Insight January 2019 Issue

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January 2019 • ISSUE 12

International School of Bucharest’s Academic Awards Ceremony PAGE 68

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

Message from The Director It is a great pleasure to present to you the newest edition of the Insight Magazine. Every end marks a new beginning. With courage, faith and great effort, you can achieve everything you set your mind to. I wish you a happy and most successful new year!

MR. SİNAN KOŞAK / DIRECTOR

Safety has always been our top priority. We are very proud to be the first school in Romania that has an earthquake sensor which provides an early warning and shuts down the gas system automatically in case of the detection of a seismic wave.

This is the second year of our IB Diploma Programme. I wish good luck to all students in their mock exams that are just around the corner.

January 2019 Issue 12 International School of Bucharest’s Periodic Magazine Director SİNAN KOȘAK director@isb.ro Editor MADALINA CIOC admissions@isb.ro Graphic Designer ALEXANDRU ROTARIU alexandru.rotariu@isb.ro Photographer omer.burgazli@isb.ro

1R Sos. Gara Cățelu Str, 032991, Bucharest, Romania (+40) 21-306 95 30 info@isb.ro www.isb.ro

I am very excited to announce that ISB has become a member of the Association of Central European IB Schools (ACES) which will help with our school’s improvement and collaboration with other IB schools in Europe. I had the pleasure to receive our plaque during the IB Global Conference in Vienna where I have also met Mrs.Siva Kumari, the Director General of IB and other school leaders who shared a similar vision for a better world.

Celebrating the achievements of our students is a true honour and privilege for us. I especially want to congratulate Ana Maria Anghel who received the Cambridge Top in the World award for her exceptional result in the Cambridge International A Level Sociology examination.

We are continuing to improve the technology infrastructure of our school. We have successfully completed the project of 90 access points with our partner HB Aruba in

order to deliver superb enterprise Wi-Fi. This will maximize the benefits of our technology equipment. We are also working towards becoming an Apple certified school.

All our staff are certified with an online child protection training and we are now organising a face to face training for a certified Advanced Safeguarding Course.

The future of the school is one of our main focuses. In this regard, we have worked with a business consulting company from Canada last February.

Through a self assessment report we have identified our strong and weak points and we are now working on the areas of improvement on this report.

We are also developing a strategic plan for the next 3 to 5 years with the same business consultancy. It’s a 6 month project that will be shared with the community when it’s ready.

We are doing all new sort of things to build the strategic plan for the coming years.

I also want to take this chance to thank you for your support with the petition I started to stop dumping waste around school. We have reached 10000 signatures and managed to have a regular cleaning now. Even if the problem is not fully solved yet, it is a big step forward and I plan a visit to the mayor and other authorities with your signatures.

Finally, we are happy to announce the re-registration period for the next year. We invite parents to come to visit the admissions and accountancy offices and we invite prospective parents to visit our school.

See you in the next edition!

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Enriching the Primary Curriculum MRS. KERRY HARRIS HEAD OF PRIMARY SCHOOL

The value of enrichment activities can often be undermined in school as the focus is on the less academic subjects.

Research shows that participation in enrichment activities can have a positive effect on students. Children who participate in arts and in sports activities are generally proven to increase their potential in academic subjects.

Enrichment activities promote critical thinking and problemsolving skills by encouraging children to ‘think outside the box’. Studies also show that participation in enrichments boosts self-confidence and self-esteem. Children learn to collaborate with others by working in groups through participation in a team sport, in a group project, or learning a group dance. These essential life skills equip children to resolve personal conflicts, to empathise with others, and build friendships they might not otherwise have the chance to make. To participate in enrichment activities also provides the opportunity to explore interests, which could open more options for careers and hobbies as they grow older.

As an international school we are very fortunate to work with such a diverse community. We do not teach religion, but we recognise and educate our children about the festivals and cultures of the children in our community. We celebrate our internationalism each year with our International Day Costume Parade and Food Fair. To be part of the ISB community enriches the children’s education, encouraging a global awareness and understanding of different cultures; it enables children to recognise similarities and differences but most importantly the opportunity to work together, to collaborate and enjoy learning together.

Project-based learning (PBL) is integral to our curriculum and provides opportunities for research and exploration on a subject that interests the children personally, within

their termly topic. Projects may be created as 3D models, PowerPoint presentations, or made into books or presentations. Children may collaborate with their peers to complete the projects, they may also work with family and friends at home.

Every half term, each year group plans an off-site visit to a venue that supports the teaching of the topic. Teachers collaborate with the experts at each venue and create activities to support the learning taking place in school.

In addition, all children in key stage two participate in

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a residential trip during the summer term. We strongly encourage parents to allow their children to participate in the residential visits. For many children this is their first trip away from home without parents. This is a valuable experience to increase independence and develop social skills.

Enrichment also takes place through an extensive programme of after school

clubs. Each activity may introduce a new skill or interest, or nurture and develop an existing talent. Musicians offer individual tuition. Professional coaches provide sports training. We strongly encourage children to join the residential ski trip to Poiana Brasov and the ice-skating visits to Cismigiu Park.

We offer certified courses in Robotics and additional languages including

French, Mandarin and Arabic.

In conclusion, the primary intention of enrichment is to broaden opportunities, develop personal and social skills, increase motivation towards learning and enhance self-esteem. We continue to expand our programme and look for ways to improve our provision for enrichment to add value to the children’s experience in school.

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Developing important independent skills.

The Importance of a Daily Routine in the Pre-Nursery Class MS. CRISTINA FLOREA PRE-NURSERY TEACHER

A routine helps children practice making simple predictions, as well as understand concepts such as “before and after.”

A day in Pre-Nursery can vary and bring about different learning opportunities, but there will always be some things that stay the same to build a sense of structure and daily routines.

What is daily routine? These are set activities, such as the morning circle or the greetings, that the children take part as a group at a certain time of the day. This helps children to establish connections to each other and can prepare them for the rest of their school day. Washing hands

before snack time and dressing to go outside are also important times in their routine to create a sense of time and promote independence.

In order to be aware of how their day is structured and feel secure in a school environment, a child needs to establish as much routine as possible. When an adult provides these boundaries within school, the child becomes free to relax and explore their world more confidently.

A young child’s thought process is still undergoing a development stage.

Being able to plan ahead and make predictions about the future is a part of this.

Routines also help children develop self-control because they know they have to wait until a certain time to do a particular activity.

The earlier you begin to establish routines in a child’s life, the easier it will be.

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The morning circle time. A vital part of a child’s daily routine during school.

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Literacy in Early Years MRS. CLAIRE O’BRIEN FOUNDATION 1 CLASS TEACHER

“From the day our children are born (yes), to the day they tell us to stop, we should read to them,” says Michael Rosen, an English children’s novelist, poet, and the author of 140 books.

The term “literacy” is used by some to simply describe reading and writing, but in fact literacy covers a much wider range of learning.

Literacy in the early years includes talking about books, print in the environment, early mark making and writing, as well as sharing books and reading.

Chatting away in funny voices as you look through picture books, enjoying interactive eBooks together, listening to stories being told via video or audio and singing nursery rhymes can all spark communication and literacy learning. It is these ideas and thoughts that promote the foundation for developing reading and writing skills.

The classroom environment is filled

Unstructured mark making.

with signs, labels and various texts.

Exposing young children to this from an early age encourages them to recognise print in different situations as well as become familiar with words.

Extensive practice is needed to develop effective handwriting. To provide opportunities to write for younger children, a range of unstructured drawing activities is needed as well as a choice of writing implements, such as chalking outside and making marks in wet sand.

Reading should be mainly about being fully immersed in stories; through role play and small world play, children can bring story books to life. We often focus on shared reading. This way children join in with reading part of the book (such as a repeated phrase).

Children can be taught to anticipate key events; talk about word meanings and related words; repetition and rhyme; how stories are structured; and learn how to handle books carefully.

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Looking at familiar books helps with remembering repeated words and phrases.

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Maths Is All Around Us MRS. SARAH NEWSHAM FOUNDATION STAGE LEADER

We all use Maths in many different ways in our daily lives, be it when shopping, cooking, parking the car, even wrapping a present for a gift.

Recognising shape and colour to make flags.

“I used Maths to create this train which I am really proud of.�

We believe it is very important to expose children to Maths in as many different situations as possible in Early Years Foundation Stage.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum Mathematics as it is known, is split into two areas Numbers and Shape, Space and Measure. It is important that children are given the opportunities to explore all areas of Maths in their play. This way children will not only learn the theory of

Maths such as to rote count, they will learn how to apply their knowledge; for example when a child is asked to hand out pens to their classmates they are encouraged to count how many children there are and then to count out the corresponding number of pens. We offer a variety of activities in class, where children can extend their Mathematical knowledge and skills. When playing with Lego and other construction toys, children are

learning how shapes fit together and what makes a structure strongest, they will also be heard commenting on who has built the tallest, longest, biggest structure. When we encourage children to share toys, we are in fact teaching children about division and balance.

One activity where you can see how Maths is incorporated in everyday activity is baking a cake. Not only is it fun, it is a great way to cement all the knowledge of Maths in this one simple

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activity. Children practice measuring and using numbers when they get the ingredients ready and mixing them, they learn about time when cooking the cake and shape and division when we divide it out to share it in class. We also use lots of songs and stories to practise Maths in class, for example, singing the “Days of the Week” song to help children learn the order of the days in a week, as well as the songs “One Two Buckle my Shoes” and “ Five

Little Ducks.” Combining these songs with stories such as “The Three little Pigs” and “Rainbow Fish” we help the children to understand that numbers and Maths are all around us. For this purpose we also count objects around us and steps on the way up the stairs, or how any children have washed their hands and compare this to the number of children in the class to work out how many children we are waiting for.

Children love to learn and are often

really happy to show you what they have learnt. This is why during play, children will use Maths without thinking about it and realising they are using Maths. This is why learning Maths through play helps break down the barriers and stigma around Maths being hard, which sometimes gets projected onto the subject. This ultimately will help children to continue to enjoy Maths and therefore learn and apply it with greater ease in their later life.

Colouring Elmer by count.

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Year 1 students are immersed in their phonics instruction.

Becoming Writers and Readers: Learning Phonics in Year One MS. CAITLIN CAMPBELL YEAR 1 CLASS TEACHER

The more children read and are exposed to new vocabulary, the more words they have in their literary arsenal to speak and write with.

Adventures in outer space, wandering through an enchanted forest, or even creating magic potions to transform into animals-Year One children have some of the best imaginations going—yet when initially asked to put some of those ideas onto paper, they freeze. With the help of an immersive and consistent phonics programme, children are able to take the ideas that they often find in their favourite stories and in their imaginations and are able to put them to paper, becoming young authors in the process.

The purpose of phonics instruction is to give children a systematic approach to decoding words as they read. The more they utilize and practice their phonics skills, the quicker they are able to decode and read unknown words.

This helps to create more confident readers, and in turn, better writers. The more children read and are exposed to new vocabulary, the more words they have in their literary arsenal to speak and write with. Unfortunately, learning to read and write through phonics has sometimes been a bit controversial in the educational world. Many critics of this approach claim that children can

sometimes lose their love of reading thanks to phonics instruction that turns it into robotic-like learning, where children memorize sounds by rote and are forced to read and write meaningless texts with no real purpose or interest.

At ISB, we understand that children need to be immersed in their phonics instruction, taking it far beyond a twenty-minute lesson and using it in nearly every aspect of their learning, giving children ample opportunity to use and develop this new skill.

