Ms. Lynne

IDEA IN PRIMARY

As well as having IDEA LESSONS (INCLUSION, DIVERSITY,  EQUITY AND ACTION LESSONS) taught explicitly by every class teacher this year. 

The themes and ideas are also beginning to become embedded in our other lessons. 

Take a look at all the great work that is going on to make sure that all our students feel that they BELONG.

Anti bullying week and International day of Kindness.

During our Wellbeing lessons the students in KS1 talked about what makes a good friend, how we are all similar and different and that it is our uniqueness that makes us special.

In KS2 classes we discussed bullying in more detail, and how we can choose to be a bystander or an upstander. We talked about how to stop bullyıng and how to report it.

Odd Socks Day took place on Tuesday 12th November, with teachers  and children being encouraged to wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.

Anti-Bullying Week 2024: Choose Respect

World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day was first launched in 1998 by The World Kindness Movement, an organisation formed at a 1997 Tokyo conference of kindness organisations around the world. There are currently more than 28 nations involved in The World Kindness Movement. The mission of the World Kindness Movement and World Kindness Day is to create a kinder world by inspiring individuals and nations towards greater kindness.

The students understand what kindness is and try hard to always be kind at school.

Here are some links for kindness at home :)

Links: 

Teaching kind to be kind

Kids Kindness

Kids Explain Kindness

Ms. Elise & Ms. Tuğba: Preschool 1 

Bonjour. Bonjour

Autumn is at its best. Winter is almost at the door; but seasonal changes can’t stop the Ants. Instead they are laboring harder; knowing well they have to hibernate soon. So this month the Ants did not only joyously sing their rhymes; but also had fun acting them. 

They also shared their favorite stories from a long time ago; thriving to begin with the phrase ‘’ Once upon a time’’ They pretended to play The Tiger who came for a tea and Goldilocks and the 3 bears. Thus dressing up in their favorite character costumes. Looking forward to the Winter fest…

Au Plaisir

Ants 

Ms. Ogomoditse & Ms. Özge: Preschool 2

The Butterflies Class had a delightful time celebrating World Nursery Rhyme Week! The children enthusiastically sang a variety of nursery rhymes from around the world and participated in engaging activities inspired by these timeless tunes.From creative crafts to imaginative play, the week was filled with laughter, learning, and the magic of rhymes!

Ms. Lauren & Ms. Melike: Reception

We have been celebrating World Nursery Rhyme Week!  The whole world has been telling nursery rhymes and we have joined in!  We have learnt some new nursery rhymes by heart and we have shared nursery rhymes in our home language too!

We have invited parents into Dragonflies class to watch a Phonics lesson in action and the parents were able to support the children in the lesson and join in!

We have been exploring the OWL area and we are using our toys in different ways!

Mr. Khan & Ms. Sena: 1K

Dear Parents,

What an amazing month we’ve had in Year 1! The children have worked incredibly hard and made fantastic progress, and I’m so proud of their enthusiasm and effort. Here’s a quick update on what we’ve been learning.

In Literacy, we’ve been focusing on grammar and writing. The children have been practising using capital letters for personal pronouns, people, places, and things. We’ve also worked on connecting sentences using "and" and starting to use "because" to explain our ideas.   A fun strategy has been orally rehearsing sentences using our fingers to ensure we don’t miss any words. The children have been doing an excellent job at sounding out words phonetically and using their phonics skills to write confidently. We’ve also enjoyed retelling familiar stories orally and then writing our own versions, helping them understand the structure of stories. To make it even more engaging, we’ve acted out parts of stories, using freeze frames and facial expressions to embody characters!

In Maths, we’ve been focusing on numbers within 10 and exploring different strategies for addition and subtraction. This month, children have been using the part-part-whole model, number lines and number walls to help solve problems. They are also getting better at understanding fact families (e.g., 5 + 3 = 8, 8 - 5 = 3). One of the highlights this month has been solving maths stories – word problems that help children think critically about when to add or subtract. They’ve been doing an amazing job at solving these and explaining their thinking!

I’m so proud of how much the children have grown this month. Their hard work, enthusiasm, and engagement in every lesson have been truly inspiring. Thank you for your continued support at home – it really makes a difference!

