhythm causing the audience to ultimately be lost in the music; it was a stunning and intricate number. Finally we have arrived to the Inidan dance, one of the most awaited parts of the show, performed by Navya, Aryan, Ken and Steve. The complex dance was beautifully coordinated and caused you to feel as if you were viewing a show taking place right in India - they added a special touch to the act with the use of colourful Holi Powder which just added thrill to the entire routine, making it even more authentic. So in the end, UN Day was the perfect way to bid farewell to a hardworking first half term. I hope everyone had a terrific holiday in which they relaxed and did all the things they didn’t have time for during school time. By Maria I.
IBSB Students Celebrate International Peace Day
Peace One Day On the 21st of September every year, over 2 million people celebrate International Peace Day. Peace One Day is an organization working with global leaders and celebrities to bring a day of ceasefire and non-violence, allowing humanitarian aid to reach children and adults in need.
This year on Friday the 19th, IBSB joined schools and communities around the world to recognize this wonderful day of peace. The Primary and Secondary school joined together for a minute of silence, before releasing 350 white balloons into the sky, each sending a message of peace. Then later the same day Year 5 presented a memorable assembly on Peace Day. It was a wonderful day, with many happy thoughts and good wishes shared. We hope everyone had a peaceful weekend and that these peaceful thoughts last with us all year!
Bucharest History Conference During the past week, we noticed that Mr Afzal was happier and more excited about history than usual, but we assumed it was simply due to his boundless passion for the subject. Little did we know that in fact, he had been emailing the organizers of a History Conference about the Origins of the First World War, held at the Howard Johnson Hotel and at the University of Bucharest! This year marks the centennial anniversary of the start of WWI, and it also coincided with what we are studying in AS History at the moment. Even now, after 100 years have passed, we cannot seem to agree on a definite answer as to who was responsible for the outbreak of WWI and we have conferences such as this one to debate various points of view.
The conference started at the Howard Johnson Hotel, with a very interesting and informative keynote speech from Professor Lothar Holbert, coming from the University of Vienna. He spoke about Austria-Hungary’s decision to declare war on Serbia and Romania’s position in this series of events. After that there was a short break, in which Ruxandra, Andreea and I took the opportunity to explore the hotel a little. Then on our way back, we took a wrong turn and stumbled into another conference, from where we borrowed some cookies we are yet to return…
A panel discussion then followed about the Origins of the First World War. Mr Afzal asked a question as to why Germany gave Austria-Hungary a blank cheque, supporting whatever decision Austria-Hungary would decide in regards to whether or not to declare war on Serbia, in July 1914. This is a key controversy because if Germany had not provided such a blank cheque, then Austria might not have had the guts to go to war, and so start the chain reaction of nations declaring war on each other, that ended up as World War I. So in effect, Germany could be blamed for starting the war. This sparked a debate between two historians in the room, Professor Holbert and Dr Annika Mombauer (whom we recognised from a history documentary Mr Afzal showed us!); Professor Holbert argued that Austria-Hungary did not in fact need a blank cheque from Germany and was merely polite enough to accept it, as it was so intent on destroying Serbia, while Dr Mombauer argued that in fact AustriaHungary was quite reliant on Germany as an ally and saw the blank cheque as a great asset. Professor Holbert is Austrian while Dr Mombauer is German – this may or may not influence their reasoning, but it certainly does coincide with their opinions! In the end, they both agreed to disagree as that discussion could have lasted for the entire conference. Our textbook, for example, sides with Dr Mombauer (just saying!). However, after this we had to leave earlier in order to get back to school for our CAS interviews, but we left excited about the fact that we learned new and interesting perspectives that experts in the field have about this controversial topic, and more relaxed now that we found historians themselves do not have the answers to all the questions about momentous events such as this one! Mr Afzal was particularly pleased with himself about having sparked a passionate dialogue between two fellow historians. Below: Group photo. Check out Mr Afzal’s fabulous pose!
