Secondary News - Dec 2 2020

Students began the week with an assembly celebrating the block theme: The Arts. Miss Clayton is encouraging students to show off their creative sides by submitting entries for the Cobis art competition and preparing a digital exhibition of their fantastic work.

Additionally, this week, following the IGCSE Information session from Mr Batson last week, he also presented the A-Level Information session for parents and students. These have been brilliant introductory sessions where students and parents can ask any questions they wish, in preparation for their future examination years. Next term, IGCSE and A-Level option evenings will be facilitated so that students can pursue their subject choices and speak directly to the teachers for further information to assist them in shortlisting their subject preferences for the upcoming academic year. Please check the events calendar for these dates.

Another event this week, BISL proudly presented the first Virtual Open Day in Slovene language. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to share some of the BISL values and way of life to the local community as well. A big thank you goes to the staff who were involved in presenting this to the community - Ms Železinger, Ms Košec, Mr Kokalj and Mr Čičak.

Lastly, congratulations to all students who have been busy preparing for and completing major assessments for the term over the last two weeks. Teachers are busy compiling their reports for their release to families from December 4^th. Should students continue distance learning, they will receive their reports via the post during Week 4. Please ensure that your address has been updated with admissions@britishschool.si. Over Weeks 4 and 5, interviews begin with teachers to discuss the progress of all students. Please log in before December 6th to https://bisl.schoolcloud.co.uk/ to book Virtual Interviews with teachers. All interviews will be running through this application, so it is critical that this format is utilised.

I wish everyone a lovely and relaxing weekend.

Stephanie Andronikos

Head of Secondary

This week students across the school were tasked with reading an extract from a classic novel and drawing their own interpretation. Here is a selection of some beautiful art work produced.

Here is a little glimpse into some of our online lessons this week. Students have worked hard to complete midterm assessments. We are thrilled with the effort from our students.

The PE department would like to share this week's DESKERCISE routine with you.

An efficient and quick way to exercise while on distance learning, which will help you stay focused and keep fit!

Fun with the PE teacher (Part 2)
Our new challenge is; Hold a broom or a broom-like object (maybe a mop!), and try to balance it on your open palm for as long as you can, while doing various activities (squat, balance on one leg...).

For an extra challenge you can pass the broom between your left and right palm.

>>>>>> CLICK HERE <<<<<<<<

We would also like to send you a quick reminder of our other challenges you can get involved with.

• "Keep up with the teacher"

• "Pillow passing compilation"

Please send your entries through to the PE Department!

Other PE News

This week in PE, students have taken on their specialist roles within their team to lead an activity for the other teams within their Football Sports Education League. Students have specifically been focusing on their passing and dribbling technique and accuracy. There’s been an array of creative approaches to football as students have improvised with the equipment and space that they have at home. We’d like to encourage students to continue with this fantastic attitude towards learning football at home. Of course, if you do have access to a football, this will make learning a lot easier. Particular congratulations go to Belgium in Year 9 (Red Team) who prepared an awesome lesson for their peers. Well done to Cara, Begum, Maria, Martin and Lovro.

PE Department

Slovene

Years 10 and 11 have been refreshing prior knowledge and expanding their vocabulary about food in the Slovene language.

They even created their own food pyramids in diverse ways and assessed what’s the most important on it. Well done students!

Miss Košec, MFL Department

Over the holidays, Year 8 historians created their own comic strips about why the Gunpowder Plot on the 5th of November deserves to be remembered. This fed into their wider study of religious and political conflict in early modern Europe.

Remember, remember, the Fifth of November

Gunpowder treason and plot

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot

Well done to Elise, Ema, Julia and Isabella whose work is featured below!

This week in Citizenship, Year 8 created posters to raise awareness of universal human rights. This was the culmination of our unit of work in which they learnt about the different human rights, the history of them and why they are important.

The creation of the posters was also a fitting way to commemorate the International day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which was on Wednesday. We look forward to putting them up in the classroom when we return, a sneak peak is included in the below.

Mr Rogers, Humanities department

Secondary students sat for their mathematics assessments this week - well done to everyone! In the spirit of preparation for the assessment, 7A created their own Kahoot quizzes on operations with decimals this week.

Key stages 3 and 4 students are continuing with algebra lessons next week - as per the curriculum.

The answer for the last Math question of the week is: 5.

Thank you for all submitted answers and congratulations to Aleksander, Divyansh from 9B and Anže from 11A who guessed correctly and received 5 house points each. Well done!

Math question of this week is:

The first six square numbers are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36.

The first six Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 5, 8, 13.

Square numbers are well in the lead. In which term do the Fibonacci numbers catch up?

Students who solve the question send their answer to my email by Wednesday 2nd December.

Miss Zupanc, Maths department

Year 7 are working their way through some tricky language and learning new vocabulary in Stone Cold, reading all about Link’s real life nightmare.

Year 8 have dissected a film script from Star Wars the Phantom Menace, then worked hard to transfer these skills to writing their own script from a YouTube video of their choice. Giving students more freedom and responsibility to choose what they want to study.

Year 9B are exploring cultural poetry this week, after a fantastic (and sad) week of interpreting war poetry last week. They have just enjoyed the poem Half-Caste by John Agard, focusing on the symbolism used in this poem. In addition they have looked at Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy, digging deep to find out the symbolism behind the onion.

Year 10 are currently learning 2+2=5 in the final part of 1984. The class have written newspaper reports about Winston’ s arrest, and completed diary entries from Winston’s perspective.

