Juniors Archived News 2021-2022 Term 1
Headteacher's News Thursday 9 December 2021
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Tree & Shimmer_Trim_Trim.mp4Tree Lighting at the Asdal Gulf Inn
On Tuesday evening, the BSB Junior Choir gave a heart-warming performance of their seasonal song set, in the presence of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr Roddy Drummond, and Mrs Drummond, at the Asdal Gulf Inn Hotel, Seef. After the songs, Mr Drummond officially lit up the tree. A thoroughly festive evening was enjoyed by all. Many thanks to the Junior Choir for singing so beautifully; to their parents for bringing them and allowing them to stay up late, and to Ms Harling, Ms Trodd and Mr Trodd for leading, accompanying and supporting the choir. The Junior Choir's next performance will be at the BSB Winter Concert, from 5pm on Sunday 12 December, at school.
Saisha's Poetry
Saisha in class 3.07 entered a poetry competition. Here's her news...
I’m very excited to share that I won the first place in an online poem competition (under 8years category). The topic was ‘Choice’ and was judged by Pie Corbett.
As a prize winner I got a £50 Amazon gift voucher.
Well done, Saisha! That is an amazing achievement, to have your entry selected by a well-known poet and author, Pie Corbett, the inventor of Talk for Writing.
Here is Saisha's winning poem, for us all to enjoy.
Online National Abacus Competition Gold Topper - Mahatva 4.02
Congratulations to Mahatva in class 4.02 for being a Gold Topper in the Brainobrainfest 2021 National Online Abacus Competition, held on 26 November. Well done, Mahatva, for out-braining the competitors and achieving such a commendable standard.
It is always heartening to hear of students' success in competitions. In addition to our pleasure in the success of a member of the BSB family, we are inspired to reach for the stars ourselves.
The best piece of advice to all competition entrants is - keep trying, and never give up!
Math Kangaroo Competition in Saudi - Jana 5.03
Well done Jana in class 5.03 for achieving Bronze level in this year's Mathematics Kangaroo Competition. Jana is a regular entrant, having reached the Silver standard last year.
Excellent job, Jana. You are a shining example to us all.
Khaled Goes Karting
Khaled N in class 6.07 is a skilled karting driver. From this coming Saturday until next, he will be taking part in one of the biggest karting events in the world, in Sakhir. Many well-known F1 drivers began their careers in karting - perhaps we shall see Khaled on a Grand Prix podium in a few years from now.
Around 400 karters, from 75 countries, will be taking part in the @rotaxkarting MAX Challenge Grand Finals 2021 at the Bahrain International Circuit's karting track, @bahrain_karting. Spectators can attend between 13 December and 18 December. Entry is free of charge. However, numbers of spectators are limited and entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Khaled will be racing in the Mini MAX class. We all wish him every success!
Efe Yildirim (1st Intermediate Level Gulf Musician Idol) (09/12)- 6.07.mp4Gulf Musician Idol Competition 2021
Well done to Efe in class 6.07 for achieving 1st place in the intermediate level of the Gulf Musician Idol competition, 2021. What a superb result. Play the video to see and hear Efe in action.
December Reports
Two school reports are issued in juniors each academic year, in December and in June. December reports for students in Years 3 to 6 will be available via the iSAMS parent portal on Sunday, 12 December. To view your child's report on Sunday, please log in to the iSAMS parent portal. If you are unable to find your child's report on or after Sunday, please contact the BSB Data Officer via isams@thebsbh.com for assistance.
The 15th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest
A reminder that BSB students are invited to enter the Kanoo Toyota Dream Car competition, to design the fantastic car of their dreams. You can see last year's winners on the website at https://dreamcar.toyota.com.bh/ including BSB students Aarav and Sarah.
Here is the information letter from Ebrahim K. Kanoo. You can contact dreamcar@ekkanoo.com.bh for details of how to send in your entry.
Looking forward to seeing as many BSB students as possible among this year's winners, and some amazing dream car designs.
For more information, please visit https://dreamcar.toyota.com.bh/ar/,
National Day & End of term
BSB's celebration of the 50th Bahrain National Day will take place on the last day of term, Wednesday 15 December. School will end at 12 noon on that day. Students will be ready for pick-up at 12 noon, and school buses will leave at that time.
Term 2 Clubs
After the winter holiday, we shall be starting a new season of after-school clubs. Clubs are scheduled to begin on Sunday 9 January, to run until Thursday 31 March. Before that date, parents will be sent details of the clubs on offer, with a brief description of each, and information on how to sign up to join.
Headteacher's Awards
Well done, all this week's award winners. Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 2 December 2021
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Year 4 Ancient Egypt Day
What an incredible day of immersive learning we have experienced in Year 4 today. Singing and performing, working on our creative in-class activities, and exploring the newly discovered pharaoh's tomb with our torches - it has certainly been a day to remember. Lots of tired, happy kings, queens, high priests, mummies, slaves and other Ancient Egyptian time travellers will sleep well tonight as they return to the twenty-first century. Sincere thanks to mums and dads who made the spectacular costumes possible; to the children, for playing their ancient roles so convincingly, and to the teachers and learning support assistants for working tirelessly throughout the day and making it all happen.
Term 1 Clubs have ended
Term 1 clubs have now ended, as per the schedule in the club confirmation emails we sent to parents in September. A new season of clubs begins next term, after the winter holiday. Details and sign-up information to follow soon.