Children participate in an engaging and interactive mini-lesson, and practice their skills throughout the rest of the day. Through an immersive approach children play a variety of phonics games, learn new stories, develop their oral language through role play, and practice putting their thoughts to paper on a total cross-curricular basis each and every day. Gone are the days where children sit and learn sounds by looking at flashcards. At ISB children are becoming emergent writers and readers at an amazingly quick rate by practicing what they know: learning to read and write all the while having fun.

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Learning to read and write while having fun.

Very proud of the final product.

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Using Technology to Enhance Learning in the Classroom MRS. HELEN DIXON KS1 HEAD COORDINATOR

At ISB we recognise the importance of developing technological skills in students so they will be prepared to enter the workforce once they complete their schooling.

Technology now plays a very important part in all our lives.

Tablets are replacing our textbooks, and we can research just about anything that we want to on our smartphones. Social media has become commonplace, and the way we use technology has completely transformed the way we live.

This year we have introduced iPads into our KS1 classes and along with Apple TV’s in each class room. These have become an important teaching tool. Our students love using the tablets; it makes learning more fun for them and even lessons they may have once deemed ‘boring’ have become interesting with the use of the iPads. The programmes

we use at ISB allow us to target the learning for specific students, no one learns in the same way because of different learning styles and different abilities. Technology provides great opportunities for making learning more effective for everyone with different needs. It enables students to learn at their own speed, review difficult concepts or move on more quickly if they need to. Education is no longer mainly about the retention of facts taught directly by the teacher.

With access to the internet children are able to develop research skills, enabling them to answer questions raised in lessons. Students who are engaged and interested in things they are studying, usually have a better knowledge retention. Technology can help to encourage active participation in the classroom which also is a very important factor for increased knowledge retention.

Working together practising spelling.

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Using the Ipad to reinforce work on place value.

At ISB we now set most of the homework via the internet. Children have access to their own account on Education City, Abacus, Bug Club and Xtramath. All these programs allow the teacher to set appropriate tasks for each child and enable the teacher to see the progress made, which then informs planning of future learning.

For the children, this means that lots of their homework activities take the form of a game which they can play on either a computer or tablet, something we know the children love to do, as most of them have been familiar with this since they were toddlers.

Unfortunately, when children are using the Internet there are also some dangers which parents need to be aware of. The programmes from which we allocate homework are all

safe for children and comply with the GDPR. However, unsupervised children can easily divert to other programmes or websites which may not have these protections in place. When undergoing a search for information, unless you have protection in place, children can come across unsuitable content. We recommend that when undertaking research, children use www.kiddle. co, which is appropriate for children.

During recent PSHE lessons about internet safety, we were surprised by the children’s knowledge of games which were for much older children.

It is very important that children playing games are not taking part in those which are unsuitable. To our surprise Fortnite, Granny and Mortal Kombat were games many of the children claimed to be playing.

These games have age ratings of 12 and 18 and yet children of 6 and 7 are clearly interested in them. This demonstrates the importance of close supervision of children whilst using the internet and applying strict parental controls on the device.

Other dangers can include children accidently downloading malware, as children are easily persuaded to click on popups and online predators if children are playing games with people they don’t know. As children get older and begin to use social media, there are more issues, so it is important that children from a young age are taught the dangers and learn how to use the internet responsibly.

Despite these dangers, technology is a fantastic tool to enhance teaching and learning and it is definitely going to play an important part in our children’s future lives.

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Settling Into Life in Key Stage 2 MS. ALICE ASMARANDEI AND MRS CATHRYN QUINN YEAR 3 TEACHERS

Fostering a growing independence is an important factor in Key Stage 2. The students are encouraged to work independently in school and at home.

Our First Step into Key Stage 2 Children in Year 3 have been working hard to adapt to the Key Stage 2’s academic life. Entering Year 3 is a big step for the primary school students.

We are very proud to say that our ISB students are handling it very well.

Our students are expected to take more responsibility for self-organisation and homework. Year 3 pupils are encouraged to plan ahead and ensure that they have all the necessary stationery, books and equipment needed for each day. Behaviour expectations are increased, as the children are required to adopt a more mature approach to their school life.

3A counting in 4s using beads.

Project Based Learning Here at ISB, we believe that learning should incorporate enjoyment and practical skills. Each half term the students are given a project to complete. The first half term the children were asked to create a project about our humanities topic, ‘The Stone Age’. The children enjoyed this task immensely and were enthusiastic when presenting their projects in front of their peers. They worked hard, supported by their parents to create a range of eye catching 3D models of caves, jewellery, weapons, villages, clothes, cave and paintings. This half term the children have been asked to research and present a PowerPoint about the Amazon Rainforest.

Making Learning Fun Taking learning out of the classroom is always a fun and fresh way to engage learning. In Year 3 we provide students with opportunities to develop their skills outside of their usual academic environment. The children have enjoyed their swimming lessons very much.

Attending weekly swimming sessions has not only improved their skills in the water, but has enhanced their confidence and independence. Day trips allow children the practical experience of developing their knowledge and understanding of concepts covered in class. Later on in the year, Year 3 will be going on their first overnight residential trip to Villa Bran.

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The Egg Drop Challenge - 3C enjoying an outdoor Science lesson.

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Year 4 enjoyed a trip to the Children’s Opera.

Why is Learning Outside of the Classroom so Important?

MS. VICKY CLARKE YEAR 4 LEADER

Learning should not just be about sitting in a classroom with a head in a book. We have a whole world out there which can give new experiences and shape the personality of each individual child.

‘Learning outside the classroom is a tool for teaching and learning which has been proven to raise attainment and achievement, improve behaviour and improve the engagement of all groups of pupils, including those who are hard to engage inside the classroom environment’ (lotc.org.uk).

In Year 4, and of course throughout the

whole of ISB, we try to offer a range of learning experiences for exactly these reasons. It is a pleasure to see a child who lacks motivation when writing, to suddenly become excited by a practical Science experiment or simply trying something new.

Year 4 have just enjoyed a trip to the Children’s Opera, in line with our Science unit, ‘Sound’. Everything we had discussed in class, from volume, to pitch, to how instruments work was brought to life by a full orchestra - something far more exciting than we could have ever done in class. Soon, they will enjoy a trip to Knowledge Town to explore States of Matter in a practical way.

Of course, learning outside of the classroom can take place much closer to home too. Having such a large campus and park nearby, we can use these to our advantage. Last year, we enjoyed a mini beast hunt in Pantelimon Park and experienced the use of surveying equipment.

In the Summer Term, all year groups throughout Key Stage 2 will head off on their residential trips - something

the children are excited about all year long. These range from one night away from home in Year 3 to four nights in Year 6, all sharing the same objectives.

These trips encourage a bond between the children and teachers alike through shared experiences, away from the pressures of the classroom. Independence is promoted as the children keep their rooms and belongings organised and work together to support each other away from home comforts.

Finally, we often see new friendships blossom as the children spend time with others in the year group.

How can you help at home?

‘The most meaningful learning occurs through acquiring knowledge and skills through real-life, practical or hands-on activities.’ (lotc.org.uk) Why not practise measuring and time through cooking and baking or experiencing the use of money through the weekly shop? You could encourage sentence structure and the use of interesting vocabulary by creating scrapbooks and photo albums. Perhaps the most enjoyable way of learning would be for you and your child to spend time outdoors, discussing the world around you.

Whatever your preference, make it fun and the children will learn without even realising it!

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On the Year 4 residential trip last year, the children built their own shelter imagining they were ‘invaders and settlers’.

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Talk for Writing. An Exciting New Approach to Writing MRS. VICKIE SUTTON LITERACY COORDINATOR

What lies at the heart of Talk for Writing, is the understanding that children write most successfully when they know the language of a specific style of writing before they write it.

Towards the end of the summer holiday, Primary teachers at ISB were busy exploring an exciting approach to the teaching of writing called, ‘Talk for Writing’. This method has been developed by author and educationalist, Pie Corbett, and has had an excellent impact on the progress of children’s writing in the huge number of schools where it has been introduced.

There are several steps in the process which build the children’s skills over a few weeks, helping them to learn and internalize the language through speaking and listening.

The process begins with a ‘cold task’, where children write a piece in the chosen style to show what they know already. For example, if the focus of

writing is ‘Instructions’, children will write some instructions for something they are familiar with, such as riding a bike. Once this is completed, the teacher can evaluate the skills they already have and plan the learning journey needed to cover the skills the children need.

The children are then ready to begin exploring the text. The first stage of this is ‘Imitation’, where children learn a model text which has been created to show all the features of that genre of text, as well as to target the skills the children need to develop. To help them to memorize the text, the children use actions which also makes it lots of fun!

The text is then analysed and a ‘toolkit’ which outlines all the features of the

Parents attending their children’s literacy lesson during Open Morning.

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During the Primary School Open Morning, parents were invited to attend the “Talk for Writing” workshop.

text is created. ‘Boxing up’ is often used, where the structure of the text can be seen clearly and a ‘story map’ created, where key parts of the story are drawn and annotated with pictures.

The next step is ‘Innovation’, whereby children begin to develop their own ideas. Lots of discussion and exploration take place to support their imagination and to develop confidence.

The teacher will model how to write the text during the ‘shared writing’ stage and will ‘talk aloud’ the writing process and the writing choices the children are making. A bank of words and phrases is developed and displayed for the

children to use in their writing when they are writing their own versions of the model text alongside the shared writing.

By now, the children have developed a deep understanding of the text type.

Lots of games and targeted short writing opportunities will also equip the children with the grammatical knowledge and skills required so that they are then ready for the next stage, ‘independent application’. This is where children will use all the skills they have developed and apply them to an independent piece of writing. They plan, write, edit and improve their writing,

basing their text on the language and structure they have learned. Their final piece is called the ‘hot task’ which is then used to assess the progress that the children have made in their writing.

The comparison between the cold and hot task is always important to make, as this is where clear progress can be clearly seen.

‘Talk for Writing’ is already having a great impact on the way the children are learning to write in primary at ISB and we are looking forward to seeing continued pleasing progress in the future.

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Real Life Learning and Motivation MRS. VICKIE SUTTON YEAR 5 LEADER

Where learning is clearly relevant and related to real life, children are usually more motivated and keen to engage in this learning.

Children in Year 5 have been learning in school for several years and they have begun to develop many of the strategies and approaches which will support them in their studies as they progress through the school. Most children have become proficient writers, fluent readers and competent mathematicians. Year 5 is therefore a time when children can confidently apply these skills to their learning independently. Encouraging independence is very important and it also relies on children being motivated and driven to learn.

Linking learning to real life often makes the learning become more engaging and interesting so children are more self-motivated. For example, in our English learning in Year 5 we have been learning about writing diaries but we have done this in the context of UFO’s!

We have researched ‘real life’ reports of sightings of ‘UFO’s’ and have discussed our own views, respecting that we are allowed to have different points of view and that UFOs are controversial! It was fascinating for the children to read about real places and people and to see reports by real organisations. So, using a real life context has brought the learning to life for the children.

This makes it much more motivating

and engaging when it comes to them writing their own, imaginary diaries.

In Maths we also link our learning to real life where relevant. From measuring the playground with trundle wheels, to calculating time durations using our class timetable. These real life contexts help to make the learning come to life.

Many of our problem solving activities are also centred on real life scenarios.

Science is a subject which is firmly rooted in real life experiences.

Throughout their Science learning, the children organise, carry out and record a range of experiments which help them to learn through practical experience. They are then able to see for themselves, for example, how the size of a shadow changes depending on its position in relation

to the light source. When learning is being experienced first-hand, it is both motivating and more memorable.