Enjoy this descriptive extract from Winston’s diary...

“...I notice a familiar face. Could it be? One of the Parsons?. He sits close to me, carrying the same expression as most people in the room. We start talking. He tells me his daughter was the one to have him in the thoughtpolice. The terrible thing is that he is proud. Proud of his daughter for what she did, for the loyalty she showed to Big Brother and his damn party.

A dry piece of bread is handled through the bars. A fight breaks out. The hunger has completely exhausted me. I can no longer feel my finger flinch, I can no longer move a single muscle without it thoroughly stealing my breath. An officer storms into the cell, throwing one of the prisoners onto the floor before violently beating him…”

Extract by Jasmina Yr 10.

Year 11 have finished The Crucible. 11b are making revision powerpoints of the character, whilst 11a have gone back to revise language paper 1.

Year 13 English literature students are finishing up the Handmaid’s tale for good this week, excited to be starting Tennessee Williams Glass Menagerie next week.

The English department also wants to thank all the students who took part in the Art and English interpretation competition this week. We all thoroughly loved seeing everyones interpretations of the novels.

Miss O’Regan, Mr Kirwan and Mr Eve, English Department

Year 10 are learning about theories of motivations such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Hertzberg.

Year 12 have just completed a survey about what motivates students from year 9 to 13. A special well done to Taja and Rosemarijn who both achieved a high A on their reports.. Now they are discovering the exciting world of marketing.

Year 13 are exploring international marketing and trade.

Mr Dalton, Business and Economics teacher

A huge THANK YOU to the BISL Community. In only a week, we have managed to give out 150 letters to our BISL community, with many people asking for even more. We won't be receiving anymore letters, but if anyone didn't get the chance to take a letter and would still like to do something:

We have heard back from the charity: https://www.zpmmoste.net/en-de-it/english/ and they have said that if any of the parents or teachers are willing, they would appreciate any kind of materials...pencils, colouring pencils, paper, felt pens….basically whatever children might use for playing/learning... and they specifically mentioned BOARD GAMES (new or used-but complete).

If you wish you might prepare a small package clearly marked for Multigenerational Center (VGC) “Skupna točka” - Proletarska Cesta 1, 1000 Ljubljana. (See the BISL website for opening times and parking spots.)

Special thanks to Maja, for always instigating this wonderful project, and giving away letters before we even had any! Petra (PTA Communications) and Barbara for coordinating everyone and the letters into a spreadsheet and sending them out to the right people, a massive feat in itself. And to all the Primary Class Representatives and the Secondary Form Tutors for being in charge of their year group's letters and encouraging them to be taken. And of course to each family who took a letter or more, who have brought Joy to a child in need this Christmas.

Mrs Charlesworth, C4C Coordinator

Our regular Monday MEPI meeting was hosted by one of our Silver Award participants this week. Entitled 'Setting goals and finding activities', this presentation was invaluable to the most recent of our participants. Delivered with great patience and care, we found it to be a very thought-provoking session, which asked some extremely pertinent questions, and provided some highly useful information. Setting a goal for each 'individual' section of the Award (Physical, Service/Volunteering, and Skill) can be a challenge in itself! It needs to be a SMART goal: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and Timely. And there were plenty of tips on what types of activity could be undertaken. Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new (perhaps with a friend) is something which is greatly encouraged in MEPI, and all of this was expertly related on Zoom, and summarised in this very useful document which I'm sure we will continue to use in the future.

Mr Irving, MEPI Coordinator

This week's Teacher Feature takes us to our EAL Department, introducing the fantastic Mr Siter, who takes on the daily challenge of ensuring that our English as an Additional Language students are equipped with the necessary language tools to enable them to make the most of their time here at BISL.

Read Mr Siter’s Teacher Feature here.

Fancy the chance at winning a free place at an Oxford or Cambridge summer school? The Immerse Education essay competition is open for students aged 13-18.

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. Essays have a 500 word limit, and must be referenced (Oxford system). There are over 20 subjects to choose from, including medicine, history, economics and architecture.

Please contact the English department if you wish to take part in the competition, Ms O’Regan and Mr Kerwan will happily help you with your application. The competition closes 5th January.

Want to know more? Please check out the competition details here.

Uniform Sale (reminder)

Our PTA are collecting gently used uniform items, so if you have uniform items that your child is not wearing anymore, this is your chance to donate them to the PTA! They will then arrange a second-hand uniform sale and use the funds for various PTA initiatives to benefit our students. Just pack your donations in a bag and leave them in the designated box outside the Early Years entrance under the bike stall. The collection ends December 1.

They have already received a number of fantastic second hand and never worn items - details of these can be found here. Head over to the link so you don't miss out!

Dear Parents,

We are very proud of how our students have embraced their online learning timetables and enjoyed the structured days with many extra videos, activities, and challenges to complete. Well done to all students for an amazing and commendable approach, application, and participation in the lessons so far.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Parent Volunteers who gave up their time on Wednesday afternoon to give our school some festive cheer by putting up wonderful decorations on the ground floor for our students and staff to enjoy - thank you.

Also, together with our Caring for the Community Team, our PTA, and our fantastic school community, once again this year we were able to participate in the Trije Zimski Botri project, giving out 150 letters in just one week - that's 150 Christmas wishes from underprivileged children fulfilled - what a brilliant showcase of our community spirit ahead of the holiday season.

Please click here to continue reading my full update this week.

Kind regards,

Paul Walton

Principal