NSSA 'Design A Spacesuit & Spacecraft' competition
Bahrain's National Space Science Agency is running a competition for Bahraini entrants aged 7-12 years, to design a spacesuit and spacecraft.
There are details for parents on the NSSA Instagram feed.
The closing date for entries is 22 December, 2021.
Gulf Musician Idol Competition 2021
A huge "Well done" shout-out to BSB Junior students who attained podium places in the recent Gulf Musician Idol Competition. Ali in class 6.05 came second in the Superior Level Piano Category and Hridhaan in class 6.01 came first in the Foundation Level Instrumental Category. Congratulations to everyone who entered the competition!
Headteacher's Awards
This week we have another gallery of award winners. Well done, everyone. Have a pleasant and safe weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the Festive Night Market tomorrow evening.
Headteacher's News Thursday 25 November 2021
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Go Green Day
Today we had the chance to wear a touch of green, and to focus our thoughts on the environment. It really matters that we take care of our planet, and we can do that by making a few changes to our lifestyles. We can also become healthier and have fun at the same time. That's the message from our Eco-Rangers, supported by the amazing facts in the slideshow. It's well worth a look.
Ringing, Ringing.mp4Junior Choir performs at the Dilmun Club
The Junior Choir, led by Ms Harling, has started its annual island tour, performing the Seasonal Set - here's a taster from yesterday evening's open-air performance at the Dilmun Club. The choir will be active between now and the end of term, including a tree-lighting session at the Asdal Gulf Inn Hotel in Seef on Tuesday 7 December at 6.30pm, in the presence of Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr Roddy Drummond.
Let the music begin!
Annabelle swims into 4th place
Annabelle in class 5.01 achieved a highly commendable 4th place in three of her events at the Nautilus 2021 Swimming Competition held in Oman, where she went with her brother Nyall in form 9E. Excellent job, Annabelle! Keep up the great swimming!
Year 4 Ancient Egypt Day - Thursday 2 December
As you know, children in Year 4 have been learning about Ancient Egypt. On Thursday 2nd December 2021, we will host an Ancient Egypt Day in order to consolidate and celebrate some fantastic learning. For this, the children will dress as Ancient Egyptians themselves! As a parent, please would you prepare an appropriate outfit? Here are some examples. Sandals or flip flops can be worn on the feet.
The entire day will be a fun learning experience and full of Ancient Egypt related activities, including model making, hieroglyphics and a visit to a ‘Pharaoh’s tomb’.
In the morning, each Year 4 class will perform an Ancient Egyptian Class Assembly. As parents cannot attend school physically, the assemblies will be live streamed via Zoom. Parents can watch their child’s assembly via the Zoom link which will be posted on your child’s Google Classroom. The assemblies will also be recorded and posted on Google Classroom afterwards, in case parents cannot attend their child’s class’ allotted time. You will find your child's allotted time, below.
4.01: 9:00-9:30
4.02: 10:00-10:30
4.03: 9:00-9:30
4.04: 10:00-10:30
4.05: 10:45-11:15
4.06: 11:30-12:00
4.07: 9:00-9:30
4.08: 10:00-10:30
4.09: 8:30-9:00
Thank you for your support. We look forward to an enjoyable and memorable day!
Kind regards,
The Year 4 Team
BSB Canteen
If you would like your child to buy food from the canteen, please be sure to add credit to their card before Sunday. Here is the BSB Catering Platform and explanation video.
Also, if it will be your child's first time using their card, please let their class teacher know, so we can arrange to have the card registered by the canteen staff, first thing in the morning before lessons begin. This only needs to be done once for each child, then the card works every time, provided there is sufficient credit balance on the card. If the card has no credit, your child will unfortunately be unable to buy food until credit is added.
Items for delivery to students during the day
Please encourage your child to bring to school everything they need for the day, each morning. Packing their bag each night, for the next day, is a good routine for children to get into. Sincere thanks to all students who arrive fully prepared for the day ahead and never need their parents or drivers to deliver forgotten items. It can take considerable time for us to convey delivered items to students in their classrooms and it interrupts the children's lessons. Many thanks for your cooperation and help in ensuring children have everything they need when they arrive each morning.
Transition from Y6 to Y7
It was lovely to meet online with approximately 100 parents from Year 6 yesterday afternoon, to talk about transition to Year 7 in September 2022. If you are a Year 6 parent who missed the online meeting or would like to go over the information again, please be assured that Mr Ridgway and his team will be sharing all the information with all Year 6 parents, by the end of next week at the latest.
Headteacher's Awards
Very well done, all of this week's award winners. Wishing everyone a safe and pleasant weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 18 November 2021
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BSME Art Competition: My City, My View
In conjunction with British Schools in the Middle East, the School of Research Science in the UAE runs an annual art competition, open to students in Years 5 and 6.
More information is available at https://rsiartaward.com/
Please contact Ms Welland, Juniors' Art Teacher, if you are in Year 5 or Year 6 and you are interested in entering the competition.
Toyota Dream Car Competition
Once again, BSB students are invited to enter the Kanoo Toyota Dream Car competition, to design the fantastic car of their dreams. You can see last year's winners on the website at https://dreamcar.toyota.com.bh/ including BSB students Aarav and Sarah.
Here is the information letter from Ebrahim K. Kanoo. You can contact dreamcar@ekkanoo.com.bh for details of how to send in your entry.
Looking forward to seeing as many BSB students as possible among this year's winners, and some amazing dream car designs.