Year 5 were recently able to visit the Imax Cinema at AFI Cotroceni Mall to watch a real life film about the International Space Station. This 3D film was focused on the real life experiences of astronauts on the ISS and shots of them eating popcorn and watering plants, for example, help to make such extraordinary things relevant and accessible.

To become effective and successful life-long learners, children need to have self-motivation and a ‘drive’ to succeed.

By encouraging links to real life learning and making learning relevant, Year 5 are encouraging this in their pupils.

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A World of Novels MR. SCOTT CABLE YEAR 6 LEADER

“A book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader” Paolo Coelho If you are reading this article, the likelihood is that you have read many, many books and each time enjoyed this experience – you have been transported to different countries and worlds and felt like you have lived through and experienced real and fictitious events from the past, present and future.

One of the real joys of teaching Year 6 is that you get to read and experience complex novels and texts with the children who are, after many years of practice, able to read and understand sophisticated texts. So far, we have read together ‘Danny Champion of the World’ by Roald Dahl and are currently enjoying ‘Kenzuke’s Kingdom’ by Michael Morpurgo, we have also had the chance to read selected extracts from Roald Dahl’s biography, ‘Boy’.

During shared reading, the children are highly responsive in discussions.

They are happily sharing their opinions, making predictions and drawing parallels with their own life experience.

We have been learning about implicit and explicit information and discussing and analysing in great depth the language used by authors and the effect it has. Likewise, the content of longer texts lend themselves really well to a range of drama activities (such as hot seating, debating, reenacting or reinventing the plot) and games which help deepen all learners understanding and enjoyment of the text – and are

Students reading together with their class teacher and their parents during Open Morning.

Year 6 students are experienced readers and are able to read and understand sophisticated texts.

also fun for teachers.

As well as developing a long term love of reading amongst students, interweaving novels with a Talk for Writing approach is helping us develop our own fiction and non-fiction writing.

We are able to select the best possible examples to analyse, imitate and

innovate before inventing our own stories and reports and as with most aspects of learning, using real life examples motivates children and gives their work a clear purpose. We have enjoyed creating our own class story books and we are looking forward to writing the next volumes already.

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Eco Dudes getting ready to plant some trees.

ISB Goes Green!

MRS. SARAH NEWSHAM PRIMARY ECO SCHOOL COORDINATOR

The key aim of Eco Schools is to “Ensure young people have power to be the change for sustainability that our world needs, by engaging them in fun, action-orientated and socially responsible learning.”

ISB is working hard to continue our membership of the Eco Schools project.

Eco Schools is an organisation that consists of 49000 schools in 64 different countries.

In the Primary School we have made several changes that are making a big difference. We are continuing to encourage children to bring reusable water bottles and we are collecting and recycling those that are not reusable.

Each class has a paper recycling box, so all the classes can collect waste paper and plastic which is then collected and sent for recycling.

Each class has an Eco Schools committee member. Committee members gather to decide on what we would like to do to make ISB more ‘Green’.

The committee members talk to their class about their ideas and report back to the Eco School’s committee who are making an action plan for how we are going to continue making improvements and raising awareness of Eco matters in the school and the wider community. This year we have decided to concentrate on reducing waste and

improving our environment by keeping our school clean and looking at its best: more recycling bins available around the school, not just in classrooms and planting more trees and plants.

The committee members are also being given badges. They decided to call themselves ‘Eco Cops’ and one of their duties is to help encourage other children to thinking in a greener way.

We have also reduced the amount of work given out on paper and increased the use of electronic devices in school.

Each week, during Enrichment class, 10 children from Foundation 2, Year 1 and Year 2 get together to have Eco Dudes. During this time we look at ways we can look after our school and help take care of the environment.

As a result of the above hard work, ISB have been awarded the first stage certificate of enrolment for the Eco Schools Project which is a great achievement for us all. If you have any ideas or can help us in any way, please contact Sarah.newsham@isb. ro or Ingrid.stanciu@isb.ro

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Planting trees to help make our school look nice and help look after our environment.

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ISB - a Cambridge Preparation Centre MRS. FLORINA UNGUREANU HEAD OF ESL DEPARTMENT

In the Primary school, newly registered children from Year 3 onwards prepare for the Cambridge Young Learners English Test (YLE).

The ISB English as Second Language Department (ESL) is happy to inform you that starting this academic year, International School of Bucharest is a Cambridge Preparation centre. The ESL Department extensive range of resources helps teachers and parents support students in their learning – both inside and outside the classroom.

ISB’s ESL teachers are educators licensed to teach English to non-natives English learners.

ISB provides Cambridge English preparation courses as well as hosting the exams for both Primary and Secondary ISB students. Cambridge English Qualifications offer a seamless journey from Pre A1 Starters to C2 Proficiency. Each exam is carefully

designed to consolidate the skills developed at the previous level and to lay the foundations for future success.

Each exam has a detailed specification of the skills to be mastered at each level. This helps to structure the language learning curriculum and gives a clear idea of how best to prepare students, at every step of the way.

In the Secondary school, older students prepare for higher levels such as A2 Key for Schools (KET) and Preliminary for Schools (PET).

Please access our web site, www. isb.ro for more information on the programme.

ISSUE 12 • January 2019

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Mrs. Florina Ungureanu, Head of ESL, is a certified Cambridge Oral Examiner for all Cambridge English Qualifications (YLE, KET, PET, FCE, and CAE). Mrs. Ungureanu has been teaching and training candidates for Cambridge English Qualifications for the past seven years.

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Chinese Culture Club Presents “I Love Chinese Painting” MR. YANG JIACHENG CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHER

“Every artist who has a good reputation in painting is a person who is very careful about life and the details of things...”

The Chinese Culture Club launched a very interesting theme this term, “I Love Chinese Painting”. Mrs. Zishu Cheng, a contemporary Chinese painter, as well as an excellent fine art teacher, was invited to talk to the children about the amazing traditional Chinese painting and to teach them the basic drawing skills.

Ms. Cheng talked to our students about the history, the painting skills required and about the characteristics of the Chinese painting. As expected, our students demonstrated a great interest in this ancient and beautiful form of art and they were fascinated by Ms. Cheng’s wonderful Chinese painting story. They found out that the brush, the ink, the rice paper and the inkstone are called by the Chinese people “WEN FANG SI BAO (four treasures in the room).” In ancient China, these were the four things people needed to be able to write and paint.

The plum, the orchid, the bamboo and the chrysanthemum were the four flowers that Chinese traditional painting artists liked the most. These four flowers represent the four noble qualities of uprightness, purity, magnanimity, bravery.

Ms. Chen taught our students the “bamboo” technique of drawing and we can confidently say that some of our students are very talented “artists”.

Ms. Chen showcasing the “bamboo” painting method.

Chinese Culture Club students proudly presented their completed drawings.

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

What is the Big Question in Science?

MRS. SARAH NEWSHAM PRIMARY SCIENCE SUBJECT LEADER

Children always learn better when given the chance to do things practically and try out their own ideas and learn from their mistakes.

Here at ISB we believe Science is very important. It allows our children to better understand the world in which they live, as well as providing an opportunity to question and discover.

At ISB our teachers use a mixture of teaching techniques to give every child the chance to discover all areas of Science and develop their interests.

Through the Cambridge International Primary Curriculum all children learn some Chemistry, Biology and Physics each year. The Units of Study are built upon through the children’s time in the Primary school.

This year we are increasing the cross curricular links between Science and other areas of the curriculum. For example using Maths skills when recording results of investigations as well as English skills when writing them up.

Students are also asking “Big Questions”.

These are questions about a topic which they need to plan ways to use their scientific skills to answer. For example in the Year 3 they asked “How do you drop an egg?” The children needed to plan their experiments and think about what equipment they will need, how they will record their results and how they will write up the report in order to answer the question.

The students in Years 4, 5 and 6 will also be able to use these skills if they choose to enter our yearly competition FirSTep which will be held on Saturday 16th February 2019 in the Sports Hall, here at ISB.

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Y5N used reasoning skills when they calculated the perimeter of different areas of the playground. They wanted to know the quantity of materials they would need to buy if they were going to build a fence around them.

Reasoning in Maths Lessons MRS. CAROL NEW PRIMARY MATHS SUBJECT LEADER

With the development of mathematical reasoning, the children realise that maths makes sense and they develop a deeper understanding of it.

We often find the words ‘fluency, reasoning and problem solving’ together in the context of Maths; they play a very important part in the National Curriculum for Mathematics which we base our teaching on. The children at ISB are incredibly skilled at fluency, this is all about knowing the key mathematical facts and methods and being able to recall these quickly.

The best way to learn these is to memorise, practice and drill in the facts until the child is mathematically

fluent. In our teaching we use a variety of methods to help the children become fluent and they include the ‘XtraMath’ online program and Apps such as ‘DK10 a Day’. But what is reasoning and how is this developed throughout the Primary department?

Reasoning helps children to make use of all their mathematical skills, it is a critical skill which involves using technical mathematical vocabulary.

With the development of mathematical reasoning the children realise that maths makes sense and they develop a deeper understanding of it. It can be broken down to show the progression in reasoning skills.

1.

Description – the child can simply describe what they have done.

2.

Explanation – the child can give some reasons for what they did but this may not be very detailed.

3.

Convince – the child can say “I know…” or “I think…” in order to convince someone that they are correct.

4.

Justify – the child can give a correct logical argument which uses words such as ‘because’, ‘so’ and ‘therefore’.

5.

Prove – the child can give a clear argument that is mathematically accurate and is often based on generalisations.

This is what a reasoning exercise looks like for Key Stage 1 children.

There are three baskets, a brown one, a red one and a pink one, holding a total of ten eggs.

The Brown basket has one more egg in it than the Red basket.

The Red basket has three eggs less than the Pink basket.

How many eggs are in each basket?

And here is one for Key Stage 2 children.

Maze 100. In this maze there are numbers in each of the cells.

You go through adding all the numbers that you pass. You may not go through any cell more than once. Can you find a way through in which the numbers add to exactly 100?

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

“Can you explain why we need to use a trundle wheel and a metre stick to measure the length?” asked Mrs. New.

The children try to convince one another that their perimeter calculations are accurate.

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ISB Nurturing Global Citizens MR. DAVID NEWSHAM / HEAD OF SECONDARY SCHOOL

It is no coincidence that the first word in ISB’s title is International. The secondary school educates 400 students from 40 different nationalities drawn from all over the world. The philosophy of the education offered at ISB is overseen by three well respected organisations – the Council of International Schools, Cambridge Assessment International Education and the International Baccalaureate Organisation. All of these august bodies hold International Mindedness and Global Citizenship as essential core ingredients of a modern, successful, education.

To spend their school years in the company of colleagues from so many different backgrounds is a real privilege for our students and one which will be of benefit to them for the rest of their lives.

To paraphrase the great educationalist Kurt Hahn, “young people growing up in the close company of foreigners cannot help but learn to care about the rights and happiness of at least one other nation.”

CAIE talk about global citizenship as “developing an understanding of your responsibilities as a global citizen; to develop an intelligent perspective about other cultures.” CIS require schools to show a commitment to actively develop global citizenship in education through: Ethics; Diversity; Global Issues; Communication; Service; Leadership and Sustainability. This is enshrined in the Mission Statement of the IBO which reads “The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”

At ISB we are working hard to develop our curriculum to promote the ideals of international mindedness and global

citizenship through the formal and informal curriculum, inside the classroom and outside, through academic lessons and extra-curricular activities.

In this term alone our students have had multiple opportunities to develop this aspect of their character.