Key Note speech by Dr Annika Mombauer
The next day of the conference started off with a keynote presentation from Dr Annika Mombauer. She spoke about contemporary views on the outbreak of WWI and whether or not it still matters today who started it. I asked what she considers to be the greatest failure of the political elites at the time, leading to the war. In summary, her answer was that back then, world leaders thought war was a legitimate means in settling disputes, so there was little incentive to avoid it in the first place. Vladimir then asked why Germany as a nation still feels guilty for the war. She answered that the fact that Germany was thoroughly defeated in World War II and the negative image Hitler’s actions brought upon Germany, influence the way historians and people in general perceive the outcome of World War I as well. She also commented that guilt could also be misinterpreted for a feeling of responsibility for the war. Presentations about the influences of WWI on art, cultural movements and the Olympics were then held. They were very interesting as they proved what a major influence the war had on peoples' lives back then while it was unfolding and also long after. This goes to show how a regional conflict, which turned into a global World War, can have such a great impact on all aspects of society, so much so that we will remember it for generations to come.
Andreea, Cora, Ruxanda, Vladimir and I all agreed it was a very interesting experience out of which we learned many new things, such as ridiculously rapid note taking; Mr Afzal said this is a very useful skill to have in university, speaking from personal experience. We also had the opportunity to speak to Dr Mombauer about universities in the UK and she told us a little more about the application process and what to expect at university. We were all really glad we attended the conference and we would like to say a big thank you to Mr Afzal for being constantly on the watch for opportunities to bring history into our learning!
By Andrei D.
Primary School Halloween
Party Spectacular Witches and Warlocks, Ghouls and Ghosts, Princes and Princesses, and of course the ever popular Grim Reaper, Dracula and his trusty Vampires were the popular choices of the night for this year’s annual IBSB Primary School Halloween Party, which took place on Friday, October 31 st, at the KIDDO Playground in Baneasa Mall.
Without a doubt it was our most successful Halloween Party ever, thanks to the tremendous efforts of the PTF, with almost the entire Primary school present, as well as most of Year 7 and a good portion of our Year 8 students. There were fun and games planned for the evening, food and drink available, a Fancy Dress Competition and the announcement of this year’s Pumpkin Contest, all of which made for a very exciting and enjoyable night for all present. Even the parents got in on the act, with Stan Platt dressed as a Wizard, Mr Zamfir a rather dashing Pirate, and plenty of witchy mothers present to add to the flavour of the night. A big thank you to the PTF and especially PTF President Claudia Marta for all the hard work put in to make this event
the success it was. Thank you also to Wilhelmina Arz for her help in selecting this year’s winner of the fancy dress competition, to KIDDO Play for graciously hosting us, and to BCR, Nikon, DACRIS– LOLO, NIKON– Yellow Store for sponsoring the photographs and prizes for both the fancy dress and pumpkin making competitions. Finally, a big thank to the IBSB Students, Parents, and Teachers who came along for the night, together making it a memorable night for all. We hope you enjoy the photos and look forward to seeing you back again next year.
The Exciting IBSB Clubs are Back! This school year brings with it a different set of clubs – some new, some old, some improved. For me personally, the most interesting club is the MUN Club. MUN stands for “Model United Nations”, which is essentially a simulation of an actual UN Conference for high schoolers. Every year our school takes part in this prestigious event as our gifted students pick a committee and get assigned a country, which they have to research and assume the role of during the conference. It is not a competition like debating for example, but rather a great a way to meet different people and get an idea how intricate the UN is. Travelling to different countries is also an added bonus!
Some of our other clubs are more academically focused, for example Ms Senzaconi’s “Prep for Exams”, which helps the most stressed of students go through exam sessions with more ease. Another option is the Homework Club; for those of you who feel there is too much work put upon your plate and you don’t have the advantage of time, this club offers you the extra time you need in school to finish all assignments, so when you do finally arrive in the pleasure of your home you can sit down and relax. Or, if you feel as if you are the type of person who wants to help others why not join the CAS Club? Our school works with several large charities in Romania and students have an opportunity to volunteer to help out in our community.
