Term 2 Archive 2019-20

Headteacher's News - Sunday 5th April

"Those are dark clouds " said the boy. "Yes, but they will move on," said the horse, "the blue sky above never leaves."

The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse.

Charlie Mackesy

Dear Parents

The school has a responsibility to ensure that children learn - it also has a responsibility for children's - and their teachers' - wellbeing. These last few weeks have been a testing time and as the days have become weeks and the weeks have become months, staff wellbeing has been at the forefront of my mind - in particular that of our youngest staff members - for some, the BSB has been their first overseas posting away from their families.

However, at the end of this week, there was a generally upbeat feel. At first, I wondered whether it was the thought of the upcoming spring break. However, upon reading the teachers' feedback on how well one-to-one and small group live teaching trials have gone, I realised something. All teachers were buoyed, and their spirits lifted, by reconnecting live with their charges and doing what they came into teaching to do.

I came to a simple conclusion. Teachers need children as much as children need teachers. We look forward to increased live provision at the start of the new term.

Wishing you a healthy and peaceful week ahead,

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Sunday 29th March

"A wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it."

Chinese proverb

Dear Parents,

When we embarked upon virtual school four weeks ago, little did we know how quickly this alternative way of working would evolve.

Interestingly, there have been many unforeseen positive outcomes. Collaboration and teamwork amongst colleagues is the strongest it has ever been. We have had glimpses of magnificent creativity and innovation as personalised resources are developed. The recording of teaching videos has also proved to be a great way to model best practice.

The way we work is also being refined week by week. Online video conferencing with young children was deemed impractical a month ago. However, trials with individual children, in small groups and even as a whole class have proved to be very effective. The delight on the children's faces when they reconnected with classmates and teachers, albeit virtually, was uplifting for all. Our virtual learning will include increased provision of this type in the coming weeks.

I applaud all teachers and assistants for their flexibility and 'can do' approach at this time and am extremely grateful to parents for their input and feedback.

Nursery Showcase

Reception Showcase

Year 1 Showcase

Year 2 Showcase

Wishing you a healthy and peaceful week ahead,

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Sunday 22nd March

"One good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters."

George Herbert

Dear Parents,

Mothers' Day

Mothers' Day is an opportunity to recognise, honour and celebrate the role of the mother in a family and her contribution to society in general. At the BSB we would like to mark Mothers' Day 2020 by thanking all mothers for their efforts in supporting children's learning, particularly over the past few weeks. For young children the success of virtual school depends hugely on parental support. Thank you.

We are here to help

We are very aware that supporting online learning is not easy at all, particularly in families where both parents work. We are very grateful for your feedback as it helps us to refine practice week by week for the best possible outcomes for us all. Many families around the world are now, by necessity, spending more time at home together than ever before. This brings a certain stress of its own. The school is here to support as best it can. Don't forget that Mrs Kathy Guyon, Infants' counsellor, can be contacted on guyonk@thebsbh.com if you need a listening ear. She is able to respond by setting up a virtual meeting on BlueJeans or with a simple phone call if required.

This Sunday's learning

Sunday, 22nd March is a slightly shorter virtual day for teachers at BSB as there is inservice training on iSAMs a new management information system. You will see that the day's learning challenges have been set by Mr Brant and me. We very much hope that the children enjoy them.

Wishing you a safe and peaceful week ahead,

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 12th March

"When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit!"

Edgar Albert Guest

Dear Parents,

As we come to the end of our second week of virtual school it is possible that children's enthusiasm is diminishing. It is never as much fun working at home, rather than in the classroom with your friends to jolly you along. There is no doubt that this must be making your job as a supportive parent, even harder. To date I have been absolutely astonished at the determination of parents to go above and beyond to support their children in their learning. I take my hat off to families where both parents manage to support their children after a long day at work.

I have been asked for any tips to help children to concentrate:

Remember, if you are relaxed your child will be, too. Bear in mind that learning happens through a child's involvement in a task not necessarily the 'finished piece of work'. Work submitted is in no way a reflection of the parents.
Have a clear list of the day or session's activities so your child can experience that feeling of satisfaction as they tick a task off; and the possibility of a tiny reward at the end can motivate the most reluctant participant!
Try to keep the activities short, perhaps with the aid of a timer, which will help your child feel that the task is manageable rather than overwhelming.
Children work best if they believe they can complete a task successfully. The virtual school can only indicate the general standard of work expected, so if you are unsure of the expectations for your child, please check with the class teacher.
Remember, if all else fails, a child's education is not dependent on a single activity.
If you have any specific queries your child's class teacher may be able to answer them at parent teacher conferences next week.