We always start the year off with a Welcome Picnic at the end of the first week. This is an opportunity to take all students out of the school for a full day for them to make new friends, meet their new teachers and try new activities. This was closely followed by our first residential trips organised in association with the Outward Bound Organisation. Outward Bound is a pioneer in experiential learning and through these courses students improve their resilience, problem solving skills and team-working ability. Also, because they are placed in unfamiliar situations, the students develop self-confidence in their ability to overcome challenges. All skills which will be useful throughout their life. The motto of the Outward Bound organisation is “To Serve, To Strive and Not to Yield”. This pilot programme was attended by relatively small numbers of students but the feedback we have received from both the participants and the organisers has convinced us of the value and importance and we are looking at how we can best expand the programme next year.

We gave over one of our PSHE lessons for students to be able to take part in

Character Day in September. This is a global event aimed at fostering those character traits so important for future success.

We have an active and successful Student Council which is meeting regularly to offer advice and suggestions for the improvement of the school experience for students.

All students in Key Stage 3 learn, or develop their skills, in 3 languages. At IGCSE and IB levels, they formally study, to appropriate examination level, 2 languages. Modern language learning doesn’t only focus on the technicalities of spelling, punctuation and grammar like in my school days, but also highlights the cultural and contextual aspects of language.

One of the highlights of our language learning year is always MFL week which culminates in International Day. The week saw a wealth of activities being undertaken. Some year groups had the opportunity to go out of school to experience international foods in local restaurants; there was a visit to a local museum; there were various exhibitions and displays and students were involved in a number of projects which enriched the MFL curriculum for the week. The pinnacle of MFL week is always the International Day Parade of Nations and International Food Fair.

Our involvement in the World Scholar’s Cup programme last year has seen students from ISB succeed in progressing through not only to the regional finals in Spain during the summer, but also to the global finals in the USA in November. Through these events our students will meet young people from around the world where they will both compete and socialise in an intense, but incredibly rewarding, few days.

This is only a taste of what we do at ISB to promote Global Citizenship. We recognise the importance of this field of education to the future success not only of our students, but of the global community itself. A student who joins ISB and takes full advantage of what is on offer truly has the opportunity to Learn, Respect, Succeed.

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

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Focus on IB English Language and Literature MRS. JANET HUNTER HEAD OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

The IB English Language and Literature course utilises real world writing skills and taps in to students’ creativity.

Here we are in our second year of IB Diploma at ISB and the steep learning curve has produced some real food for thought about the English curriculum.

Undoubtedly, the course is geared towards international students and it allows the practice of the kind of ‘soft’ skills that employers value; it also taps in to students’ creativity, encouraging

original writing and the creation of different text-types with real-world style features.

With this in mind, I’d like to tell you a little about the course and how it prepares students for employment and inspires them to develop these skills: The written tasks for the English Language and Literature course are highly diverse. Students must produce four written tasks at Higher Level: two analysis essays; and two creative tasks.

It is these two creative tasks which differentiate the IB course from A level. Being able to produce different text types is a highly valued skill which increases employability. Students can produce blogs, advertisements, magazine articles, journals and reviews (to name but a few) in response to fiction or non-fiction texts. The assessment criteria is based on how well students emulate the features of a given text type and how effectively they incorporate information.

In any work situation, employers might ask an employee to produce one of these texts types or an individual could start their own business and want to create their own website and advertising. This is where the IB prepares students for reality.

Moreover, the IB English Language and Literature course has an emphasis on presentations and discussion: All

real-world skills. Students are assessed on three spoken tasks: The Individual Oral Contribution; and two Further Oral Activities. These tasks involve a spoken analysis of a text extract, a discussion, group presentations and speeches.

With the importance of presentational skills in the workplace, the IB really does give students an advantage.

International-mindedness is the core of the IB philosophy and as a truly international school, ISB promotes these values. As a course, IB English Language and Literature allows for the study of fiction from an international and cultural perspective, with greater accessibility for second language English students. This makes the course a joy to teach because as a teacher, I can see my own students becoming involved in current affairs and really engaging with culturally relevant texts.

Finally, I’d like to write something about the transition from A Level to IB. While this hasn’t been easy by any means, both teachers and students have adopted new skills and a brand new approach to learning. This has affected the English curriculum throughout the school, with new assessments in speaking and listening at Key Stage Three.

In this edition of ISB Insight, there are some examples of students’ work for their IB Diploma.

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

The Essential Ingredient of a Globalised World ANDREEA R. / YEAR 13

A language that connects us all. Special edition: Viktor Navorski shares his story of how a man with no country makes a home for himself in a terminal simply by learning English!

We are now a world dependent on technology. Interactions between people are mostly, if not solely based on international relations of ideas, culture and money but what I believe is a major factor that impacts our experiences on the World Wide Web is the language.

Otherwise known as a lingua franca, English is spoken on an international scale by native and non-native speakers.

It acts as a tool for communicating ideas and thoughts between people, as well as for business, travelling and political purposes. If you are new to learning this language, I hope this article will inspire you to give it a try!

It was only until I heard about Viktor Navorski’s story that I realized how crucial effective communication is in everyday life. Some people tend to take English for granted but when you are stuck in a foreign country where no one knows your mother tongue, it can prevent the feelings of isolation due to language barriers. No one likes to be stuck in an airport for nine months and not be able to ask help from anyone, don’t we? It is just as important as breathing.

Those of you who are not familiar with Viktor Navorski’s story, he was a Balkan tourist who got declined to enter the United States or to return to his home country. Because of a change in the government, his passport was no longer valid as his country was no longer recognized by the USA. Therefore, he was trapped in the airport for nine months where English was the only way he was able to communicate.

I wanted to find out more about Viktor’s ability to self-study English as a common currency to communicate. How can someone learn a language in such a

short amount of time without any help from a tutor? I contacted Viktor through the phone, since he lives in Krakozhia, to unravel his story and collect some of his tips. To my delight, he accepted my request.

Tips on how to sleep at the airport When I informed him about the purpose of this call, he broke into a laugh and with a disembodied voice like a foghorn, he told me he is “very honored to do this interview”. His thick Balkan accent emphasized his lack of practice in speaking English. Firstly, I wanted to know what the whole experience felt like when he realized he was not able to leave the airport and step properly in the concrete jungle. He began saying, “It was a shock. Before my father died he wanted a sign from a famous jazz saxophonist, so I come to America. I did not speak English back then, so I did not understand what they [Department of Homeland Security] were saying to me.

Only when I saw on TV my country was at war that I knew I can’t leave this place or go home. I felt very lonely even though they were hundreds of people around me, but I couldn’t speak to them. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I decided to learn English.”

I found his story very interesting. The security attempted to manipulate him to step out of the airport which would have led to an arrest and from that moment on, it was no longer their problem to deal with Viktor. I still couldn’t understand how he was able to learn English all by himself. Later I found

out he started reading the news to keep up with the various global issues. He had to collect luggage trolleys to raise money to buy food and two copies of the same book, one in English and one in his native language. By comparing the two, it helped him get a deeper understanding of the language. He also had staff members help him practice speaking- they also helped him get out into the real world.

Not expecting the story to go on this road, I changed the subject, “Learning English must have been hard. What were some of the challenges you encountered? What about the benefits that came with it?” He cleared his throat and replied, “Three words: time, dedication, money” He explained his ambition kept him going because English was a tool to infiltrate himself in the international society. On the bright side, “I was illegal contractor worker, paid under the table.” He worked for a construction team at the airport. Having knowledge of the language, it increased his chances of getting a secured job. We both laughed at his comment, “Please, don’t do what I did- you can get caught.

They got me in the end but didn’t matter.

I made bigger problems. Also, if you get stuck in an airport, sleeping on chairs is more comfortable than sleeping on the floor. You can get back pain.” To end this interview, I asked him one last question, “What advice you would give people who are starting or are thinking about learning English?” Not expecting such a question, Viktor responded, “Well, do not give up. It may be hard, but it will help you gain knowledge and access to better education, better jobs… It is a language of hope.”

Final words In the age of technology and globalization, English is no longer an option if we want to live well in today’s world. It is a must. As English continues to dominate the world of internet and the people using it and competition over employment, we must find ways to stand out among the crowd of people who all want the same thing: a chance at a better life for themselves and future of their children and job security with enough payment to satisfy their wants and necessities. How will you stand out?

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English as a Global Language Rationale I have chosen to write a newspaper article to show the values and limitations of English as a lingua franca. The article is written from the point of view of an unbiased author, who fully conveys both the positive and negative aspects of the debate. I have chosen a newspaper article as the text type due to its clear subheading structure, and its flexibility.

The target audience is people with an interest in English as a global language.

I chose this topic due to my personal connection to it. The school I go to would be useless if not for a lingua franca, and therefore I would be forced to get an inferior educational experience in another language. Furthermore, when traveling, I have always been able to communicate in English, due to its rise as a Global Language. This changed when I traveled to Asia, where locals could not understand basic English. This motivated me to write my written assessment on this topic, as the absence of a lingua franca was a major inconvenience.

My written task considers the historical context of English, and how it became commonplace today. It also considers today’s context, addressing modern day concerns related to the globalization and the spread of information.

What is a Global Language?

A global language, also referred to as a lingua franca, “is a language or way of communicating which is used between people who do not speak one another’s native Language.” A global language also features a wide geographical distribution and is used in international relations and organizations. Although some local languages have a very large number of speakers (Mandarin), they are not global languages due to the factors outlined above.

The rise of English While English has a large lexicon and relatively simple grammar and syntax when compared to other languages, that is not the reason why it became a global language. The rise of English is purely due to political reasons.

Its spread was largely due to the the immense power of the British Empire.

English was taken around the world by sailors, soldiers and missionaries of the empire. This forced Britain’s

CRISTIAN A.

trade partners to learn English, as a means of communication to aid trade.

The influence of the British Empire on language in its colonies can still be seen today, especially in the larger ones. Australia, Canada and the USA (large British colonies) had their native languages pushed out in favour of English. In smaller colonies (parts of Asia and Africa), English has not become the native language, but is instead being used for administration.

When the United States of America were formed in 1776, they wanted to establish a strong national identity. The founders recognized the importance of language on national identity. States banned teaching foreign languages until 1923, which increased reliance on English.

In the past, an elite of English speakers was formed. The only way one could have access to a good education was by knowing English, which gave English speakers an advantage and made it much easier for them to reach high power positions. This is still partly true today: in the USA, individuals who reported speaking a language other than English in their household earned (on average) 5600 dollars less than those speaking only English. It also increased their chances of being unemployed, and having trouble being in stable employment.

Should English be the Lingua Franca of the World English, without doubt, is becoming the Lingua Franca of the world. Many people believe this will negatively impact

our society, while other believe it will have a positive effect. While a definitive decision cannot be made on this topic, it can be debated.

Some people argue that the rise of English as a lingua franca puts (all) other languages at risk of extinction. Some expert linguists estimate that as much as 90% of the 6500 languages spoken today will be extinct by the end of the century , and they blame the rise of English. When a language goes extinct, most of the culture associated with it is lost, which results in reduced cultural diversity.

English as a global language puts all non-native speakers at a disadvantage.

Not only will they be forced to learn another language, they will likely find it harder to express themselves in English. This gives native speakers an advantage over all others, which can lead to a global elite of natives. The exclusion of some languages may be considered a danger to freedom as speech and multiculturalism.

While English boasts a large lexicon (250000 words) compared to other languages such as Spanish (93000 words) , it does not include all feelings and expressions from other languages.