Another fascinating club in my opinion is the “Duke of Edinburgh” Club. After the students complete certain assignments, such as community work and going on expeditions, they will receive an internationally recognized award. A handful of our students have accepted the challenge of this adventure as they recently set out on a hiking trip in the Romanian mountain. It proved to be more than successful and if interested please talk to Ms Croci; it is a one of a kind experience! We also have the Football Club, which is supervised by the enthusiastic Mr Jennings. It seems to be most popular this term showing how dedicated some of our students are to sports. Also, the Drama Club is preparing, as you are reading this article, for a delightful musical all of us will enjoy: this year’s winter production. If you like to sing, dance, or act, then his is a must join club for you
However, instead of taking part in a club, you can take the initiative and create your own, following the example of Mihnea Radulescu for instance who started his own Photography Club! There are many others I have not mentioned in this article, so I encourage you to check them out. Remember, if you are bored during breaks, there are many exciting opportunities waiting for you around the corner! By Maria I.
SCHOOL VIEWS
The constantly improving IBSB facilities As the new school year started we made the pleasant discovery that not only did the Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) move in a brand new campus in the nearby Codecs building, but the ICT room has also been upgraded. The new computers are lightning-fast and run the latest Microsoft software, Windows 8. They also have the exciting Microsoft Office 2013 installed which makes all TIV work easier! A few of the older computers were also relocated in the Codecs building, thus making more computers available to the students. Which brings us to the new Sixth Form centre, located a few buildings away from the school’s main campus. IBSB now occupies the 3rd floor of the Codecs building’s west wing and we have four new classrooms, as well as two new study rooms, as study periods are crucial for the Sixth Form and need to be spent in a proper studying environment.
A few students have lessons in the other building as they make use of the science or ICT laboratories, increasing their daily fitness time as they go from one building to the other. A lucky few, including me, now spend almost all their time on the new campus. The Business/Economics room, also the Year 12 form room, is the largest one and is also the place where presentations and workshops are held. The Year 13 form room, on the other hand, makes up in style for what it lacks in space. As it is also the Psychology/Sociology room, we helped Ms Croci decorate it and it is by far my favourite room in the new campus because it feels a bit like home. Judging by the quality of these new improvements, I am certain that the coming-soon new IBSB campus will be simply extraordinary and I’m sure we’ll all be amazed by it when we come back to visit our school. By Ruxandra R.
Movie reviews
The Equalizer In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (ChloĂŤ Grace Moretz), a young girl under
the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by - he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
Let’s Be Cops It's the ultimate buddy cop movie except for one thing: they're not cops. When two struggling friends dress as police officers for a costume party, they become neighborhood sensations. But when these newly-minted "heroes" get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line. Great movie and plot. Starring Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans Jr and Nina Dobrev.
What If is the story of medical school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who's been repeatedly burned by bad relationships. So while everyone around him, including his
roommate Allan (Adam Driver) seems to be finding the perfect partner (Mackenzie Davis), Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) an animator who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship. Still, there is no denying the chemistry between them, leading the pair to wonder, what if the love of your life is actually your best friend?
The Maze Runner When Thomas wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape. Based upon the best-selling novel by James Dashner.
By Achille R.
MARIA RECOMMENDS A STUDENT BOOK REVIEW
# 1 If I stay by Gayle Forman (Age:>13)
The story is very catchy, so don’t be surprised if you won’t be able to put the book down after a few chapters, and the message of the book is very vibrant and motivating.
“This book is a do-not-miss story of love, friendship, family, loss, control and coping. “ – Justine Magazine If I Stay is a young adult novel by Gayle Forman published in 2009. The story follows 17-year-old Mia Hall as she deals with the aftermath of a catastrophic car accident involving her family. In a coma, Mia has an out-of-body experience, and watches as friends and family gather at the hospital where she is being treated. Mia watches as her life flashes before her eyes as she comes to realize that she must decide if she should wake up and lead a life far more difficult than she ever anticipated, or slip away and die.
# 2 Witch Song by Amber Argyle The Witch Hunters have come for Brusenna, for she is the last. All the others have been captured by the Dark Witch. And without their magical songs to control nature, the world is dying.
# 3 Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (Age>14) “This astonishing tale of friendship and truth will take wing and soar into your heart” - Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Best-seller author Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun. When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare.