BSB Canteen
From Sunday 21 November, the canteen will be open to Year 3 and Year 4 students, at first break for Year 3 (09.30am) and second break for Year 4 (12.00pm), and will continue to be open to Year 5 and Year 6 students as it has been this week.
Cashless payment cards have been distributed to Year 3 and Year 4 students. If you would like your child to buy food from the canteen from Sunday onwards, please be sure to add credit to their card before Sunday. Here is BSB Catering Platform and explanation video.
The Head Student Team and the Pledge
Kindness Week
"Why are we having anti-bullying week?" a student asked me in the playground yesterday. "Is it because there has been a lot of bullying?"
No, it's not. However, all outstanding schools have active, ongoing anti-bullying programmes, as part of Personal, Social and Health Education. In any place where lots of humans interact, it is possible to treat others unkindly sometimes, without realising it. Raising awareness during Kindness Week helps us put ourselves in others' places and understand their feelings. By signing the Kindness Pledge, we all take ownership of our shared responsibility to make everyone feel included and welcomed.
Odd Socks
Many students wore odd socks today as a way of celebrating our diversity and individual uniqueness - an important part of Kindness Week. BSB is renowned for our warm, family atmosphere where everyone feels valued. Let's keep it up!
Year 4 Times Tables Rock Stars Marathon
An enormous 'well done' to Year 4 and their generous families and supporters - the grand total raised in the TTRS Marathon was a splendid BD 1,035.905
The funds will be used to support Wein Wa School through United World Schools, allowing children in a remote part of Myanmar to have an education. Without the efforts of UWS, such children would not have access to school at all. This initiative helps young people to escape the poverty trap and fulfil their potential. Thank you to everyone who helped.
Wein Wa Update- Oct 21 (2).pdf
Symptoms-free campus
A reminder from last week: as mentioned in our Safe Campus Handbook and in the text of the daily health declaration, it is important that students stay remote from school if a member of the household is unwell, please. Thank you for helping us in the fight against the pandemic, giving the best support we can to the health authorities in the wonderful job they are doing, to keep us all as safe as possible.
Headteacher's Awards
Congratulations to this week's award winners. Wishing everyone a safe and pleasant weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 11 November 2021
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Remembrance
It is 100 years since the Royal British Legion first brought together the UK's collective Remembrance traditions. Today we were silent for two minutes, to think about all those who have fallen in conflicts, all over the world, through the centuries. Remembrance is about thinking of those who are no longer with us, and thinking of ways to avoid conflict and resolve disagreements peacefully.
The Senior School Head Prefects, Charlotte and Kaviesh, who were in BSB Juniors a few years ago, visitied the British Embassy in Manama today to lay a wreath of remembrance on behalf of the BSB.
BSB Canteen
Year 6 students have been making good use of the canteen at second break each day this week. The cashless payment system has been working well - please ensure your child's payment card has enough credit each day if they are planning to buy canteen food.
From Sunday 14 November, the canteen will be open to Year 5 students at first break (10.30am), and will continue to be open to Year 6 students at second break. Cashless payment cards have been distributed to Year 5 students. If you would like your Year 5 child to buy food from the canteen from Sunday onwards, please be sure to add credit to their card before Sunday.
School Photographs on Sunday 14 November
The following classes will have their school photograph on Sunday:
3.01 Sun 14 Nov 10.30-10.50
3.02 Sun 14 Nov 10.50-11.10
3.08 Sun 14 Nov 11.10-11.30
3.04 Sun 14 Nov 11.30-11.50
5.03 Sun 14 Nov 11.50-12.10
3.06 Sun 14 Nov 12.45-13.05
3.03 Sun 14 Nov 13.05-13.25
4.09 Sun 14 Nov 13.25-13.45
6.04 Sun 14 Nov 13.45-14.05
3.10 Sun 14 Nov 14.05-14.25
5.05 Sun 14 Nov 14.25-14.45
World Diabetes Day - 100 steps for 100 years
Sunday 14 November will be World Diabetes Day. 2021 marks one hundred years since insulin began to be used to treat diabetes. It's a good time to thing about promoting and maintaining good health. On Sunday, everyone will be encouraged to walk a hundred steps at break time - that's one step for every year since this important medical breakthrough.
Anyone who would like to walk a multiple of 100 steps (such as 200, or any other number ending in 00) is welcome to do so - there will be a house point for every hundred steps walked, on or before Sunday 14 November. If walking at break, get a friend to verify your step number. If walking at home at the weekend (don't leave home without your parents' permission) - use an app to count your steps and send a screenshot to your class teacher, or ask your parents to email your teacher to verify your number of steps.
Anti-Bullying Week
At BSB we pride ourselves upon our happy school with a caring family atmosphere. However, bullying can happen within any group of human beings, and a truly outstanding school must be constantly active in promoting good relations and eschewing unkindness in all its forms. To that end, we are holding our annual Anti-Bullying Week, starting on Sunday.
Anti-Bullying Week 2021 at the BSB.pptxAnti-Bullying Promotion Video (Finale Draft).mp4Nut-free school
Please remember that, as per our BSB Parent Handbook, we are a nut-free campus. This is because a number of our students have nut allergies and even the smallest trace of any kind of nuts can trigger an adverse reaction - which can be very serious indeed. That's why nuts are not served on airliners. When preparing packed lunches, please avoid all nuts, and all products that contain nuts. Thank you for helping to protect the BSB community.