This will cause non-native speakers to find their ability to express themselves limited. For example, the Swedish have twenty-five different words to express the term “snow”. Due to how common snow is in Sweden, the language recognizes subtle differences between types of snow, making communication more efficient.

However, having English as a lingua franca would greatly increase productivity, both on a global level and for individuals. By having one language used by everyone, language barriers fade away, making it much easier for individuals and smaller businesses to grow.

Some argue that a lingua franca would destroy smaller cultures, but the opposite can also be argued; By having a universal language, culture becomes more portable. Smaller cultures now have an entirely different audience size to which they can showcase their traditions, and a potential new income stream that will allow them to preserve their culture.

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

Drawn to Drawing Sketching and drawing are an integral part of artistic development; whether you are a painter, a sculptor, a designer or an architect – it has been a key element of art throughout history and the contemporary art world.

Pencil Portrait by Yanni X.

Ink Landscape by Ingrid L.

Pencil Portrait by Yanni X.

MR. DEREK WALKER ART TEACHER

At ISB the visual arts is a huge part of the curriculum and sketching plays an important role and influences the student pictorial understanding of the world.

The purpose of sketching varies; it can be to try a range of different compositions and angles, especially when it comes to still life. Sketching can also help the student to be expressive and get initial ideas down on to paper. Expression through dry materials will have been created in an initial sketch, however in a raw form.

Sketching and drawing is important, as it allows observational skills to grow and therefore representation of certain objects, art and artifacts can become more realistic. Students in secondary are using pen, pencil, pastel, chalk and charcoal whilst experimenting with tonal values using mark making techniques.

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Business Journey MR. BOGDAN MANU BUSINESS STUDIES TEACHER

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”- Chinese proverb We want our children to be independent, to be able to find their career path and add value to the professional field they chose to activate in. Business Studies Classes are definitely helping the students understand how a business work.

As a business teacher, I’m striving to provide the students with a tangible experience and give them the chance to apply the knowledge acquired during classes, in personal and team projects.

Year 10 students worked on two major projects: a research project on representative entrepreneurs and a more hands-on project, where they were asked to identify one franchise that they would recommend to an investor.

In the first project, the students were asked to do a research on entrepreneurs and put together an entrepreneur profile which they would present to the class.

In the second project, the students had to investigate various types of franchise, analyse costs, benefits and make a recommendation to an investor.

I invite you to read a highlight of Alexia M.’s view on franchise.

Year 12 students are currently working

on one-year team project which will be presented during the Humanities week in May 2019. They split into three teams and started a Business Journey.

The teams are: Youth Plaza Ltd, a hotel for students, Shoes Jam Ltd, a shoe designing company and Lo My Cereal Ltd, a cereal restaurant.

Teams decided the company names as you can see, provide analysis with a recommend a legal structure. See below some of the feedbacks: A World of Franchises A franchise is a business based on the use of the brand name, promotional logo and trading methods of an existing successful business.

Franchises are everywhere. Moreover, more keep opening by the day. The idea of opening a shop could come to anyone.

It is essential to know some general aspects and benefits of the mechanism of a franchise: - It’s easier to open a shop which is already well-known - Guaranteed customers: people will come to your store because they know that no matter where you are, they would find the same things they enjoy.

- You get all the products from the franchisor, so you won’t have to worry about buying them yourself.

Today, anything can have a franchise.

A film can have a franchise also. For example, if you want to make another Star Wars movie, you need to pay an amount of money to the owner. However, first, he would want you to fulfil some requirements. You need to come up with the idea that would not ruin the business. The movie needs to have the characteristics of the franchise. It has to happen in the same universe between 2 rivals that never change. You need to have an idea that he agrees with to get the permission to use the franchise’s elements for your film.

From my experience regarding franchises, as a client, I can say that I know I’m going to find the expected products in every shop and I’m not going to have unpleasant surprises.

However, the fact that now anyone can open a shop makes you wonder: Is our world better or worse because of the franchises? Is it better that no one comes up with new ideas but keeps repeating the same recipes for success?

Aexia M. Y10 student

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

This term, our group work towards creating a new business plan aimed at constructing an affordable housing complex for young university students studying in Bucharest. Together, as a team, we discussed cooperatively and came up with our objectives, mission statement, location, STEEPLE analysis social and cultural influences and short-term cash flow forecast regarding our next our new business startup.

Each member of the group made an available contribution, and I was assigned specific functions to work on.

The boys took the financial, technical land operations management roles, while the girls focused on human resources and marketing aspects.

Together we manage to start developing an original idea, never developed in Bucharest before, with the potential to help and support students our age, looking for accommodation in the first and possibly the hardest year of the new chapter in their life .

By Daria S. Y12 student

Mission Statement: “Wear your ideas, express yourself, Culture.�

Founded by: Me(Alexandra), Yousef, Darryan and Filip Culture is a Brand created from a project assignment which was given by our Business teacher, Bogdan Manu. Our brand is a private limited company, as our shareholders would benefit from limited liability, having a separate legal identity, as well as having a higher status than an unincorporated business.

Furthermore, Culture is located in the tertiary sector, as we do not produce our shoes, we customize them. We believed this was the most prosperous sector, which could bring us the most benefits.

Afterwards, we strategically decided the roles of each team member based on personal skills. I would be in charge of the Human Resources department, Yousef would take care of the Finance and Filip of the Operations. Our main business objective is survival, as we are new on the market and need to make sure our capital covers the costs.

Furthermore, we have reached the stage where we are in need of conducting a few market research assessments. We

chose SWOT as it analyses the internal as well as the external threats. Moreover, by learning in class about STEEPLE analysis, we decided it would be the most appropriate and accurate research about our business. My personal experience accumulated from working in a team consisted of carefully allocating tasks to people who have the necessary skill to carry them out, as well as detailed research on topics concerning the legal structure and how to correctly conduct market research.

By Alexandra G. Y12 student Business and Economics students are planning to organise in May 2019 the 7billionideas programme. The programme takes the best of British enterprise education overseas. We will be able to place students in real-world situations and give them exercises designed to encourage their confidence.

The teamwork approach will help them build a strong network of like-minded students. The 7 billion ideas encourage entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, while strongly supporting ethical approaches and implementations.

40

From Bronze to Silver Award

MARIA, ALEX, ANDREEA, ANAHITA BRONZE AND SILVER AWARD HOLDERS

We would walk for around 20 kilometres a day, for 8 hours, but at the end of the day, the satisfaction we would get from our achievement would compensate for all the difficult times we faced.

We decided to join the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award program out of the excitement of taking up a new challenge. We were prepared to undergo new experiences and become more rounded-individuals, by having to commit to constant efforts during this prestigious program. The first level, Bronze, lasted 3 months and required weekly activities in each of the following sections: skills, voluntary service and physical recreation. The process was rigorous and required good time management in order to balance our academic life with our extracurricular activities. The Bronze

level was finalised after completing the practice and the final adventurous journeys. This section was the most difficult as we had to spend one night in nature, sleep in tents, cook our own food and learn how to survive in case of any emergencies, such as a bear attack.

But, at the same time, it was the most exciting and fun part of the program as we had the chance to bond with each other and become more mature individuals. After finalising the bronze level, we were determined to continue the program and start the silver level, which required even more effort and commitment. The silver level was more long-lasting, stretched over 6 months and required us to spend 2 nights in nature.

We took a huge step from Bronze to Silver, challenging our skills and abilities. Both the journeys (practice and final) were composed of 2 nights and 3 days, allowing us to enhance our strengths and capabilities, as well as not limiting ourselves to new demands.

From our point of view, the hardest part was the mountain climbing, as it took a huge amount of time and effort to complete. What made our journey even better were the people we met during the marathon which took place on the mountain tracks that we climbed through. We would walk for around 20 kilometres a day, for 8 hours, but at the end of the day, the satisfaction we would get from our achievement would compensate for all the difficult times we faced. When we look back at this program, the first thing we remember

is the enthusiasm we felt when we reached the top of Mount Ciucas, being welcomed by donkeys. Another memorable event was the cycling we did in Câmpina, where we raced and challenged each other. Looking for fire wood, starting a fire and making food, helping one another when needed, staying around the fire and chatting created a very warm atmosphere. We really enjoyed each other’s presence.

Whichever award you choose to do, it is mandatory that you complete activities that fall in one of the following categories: physical, skills and service activities.

Most people would think that this programme challenges you physically, since you need endurance to walk for so long with so much equipment weighing you down. It is true, but new skills are learned, your mentality changes and your perception of teamwork and cooperation is put to a test. Organizational and management skills were required during our DofE experience, since we had to plan the trips on our own. We came to the agreement that each one of us was in charge and expected to complete their own tasks. While there was a lot of work and effort put into our planning, we were able to enjoy our trips, since we knew what to expect and how to overcome possible issues.

This programme may look good on a university application, but you truly create memories with your friends as you overcome hardships together. No one is left behind.

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

LICENCE CERTIFICATE International School of Bucharest Has attained the status of

Operational Award Unit

From

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD ROMANIA FOUNDATION

Valid since: 12th of November 2018 Valid until: 11h of November 2021

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Where are they now?

ARUNA POPESCU, ISB ALUMNA, CLASS 2017

As I enter my third and final year studying law at the L.S.E. (London School of Economics), I reflect back on what has been the most exciting and formative time of my life.

From developing a passion for criminal justice to the excitement of discovering what London has to offer, I have much to be grateful for. As an institution, L.S.E. is a crucible of people and ideas. I have made friends from all over the world, from Malaysia to Canada; my flatmates are in the armed forces; my lecturers have authored the textbooks and articles we are using; my class teachers are pursuing novel research in diverse areas of law. As a student, you cannot help but feel the urge to get as involved as possible in the school’s life.

Personally, I chose to spend the entirety of my second year as the elected Chambers President for the Law Society. In practice, this meant that I had to balance my already busy schedule with the demands of organising and supervising L.S.E.’s internal mooting competitions, trainings and bar related social events. From budgeting and accounting to marketing and social media, I did it all. It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination but, thankfully, I had the most wonderful help in the form of my sub-committee.

While I am grateful for the skillsets I acquired through student leadership, they are nowhere as important to me as the lasting bonds I forged with the people on my sub-committee. Over the course of the year, we dealt with multiple financial difficulties, challenges to competition results, tight deadlines and hard to reach sponsors. However, at the end of the day, after everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong, and after we proved to ourselves that we are able to solve any problem, we got to enjoy each other’s

company as well as the success of our event. Somewhere along the way, we ceased to be a society committee and we became a tight-knit community.

My sub-committee went on to become part of the main, elected committee and they are now running the Chambers division in their own right. We are still best of friends; I help them whenever they ask me to, our WhatsApp group is as chatty as ever and we meet as often

as our schedules allow. Even though my university experience included many academic opportunities, at the end of the day, it is human relations such as these that matter the most.

Studying law at the L.S.E. is definitely challenging and support networks can make the difference between failure and success. This is the single most important lesson I have learnt since high school.

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Career Counselor’s Message and we organize university fairs at ISB and university trips to the Netherlands and United Kingdom every year to let students see the university campuses and get At ISB, we believe that the information/tips about the university university search and the life. By asking students to take career selection process is the guidance tests and organising one one meetings, we support our natural culmination of a on students to make the best decision student’s years at ISB. for their future academic career and the university they would like It is the student’s journey to to study at. undertake and lead. We also Although majority of Year 13 believe that it is very essential students’ university applications to help students identify their are not to be completed until 15th strengths and talents with the January, it is necessary for families intention of providing appropriate to be aware of the steps that precede and informed university and career applying to university. A proactive choices. Regarding this, we invite and thoughtful approach will ensure university representatives to give a successful journey. Self-discovery, presentations to our students, determining personal strengths MR. OYTUN PEKEL CAREER COUNSELOR & SIXTH FORM LEADER

Mr. Oytun Pekel meets the Alumni, who are studying in the Netherlands Universities.

and weaknesses, goal setting, overcoming personal challenges and, finally, honing decision-making skills all contribute to the successful completion of high school and signify an important step toward adulthood.