Though young and untrained, Brusenna must succeed where every other Witch has failed. Find the Dark Witch. Fight her. Defeat her. If Brusenna fails, there will be nothing left to save—for the Witches, for mankind, or for the young Guardian who has committed his life to protecting hers. These dangerous adventures will hold you utterly mesmerized as you will slowly enter the artfully created world of witches.
Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? A Michael L. Printz Award Honor book that was called "a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel" in The New York Times, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. This book will make you feel pain that isn’t yours, it will make you despise your enemies even more, and appreciate your loved ones until the end. By Maria M.
TV shows review Everyone needs a time to relax, forget the stress of school for a moment and do whatever they want to do. What better way to relax than to snuggle in your comfy bed with a hot chocolate in hand while watching your favourite TV show?
Mad Men I was sceptical about beginning this new TV show as I knew no one that watched it, however I am so glad I did because once I started I could not stop myself from watching the next episode each time. It is set in the 60s when advertising flourished within America.
Well here I am to the rescue, just in case you haven’t got a clue what to watch, I will list a variety of genres so everyone can have a pick. Careful: they can – and usually do – become addictive!
Cigarettes and Campbell’s soup are in their full glamour. The story revolves around the protagonist, Don Draper, a charming and idyllic man with his “perfect” family, and his life spiralling downwards due to his job. The genre of this particular TV show is drama and I highly recommend it; the script, the costumes, the acting all combined together make the TV show one of the best I have ever seen. In addition it features events that are historically relevant, which ultimately makes it more realistic and interesting to the viewer.
Hannibal This is a perfect TV show for those who like the elements of crime and intrigue. I began watching this show due to extreme boredom; it’s safe to say that after watching the first episode I spent the whole day obsessing over it. The story is about the dysfunctional relationship between Will Graham, an FBI special detective who thinks like a killer, and Hannibal Lecter, a hidden psychopath who eats his victims… oh, the irony. They live their day-to-day lives as one trying to find the other while the other one tries to hide his tracks to avoid getting caught. What makes this show so special are the psychological effects upon Will Graham that are beautifully acted out, the graphics used to reveal an insight into his mind are ingenious and the crimes in the show are so well thought out it is almost as if the events happened in real life.
Modern Family I don’t really recall anyone not knowing this show; nevertheless I shall praise it no matter what. In my experience, it brings a smile to my face every time I watch an episode. The hilarious comparison between the three crucially different families could amuse anybody, the comedy in this shows is so brilliantly written and the “problems” taking place are so relatable that it feels as if the actors representing their characters become an extension of your family.
Downton Abbey All I can say about this show is that it is amazingly magnificent. It takes place in the early 1920s in England and is about the everyday life of a wealthy family. I would recommend this to all students who actually enjoy history as it is so astonishingly historically correct. The costumes and the subtle humour are what make the show; it is also interesting to see the difference in perspectives, to the one back then contrasted to the one now. By far Maggie Smith, who plays the overbearing grandmother, is the star of the show, as her interpretation is so brilliant. Another virtue of the show is that the characters become so dear to you, however do not get too attached, as there have been a handful of deaths the past few seasons (of course nothing compared to the deaths in Game of Thrones!).
By Maria I.
The Road is Life
Some years ago I read a pivotal book which completely changed the way I view travel. The author, Jeff Greenwald, noted how travellers today easily lose perspective of the size, complexity and certainly the beauty of our world by jetting from country to country. He decided to set himself a worthy goal and see the planet by never leaving the ground. His subsequent book, The Size of the World, not only impressed me but influenced my perspective on travel. Over the years I have personally experienced the truth of that well known dictum: “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Arguably, one of the best ways to cover territory in a relaxed and unstructured way is in a car equipped with the necessities for long distance travel which pretty much amounts to a full tank of gas and a spirit for adventure. Especially important is a group of like-minded friends, so “The Plan is No Plan Summer 2014” road trip was created scheduled to kick-off near Izmir, Turkey on August 4th. We were all to meet at the Hotel Bebek, a small, unpretentious lodge in the unpronounceable town of Gumuldur about 50 K outside of Izmir and across the highway from a stunning beach. Considering where we were all coming from, it was no small feat for us to meet up.