Looking ahead, we are excited for December and the opportunities to continue building on all the skills we’ve been developing. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Warmest regards,

Mr Kayani Khan

Year 1 Teacher

Ms. Belen & Ms. Sena: 1G

Dear Parents,

We’ve had a fantastic month in Year 1! The children have been working hard and making excellent progress. We’re so proud of their enthusiasm and dedication.

In English, we’ve been focusing on improving our grammar and writing skills. We’ve practiced using capital letters, connecting sentences, and sounding out words. We’ve also enjoyed retelling stories and writing our own creative pieces. To make learning even more fun, we’ve acted out stories, using our imagination to bring characters to life.

In Math, we’ve been exploring numbers up to 10 and learning different strategies for addition and subtraction. We’ve used tools like number lines and part-part-whole models to solve problems and understand number relationships. We’ve also had fun solving word problems to practice our critical thinking skills.

We’ve also had a wonderful time on our trip to Belgrad Forest to observe the changing seasons. The children were amazed by the beautiful autumn colors and had a great time exploring the forest.

We’re so impressed with the children’s growth this month. Thank you for your continued support at home. We’re excited to see what we can achieve in December!

Ms. Verralls & Ms. Neslihan: 2V

It has been a busy few weeks in 2V. In maths the children completed the unit on length. They measured items using cubes and tape measures. They had to record their measurements using cm. In Literacy, the children have been learning about stories from other cultures. They are now working on their own story. On November 13th, the children had to wear odd socks. They then took part in different role plays about showing respect to friends and the community. In science, we are continuing to learn about animals and humans and in humanities and art, our topic is Oceania. 

Ms. Smith & Ms. Neslihan: 2S

The past few weeks in 2S have been a whirlwind of learning and creativity! In maths, the children wrapped up an exciting unit on length, using cubes and tape measures to explore and record measurements in centimeters. In Literacy, they’ve been diving into captivating stories from other cultures and are now crafting their very own tales. November 13th brought a splash of fun with Odd Socks Day, where students not only showcased their unique styles but also engaged in meaningful role plays to learn about respect and community. Meanwhile, science lessons are buzzing with discoveries about animals and humans, and our humanities and art sessions are taking us on a vibrant journey through the fascinating region of Oceania. What an adventure!

Ms. Robbins & Ms. Neslihan: 3R

As we dive deeper into our maths curriculum this month, we have learned some strategies around our exploration of multiplication. This area of study is not only essential for building fluency in mathematics but also for fostering an understanding of number sense among our students.

To help our children excel, we have been focusing on various learning strategies that go beyond mere memorisation of times tables. We encourage students to observe patterns in multiplication and identify multiples, which greatly enhances their comprehension of mathematical concepts. By learning to spot these patterns, they can solve problems more effectively and confidently.

We are also incorporating a variety of engaging games into our lessons to build fluency and self-assurance when handling multiplication facts. These activities not only make learning fun but also allow the children to practise multiplication in a fun and 7relaxed environment. 

Mr. Bridgland & Ms. Neslihan: 3B

As things start to get colder outside this month, things have been busy in 3B as always. 

Students have been learning about 3D shapes in Maths, and have been demonstrating their skills at creating paper models of pyramids and prisms. In Literacy, we’ve begun our unit on Poetry and students have been practicing emotive language and onomatopoeia. 

We also had some excellent Art lessons this month, including a lesson on Van Gogh in which students used acrylic paint to try and imitate his iconic style (with great success!).

Ms. Caldwell & Ms. Ödül: 4C

4C has had a great November! 

English: In English 4c has been working on our nonfiction unit, where the children have been developing their understanding of fact and opinion, the difference between non-fiction texts, and fiction texts, and researching, planning, and writing their own reports on their favourite animals.

Maths: In maths, 4C has been developing their skills in telling the time using analog, 12-hour digital, and 24-hour clocks, reading timetables (schedules), and calendars.  We have also been exploring properties of 2D shape and symmetry, by creating their own tessellation patterns.

