Secondary News - Block 2

For the first time, the Secondary has the exciting opportunity to be able to award the roles of Head Boy, Head Girl and Prefects to a few of our many ambitious students. Five candidates presented themselves to the whole of Secondary for the Head Boy/Girl roles, with excellently prepared speeches, both serious and heart-felt, and it was an immense pleasure to announcing the winners in assembly the following week. We now have 12 Secondary Student Leaders - Head Boy, Head Girl and 10 prefects.

The Student Leadership body have already been busy in their roles and have so far demonstrated their commitment by; leading our Founder’s Day celebration; opening and leading weekly assemblies; representing the school at the Chamber of Commerce and Stična primary school, as well as being active members of the Youth Parliament.

Celebrating this significant event, as we do each year, bringing back memories of years past, allowed all to dwell on the achievements of our community and to think to the future and all the wonderful experiences still to come. As music played such an important role in our Founder’s life, it is no surprise that the remembrance event was marked by performances from all sections of the school. Secondary students and staff contributing to musical performances and presentations. Special guest, Mr. Paul Hibbins, Jeremy's father, presented Founder’s Awards to Secondary Students for:

• Academic Achievement (Y13)
• Musical Achievement (Y12)
• Commitment to the Community - Secondary C4C (Caring for the Community)

Sixth Form and Year 11 had the pleasure of welcoming visitors from two admission directors from liberal arts schools in the US - Augsburg University in Minnesota and Wabash College in Indiana who presented information on the admission process into US Universities. The BISL ‘Uni Prep’ programme offers a wide variety of university visits, presentations and support to help students apply for some of the best worldwide destinations possible!

Our highly successful WSC-BISL students have gone through to the final round, the Tournament of Champions, being held at Yale University in the USA. Not only will students pit their wits, hone their debating skills and demonstrate their essay writing prowess against other high calibre students from around the globe, BISL students will also have the chance to interact with and learn directly from Yale students and faculty members, meet keynote speakers, including Yale University professors as well as seeing the sights of New Haven and Boston on their free days.

The PE department is going from strength to strength and everyone can now follow our students on instagram (#BISLSport) and facebook as well as the school website. This term, students have participated in a basketball tournament against local schools going through to the second round. These and other hardy souls also took part in various running events as part of the Ljubljana Marathon. And if running’s the thing, we now also have a running club after school which is proving popular so far.

An ambitious sporting event was devised, coordinated and led with the expertise and boundless energy of three Year 11 Global Perspectives students as part of their coursework. Not only did the event include over 60 students, but its aim was to raise awareness of disability and the importance of sports in general. An event of this undertaking can be a daunting task but the students met the challenge with impressive enthusiasm and determination. The event included a guest speaker, Slovene paralympic skier, Gal Jakič.

Intrepid students of Years 10 and 11 completed their assessment expeditions in the beautiful Slovenian Coastal area of Portorož and Piran. Students demonstrated map reading skills, camping and cooking skills and most importantly, teamwork and trust over the expedition weekends. They will present their expeditions in assembly later this term.

Highlights of the term must include the wonderful experiences of Adventure Days. All secondary year groups have come together not only to be challenged and have fun, but to support each other and develop and reinforce friendships. Students have enjoyed activities amongst the rolling landscape of Bela Krajina, the majestic peaks of Kranjska Gora and the serenity of the Slovene coast.

Secondary assemblies this term have addressed a range of themes. Whether drawing our attention to the ever-increasing pace of technological growth and its impact on our lives, or the principles of personal success. A thought-provoking assembly , on the occasion of

Remembrance Day on 11th November, had presentations of personal stories from students of family members who had experienced the First

World War first hand. Others leaders of assemblies have reminisced about memories of childhood and life lessons learnt, whether through love of comics, or through trial and error. Topics around growth mind-set and the power of a positive attitude have also graced the assembly floor as teachers sought to inspire determination and resilience. We also had the privilege of listening to guest speaker Matjaž Jurhart, from Deaf Association of Slovenia.

Please remember to check the weekly Newsletter for ongoing events, dates and reports on day to day life at BISL.