Gaby was flying in from Thailand, I was coming in by bus from Side, Antalya (10 hours of great scenery) and Jane and Remy were driving down from Bulgaria in their newly purchased car. Somehow we all managed to find the Bebek on the evening of August 4th and over cold Efes and traditional meze we congratulated ourselves on all making the “starting line.” What ensued over the course of the next 11 days would fill the pages of a small book, so I will restrict myself to one of the highlights. Eski Foca or Old Foca hypnotised us from the moment we arrived. In a country full of beautiful towns, Foca was certainly a contender for the crown. Set on hills around a harbour with a plethora of brightly coloured fishing boats, a small plaza ruled by a hierarchy of friendly town dogs and some very genial locals, Foca had it all. Over a seafood dinner our first night out, we learned about daily boat tours to the Siren Islands made famous in Greek mythology for luring sailors to their deaths. Of course we had to go. The next morning found us comfortably installed aboard the "Delphine" stretched out on the wooden bow, soaking up the rays and rocking gently in the azure-blue cradle of the Aegean. It was a perfect day about to get better.
The islands were spectacular; their jagged sandy-coloured profiles rose in stark contrast against the aquarium-clear sea. The coastal breeze whistled musically against the craggy surface of the islands creating the “call of the Sirens” sailors mistook for beautiful creatures centuries ago. Fortunately the only danger we faced was possible sun-stroke as we snorkelled around the tranquil waters finding Nemo and hunting for shells. Later, we navigated our way off shore from an abandoned “Sandals” resort and went in search of the elusive Foca or seal the region is famous for. Meanwhile, Cappy Hassan and his mate were busy preparing us a delicious lunch of freshly grilled fish and kofte (Turkish meatballs.) Lunch was set out on the deck of the Delphine. There, with plenty of time to exchange tall tales with fellow travellers and admire the spectacular views we agreed that sometimes the best plan is no plan at all. Inshallah, we’ll be back!
By Ms Andrea J. Carman
Favourite Historical Figures Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant The American Civil War threw up so many interesting figures. One of my favourite is General, and later President, Ulysses S. Grant. I read about him in a book by John Keegan, called The Mask of Command, one of the best history books I've ever read. Grant was a failure as a career soldier (came near the bottom of his class at the US officers' school, West Point) and a then a failed businessman. He had to go work for his father when he was in his late thirties as he had failed at everything else, in a hardware store in a small-town in Ohio. When the Civil War broke out in the United States in 1861, over the issue of who led the country, the booming, industrializing North or the old Slave-Agricultural society of the South, there were so few trained officers on the Northern side, they called
King George VI of England One historical figure I find particularly interesting, and one that I also admire, is King George VI of England. He was the last Emperor of India - as the Indians gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947 - and the first Head of the Commonwealth. Throughout his life, he had a struggle with stammering, and a critically acclaimed movie about this was directed as well, "The King's Speech", featuring Colin Firth as King George. As a Head of State, and especially a very influential and large one, public speaking skills are of paramount importance, in order to give speeches in front of large audiences and simply because due to this position, one must communicate effectively with many different people, both informally and diplomatically. King George VI lacked adequate communication skills due to his stammer; he could speak, but with difficulty and giving speeches was even worse. He would take long pauses and would keep looking down at the paper on which his speech was written. Nevertheless, he somehow managed to overcome his stammer, which is something I personally admire.