Science: We are currently working on our Energy unit in science, where we learned about the different types of energy, how energy changes, energy transfers, and potential energy.  To explore potential energy further 4C was tasked with creating paper rollercoasters, focusing on how roller coasters have potential energy at various points, e.g. at the top of hills.

Humanities: 4C have begun their topic on Mary Queen of Scots and were extremely interested in finding out she became queen at only 6 days old! We have also been learning about where Scotland is on the world map, and looking at relevant places linked to Mary Queen of Scots.

Art/Desing technology

In art, 4C has been looking at pointillism and created their own pointillism pictures based on a thistle, which turned out amazing! We have also been learning about Scottish confectionaries creating a recipe on how to create an Empire Biscuit. 

Mrs. Deufel & Ms. Ödül: 4D

At the beginning of November, we started our global history unit on Mary, Queen of Scots. The students are showing great interest and posted some interesting research questions on google classroom. We have looked at some of the main castles connected to MQS and our art and DT units are linked to Scotland. The students were asked to draw a thistle which is a symbol of Scotland. In Science, we have been looking at Energy and learning about different types of energy and how it changes and transfers. This week we combined science and maths and the students constructed roller coasters made of paper. The aim was to get a marble safely to the bottom. Collaboration was great and the children got to develop their problem solving skills. 

Ms. Halabi & Ms. Hatice: 5H

What an exciting month it has been in Year 5H! We visited the famous Galata Tower, explored its history and enjoyed panoramic views of the city. In Science, we brought learning to life by modelling the digestive system with a hands-on experiment, demonstrating how food travels through the body. The students also combined our Humanities topic on mountains and volcanoes with our poetry unit, writing beautiful haiku poems inspired by these magnificent natural wonders. They also enjoyed a mindful walk in the botanical garden, created autumn leaf art and explored Yellena James’s vibrant artistic style. It’s been a month of creativity, discovery and hands-on learning!

Ms. Gillett & Ms. Moss: 5G

This month in science, 5G got hands-on with a fun experiment. Using everyday items like bananas, orange juice, and tights, the class simulated each step of the digestive system, from chewing in the mouth to nutrient absorption in the small intestine. We also had an amazing trip to the historic Galata Tower! The students were captivated by the breathtaking views and stories of its past. The trip was a perfect wrap-up to our humanities unit on Constantinople, linking what we learned in class to real-life history and architecture!

Ms. Jama & Mr. Furkan: 6J

6J have had an active month. First there was the Geography field trip to the Kylios coast where they applied their learning from the term about physical and human coastal features (not to mention an outdoor picnic - their highlight apparently). Following that were the events of autumn fest which included games and craft and. Of course, a dress up. Finally, they collaborated to put together an assembly encapsulating their learning in the English topic of Macbeth demonstrated through drama and dance. It has all be exciting but exhausting!

Mr. McCann & Mr. Furkan: 6M

The catapult-making competition in 6M was a blast! Teams worked together to design and build creative, functional catapults using only popsicle sticks and elastic bands. The air buzzed with excitement as they tested their inventions, launching a tin foil ball as far as they could in a friendly, but tense contest. Laughter, cheers and tension filled the air as the competition heated up. The winning group- those who sent their projectile the farthest- each bagged a handsome reward of house points.

Ms. Saed: KS1 ESL

In our ESL lessons, Reception students have been busy learning new vocabulary about weather, seasons, and daily topics. They enjoy playing board games, reading storybooks, practicing greetings, speaking respectfully, and asking for help when needed. Year 1 Elementary students are exploring English by crafting sentences with new vocabulary and learning to talk about past events. Meanwhile, Year 2 Intermediate students are getting serious—but still having fun! Through board games, online activities, and seasonal projects, they’re mastering past tense, irregular verbs, and festive-themed lessons, all while staying excited for the festive season ahead.

Mrs. Gwilliam: KS2 ESL

ESL November – International  

Year 4 intermediates read a story about “kindness”. The children did a freeze frame of an act of Kindness. Then they wrote their stories.  Meanwhile, the elementary group worked on math words with some sums. They also learned words for, and how to ask and talk about illness. They loved playing the illness memory game.  Year 5 and 6 intermediates have been working hard on writing using different past tenses. Well done to all the ESL groups for a big effort this month! 