As students embark on this very important journey, finding a good fit doesn’t mean there is only one right school for each student; there are likely a dozen or more good fits out there for every student. Each student must acknowledge and accept what makes him/her unique, what he/she needs inside and outside the classroom, as well as what resources are available to select the right university. Promoting the development of the whole student as a confident and responsible learner and preparing them for real world success is our goal at ISB.

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‘Yr 11 Socratic discussion of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’

It’s Good to Talk MS. HELEN LUMB ENGLISH TEACHER

Yes, speaking and listening lessons, with the buzz of voices, heads leaning together in paired or group consultation, are some of my favourite learning activities.

Line up! Put your chair under! Take off your jacket!

These are just a few of the imperatives barked at students throughout their daily lives. But perhaps the most ubiquitous of these is ‘Stop talking!’

And yet the ability to talk is one of the

most fascinating aspects of what it means to be human. No other species on earth has this capacity (yes, I can hear some of my year 11 students piping up right now - you know who you are - with ‘evidence’ of other creatures’ ability to communicate. But croaks, quacks and beeps are not exactly the same as having a 30,000 word capacity to express ones ‘black and deep desires’ (or even just mumble ‘pass the salt please, mate.’)

The ability to speak is, interestingly enough, not really about our physiology.

Dogs, for example, have been proven to possess the physiology for speech.

And even though some dogs appear to be able to bark the word ‘sausages’, I doubt very much that they make any connection between the noise emanating from their smelly mouths (sorry dog lovers) and the actual meaning of the word.

No, what distinguishes humans from any other species on the planet, what allows us to speak, is both our physiology and, of course, our brains.

Our big brains, specifically, the left frontal lobe (Broca’s area) and it is this capacity for speech which has allowed us to dream, imagine and create.

‘No talking’ in most of my classes would essentially mean ‘no lesson.’ On the rare occasion there is silence for an entire 50 minutes, it is inevitably due to my having set an assessment. In fact, should a class fall silent of their own volition, I’m constantly concerned there must be something wrong with them – is everyone succumbing simultaneously to some dreadful virus? Are they collectively ‘sending me to Coventry’ for some careless comment I made in the previous lesson? Don’t get me wrong, students who sit chattering when I’m speaking or who are clearly discussing their favourite TV programme, rather than the task set, displease me greatly.

However, speaking and listening activities are amongst some of my favourite teaching tools.

I believe that it isn’t always necessary or desirable to write everything down, and some wonderfully perceptive interpretations of poems have developed from Socratic discussions (Socratic discussions have the added benefit of involving the whole class, either as a speaker or as an observer monitoring their partner’s contributions). I’ve always been impressed by the maturity of ISB

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students in peer assessment activities such as these.

Role plays are another useful spokenlanguage tool, enabling students to explore the importance of varying their language to suit audience and purpose I’m particularly fond of TV news reports where group planning involving the studio presenter, on-location reporter,

“expert opinion” and “Joe Blogs” viewpoint, allows for a range of skills to be practised – not least the ability to work collaboratively with others.

Similarly, enacting key scenes from plays, or better still, writing and acting their own short scripts, encourages students to actively engage with stagecraft techniques and the play

“form.” Plus they’re usually very entertaining to watch!

Yes, speaking and listening lessons, with the buzz of voices, heads leaning together in paired or group consultation, are some of my favourite learning activities.

So rather than ‘Be quiet!’ I say, ‘it’s good to talk.’

Yr 8 BBC News Report role play activity.

Yr 7 ‘Varying Sentences’ pair-work.

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ISB Hosts the Prestigious CIS University Fair MR. OYTUN PEKEL CAREER COUNSELOR & SIXTH FORM LEADER

University fairs are vital for any high school student, as they offer many benefits and insights into their future.

Since the beginning of the school year, ISB secondary students have been given various opportunities to attend University Fairs and University Presentations at the school. On the 5th November, ISB hosted the prestigious Council of International Schools (CIS) University Fair Bucharest. Before and after this fair, students met with

representatives from Essex, UCL, Vatel University or University of Nottingham and one-on one engagement, students are able to ask their most burning questions that are specific to every university.

The CIS University Fair Bucharest was a portal for Romanian students to engage with international, world re-owned top universities. 298 students registered for the fair from private or public Romanian schools, as well as other international schools in Bucharest. The university fair featured 27 international universities, from various countries such as The United States, The United Kingdom, Switzerland, The Netherlands and numerous others.

Students had their questions answered by the university representatives and they learnt more about admission requirements, as well as specific

indispensable facts about a prospective university life, such as fees, housing, programmes and student life. With such a wide range of universities, students were given the ability to explore many different options for their future and compare different courses, whilst getting first hand advice on enrolment.

University fairs are vital for any high school student, as they offer many benefits and insights into their future..

Furthermore, students can receive feedback on their applications, as well as finding out what university admissions are looking for and whether they are right for them.

All in all the event was a great success, thanks to both the attending students and the many universities who were kind enough to take part and aid students in making decisions about their future.

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Trip to Netherlands and Alumni Meeting During the first half-term break, the Year 12 and 13 students took a trip to the Netherlands and visited several Dutch universities. The main objective of the trip was to offer the students the insight of what the Dutch Universities have to offer, while spending quality time and reuniting with their friends and former ISB students who are now studying in the Netherlands.

The Dutch education system is ranked very highly in Europe, due to the professional staff, the student satisfaction, the methods of teaching and the resources available. The universities visited covered a wide range of courses, from Computer Science, to Economics, Medicine, Law and other disciplines, so everyone had the chance to learn more about their specific subject of interest.

The students were able to examine the structure of the courses, to learn about the grading system, the application process and most importantly, the entry requirements. Every university gave them the opportunity to tour around the campus and observe the libraries, where they can find all possible resources to use in their research, as well as the lecture halls, the canteens,

exam rooms and sport centers.

They also noticed that a university campus can take several forms; some have faculties all over the city, like Tilburg University, while some have the whole campus in one place, like Erasmus University Rotterdam. The campuses differed from one another, which gave the students the chance to decide whether they would enjoy studying in a smaller, more authentic faculty, like Maastricht University, or in a larger, more modern environment, such as the University of Amsterdam.

The more science-orientated pupils were impressed by the engineering and computer science courses from Delft University, as they are specialized in these fields, and therefore they offer practical lessons at the highest standards. Most Dutch universities cover a wide range of courses, with the majority being taught in English, just like University of Groningen, where they also offer Medicine.

Throughout their stay in the Netherlands, our students had the opportunity to meet with several ISB alumni who shared their personal experiences of moving to the

Netherlands. The students learnt in more detail about the process of adapting yourself to the Dutch lifestyle, to being away from your family and to being truly independent. They also discussed with the ISB graduates about living costs, how rigorous the courses are and university life in general. These meetings have helped the students acquire many useful tips and tricks which will help them if they decide to continue their studies in the Netherlands.

Aside from observing the educational system, the pupils also had the chance to gain significant insights into the Dutch culture. They were amazed by the huge number of bicycles and by the massive Food Market in Rotterdam, where you could enjoy meals from all over the world. In addition, the Amsterdam canals added to the pleasant scenery which was emphasized through the authentic Dutch architecture. The students had a great time exploring the narrow streets of the Netherlands, while deciding if the Dutch education system is the perfect fit for them.

Maria D, Year 13 Student

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ISB Clubs and Enrichment Programme ISB offers a wide range of extracurricular activities (clubs) for its students. Our intention is to provide each student with a chance to develop an area of interest, and to enhance their experience of school life overall.

All students are wholeheartedly encouraged to take this opportunity of beginning or pursuing an interest

Cross Stitch Club - Students have been really busy this term using their sewing skills to create some hand-made Christmas presents and Santa hats.

Boys and girls from Years 4-6 enjoy this very relaxing time of the week and some of them turned out to be real artists.

‘It’s relaxing but the hardest thing I’ve ever done!’ Charles 4D ‘It’s unique and special!’ Nico 6C

that lies outside the academic life of the school. There are almost 100 clubs that students can join each term. We invite you to read about some of the most popular.

Smart Cooking & Healthy Habits is a great way to educate the students about good nutrition, what’s in season, planning and preparing meals and reading food labels. It can

encourage them to eat healthy food.

During this club, students learn about the impact of food on their body and on their behaviour and how can food have an impact on our health.

Students are given alternatives to make better choices: they learn how to cook simple and easy recipes: soups, salads, smoothie, main dish and desserts full of nutrients.

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Music Instruments Club is open to students of all ages who would like to learn to play an instrument: quitar, violin, piano and drums. The clubs are run by professional instructors and all the musicians will be praised and congratulated in the Musicians’ Concert!

Cambridge English Qualifications Club - Cambridge English Qualifications are in-depth exams that make learning English enjoyable, effective and rewarding. These qualifications are specifically designed for schoolage learners. They provide a strong foundation and learning framework to help children and teenagers gain confidence and improve their English language skills. Whatever your goals or ambitions, Cambridge English Qualifications are a mark of excellence, accepted and trusted by thousands of organisations worldwide.

Hama Beads - Hama is a creative game which allows the children to learn as they play. It has been adapted to follow the child’s development and to control motor skills. Hama Beads products help children and prepare them for school – the fun games they play allow them to experiment and create familiarity with symbols, speech and letters.

Take a look at these masterpieces created by some little hands during the club ran by Ms. Dana and Ms. Alice - Wonderful World of Hama Beads!!

Do you know that hama enhances children’s physical and mental skills in such a way that children never think they’re doing anything but playing?

Are you impressed as we are?

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Playful Painting Club - Children are able to express themselves through painting using different age appropriate techniques while listening to relaxing music.

SMART Arts & Crafts Club is designed to help kids develop their artistic skills (sketching, blending, portraiture, scaling, painting, etc). The club consist of following activities: Stone/Fabric Painting, Jewellery Making, Glass/ Wooden Object Painting, Object Making, Glue Art on Canvas Mosaic Work, Fidget Spinner Art, Process Art Painting with Nature, Clay Work, Play-Doh Popsicles Making.

Physics Demonstrations Learning Abstract concepts can be visualised and enhanced by demonstrations.

During this club, students will learn about physical concepts through constructing demonstrations.

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The Chess Club will teach your children to apply the basic tactical and strategic ideas of chess; to develop the ability to detect the easiest way of solving practical problems; to develop an interest in, and motivation for playing chess with proven applicability; to develop the capacity to adapt to different situations using a variety of tactical and strategic processes; to demonstrate creative thinking by using their own strategies for solving chess applications.

Strategy Games Club - Play is so important to optimal child development that it has been widely recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child. Extensive research shows the educational benefits of regular activity by playing strategy games. The intense intellectual activity involved in strategy games improves concentration and memory, develops problem-solving skills and also enhances creativity. It has been shown that mental regular activities like chess, help to improve skills in reading, mathematics and other academic subjects. So, why not play?

The Wool Teller (Crochet Club) “Crocheting, knitting and making practical things have been some of my hobbies for a while now, so I decided to share this passion with some of my students as I knew that this would be something new to them, something they would find hard to imagine they would be able to do one day, but also something useful as it helps them relax, develop their imagination and why not, learn a new skill.