Woodrow Wilson Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, was one of the greatest supporters of the League of Nations and was thus awarded the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize. He did not live, however, to see the globalised world he envisioned, in which America is involved in any conflict, as the champion of democracy. Instead, the US Congress voted against the country’s membership in the League of Nations, choosing to revert back to isolationism. This was one of the many causes for the League’s eventual failure to stop aggressive States. In
up anyone and he ended up back in the army as a Colonel of his local Town in Ohio. But as he had been so bad a student at West Point, he had never really learned warfare like all the military-background, upper class men of his generation. But this proved a blessing in disguise, as warfare had changed due to the massive industrial changes in the USA, and Grant ended up improvising (he even tried at the start of the war, reading a book on military tactics he borrowed from his local library but soon gave it up!) and working as he saw things, whereas all the commanders on the other side were too tied to old military thinking and so could not see how warfare had changed. He ended up the leading general of the Civil War, and a favourite of Lincoln, and later a celebrated President of the USA himself! By Mr Afzal Shaikh
Originally, he was not supposed to ascend to the British throne. When his father George V died, his older brother Edward VIII became king. However, less than a year later, Edward VIII intended to marry his mistress, Wallis Simpson, who was divorced from her first husband and divorcing her second. Naturally, this caused public outrage and on 11 December 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated so that he could marry. Being next in line, King George reluctantly ascended to the British throne. One can only imagine the pressure he was under, with mass communication developing rapidly during his reign. Even worse, speeches could not be prerecorded as technology did not allow it, so everything was live - all of this when European countries were at the brink of war. However, together with Lionel Logue, who trained him and worked with him to the point where the king's stammer nearly disappeared, George VI managed to overcome his greatest weakness as a king, successfully leading Britain when all odds were against him. Personally, I admire him very much because of his courage, strength and perseverance and I think he is the perfect example of what a leader should be. By Andrei D.
many ways, Wilson was a man before his time. He saw that the future was towards globalisation rather than nationalism and sought to bring all countries together in the League of Nations to discuss and debate how to best deal with conflicts which arose around the world. He was also an advocate of the right of states to self-determination, which among his other views made him seem very idealistic for the times he lived in, when countries such as the UK were still struggling to hold onto their Empires. No matter how successful his plans actually were, Woodrow Wilson certainly did fight for world peace and even inspired future American presidents, such as Roosevelt to carry on his ideals. By Ruxandra R.
New Teachers
Ms Ioana Dumitrescu, Spanish Teacher
Ms I: I don’t like to send students to the behaviour committee! R: What are some of your personal goals?
Raluca: Where are you from?
Ms I: I really want to develop the drama department and make a great performing arts community.
Ms I: I was born in Bucharest.
L: Are you happy?
Loren: For how long have you been teaching?
Ms I: Yes, I believe I am content.
Ms I: I’ve been teaching for 14 years.
R: Do you have an children?
R: Why did you choose IBSB?
Ms I: No, I don’t.
Ms I: I chose IBSB because I returned here after I left . L: Tell us something interesting about yourself. Ms I: If I weren’t to become a teacher I would have become a singer or artist. R: What is your favourite thing about IBSB? Ms I: It has to be the welcoming community. L: Do you have an embarrassing experience you would like to share? Mr S: *thinks* I like football and everyone here seems to like it as well.
Mr Mark Storey, Humanities Teacher
R: What is your favourite thing about IBSB? Mr S: Everyone here is very friendly and helpful.
Loren: Where are you from?
L: What is one of your most embarrassing experiences?
Mr S: I’ve been teaching for 11 years.
Mr S: Oh, that’s a good one.*thinks* I can’t think of one! *we leave and Maria S brings us a sheet of paper with his answers* The only game that I went to see and support was Inter-Milan, and apparently I ended up staying in the middle of the hard-core fans.
R: Why did you move to Romania?
R: What are some of your goals?
Mr S: I wanted something different and adventurous.
Mr S: To speak better Italian and learn Romanian *additional answer because Mr Storey wasn’t satisfied with it* I want to try and visit the 1st league stadiums in Romania.
Mr Storey: I am from Bradford, Britain. Raluca: For how long have you been teaching?
L: Why did you choose IBSB? Mr S: It sounded very friendly and welcoming. R: What are your thoughts on Romania? Mr S: I’m enjoying it so far and I cannot wait to discover more. L: Tell us something interesting about yourself.
Mr Paul Jennings, Head of English Loren: What is your full name? Mr Jennings: Paul Chapman Jennings Raluca: Where are you from? Mr J: I was born in Manchester, United Kingdom. L: For how long have you been teaching? Mr J: 24 years. A long time. R: Why did you move to Romania, and chose IBSB? Mr J: Good question. I guess I wanted a new challenge and I saw a job for the head of department here in IBSB, so I took it. The school looked great on top of that, so it made my choice easier.