Ms. Hatice: Turkish

Merhabalar

Y1 and Y2 students learned to understand basic classroom language, including common instructions like "Sit down," "Stand up," "Listen," and "Be quiet." They also recognized and identified greetings, instructions, and everyday phrases to enhance their communication skills. Additionally, they explored and learned the names of various objects in the classroom.

Year 3 students learned the names of countries and languages in Turkish. They practiced saying where they are from and which language they speak. Additionally, they recognized the flags of selected countries and associated them with their respective names.

Year 4 students learned the names of family members and practiced asking and answering the question, "Who is this?" (Bu kim?) They also explored different types of weather and learned to ask and answer questions about the weather, such as "How is the weather?" (Hava nasıl?)

Year 5 students remembered prepositions and practiced asking and answering the question, "....var mı?, neler var?" They also learned the names of sports in Turkish and practiced saying "What sport do you do?" (Hangi sporu yapıyorsun?).

Year 6 students remembered the names of sports in Turkish and practiced asking and answering the question "Hangi sporu seviyorsun?" They also reviewed plural nouns. In Unit 3, they learned the days of the week and the names of lessons. Additionally, they practiced understanding and correctly using "is" and "isn't" in sentences, particularly when referring to singular subjects, as well as "are" and "aren't" in sentences, especially when referring to plural subjects.

Güle güle!

Mr. Vincent: French

Bonjour à toutes et à tous,

En français, this month, 

Y3s are learning about weather sentences and seasonal clothes.

Y4s are locating wild animals on the world map.

Y5s are working on nationalities and Y6s are working on directions and places in town.

Au revoir et à bientôt

Monsieur Vincent

Ms. Ana: Spanish

Hola amigos, 

Y3 is learning the weather types and describing what the weather's like in Spanish

Y4 is reviewing all kinds of animals and carrying out a survey to strengthen their speaking 

Y5 is studying countries and nationalities. They are still learning the song of the topic and practicing questions and answers about where we come from and where we live. 

Y6 is focusing on directions. They have learnt the song to review directions and are now working on a city map in order to practice giving directions. 

Ms. Lincoln

Some beautiful crafting activities in OWL before the half term break. Children used fantastic skills using clay and other outdoor materials that they found to create their own “Tree Spirits” for a Halloween feel outside. The tree spirits are made to protect and look after the trees from any evil. The children came up with such lovely ideas and really have added more character to our Outdoor Woodland Learning Space. Thanks guys!

Ms. Rebecca: EYFS Music & KS1 Drama

This month KS1 Drama students have been learning about the history of Pantomime and been miming themselves, currently working on their ‘Get Ready for School’ Skitt. They learned new Spaghetti emotions and are learning to improvise by playing the character game “The Cowboy, The Famer and Santa”.

EYFS has been busy preparing for their Winter Show, which is on Wednesday the 18th at 09:50 in the theatre. Learning old and new songs, as well as working on the letter G this month for Grumpy Gorilla. We hope to see you all there!

Finally, the KS2 choir has been preparing for the Winter Bazaar and learned new songs for the festive season, such as The Grinch!

Mr. Dennison: Y1-Y6 Music

Music class focused on collaboration and kept moving with a wide variety of activities. Years 1 and 2 learned about locomotor and non-locomotor movements, and also sang songs that highlighted singing alone and with others. It was amazing how such young people are starting to read notes and rhythms so well. Years 3 and 4 combined learning a new genre of music then added it to the dance that accompanies it. It was exhilarating to do such a complicated folk dance in school. Years 5 and 6 and have been practicing literacy. Admittedly, it was a slow start with a lot of practice writing dots and lines (aka, notes), but now they are ready to start composing short, layered songs. They are adding their own accompaniments and putting them into an interesting form in order to develop their own ideas.

Mr. Hassan

Year 1: Students practiced keyboard skills using the ABCya Keyboard Challenge, memorizing keys and improving typing accuracy. This engaging activity helped build familiarity with the keyboard layout in a fun way.