The Wool Teller Club attracted more students than I would have expected,

and it proved to be fun, but also challenging for many of them. They are amazed by the things they can create, happy to see what their hands can do, and with that, sometimes comes the disappointment of not being able to do a bit more today and to have to be patient and leave it for next time.

Overall the club was a pleasant surprise for me and for and the students taking part in it and we are looking forward to continuing it in the future� Alina Isar, English Teacher.

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IB Global Conference 2018 MR. YUSUF SUHA ORHAN IB COORDINATOR

Mr. Sinan Kosak and I attended the IB Global Conference which took place in Vienna between 4th and 6th October. Two thousands participants from all around the world (educators, entrepreneurs, sector representatives) came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the IB and to discuss and find solutions to issues in education in

a digitalized world.

This year’s theme was ‘Shaping the future’, underpinning the role of IB. Tens of sessions took place in the spacious Austria Center, where new trends and technologies were also introduced.

One important result of the event

was that we received confirmation of our membership to Association of Central European IB Schools, ACES. There was a special session in which members of ACES gathered to welcome new members and discuss possible collaboration opportunities in the region.

Mr. Sinan was awarded the ACES plaque by Mr. Peter Murphy, the Board Chair and Director of Vienna International School.

At the end of the event we were seen off by Mrs.Siva Kumari, the General Director of IB and Dr. Rebecca Hughes, Chief Officer of Learning and Teaching.

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A Teacher’s Feeling MS. ANA CUATU & MRS. NICOLETA MOTROC PE TEACHERS

Challenges always leave a warm feeling in my heart, regardless the outcome. Each year, here in the PE Department, we take on new challenges and embark in a new journey.

This year, our U16 girls’ and boys’ basketball teams participated in the Cambridge Basketball Cup. U16 girls’ team came on the 3rd and the U16 boys’ came on the 2nd. We are very proud of our talented and hard-working students who passionately take part in sports activities.

Both boys and girls have dedicated their

time to the basketball teams, they have put great effort into the practices and they have brought numerous smiles upon our faces.

We, as PE teachers are fortunate to spend one hour a week in the company of brilliant students who strive to become the best version of themselves.

And we are blessed to be allowed to enter their hearts and minds, to leave a piece of us, with them, forever. And this is another reason we are very proud!

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Growing in an Inclusive Environment MS. ALINA CONSTANTIN SENCO

Education: a human right with a direct impact on the evolution of our society that sometimes is being mistaken for a privilege. Regarding education as a privilege means choosing who should access it. Regarding education as a fundamental right means creating opportunities for everybody, regardless of social status, cultural background, physical or academic abilities. An education system that acknowledges the value of every

member, despite of their challenges and supports every individual in achieving their highest potential is called inclusive education.

In an inclusive classroom you can find students coming from different cultural backgrounds but most important, students of mixed academic abilities. Having together in the same classroom high achievers as well as students with learning difficulties, or native speakers

together with students who have just started learning the language can provide a nurturing environment that everybody can benefit from. A few of the benefits that inclusive education provides, are: It fosters a culture of respect and belonging. Students develop a clear and positive understanding of themselves and others. Attending an inclusive class, gives students the chance to reflect on both the

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differences and similarities between themselves and others, which allows them to better appreciate diversity.

Students learn at their own pace.

Through differentiated instructions and academic targets, each student can work to their level of ability.

Develop social skills and build friendships. Friendship is built based on shared experiences and mutual interests despite of perceived

differences. Children are more likely to approach children with disabilities with acceptance (Rafferty et al., 2001) and are less likely to view a disability as an impairment (Burnstein, Sears, Wilcoxen, Cabello, & Spagna, 2004; Idol, 2006). Research shows that typical peers are willing to initiate and maintain friendships with children who may be different (Burnstein et al., 2004; Idol, 2006).

Students with disabilities have the chance to learn new skills through imitation and they have the chance to develop friendships with typically developing children.

If the goal is to create a tolerant and inclusive society, this should start to be taught by early age through inclusive education, not only in the classroom but in every aspect of our environment.

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A Wonderful World MS. MADALINA CIOC ADMISSIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

This is, most probably, the 5th article I write on International Day at ISB. Every year I am under the impression that I cannot write more about this event, that the story has been “covered” already so many times before. After this quick initial thought, I realise I could not be more wrong: there is more to it each year.

International Day is my milestone here at ISB. To me, it signifies the fresh start, continuing with the old and welcoming the new, more to learn,

more to understand, more to feel and more to live through.

I see the Traditional Costume Parade and the PTA Food Fair as a “yearly ritual” of welcoming everyone in to the school’s community. I never get tired of watching the children and the staff proudly wearing their traditional national costumes and representing their culture and their country. Not to mention that I never get tired of the delicious traditional food either.

This year the children came up with a

big surprise at the end of the event. A flash mob dance which you can watch by scanning the QR code on the page.

It is a wonderful world both out there and in here.

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ISB Celebrates 100 Years of Romania MS. MADALINA CIOC ADMISSIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

During the month of November, our students have learnt about the Romanian culture and traditions, about Romanian history and its wonderful people, while preparing for a show to celebrate this major event.

Several guests honoured our invitation to the school and helped us to provide our students with a better understanding of the Romanian arts and crafts, culture and traditions. A big thank you to Școala de Meșteșuguri for the very popular workshops held at the school for our Primary students: Ceramic Pots and Traditional Shoe Making.

Thank you to the Cultural Foundation Dana Ardelea for introducing to our students the Romanian traditional dances and the beautiful traditional costumes.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Culture Ministry accrediting Dana Ardelea as a cultural foundation to promote talented children and adolescents in both folkloric and classical music. Ms. Cristina Purici, Drama Teacher at ISB, has been mannequin for the foundation’s traditional and stylized national costume presentations for the last 11 years. She is encouraging students to take part in the foundation’s activity as it is enjoyable, artistically fulfilling and very good international experience for future endeavours. Students who are interested can get more details from www.danaardelea.ro. As this is a non-profit foundation, participation is free.

On the 28th November, ISB Students from 40 countries celebrated 100 Years of Romania together with their parents, teachers and special guests.

The students recited Romanian traditional poems, performed dances and songs, short drama shows, and they talked about famous Romanian inventors. Arthesium Theatre Band enthusiastically accepted ISB’s invitation to take part in the 100 Years of Romania event and created a show especially for ISB’s students: Five O’Clock, a comedy which respects

the standards and limits of Caragiale theatre, however the artists added their personal touch.

ISB’s Drama Club also prepared a performance for 100 Years of Romania.

Inspired from a world wide forum, Ms. Cristina Purici coordinated an activity in which all students have distributed tasks. Foreigners in Romania is a play where actors can value their own nationality in relation with Romanian culture.

Cast: Efe C. 9B, Bella C. 9I, Ariana C. 9I,

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David N. 9I, Elizabeth N. 8S, Katia R. 9B, Alberto S. 9S, Luca T. 9B, Yanyi Z. 9I Scriptwriting & Directing: Ana C. 12I Technical Directing: Vlad C. 10B Well done, everyone for the wonderful performance for the amazing display

of the Romanian culture, tradition and spirit. Many thanks to all our members of the community, to our teaching staff to our students and our guest.

A special and big thank you goes to our very devoted teaching staff who

made this happen: Ingrid Stanciu, Adina Iacob, Lena Napradean, Elena Bouhar, Raluca Dinu, Cristina Purici, Catalina Scutariu, Monica Tele, Petruta Tiganila, Omer Burgazli, Teodora Varzaru and Nicoleta Motroc.

“Congratulation for the wonderful 100 Romania event of last night! So dynamic and concise! So joyful and colourful! So warm and so well organised!

Special thanks to the choir who accompanied from the start to the end the unfolding of the artistic moments!

Special thanks to the short performance moments!

Special thanks to the dancers!

Special thanks to the piano player and the drum player!

Special thanks to the teachers who organised and prepare this wonderful event!

Special thanks to Mr Sinan for his speech given in an impeccable Romanian language!!!

Special thanks to Elizabeth N. who was the most passionate “Romanian” singer! She is so talented and so authentic! I can’t help making a comparison with one great figure of Romanian history, Queen Maria of Romania who came from England too, to become a change agent for Romania.

Well done ISB for continuing this trend of accelerating the progress of Romania day by day but also through such small steps like this event with enormous impact! A true lesson of patriotism for all of us.

Special thanks to everybody!

Congratulations!”

Mirela Mihaescu, ISB Parent

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Sorry - I’m not from around here.

MR. IAN MCSHANE HEAD OF CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS

Very soon, I’ll have completed my seventh year in Romania.

(Pause for applause to die down.)

Believe me, it’s been no hardship. The people here are lovely and the country is beautiful. Actually, I’m basing that last bit on what I’ve read. I’ve been a city boy all my life, so I haven’t taken advantage of the opportunities to ski, sunbathe or visit the sights. Take it from me, though – you have some breathtaking malls.

The reason my lengthy stay here has been notable, though, is that I don’t speak any Romanian. Now this isn’t because I’m some ‘little Englander’ who thinks, “Well, if they can’t be bothered to speak the Queen’s English, why should I bother with their weird noise?”

For a start, I’m Scottish, not English.

I’ve also lived in other countries, where I’ve been equally useless at the local language. Some people can sing, or play an instrument, or wiggle their ears – we all have different skills. I can do all of the above at the same time. I just can’t do languages.

It has rarely been an issue here. For one, the locals are polite enough to tolerate my inadequacy. Many speak English.

(Except at the post office, oddly. Asking where the vinegar is in Mega Image?

Not a problem. Going to pick up a parcel, though? Nightmare.) If a shop assistant started speaking to me in Romanian, I’d smile apologetically and say, “I’m sorry – I haven’t a clue what you’re saying.” At this, the person would get embarrassed and apologise. To me. For my idiocy!

In the past, having done a fair amount of traveling, I’d make up for my lack of

language skills with some elaborate mime work. It’s what I teach, after all. Consequently, my diet here has consisted of a lot of chicken, as it’s easy to act out. At home, though, I usually have to grill it, as I haven’t mastered the mime for olive oil.

Uber has also been a saviour, after years of struggling to make myself understood to taxi drivers. And I’ve avoided trains completely, after being unable to read my ticket to Constanta: the Translate app on my phone was no good at dealing with the abbreviations on my ticket and I spent the entire

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journey standing up. To save further embarrassment for my return trip, I did the sensible thing – I got an Uber.

It was easier when I lived in Mexico.

My regular cinema trips meant lots of reading of the subtitles, so my Spanish became passable, especially if I had to catch a serial killer or fight terrorists on top of trains. (My movie choices haven’t progressed much since I was a kid.)

Here, though, in the era of downloads and Netflix, I’ve not even made it to Intermediary level Romanian. In a school of 700 students and a hundred staff, I have the worst language skills in the building. Easily.

Something had to be done, so I downloaded Duolingo. For five minutes every day, I’ve been answering simple questions and now I can handle some basic but useful phrases. “Fata are ceapa.” That’s come in handy.

“Hamsterul meu este purpuriu.” There’s another one. Although I’d feel happier if, after two whole years, Duolingo had managed to offer slightly more practical phrases, like “left” or “right”. Or, ideally, “I’ve been here for three hours – do you have my parcel?”

Struggling with languages is a peculiar idiosyncrasy of Brits. Probably comes from centuries of visiting other countries to conquer them rather than understand them. We learn French in school and, after several years, we can confidently walk up to a local in Calais and enquire, “Quelle heure est-il?” (After being told the time, though, we’ll invariably mutter a vague “Merci” before wandering off to look for a clock.) There are ISB students that are conversant in three languages – English, Romanian and their own – not to mention those used by their friends.