R: Do you have an embarrassing experience that you would like to share? Mr J: *thinks with a smile on his face* *thinks more* L: Sir, come on! We have other teachers to interview as well… Mr J: It was when I went on a school trip at my previous school, but we went to the wrong theatre indeed. We got kicked out of there and it felt really embarrassing. R: Well that doesn’t sound nice… Mr J: really wasn’t. *laughs* L: What are some of your goals for the future? Mr J: To be happy and travel the world. I want to make sure my daughter is happy as well. .
L: What are your thoughts about Romania? Mr J: I haven’t been out of Bucharest yet because I haven’t had the time, but I wish to go as soon as possible. R: Tell us something interesting about yourself. Mr J: * thinks* I like to go long distance cycling, but that’s not really interesting. L: It’s ok. What is your favourite thing about IBSB so far? Mr J: The atmosphere. Students here are inquisitive.
Mr N: want to give my daughter the best she deserves.
Mr Silviu Nastase, Chemistry Teacher
R: Are you happy?
L: Where are you from?
Mr N: Yes. But actually, before coming here I was pretty upset with my life. Life is better now that I am at IBSB an enjoying my job here.
Mr N: I was born in Braila but now I live in Bucharest.
R: Do you have kids?
R: For how long have you been teaching?
Mr N: Yes, I have a small two year old daughter.
Mr N: Actually, this is my first time as a teacher in a high school. Up until now I have been teaching at university level. L: Why did you choose IBSB then? Mr N: It’s a very good question. I wanted a challenge and decided to teach kids and teenagers. R: Tell me something interesting about you. Mr N: I have a particular interest in digital photography and recently come of my photos were accepted in a photo exhibition. L: Wow, cool! Now tell us your favourite thing about IBSB. Mr N: The students. R: Do you have an embarrassing experience? Mr N: I didn’t have any embarrassing moments. I was lucky. *laughs* L: What are some of your personal goals?
By Loren B. & Raluca S.
Restaurants of Bucharest Bucharest is one of those shyer cities: you need to give it time before it reveals its true self. Allow it to mislead and maybe even disappoint, before it charms you with small, friendly bistros, cafes tucked away on side streets and beautiful restaurants. As a local, born and bred in Bucharest, I am yet to discover many other such places, but I would like to share the ones that I did find with you.
Zahanaua Zexe: incredibly Romanian Str. Icoanei, nr. 80, sector 2 This traditional Romanian restaurant is situated in an old but beautifully refurbished mansion, with equally amazing food. Stepping inside, two things might surprise you: how spacious the inside actually is and the vintage décor from the early 20th century. Advancing through a short corridor with adjacent salons, the internal courtyard reveals itself; with a discrete retractable roof it is pleasure to dine in during summertime. The restaurant itself has character and accompanied by the antiques tastefully positioned throughout the room, it brings about a warm and elegant atmosphere, making you understand why Bucharest was once called “The Little Paris”. When it comes to the food, the owners researched far and wide recipes buried during communism, bringing authentic Romanian dishes back to life. However, the desserts are the highlight of the meal, prepared by the owner’s daughter.
This is not a top of “the best restaurants in Bucharest” or anything of the sort, merely a list of places that I experienced and that I found remarkable. I encourage you to do some of your own exploration, to discover what Bucharest has to offer. By Andrei D.
She went to the East of France, in Montbeliard, where she studied pastry cooking, training under Master Patissier Eric Vergne. They look and taste sublime. Dining at Zahanaua Zexe will take you away from the mundane and agitated city life, to a place that time seems to have spared.
Kunnai: the spice of life Copilului Street 6-12 (Domenii Park)
They also have a particularly interesting dish: rice served inside a pineapple! Overall, Kunnai is a restaurant successfully preserving its culinary integrity, offering a glimpse into the Thai culture and food.
Hidden away between blocks of flats in the residential area of Domenii, this Thai restaurant is difficult to come across if you do not know it from someone else. The dark walls with contemporary oriental art hanging on them give rise to a sleek interior design, complemented by traditional Thai dishes with a modern presentation. For those of you who prefer spicy food, this is the place! Others fear not, for not all they serve is hot. They use authentic Thai spices and ingredients when cooking, giving visitors a taste of Thailand. You've got starters like spring rolls or Thai bite, soups, salads, curries, stir fries, noodles, the signature dishes (Creamy Stir Fried Red Curry with King Prawn or Stuffed Squid with Lime and Chilli) and desserts as well.