Year 2: Students began using Microsoft Word to create pictures like computers and penguins using shapes. This project boosted their creativity and introduced them to essential digital design tools.

Year 3: Students documented input and output devices in Microsoft Word, using pictures, tables, background colors, and borders. This activity enhanced their understanding of technology and refined their document formatting skills.

Year 4: Students mastered Turtle Academy coding by creating shapes through programming commands. This hands-on experience developed their coding proficiency and encouraged creative problem-solving.

Year 5: Students started using Scratch to create games with loops in coding. This introduction to game development improved their programming logic and fostered innovation.

Year 6: Students collaborated in groups to create Google Sites, designing creative and informative web pages. This project strengthened their teamwork and web design abilities.

Mrs. Bartola, Ms. Jess and Ms. Can

Cooking Up Learning!

Easy Recipes for Family Fun

Turn your kitchen into an interactive learning lab with fun, simple recipes the whole family can enjoy! Cooking together helps children learn maths through measuring, explore science by mixing ingredients, and develop teamwork as they tackle shared tasks. Whether you're baking winter biscuits or preparing a comforting soup, these activities offer a relaxing way to nurture creativity and strengthen essential skills. 

1. Winter Warming Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: 2 cups of milk, 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, 2 tbsp of sugar, whipped cream (optional).

Instructions: Heat the milk in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa powder and sugar until dissolved. Pour into mugs, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!

2. Snowflake Biscuits

Ingredients: 125g butter, 125g sugar, 250g plain flour, 1 egg, icing sugar for decoration.

Instructions: Mix butter and sugar until creamy, then add the egg and flour. Roll out the dough and use snowflake-shaped cutters. Bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 12–15 minutes. Once cooled, decorate with icing sugar or edible glitter.

3. Mini Veggie Pizzas

Ingredients: Pre-made pizza bases, tomato sauce, grated cheese, and your favourite vegetables (e.g., peppers, tomatoes, sweetcorn).

Instructions: Spread tomato sauce on the pizza bases. Add cheese and arrange vegetables in fun patterns. Bake at 200°C for 10–12 minutes.

Dear Parents, Students and Teachers,

We hope everyone had a wonderful autumn break! The PTA team took this time to recharge and is excited to get back to work. We hit the ground running with our first PTA Meeting held on November 5th, and we are grateful to everyone who attended and offered their support. Your participation is invaluable to us.

Mark your calendars for our next PTA Meeting on January 12th at 9:30 AM in the theatre. We look forward to seeing you there!

Winter Bazaar: The planning for the Winter Bazaar is in full swing! The event will take place on Friday, December 13th, and our PTA event committee is working tirelessly to make this event truly spectacular. Stay tuned for more information and details about fun activities planned by our event committee Esther and Katie. Parents are very welcome at the Winter Bazaar. Happy to see you all at the delicious PTA café. ☺

PTA Team: We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Gillett, Ms. Susie, and Mr. McCann as part of the PTA team. They are bringing the "T" in PTA to life! The idea is to work closely with our teachers to identify and push forward important topics. One major area we want to focus on together is improving technology on campus. We will, of course, keep you updated. 

Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to a very important member of the PTA: Masha Raskina. Masha was responsible for the food committee and, together with the team, made incredible progress in improving our school food. The team will continue this work, with Kelly Bidgoli stepping into Masha's role. The whole PTA team says a big THANK YOU to Masha, and we wish you and your family all the best for your new adventure.

Information/Communication: We are also happy to inform you that we now have an area at the entrance of the school dedicated to keeping parents, teachers, and students informed about the PTA. Here, we will also share pictures and information about events. Be sure to check it regularly to stay updated!

Parking and Speeding: We are still working on the parking situation, as well as on opening another gate to enter the school premises. Unfortunately, no progress has been made here yet, but we will continue our efforts and keep you updated. The Senior Leadership team is in contact with the local authority to get speed bumps installed at the bottom road. We will push hard to make progress here soon!

Thank you once again for your continued support and involvement. Let's work together to make this school year successful and enjoyable for all! Your participation and support make a significant difference in our school community. Please contact us pta@bisistanbul.org or just talk to us ☺

Warm regards,

The PTA Team