This past block our students participated in a variety of school events as well as performed at some that took place in the wider local community.
International Day
It was wonderful to see BISL students as well as their families establishing positive relationships with each other. Making friends with people from other countries and getting to know their culture a little bit better is an enriching experience and the friendships may last forever. On April 16th the students, parents and teachers joined forces in order to celebrate ‘internationalism’ and prepared creatively decorated stalls with tasty food, complemented with posters about their home country and folklore. We were very lucky, given the weather this spring, to be able to hold the event outside in warm temperatures.
World Earth Day
On April 23rd the Year 9 students organised activities that led to raising awareness about the current environmental issues. These included no photocopying for the day, only emergency lights were on in corridors and lessons were tailored to a minimum level of electricity being used. More students and staff were encouraged to carpool or take the public transport instead. Our Year 9 students were also invited to the Town Hall to discuss climate change and the city’s green policy with Ljubljana’s Mayor, Mr Zoran Janković.
Fun Run
The Girl’s Running Club is preparing for the 5km ‘Race for Life’ that will take place in a couple of weeks in London. We were hoping that the weather would be kind to us on May 15th to be able to hold a fundraising event to support the cancer research however the ‘Fun Run’ had to be postponed until May 29th. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a more promising weather conditions.
The Royal Visit
On Wednesday, May 15th students from Years 8, 9 and 10 were invited by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, to attend an event that hosted His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Our students were very excited to be a part of such an opportunity and they provided much assistance by registering and ushering guests and assisting in the cloakroom. Prince Edward was in Slovenia to promote and represent the Duke of Edinburgh Award (or MEPI) and the non-formal, real world education being a part of such a programme provides. At BISL, Mr Simon Irving is the contact should students wish to get involved.
Final Assembly in Block 6
The combined Primary and Secondary student-led assembly that took place on May 16th, had a fantastic international feel. Year 4 students, learning Slovene predominantly as a foreign language, presented the country they come from and highlighted some intriguing cultural and geographical facts. Sofya and Begum, both Year 7 students, did a fantastic job leading the assembly also in Slovene. To finish, Ms Kotnik conveyed the idea behind the assembly and emphasised how important it is to build and maintain bridges either be between younger and older students, finding solutions and overcoming friction that does happen in friendships too.
Events coming up in the final weeks of the school year…
First week back, we are looking forward to participate again at the ‘Play With Me’ festival (Igraj se z mano) in Kongresni trg, organised by The Centre Janez Levec Ljubljana and The Society of the Culture of Inclusion. They offer an opportunity to connect through common activities and at the same time they build the foundations for a more understanding and open society of the future.
Adventure trips are also starting already in Week 2 as well as final summative assessments for the year will be coming to an end.
To celebrate the successes of our oldest students, Year 13 graduation ceremony will take place on June 20th. Meanwhile, we wish all the students that are in the middle of external examination period, much success. We would also like to thank our younger students for showing support to them in most practical way and keeping the corridors calm and quiet.
Let us begin the final six weeks of the school year with the following Lao Tzu’s thought:
“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