The Artist: name says it all Nicolae Tonitza St., Nr. 13 Tucked away on a quiet street on the outskirts of the Lipscani Old City Centre, this restaurant is one of the first of its kind in Bucharest. It is a very small place, modern but minimalistic in design, with only a few tables. Many are tempted to walk past it, a few more curious spirits peak in or stop by briefly with an inquisitive look on their face, but not many choose to walk inside and immerse themselves in a new, exciting culinary experience, probably because they do not know what to expect.
Beca’s Kitchen: like at a friend’s place Mihai Eminescu 80, Sector 2 Andreea Beca came to a point in life some of us will find ourselves in as well: she realised she was not actually doing what she was passionate about. Fortunately for her (and for us as well!) she quickly discovered she loves cooking. Determined to pursue her dream, she opened a quaint little bistro, Beca’s Kitchen, where she experiments with recipes and cooking techniques. She makes use of the freshest ingredients available on the market and bases the dishes on what is available seasonally, resulting in an ever-changing menu. Furthermore, she uses healthy cooking techniques like steaming or grilling, avoiding frying. The bistro itself is very friendly and welcoming, with cosy décor.
The restaurant features an international cuisine with molecular-style cooking, but the chef chose to preserve some Romanian influence in his kitchen. The food is exquisite and the attention to detail is visible on the plate but in the whole restaurant as well. The menu is small as it should be, but there is something to please everyone. For those who cannot ever decide what to order (like me), fear not! There is a “Spoon tasting” option for appetisers, main course and desert, where an entire dish is concentrated within the constraints of a spoon, effectively summarizing all the menu into a series of bite-size, carefully arranged and delicious dishes. The melange of aromas in every course is perfectly balanced and overwhelmingly tasty.
Andreea is always there, taking orders and socialising with customers with a smile on her face. The food is very good as well, her dedication and passion for cooking very present in her dishes.
CREATIVE WRITING
Trapping flies As opponents flies are peculiar, mostly because we will never know if they really mean to be our opponents. However, the sheer annoyance they produce seals their fate instantly. Whether the fly’s real intent when buzzing around your head in the morning was to conduct whatever business a fly might have, thus not meaning to interfere with you at all, or whether it was driven by curiosity to approach the large carbon life form in the room, coming near you will always be interpreted as a war declaration. That damn buzzing sounds. In a situation as the one described above in which you are sleepy and at the start of your day, the fly might not instantly become an opponent, but merely the recipient of much cursing. However, in a different situation in which you are more active and prone to murderous revenge if annoyed, one can almost pity the fly. The first step you will take will probably be to demoralise your opponent. A death glare, fuelled by all the annoyance of the day and prompted by that damn buzzing, will be cast on the fly in question. The fly, of course, will be immune to the glare and oblivious to the fact that an omnipotent hunter is on its trails. Armed with the plastic Fly Killer Sword you will get up from the seat where you were peacefully minding your own business until the winged devil started tormenting you, death glare still on and you will wait.
Smooth, straight surfaces, especially windows, are the perfect battlefield, which you will also have to dutifully clean afterwards to leave no evidence of your massacre, only rumours. Once the fly has settled on the surface you shall have to finish it off in one agile attack. If the fly manages to elude you, worry not. It will probably fly to another spot on the same surface to catch its breath. You can therefore perform several agile attacks to finish it off. So disposing of flies sometimes requires a combo attack. We have to of course think of how sad our over-whelming power is. Fighting a worthy opponent, one as ruthless and as well armed as you, feels definitely better than fighting an oblivious, possibly not even ill-intending one, but usually leaves behind as much destruction. So think about what you’ve done in your blind rage while you clean that surface afterwards. As for flies, the individual fly can only escape by being confused with another, the differences in size or species being invisible to the untrained human eye. However, either death will be considered abnormal, a frustrating accident. No causes can be identified that lead to the fly’s demise. It probably does not even know that the sound it makes when flying annoys humans so.
By Ruxandra R.
“Preparing the Children of today to face the challenges of tomorrow