Those who eat nuts can continue to enjoy them at home.
Road safety
When driving around and inside the school grounds at drop-off and pick-up times, many thanks for maintaining high standards of safety, with everyone in the car wearing their seat belt while the vehicle is moving. Of course, no-one should put any part of themselves outside a moving vehicle, through an open roof or window, as we enjoy the lovely fresh, cool weather.
The only safe driving speed inside the school grounds is very slow indeed.
Thank you for helping us keep the BSB campus a safe place for everyone.
Symptoms-free campus
As mentioned in our Safe Campus Handbook and in the text of the daily health declaration, it is important that students stay remote from school if a member of the household is unwell, please. Thank you for helping us in the fight against the pandemic, giving the best support we can to the health authorities in the wonderful job they are doing, to keep us all as safe as possible.
PIRLS 2021
Students from two of our Year 5 classes, from the school year 2020-21, were selected by the Ministry of Education to take part in the international PIRLS Progress in Reading and Literacy Study - an ongoing project which explores the ways young people learn to read. The study was supposed to take place during the last academic year, but it was postponed until October 2021, because of the global situation.
Dr Samah Al Ajjawi, of the Ministry's PIRLS team, kindly sent a personal certificate of participation to everyone who was involved. The certificates are displayed below.
Headteacher's Awards
Congratulations to this week's award winners. Wishing everyone a very pleasant weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 4 November 2021
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Aarav the Poet
Aarav in class 4.02 was among last week's Head Teacher Award winners, for an outstanding poem that he wrote about Hallowe'en. Well, the accolades didn't end there - Aarav's work was publised in the Gulf Online Daily News! Congratulations, Aarav, on the well-deserved recognition that your super poem has achieved.
School Photographs
Pret-a-Portrait will be returning to The British School of Bahrain from Sunday 7th November 2021 – 16th November 2021 to take our students’ portrait photographs.
COVID-19 Safety Precautions
Because of the current COVID-19 situation, Pret-a-Portrait will not be taking any group photos. In addition to the individual portraits, a full length photo of each individual student will be merged into an edited group photo of their class using Photoshop. Please click here for Pret-a-Portrait’s COVID19 safety precautions for your reference.
School uniform for school photographs
Please note that official school photography is considered a formal occasion. All students must wear full school uniform on the day they are scheduled to have their photographs taken, which includes ties for all male students in Years 3 - 13. We have avoided days when students have PE lessons. Please refer to the School Uniform Policy for further details on uniform requirements.
Online learners
For students who are studying online, they may come into school on the scheduled day and time for their form class to have their photograph taken. For any virtual learners who will be attending their class’ designated photography session, we kindly request that parents ensure to notify me by email in order to inform the School of any student’s arrival prior to sending students into school.
Late registrations for sibling photography sessions
As part of their visit, Pret-a-Portrait are offering an opportunity for siblings to have their pictures taken during selected times. The sessions will take place in GC01 between 3:00 - 4:00 pm on November 8th, 10th and 14th. Please note that parents are responsible for bringing their children to the venue and accompanying them for the duration of the shoot. There are limited slots remaining - to book a session or for further information, please contact the Pret-a-Portrait team on customerservice@pret-a-portrait.ae.
Year 4 Times Tables Rock Stars Marathon
Year 4 students are planning a charity drive in support of United World Schools, one of the charities BSB regularly supports. UWS brings education to children in remote places who would otherwise be unable to go to school - this is a powerful way to address the global problem of poverty, as we head towards the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty next week. You can find further info on the Year 4 Charity Drive by following the links below.
Sponsored Times Tables Letter
Sponsorship Form
Wein Wa Update- Oct 21 (2).pdfPE Update from Ms Gray
Although the weather is getting cooler, it is still in the 30s with bright sunshine. It can feel much warmer when out on the astro pitch. It is therefore vital that your son or daughter comes to school prepared for any outdoor PE lessons they may have.
Please ensure all of Years 5 & 6 have the following items for safety:
Caps - these are compulsory for outdoor PE, to avoid headaches and sunburn. Caps can be secured tightly for running. Ordinary hats fly off and are not suitable for sports.
Water bottles - these are compulsory for PE, as students must be able to rehydrate frequently during their PE lesson.
Sunscreen - please apply before coming to school, ready for their outdoor athletics lessons.
PE Uniform
Sports Shoes
Appropriate sports shoes with laces are needed for PE (please make sure they can tie them) or velcro straps to ensure feet and ankles are secure, to avoid soft tissue problems. Slip-on shoes are not safe and therefore not suitable for PE lessons. Shoes that are too big are not safe.
PE shorts or trousers
Leggings are not an acceptable item of PE kit as they become transparent when they are stretched, for example, when performing squats, sitting down etc.
Girls' hijabs
I recommend a one-piece hijab for PE lessons, such as the ones available in sports shops in Bahrain. The long hijabs that wrap around necks are not so suitable for PE, because they can become loose during running, which is a safety issue.
Headteacher's Awards
Well done to all of this week's award winners. Wishing everyone a safe, restful and enjoyable weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 28 October 2021
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Costume Day - Trick or Treat?
Huge thanks to the PCC for organising today's dress-up day and providing a goodie bag for everyone who took part. The students had a wonderful time, as they went about their lessons in their super costumes. As well as scary dinosaurs, we had skeletons, mummies, cloaked vampires, ghosts, witches, fairies, wizards, goblins, outer space creatures, super heroes and all sorts.