At a time when the arts, whether music, movies or television, are making English the unofficial language of the world, it seems strange that English-speaking nations are trying to separate and isolate themselves.

Maybe we should just embrace the one language that seems to cater for all nationalities: Emoji. After all, without a smiley face and a thumbs-up, I would have starved years ago.

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ISB Students’ Journey to World Scholar’s Cup 2018 MRS. INGRID STANCIU HEAD OF ENRICHMENT & MS. MONICA TELE ICT TEACHER

ISB students have proudly represented our school and our country in all three rounds of the competitions, including the Tournament of Champions, USA. World Scholar’s Cup is an Academic Team Competition. It is different from other competitions our students participated in, because it is a mixture

The ISB team proudly representing Romanian traditional costumes and food.

of rounds on different topics around the same main theme.

This year, the main theme was “An Entangled World” and the subjects the participants had to study were: Human Relationships, The History of Diplomacy, Braving the Distance in Art and Music, The Science of Memory, Black Markets in Social Studies and Voices of the Inseparable in Literature.

ISB students have proudly represented our school and our country in all three rounds of the competitions: The Romanian Round which was proudly hosted by our school, the Global Round which took place in July in Barcelona and the Tournament of Champions which took place between the 14th

– 22nd November 2018 at Yale, New Haven, USA. Congratulations to all our students for their excellent results. In the Global Round in Barcelona, our Senior Division was awarded with 6 gold and 5 silver individual medals and 3 gold and 1 silver team medals. Our Junior Division was awarded with 6 gold and 13 silver individual medals and 1 gold and 5 silver team medals.

We are extremely proud of our students’ achievement in the Tournament of Champions also: our Senior Team received 4 gold and 8 silver medals and our Junior Team were awarded 2 gold and 5 silver medals. Well done, guys, we are very proud of you!

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ISB Junior team.

ISB Senior team.

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My World Scholar’s Cup Experience JOANNA C. / YEAR 13 STUDENT

From ISB in Bucharest, to the seaside of Barcelona at the Barcelona International Convention Centre, to our final destination, the prestigious Yale University in Connecticut, USA. To think that a competition like this would provide such opportunities for students to excel, is something almost… unimaginable. Not only do you get to travel halfway across the globe, but you also get to meet and socialise with thousands of students (that you later find out have more things in common with you than you think) that have travelled double the distance that you have, to arrive there, with you. The World Scholar’s Cup not only pushes you to learn things you would never have the opportunity to learn out of a textbook in school and form links between subjects and concepts you never even knew existed, but also allows

you to discover strengths and skills you never knew you had.

The World Scholar’s Cup has been ‘accused’ with awarding its students too much. However, who dictates what part of a student’s efforts and knowledge deserve recognition? When joining the World Scholar’s Cup and when taking your first look at the syllabus (which adopts a different theme every year), you think to yourself, how am I expected to learn all of this and succeed?

However, after one Regional round, one Global round, and the Tournament of Champions, our team have secured over 50 medals (and 9 alpacas). How? Through perseverance, teamwork and ultimately, having the experience of a lifetime. By walking away from each round with not only multiple medals around our necks, but also with our fluffy companion (stuffed alpaca) tucked tightly under our arm; we are reminded that no matter how hard we study, we are still children and should always experience moments where we don’t take ourselves all too seriously.

After listening to the song ‘Havana’(sign up and you’ll see what I mean) on repeat

for the last three days, eventually numbing your senses, resulting in you feeling no pressure (which is great), after competing in the Scholar’s Challenge alone (a multiple choice test based on the syllabus assigned), after representing your home country (Romania in our case) alongside your teammates in three fiery debates against any possible teams out of the 82+ countries competing and the 2,000+ scholars, after the Collaborative Writing, a creative essay written about a certain subject related to that year’s syllabus (which you later consult on and read over with your teammates), after the Scholar’s Bowl, an intense multiple choice test you fight your way to gain points in with your teammates (and soon find out your only friend is the ‘clicker’), you feel not only a sense of accomplishment (and relief), but also a sense of pride. Proud of the fact that you didn’t let an experience like this slip away, proud and grateful of the people you have met and the new friends you made, proud of the memories created, proud of the knowledge gained and exchanged, and ultimately, proud of yourself for pursuing such a feat until the end.

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

The experience at WSC: From ISB to Yale University ARIANA Z / YEAR 13 STUDENT

My suggestion to you is to not pass up this opportunity - which can prove to be incredibly beneficial when the time comes to apply to university - and make the most out of it.

Picture this: alpacas, a hefty syllabus and a bunch of staff members obsessed with the song Havana. This weird mixture is quite simply summed up by the World Scholar’s Cup - despite its quirky features, however, this competition is globally recognised as being an international team academic program involving students from over 82 countries. You participate in four rounds:

the Scholar’s Challenge (a multiple choice test), Collaborative Writing (essay with the help of your teammates), three debates, and the Scholar’s Bowl (a multiple choice test completed with your teammates). This entire competition revolves around working well with the other two members of your team and being able to study the syllabus thoroughly.

I began at ISB with the regional round in April and was overjoyed to find out that my team and I qualified for the global round held in four locations: Barcelona (the round we eventually attended), Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Durban.

The Barcelona global round was yet another success and we qualified for the final, most challenging round held at Yale University in America. This competition not only gives you academic recognition for being a diligent student but also

offers you the opportunity to see the world and interact with scholars from every nook and cranny of the world some of which remain your friends long after the closing ceremony.

We tend to believe that the world is small and we’ve seen enough of it, but when confronted by such a variety of students, with lives and school systems so different from your own, it humbles you into realising that you’re not only competing with your class, but the entire world. My suggestion to you is to not pass up this opportunity - which can prove to be incredibly beneficial when the time comes to apply to university - and make the most out of it. You’ll end up learning real-life information beyond what your textbooks teach you and hopefully, have some fun!

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ISB Football Team 3rd in the Mediterranean Football Cup

“Our trip to Italy for the Mediterranean Football Cup competition was not the first trip we took to attend a competition outside Romania, but it was definitely one of the most memorable one.

Not only were we welcomed by the organisers with open arms (being the only newcomers at the 2018 edition of the Mediterranean Cup), but our sportsmanship was also reciprocated by the rival teams. Despite our age and experience being a disadvantage, we were able to overcome our limitations and finish third in the tournament.

This experience allowed us, as a team, to develop our skills both on the field and off it. Arriving home, we felt like we returned with a better competitive mentality, communication and physical endurance. Even though for some of us this is our last year in the school, we hope that in the future years, the younger generations would also be able to participate in such events.”

ISB Football Team

ISB Hosts “Football for Life” Charity Event

International School of Bucharest had the honour to host “Football for life” Charity Event on Friday, 19th October starting 4:30pm. ISB together with Școala de Fotbal Lucian Sânmărtean (Lucian Sânmărtean Football School) and Lumina Instituții de Învățământ (Lumina Educational Institutions joined the charity campaign Bursa de Fericire (Happiness’ Scholarship).

Through football matches, money were raised for the construction of the first oncology hospital for children in Romania.

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ISSUE 12 • January 2019

International School of Bucharest’s student achieves Cambridge Outstanding Learner Award - Top in the World We were very happy and proud to celebrate the Cambridge Top in the World Award for the fourth time at our school. Ana Maria Anghel received the Cambridge Top in the World award for her exceptional result in the Cambridge International A Level Sociology July 2017 examination. Ana Maria is currently studying Law at the London School of Economics and she couldn’t be present at the event to receive the diploma, however she recorded a message for the students, teachers and parents in the audience.

Many thanks to her mother, who honoured our invitation and received the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award on Ana’s behalf, during the Awards Ceremony.

The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards programme celebrates the success of learners taking Cambridge examinations in over 40 countries around the world. Cambridge places learners at the centre of their international education programmes and qualifications which are inspired by the best in educational thinking.

The Head of Secondary School, Mr. David Newsham, said: “Ana was a hard-working student throughout all of her time at ISB and to achieve the highest score in the world in A level sociology is an incredible achievement which reflects her motivation and her ability.”

Mr. Sinan Kosak, the Director of ISB said: “We are very happy and proud to celebrate the Cambridge Top in the World Award for the fourth time at our school. Ana has achieved this excellent result by setting precise goals and being committed to hard work. I would like to congratulate Ana as well as her teachers and parents for their continuous support.”

Ana Maria’s mom receiving the Top in the World Certificate from Mr. Sinan, on Ana’s behalf.

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International School of Bucharest’s Academic Awards Ceremony MS. MADALINA CIOC ADMISSIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

ISB Community celebrates achievements.

Like every year, we celebrated the achievement and the outstanding academic results of our students: their admirable results in the international Olympiads and competitions as well as their excellent results at international examinations.

This year, the Primary School students were awarded for Top Attendance, Golden Rules, Team Players, International Maths Challenge and World Scholar’s Cup. The Secondary School students were awarded for Top Attendance, behaviour, Top Academic Awards, Duke of Edinburgh International Award, IGCSE Top Achievements and World Scholar’s Cup.

Secondary School students receiving the Awards from Mr. David Newsham, the Head of Secondary School.

Thank you to Carturesti for the book vouchers offered as prizes and to Lumina Educational Institutions for sponsoring the checks for the students.

A big thank you goes to Mr. Oytun Pekel, Career Counselor & Sixth Form Leader and to his Award Ceremony organisation committee for the very successful event. Thank you to Ms. Teodora Varzaru, the Art Teacher for the festive decorations and to Omer Burgazli for filming the event.

The photo credit goes to Rob Studio Photography. And last, but not least, a big thank you to the school’s band for their electrifying performance and to Andreea R. Year 13 student for being the M.C. of the event.

ISSUE 12 • January 2019

Primary Students receiving the Team Players Award from Mrs. Kerry Harris, the Head of Primary School.

Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

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Outward Bound.

Excellent Outdoor Experience MS. ALINA CONSTANTIN STUDENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR

Our students understood how their role in the group has an effect on the entire group dynamic and they also learnt about resilience, communication and friendship.

It is all about team work.

Residential trips represent a great opportunity for students to interact outside their school environment, to take part in new activities that would help them build new sets of skills.

Residential trips are a tradition in our school and they are very popular, especially among KS2 students.

Our school, in partnership with Outward Bound, a world leading organization in outdoor education, organised a Secondary School Residential Trip in September. Outward Bound has centers in over 35 countries and provide excellent opportunities for students to learn skills that cannot be practiced in a school setting.

Students from KS3, 4 and 5 spent a few days away from their daily life, together with friends and qualified instructors that provided several opportunities for experiential learning.

Participants took part in several team building games that helped them learn new things about themselves and their colleagues. The highlight of the trip represented a camping mission, for

which students prepared by learning navigation concepts (reading maps and using compasses). To build a shelter and to cook were two of the several survival skills they learnt during their “mission”. The experience was both exciting and challenging, helping students to step out of their comfort zone and to see and practice things such as: planning, organisation skills, personal responsibility, team work, asking for help and trusting others.

Our students understood how their role in the group has an effect on the entire group dynamic and they also learnt about resilience, communication and friendship.

This year’s trip has been a success.

Students were provided with a new and challenging experience and they discovered new things about themselves. We are already excited about next year’s edition and we are looking forward to seeing more students taking part in this excellent outdoor experience.

e-mail: admissions@isb.ro

tel: (+40) 21 306 95 30

1R, Gara Catelu Str., Bucharest