You will see from the map that the BSB Virtual Infant School is on the verge of going viral!

Our Virtual School has been viewed in 46 different countries.

A selection of videos of our teachers in action.

Wishing you a restful weekend,

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 5th March

"It is a great art to do the right thing at the right time"

'The Piping Fisherman' Aesop

Dear Parents,

Congratulations to you and your child for completing the first week of Virtual School. We have been thrilled with the response and I am sure you will join me in thanking all members of Team Infants who have gone above and beyond over the last ten days to create meaningful online learning opportunities for the children.

Nursery Highlights

Reception Highlights

Year 1 Highlights

Year 2 Highlights

Best Wishes

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 19th February

“Believe you can and you're halfway there”

Theodore Roosevelt

Dear Parents,

Weeks are galloping by and we seem to have have come to the halfway point in the school year in no time at all. Looking through half termly assessment data, I heartily congratulate all children, teachers, assistants and parents on the excellent academic progress made across all year groups since September. The monumental effort has been well worth it.

Reception visit to the Botanical Gardens

The experiences we offer children outside the classroom also have a tremendous impact on the children's academic progress as they set learning in context and make it meaningful for them. This week's trips to the botanical gardens for Reception classes were particularly worthwhile. Children had done their research and knew the best places to look for various species of creepy crawlies during their minibeast hunt. Worms and beetles were found in damp, shady spots under rocks and stones, whilst more winged creatures appeared when the sun came out. After their hands were thoroughly sanitised, children enjoyed a picnic in the fresh air and rounded off the morning by creating some collaborative artwork - beautiful collages of wax crayon minibeast sketches.

Messy Day

'Under the sea' was a popular theme for messy day in Nursery this week. Children experimented with water, oil, paint, slime and goop. They were surprisingly accurate as they predicted which items would float and which would sink. It was interesting to see how the little personalities reacted to the messiest challenges - some were hesitant at first, whilst others were determined to explore everything from the outset. The most memorable moments for me were when reluctant children suddenly started to enjoy the sensory experiences, smiling proudly because they had ‘had a go’.

KS1 Cobis Art Competition

Well done to all students who participated in the art competition held by COBIS, the Council of British International Schools. Teachers voted for the top three entrants in the competition with the theme ' Today's actions shape tomorrow's world ' and we have forwarded them to the organiser. Fingers crossed!

Champions of the week!

Nursery Champions

Reception Champions

Year 1 Champions

Year 2 Champions

Happy Half Term!

Wishing you an enjoyable and restful half term break with your children. We look forward to welcoming them back to school on Sunday 1st March. I hope you feel the love from 1.4 in their class assembly video!

Best wishes,

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 13th February

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.”

Leonardo da Vinci

Dear Parents,

I am a great believer in learning outside the classroom and school trips are always memorable experiences for the children.This week we were reminded that often the simplest ideas are the best. Over the past few weeks groups of children in nursery have enjoyed shopping trips to Al Jazira, Hamala Hills. They learned about road safety, shopping lists, selecting items, the process of paying and collecting receipts and change and packing their purchases into reusable bags. They were also fairly vocal about the fact that the bags were much heavier on the way back to school than they were on the way there!

Once back at school other groups of children in the class prepared the food and measured the ingredients, whilst others were in charge of the cooking process. Great collaboration and teamwork followed, resulting in delicious fruit kebabs, pizza and fairy cakes. Many thanks to all parents who volunteered their time to escort the children and to the ever friendly and accommodating staff at Al Jazira supermarket.

Safer Internet Day 2020

The theme of the UK’s Safer Internet Day 2020 is exploring identity online. Children in Infants were excited and enthusiastic to discuss the games they play and the things they learn online. They also talked about how it is fine to share some information online, for example their favourite dish or favourite sports teams but it is not sensible to share photographs, addresses or dates of birth.Children in Key Stage 1 thoroughly enjoyed creating their own avatars. Many thanks to Ms. Rasha for making learning so relevant and meaningful for the children.

Volunteers needed!

We are really looking forward to the carnival themed International Family Fair on 6th March and we are very grateful to parents who have volunteered to run country stalls. We are still looking for volunteers for the Bahrain stall, if you are willing to offer a little of your time, please email iff@thebsbh.com.