Here is a Google album of photos of the day, from all over the school.
The funds raised by PCC today, through contributions and sales, will go to benefit the Royal Humanitarian Foundation charity.
Head Student Team
The results of the vote are in - we now have a Junior Head Student Team for the rest of term 1, and the first part of term 2. There will be three head student teams this year, each serving an approximately equal number of school days in office. They will be helping me run assemblies, representing BSB Juniors at special events, and communicating in both directions between the Student Parliament and me. Our plan is to work together to do all we can to make BSB the best school it can be.
Head Boy Fabien
Head Girl Ananya
Deputy Head Girl Sahar
Deputy Head Boy Yousif
Inspired Cultural Festival
One of the best things about being part of an international group of schools is the opportunity to connect with students in Inspired schools all over the world. This week saw the Inspired Cultural Festival, a combined online celebration of the many, many cultures in Inspired schools across the continents. The new Head Student Team delivered a presentation to the festival - click on the image to see the video of the presentation.
COP Tree Planting Ceremony at the British Embassy
Maryam 3.09 and Ibrahim 4.02, along with two schoolmates from BSB Infants, visited the UK Embassy on Tuesday, where they helped Her Majesty's Ambassador HE Mr Roddy Drummond to plant a tree in commemoration of the Conference of the Parties (COP26), to be held in Glasgow, starting on Sunday. COP26 is important because it focuses on climate change, and ways of reversing dangerous trends. Planting trees helps to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide - every ton of tree wood that grows means a ton less carbon in the atmosphere (apart from the water weight in the tree). Trees also photosynthesize and release oxygen, which helps our atmosphere. All in all, a very worthwhile day's work, Maryam and Ibrahim!
Atif shines in the ATF!
Atif in class 6.10 finished in an amazing 24th place in the 2021 Asian Tennis Federation championship, held in Bahrain. I believe there were other budding BSB tennis stars in the competition too - let us know if you were involved.
Very well done indeed, Atif. Yours is an achievement to be truly proud of. We shall be watching out for you in the Grand Slam tennis tournaments around the world, in a few years from now.
Girls' Basketball - Bahrain Basketball Association
Message from Mr Swick, PE Department
Bahrain Basketball Association is hosting a girls-only training event on Saturday 6th November and has asked us to distribute the information in school for sign up to the event. The event is free for girls aged 7 - 15 years (Y3 to Y10).
If your daughter is interested in attending, please complete this Google form by the deadline of 2pm on Monday 1st November.
Year 4 Times Tables Rock Stars Marathon
Year 4 students are planning a charity drive in support of United World Schools, one of the charities BSB regularly supports. UWS brings education to children in remote places who would otherwise be unable to go to school - this is a powerful way to address the global problem of poverty, as we head towards the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty next week. You can find further info on the Year 4 Charity Drive by following the links below.
Sponsored Times Tables Letter
Sponsorship Form
Headteacher's Awards
Well done to this week's awardees. Keep trying your best, everyone! Have a safe and restful weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 14 October 2021
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Think Pink
There was a lovely pink glow around school today as we all focused on the Think Pink charity, which does wonderful work all over the world to promote and improve ladies' health. A big thank-you to everyone who contributed to Think Pink and wore something pink today. Thanks also to everyone who supported the PCC's sterling efforts to help Think Pink through their sales of delicious food and coffee, and raffles with spectacular prizes.
PE after the half-term break
Message from Ms Gray
Whilst the weather is getting cooler, it will probably still be in the 30s after half term with bright sunshine, so it is vital that your son or daughter comes to school prepared for any outdoor PE lessons they may be having. Please ensure all of Year 5 & 6 have their caps, water bottles and apply sunscreen before coming to school ready for their outdoor athletics lessons. A reminder as well regarding the importance of appropriate sports shoes with laces (make sure they can tie them) or velcro straps to ensure feet and ankles are secure to avoid soft tissue issues. Slip-on shoes are not safe and therefore not acceptable for PE lessons.
Year 5 will be on swimming for one of their lessons and athletics for the other, so please make sure you and your child pack the appropriate items for the lesson they have that day. My motto as always is 'pack your bag the night before and leave it by the front door' in the event of any rushing out of the house in the morning.
For students who are swimming next half term (you will have received an email if your child is swimming next half term), please do everything you can to support your child swimming. You may have seen in the news this week that two children sadly drowned in Bahrain last weekend, so it is vital that you encourage your child to swim every lesson as we will be doing swimming and lifesaving skills (unless a medical practitioner has provided a certificate indicating otherwise). If you are unsure, please send them with their swimming kit and we can give them light duties in the pool if needs be.
Please try to do some family sports activities over the holidays in order to maintain the fitness built up so far this half term.
The Big Question
Message from Mr Belcher
The Official launch of The Beyond BSB Big Question is finally here! Celebrating Learning together as a community; from now until the 3rd November, families, students, siblings, Independent Investigators and friendship groups can choose 1 of the 5 Big Questions and represent their research, findings and creations in any way which they feel most suitable! For more information and links to register and official planning sheets, please click here.
Year 4 Times Tables Rock Stars Marathon
Year 4 students are planning a charity drive in support of United World Schools, one of the charities BSB regularly supports. UWS brings education to children in remote places who would otherwise be unable to go to school - this is a powerful way to address the global problem of poverty, as we head towards the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty next week. You can find further info on the Year 4 Charity Drive by following the links below.
Global Handwashing Day - Friday 15 October, 2021
Remember to keep your hands clean over half term - that's how we stay safe from germs and make sure we have the best possible holiday. Sing the soap and water song while you wash your hands, and remember not to leave the tap running while you are rubbing your hands together, because it's a waste of precious water.
Soap and Water Year 3 BSB.wmvStaff Development Day
Sunday 24 October is a half-day for students, who will finish school at 12 noon. Teachers will spend the afternoon doing training and development activities.
Have a lovely half-term break, everyone.
Headteacher's News Thursday 7 October 2021
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BSME Learning Festival
The BSME Learning Festival took place this week, online, with students from 22 British schools, all over the Middle East, getting involved. Arvalon in class 6.01 finished in the top 10% of over 3,200 students. Terrific job, Arvalon! Many of the entrants were senior students.
LAMDA
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Ms Knappett, Director of BSB Drama and Public Speaking, will be running classes at break times and after school for students interested in acting, verse, prose and public speaking. Please see this letter for details and a permission slip.
World Teachers' Day
Many thanks for all the lovely, kind wishes we received from students, parents and friends of the school this week. Teaching is the best job in the world, because we get to work with enthusiastic young learners who always want to fill every day with smiles, energy, progress and achievement. It's also wonderful to see our past students, now grown up, embarking on their careers, all over the world. Let's keep on enjoying our learning, throughout our lives.
Headteacher's Awards
Congratulations to this week's awardees. Let's all keep trying our best and, who knows? If you do something amazing and impress your teachers beyond their wildest imagination, you might just be among next week's award winners. Have a safe and happy weekend, everyone.
Headteacher's News Thursday 30 September 2021
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WRO_Robotics2021.movMathias and Mira - Robotics Programmers
Last school year, Mathias was in Year 6 and his sister, Mira, was in Year 3. They decided to enter the World Robot Olympiad event at AMA International School in Bahrain, representing BSB. The competition was postponed, and eventually took place this term. Mathias and Mira's robot was programmed to deal with any map at all, even one the programmers hadn't seen. Other teams used a different approach, hard-coding their robots to follow a single, predetermined route. Mathias and Mira did a fantastic job and we are proud to have had them represent us at the event. Although they weren't among the two teams that went through to the next stage, their achievement, perseverance and determination, as well as their programming expertise, are truly commendable. Very well done indeed, Mathias and Mira.
'All In a Day' by Saisha 3.07
Saisha in class 3.07 is a published author. She submitted a story for the Purple Mash Book of Hope and it was included in the online compilation of stories and poems written by young people. You can find Saisha's story on page 85 (or nearby; the pages do sometimes change) of the Book of Hope. Well done indeed, Saisha! We will watch out for you in the literary festivals of the future. Check out Saisha's super picture of a Hoopoe bird, too.
Football Trials - Years 5 and 6
On Wednesday, the boys of Year 5 and Year 6 were delighted to return to the football pitch for the first time since February 2020 as they took part in the trials for this year’s football squad. Despite the long absence from football, Mr Drennan and Mr Williams were impressed with the skills, teamwork and attitude of all the boys who attended the session. It was great to see so many smiling, happily tired faces at the end. The squad will be announced very soon…
Junior Parent-Teacher Conferences Online
Class teachers in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 are looking forward very much to conferencing online with parents next week, 3-7 October. If you have made an appointment, your child's class teacher will be sharing a Zoom link with you, that you can join at the appointed time. A Waiting Room will be in operation and the teacher will let you into the Zoom meeting at the right time. This ensures that you can enjoy an uninterrupted conversation. The next appointment must begin on time so, if you find that you need more time, you will need to make another appointment with the teacher. Looking forward to a productive round of conferences with lots of learning targets.
Lifesavers
Here is a live-saving message from RLS Bahrain:
We are VERY excited to let you know that with the easing of restrictions, RLS Bahrain is now ready to launch our termly Rookie Junior Beach Lifesaving Club at Budaiya Beach on the 3rd October!
This unique club is a progressive beach programme for children where they will have the opportunity to achieve bronze, silver and gold awards over time by demonstrating and mastering different skills in the water, on the beach and in their community. 'Rookie' aims to develop children as individuals as well as little lifesavers, empowering them with the skills, knowledge and most importantly confidence to be an active member of the life saving community.
The club is currently open to children aged 6 to 16 years, and the first term will run for 9 weeks.
If you would like your child to become a Rookie, please complete the registration form. RLS Bahrain hopes to see you all soon!
Think Pink
It's almost October. Keeping healthy is always important, and it's at this time of year that we all Think Pink, promoting ladies' health the world over.
The PCC will be holding a safely distanced, healthy bake sale and photo booth (always a popular attraction) in two weeks' time. More details to follow as the event draws nearer - however, you can count on delicious goodies and a great effort by all to raise funds for this very worthy cause.
Head on over to the PCC blog page for the very latest updates.
Report from Ms Gray
This week was World Heart Day and we would like all of our BSB community to make an extra special effort to look after our hearts. Coronary heart disease is on the increase and sedentary lifestyles and ever accessible fast food availability are contributing to this. So we would like to encourage all of our BSB community to reverse the effects and we encourage everyone to start to enjoy some fun together, find some heart friendly activities to do as a family and start looking after our hearts! Have a look at our pictures for some fun ways to exercise together.