Learning Celebrations

This week saw our final ‘Learning Celebration’ in Reception. Many thanks to all teachers, assistants and children involved for creating informal, intimate performances. We also participated in the Ministry of Education’s ‘Celebration of Sport’ this week, much to the children’s delight!

Wishing those of you who are celebrating ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’, and a restful weekend.

Champions of the week!

Best Wishes

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 6th February

“We do not stop exercising because we grow old - we grow old because we stop exercising.”

Kenneth Cooper

Dear Parents,

The Infants was bursting with endorphins and a tremendous ‘feel good’ factor this afternoon as children in Year 1 and Year 2 headed home after highly successful sports days. Miss Hana had set up races, obstacle courses and team activities with a perfectly pitched level of challenge. There were opportunities for athletes to shine, for collaborators to contribute and enthusiasts to spread their magic. The races for the ‘fastest boys’ and the ‘fastest girls’ were fiercely competitive and it was lovely to see those who were not medal winners generously congratulating their peers.

Many thanks to all parents who attended for your generous support, to Ms Hana for her organization and to all the teachers and assistants in Key Stage 1 for their enthusiastic participation. Special thanks must also go to the “Sports Leaders” in Year 11 who were the perfect role models for some of our youngest children.

Trip to Peninsula Farms

Learning about pollination, germination and growth was very hands on in Year 2 this week as children visited Peninsula Farms. Many thanks to Sh. Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa who toured the farm with the children, explaining the use of rockwool for germination and of worker bees for pollination. We are very grateful for the generous goody bags full of healthy lettuce and tomatoes.

Champions of the week!

Nursery Champions!

Reception Champions!

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 30th January

‘Tiny humans, We’ll be there for you.”

Friends

Dear Parents,

Without a shadow of doubt, the atmosphere at the Reception and Nursery Sports Day was amongst the best ever in BSB’s 25 year history. This was partly due to surprise touches, like Team Nursery arriving in specially ordered team t-shirts with a carefully chosen quote from friends on the front. It was also partly due to superb organisation by Ms. Hana. Even the music in the background could not have been more appropriate! All teachers, assistants and parent helpers ‘lived’ the event fueling the enthusiasm of even the most reluctant participants.

However, this was the first year that sports leaders from Senior School supported the event to such an extent that at times it felt as if the student body was running the event without adult intervention. I applaud the Sports Leaders for their teamwork, good humor and energy, and for realising very quickly that there was no room for being self conscious.

I look forward to seeing parents of children in Year 1 and Year 2 at their sports day next Thursday, 5th February.

Nursery Sports Day 2020

Reception Sports Day 2020

Farming at its best

Many many thanks to Ms Reem for hosting all eleven Year 2 classes at her local farm this week. Children benefited hugely from the hands on experience, learning about three types of vegetables- leafy ones like lettuce, root ones like beetroot and “flower” ones like broccoli and cauliflower. I hope the children’s original designs for irrigation systems were useful Reem!

Champions of the week!

Year 1 Champions

Year 2 Champions

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 23rd January

"Suspense is worse than disappointment."

Robert Burns

Dear Parents,

We are generally reluctant to postpone or cancel any commitment, firmly believing that 'The show must go on". However, this morning the weather had the upper hand and it became increasingly clear that the Key Stage 1 Sports' Day would have to be postponed until a later date. Naturally, spirits were low at the start of the day. Sports' day is always one of the highlights of the year and the children had been practising hard for it. Normal lessons, however interesting, were not what the children were hoping for!

However, in true BSB style, our circumstances were used as a learning opportunity. Mr. Brant led an assembly about coping with disappointment and we had fun exercising inside so that we are ‘even fitter’ for the rescheduled sports day. I smiled as I observed one mother patiently explaining to her son what the word ‘postpone’ means as they made their way into school.

On the up side we are now glad that we still have sports day to look forward to. Nursery and Reception Sports' Days will continue as planned next Thursday, 30th January and Sports' Day for Year 1 and Year 2 will now take place on Thursday 6th February.

Life Long Learners

For the academic staff the week has been on the tough side as we carried out a two-day mock inspection.

Mr. Brant, Mr. Maguire and I spent time observing teachers and lessons throughout the Infants. We are extremely grateful to the teachers for their dedication and monumental effort in preparing for this. The learning taking place in such nurturing environments was pleasure to behold. We also applaud staff for their camaraderie and good humour- inspections can be stressful at times, however long you have been teaching! Some fabulous new displays were also notable!