Headteacher's Awards
Three worthy winners this week - together, they embody BSB's core values of excellence, responsibility and individuality. An interesting fact about most HT award winners is that the award comes as a surprise - they didn't set out to get it; they just tried their very best at everything they did. Working your hardest at everything you do is the key to a successful and enjoyable education.
Have a safe and restful weekend, everyone.
Headteacher's News Thursday 23 September 2021
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Morning Drop-Off
Sincere thanks to everyone for expediting drop-off, with school bags ready, masks on and goodbyes already said, so all that students need to do is release their seat belt, open the car door and hop safely out from the near side (right side) of the car, next to the green wire mesh gate, avoiding delay to vehicles behind.
Symptom-free campus
Many thanks to all families for helping us maintain a symptom-free campus. Any student who has any symptoms at all, of any kind, should remain remote from the school site until medically cleared to return to school, as per our Safe Campus Handbook, please.
Khaled, the Karting Star
Khaled in class 6.07 has been burning rubber in his kart, setting fast lap times and getting a top TV slot on MBC; a fantastic achievement.
Check out the video to see Khaled in action. Let's all watch out for Khaled in the 2031 Formula 1 season!
Y3 to Y6 Parent-Teacher Conferences Online
We shall be holding our first round of parent-teacher online meetings in the first week of October. You are invited to book a ten-minute online meeting with your child's class teacher, who will be pleased to update you on how your child has settled into their programmes of study, and to relay any messages from your child's other teachers.
Next term, after the December holiday, we plan to hold another round of parent-teacher conferences, when appointments with specialist subject teachers will be available.
The booking system for appointments will open at 5.00pm on Sunday 26 September, and will remain open until 10.00am on Thursday 30 September. The online meetings will take place during the week 3-7 October.
Please click here to access the booking system when it is open, then click the 'Log in with iSAMS' logo, without entering anything in the user name or password boxes. After that, please log into the next window that comes up, using your BSB parent portal credentials.
Headteacher's Awards
Well done to this week's award winners, who have together shown a combination of tenacity, talent and thoroughness. Wishing everyone a restful, safe and enjoyable weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 16 September 2021
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Efe Wins Gold
Great news this week - back in June, Efe in class 6.07 entered the London Youth Piano Competition, and he has found out he was awarded a Gold Medal! That is an awe-inspiring achievement, of which Efe should be truly proud. I am sure Efe will be an inspiration to other young people who, through determination and regular practice, will go on to reach their own dizzy heights in the world of music. Very well done, Efe!
Morning drop-off
Drop-off in the morning at the u-turn inside the school grounds is working very well. It works best when children are fully ready in the car, goodbyes already said, masks on, ready to step out safely as soon as the car stops, with no need for the parent or driver to get out. My thanks to parents and drivers who drop off quickly and smoothly.
For safety reasons, we'll not be aiming to equal Max Verstappen's 1.82 second pit-stop record, although its brevity chimes with how a good drop-off can work. It means we can welcome all our students in a manageable time frame, keeping everything flowing smoothly and not delaying other vehicles that are waiting in the drop-off queue. Also, the pit lane speed limit at BSB is walking pace, please, in low gear.
Junior Curriculum Webinars
Sincere thanks to parents who tuned in to our core curriculum webinar series during this past week. If you were unable to make it to the live online sessions, you can find the recordings and slide presentations here:
Arabic Webinar recording and slideshow
English Webinar recording and slideshow
Maths Webinar recording and slideshow
Science Webinar recording and slideshow
Clubs
Before Sunday 19 September, you'll receive an email notifying you of the outcome of your child's after-school club application for term 1, if you completed the online Google form on Tuesday evening / Wednesday morning. Some clubs are in heavy demand and we have allocated places on a first-come, first served basis, based on one application per student as per my email of Tuesday.
Club time is straight after school until 4pm. After clubs, children should be collected from the shaded area between the main school building and the Astro Pitch / Multi Purpose Hall at 4pm, please.
Hats: please ensure your child brings a hat to school every day, because they will need it for their time outdoors. Many of us have got out of the habit of bringing our hats - we have not needed them because we have been indoors for so long. I'd like to see every head wearing a hat for break time from Sunday onwards, please.
Headteacher's Awards
It is great to see students striving to do their best each week. Congratulations to this week's three Head Teacher Award winners - please keep it up!
Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend.
Headteacher's News Thursday 9 September 2021
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Junior Curriculum Webinars Online
We are delighted to invite parents to our online Junior Curriculum Webinars, to be held at 4pm on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week, where you can find out more about the teaching and learning planned for this academic year in the core subjects of Arabic, English, Mathematics and Science, in Years 3 to 6. Each webinar will be one hour maximum, including questions and answers. There will be a Q&A channel where you can type any questions you have after the presentation.
The schedule is:
Arabic Curriculum Webinar: Sunday 12 September at 4.00pm
English Curriculum Webinar: Monday 13 September at 4.00pm
Maths Curriculum Webinar: Tuesday 14 September at 4.00pm
Science Curriculum Webinar: Wednesday 15 September at 4.00pm
The same Zoom link will be used for all the webinars: https://zoom.us/j/99487837547
Respect
Respect is a key value at BSB, underpinning every aspect of our daily lives in and outside school. We recognise that the entitlement of everyone to common courtesy is both universal and unconditional. BSB students often demonstrate their advanced maturity through their ability to differ politely with those whose opinions do not match their own - they are aware that, if two people have incongruent viewpoints, they can still have a pleasant and cordial discussion.
Swimming at BSB
Report from Ms Gray
We have had a welcomed return to swimming lessons in the PE curriculum this week and, after initial assessments, students are well and truly back enjoying improving their swimming skills, which is great to see. Please ensure you take time to ask your son/ daughter about what they have been learning in their swimming lessons and, where possible, give them the opportunity to practise and show you at home. Rest assured that if your child is not currently swimming in school, then they will be swimming after half term.
We have, however, observed an increase in the number of less-experienced swimmers and non-swimmers in the classes that we have seen so far, which is a matter we need to address. I understand that Covid-19 restrictions on pool usage, both in school and at home, will have directly affected this. However, now that pools are in use again, it is vital that we get our children swimming. RLS Bahrain released their #itonlytakes20seconds campaign, highlighting how quickly a child can drown in just a few inches of water, and as Bahrain is a small island, we are never too far from water, so it is vital that we protect our youngsters.
In addition to our curriculum swimming lessons, our BSB Elements swimming programme is a great way to improve your child's swimming and we recommend this for all of our keen young swimmers who want additional swimming, and we especially encourage additional lessons if your child is swimming in the small teaching pool in their school PE lesson. By the end of Year 6's unit of swimming, they should be able to swim 25 metres of a recognised stroke, using the correct technique. Whilst some of our students are more than capable of doing this in several different strokes already, some of our students are not able to swim 10 metres without help.
In addition to our Elements children's swimming programme, Elements have now commenced 'ladies only' swimming lessons, which seem to be very popular as spaces are dwindling fast! These lessons are great for ladies who would like to learn to swim for your own safety and also to help you enjoy swimming with your children.
All enquiries for our BSB Elements Swimming programme can be made via email to Mrs Tracey Marshall via marshallt@thebsbh.com.
Information regarding this year's swimming team training (Year 5 upwards) will be circulated imminently and it is already great to see some new talent emerging in our swimming lessons. Students should be excellent technical swimmers in all four strokes, with an ability to swim continuously for a sustained period of time. We cover a lot of metres in training sessions, in excess of 1km, so this is for advanced swimmers and not for improvers.
Ms A Gray
Head of Junior PE and Swimming
Junior Duke Award
Well done to Camryn in class 4.02, for completing the Bronze Junior Duke Award this week. That's a major milestone in developing independence and maturity as you grow up - many congratulations.
I hear that many students are signing up to do their Junior Duke Awards this school year, so I'm sure we'll see more certificates and exciting news as the weeks go by.
Keep up the great work, everyone!
You can find out more about the Junior Duke Award in the slides below.
Headteacher's Awards
Well done to our first awardees of the school year! Watch this space for more awards as the weeks go on. Head Teacher's Awards are not easy to earn, and are presented for endeavour, excellence, responsibility, and anything students do as part of their school life that greatly impresses us.
Headteacher's News Thursday 2 September 2021
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Welcome back
It is beyond wonderful to have all our students back on campus, whose parents have opted for in-school learning. We are able to accommodate them all in our spacious classrooms while observing the Ministry's latest guidelines for distancing. The children have enjoyed the opportunity to have a brief, properly distanced, properly masked break in the playground for 5-10 minutes during each morning. When the weather starts to cool, we shall introduce the same arrangement for afternoon breaks, so all junior students have time to eat their packed lunches and stretch their legs outdoors.
I am delighted that, depending on the 'traffic light' colour on the BeAware Bahrain app, we shall be able, in steps, to phase in normal teaching groups for all lessons, including Arabic, Citizenship, Islamic Studies, RE and PSHE, maintaining our emphasis on safety as priority number one. We shall follow guidance from the Ministries according to the 'traffic light' colour that is in operation in Bahrain each day, after a cautious, gradual start.
Hats: please ensure your child brings a hat to school every day, because they will need it for their time outdoors. Many of us have got out of the habit of bringing our hats - we have not needed them because we have been indoors for so long. I'd like to see every head wearing a hat for break time from Sunday onwards, please.
Junior Duke Award
Silver Junior Duke - Well done Rumeysa, now in class 5.06, for completing your Silver Junior Duke Award, and congratulations to Lamiya, who has now moved to form 7J in Seniors, on completing your Platinum Junior Duke Award. These awards are a great sign of maturity and independence. You should be proud of your achievement.
The slideshow embedded will give you lots more information about the Junior Duke Award.
Class Teacher Online Welcome Talks
Next week, on Sunday and Monday, we are holding our online welcome talks for parents, presented online by class teachers. The meetings will be presented by class/form teachers via Zoom, and will take the form of a talk to parents as a group, about the teaching and learning that is planned for your child's class during this school year, and about class routines and procedures.
The meetings will last no more than an hour, schedule as follows:
Year 3 and Year 4 classes: Sunday 5 September at 4.00pm online*
Year 5 and Year 6 classes: Monday 6 September at 4.00pm online*
*If the meeting for your child's class needs to be at a different time for unavoidable reasons, you will soon receive an email from me to tell you that.
Zoom links to the meetings will be emailed to parents on Sunday in good time.
After the meetings, we shall share the slide presentations with you, as we know that some parents need to attend more than one of the online meetings, and the times might not fit everyone's schedule. As always, you are welcome to contact your child's class teacher by email if you have any questions.