Celebration of Learning in Reception

Parents of children in Reception have been invited into their child’s classroom for a demonstration and celebration of recent learning. I was fortunate to be able to pop into R3’s gathering this week. It stuck me that there couldn’t be a better way to develop a child’s confidence than in the intimacy of a familiar classroom with a small audience of familiar adults. The atmosphere was very special, with every adult rooting for absolutely every little performer. It has been said that it takes a whole village to raise a child!

Champions of the week!

Nursery Champions

Reception Champions

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 16th January

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”

Margaret Mead

Dear Parents,

Our surroundings have very much been at the forefront of our minds this week. Children, teachers and assistants in Year 1 have been doing their bit for the environment and certainly made a difference with all their hard work during the beach clean up at Nurana. As ever, a real life experience made for great discussion and learning. Learning about hygiene and the need to wear gloves to protect us from bacteria on the rubbish, learning how effective wearing layers of clothing is - keeping us warm in the early morning yet easily removable as bodies heated up with exertion, and most importantly, learning about respecting our environment. Many thanks to the Year 1 team for organising such a worthwhile experience for the children.

Thank you!

You may have noticed that our outdoor learning environment is becoming more beautiful by the day. Many thanks to all families who contributed to the planting initiative. The children’s enthusiasm as they were able to take some ownership of the outside space made our day.

Sports Day

We look forward to seeing as many parents as possible at the key stage 1 sports day next Thursday, 23^rd January and the EYFS one the Thursday after. Your presence, support and encouragement at the events is what makes them so memorable for the children.

Champions of the week!

Nursery Champions

Reception Champions

Year 1 Champions

Year 2 Champions

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable weekend,

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

Headteacher's News - Thursday 9th January

“Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.”

Cavett Robert

Dear Parents,

It has been a delight to welcome such a refreshed and enthusiastic bunch of children back to school this week! For those of you who have resolved to live more healthily in 2020 we hope that Healthy Living week has hit the spot. I thank Miss Hall and Ms. Claire for leading the daily ‘Wake up, Shake up’ exercise routines and applaud the parents who joined in. Even more adult participation is warmly encouraged and ‘Wake up, Shake up’ will continue every Sunday morning for the rest of the term.

During Healthy living week children also discussed the importance of bedtime routines and of a good night’s sleep for a healthy body. Children in Year 1 experimented to find the optimum sleep conditions during their ever popular pyjama day.

New Year, Glad that we’re Here

Year 2 are to be congratulated on learning a new song in record time this week. I am sure you will enjoy the beautiful words.

Beautifying BSB

The new astroturf in the playground is a great addition this term and it seems to be having a wonderfully calming effect on the children’s play.

The border that was previously around the tree has been repurposed as planters at the edge of the playground. To beautify the area we plan to plant some fairly hardy greenery and grasses in them. It would give the children some ownership of the space and be a valuable learning opportunity for them to be involved in the planting. Quite often some local plants spread excessively and gardeners split them to maintain the plant’s health. If any BSB family gardens have plants that are ready to be split we would be delighted to receive them and to help your child to plant them on Monday or Tuesday next week. Here are some examples of the kinds of greenery we are looking for.

Building Character at the BSB

Well done to children who completed some or part of their activity passports during the holidays. I hope the children enjoyed some new experiences. They certainly provoked some interesting discussion on the first morning back. Certificates will be awarded next week. In the meantime, one little boy recorded his in a powerpoint which made us smile. Well done Tony!

PCC Coffee Morning

The PCC wishes to invite you to the first coffee morning meeting where we would like to introduce the PCC members and to introduce our International Family Fair 2020 to you.

Our theme this year is CARNIVAL and we are very excited. As this is a parent driven event we would like to invite you to participate and help make this a successful event. There are many ways to participate, by joining a team or volunteering a few hours of your time.

Please join us on 14 January 2020 at 8 am in the Atrium and see how you can be part of this fun, exciting event.

Aladdin rehearsals

The cast and crew of the Junior and Senior upcoming production, Aladdin, need to use the canteen as a rehearsal space on Sundays and Tuesday. Therefore, they cannot accommodate other students, parents and guardians at those times. Thank you for your understanding, and for your support of the rehearsals. We all look forward to a super show.

Champions of the week!

Nursery Champions

Reception Champions

Year 1 Champions

Year 2 Champions

Wishing you a relaxing and enjoyable weekend,

Julie Anne Gilbert and Matt Brant

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