Update from the Principal - May 7 2021 | May 2021 | British International School of Ljubljana

Dear Parents,

It has been yet another busy week here at BISL with lots going on, including a visit from colleagues and students from Trieste International School, who were here to complete their English as a Second Language IGCSE examinations. Click here to read more about this great collaboration between our two schools.

Thank you to those of you who were able to join this morning's Coffee with the Principal. If you weren't able to join, you will find the points discussed below with some further details as promised.

It has been a busy few weeks, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all parents for your help during this block, your donations to our MEPI initiative, the planning for our upcoming International Days, and your many positive emails and feedback has been very helpful and much appreciated.

The success of our recent MEPI Clothing Drive is testament to how committed our community is to sustainable living and I am delighted with your response to this wonderful and worthwhile initiative. Click on the link to find out what was done with your donations last Friday.

I am delighted to confirm that our Year 7s will return to school on Monday as normal.

It is a real privilege to see our school appear on the official list of accredited schools worldwide on the UK Department for Education website. Click here to read more about this accolade.

Although the works have been slightly delayed, we are at the final stages before we are ready to make the announcement. I was able to visit the site again last week again and the classrooms look amazing, flooring has been completed, doors are all in, and the last panels have been put on the facade. I look forward to sharing more news of this with you soon.

You will have seen from the many posts on Facebook and in the newsletter, this Block we are celebrating the Sciences - giving our students lots of opportunities to do practical experiments, science quizzes, competitions and activities to enhance their curiosity and knowledge in the field.

For the final Block of the academic year, we will celebrate PE, focussing on healthy living, teamwork and sports.

I am delighted to have seen so many articles on our website and newsletters from our students, showcase some of the fantastic work that they are doing in class. Take a look at two recent examples of persuasive writing from our Year 10 students here: To cycle or not to cycle

My personal experience on the process of vaccinations here in Slovenia has been excellent, I was in and out within 20 minutes, it was very well organised. Another group of our staff will be going for their vaccinations this month, and second-round vaccinations have started individually and through private doctors too.

I look forward to the vaccinations helping us around the world in our efforts to return to 'normal' soon.

As mentioned in the BISL Fees update, we will have a School Nurse on site from the 2021-22 academic year. We have now started to look to recruit this new member of staff, and will share more with you in due course. As our school continues to grow, and we continue to put the health and safety of our students first, a nurse will certainly be a welcome addition to the BISL team.

All of our upcoming events are listed on the school website here. Details of what's coming up are below.

Our PTA are organising two afternoons for a second hand uniform sale, on Monday May 10 and Wednesday May 12, from 2pm-3:30pm.

We will also put out our Lost & Found box, any items of uniform not claimed will be donated to the PTA for a future second hand sale.

As a community, we are very much looking forward to being able to celebrate International Days together again this year.

A huge thank you to our PTA for organising this event, to the parents for volunteering to run activities, decorate stalls and make delicious treats for us all to enjoy next week.

Opening Ceremony, Tuesday May 11, 8:30am - 9:30am

This will be streamed live via Zoom.

International Fair, Friday May 14, 10:00am - 14:00pm

This is a dress down day - everyone is encouraged to wear national dress or colours of their flag.

To adhere to current guidance, groups of students will visit the fair at set times:

Year 10 - 10:00am activities
KS3 - 10:30am activities
KS2 - 11:00am activities
KS1 + EY - 11:30am activities + food
KS2 - 12:30pm food
KS3 - 13:00pm food
Year 10 - 13:30 food

There will be no after-school clubs on Friday, but extended supervision will be available as normal.

Following on from the success of our Enrichment Saturdays at the beginning of the academic year, we are offering a further 2 Days of FreeSaturday Schooloccurring on consecutive Saturdays, 12thand 19thJune, for BISL students, which will include a range of supervised activities from a published calendar so that our students can have further opportunities to enjoy learning together. To register for these Enrichment Days, please complete the registration form here.

This year’s BISL Summer School will run for two weeks between 5^th-16^th July.

To make up for some of the lost face-to-face interactions with friends due to the period of remote learning, we are happy to be able to offer 5 Days of Free Summer School for BISL students in the first week of the summer, starting Monday 5^th July.

Our popular summer school operates from Monday to Friday, 8.00am through to 3.00pm and incorporates a range of fun activities and learning English through immersion with our BISL staff.

To register for one or both weeks of Summer School, please complete the form by clicking on the button below. Week 1 will be free for all BISL students who wish to attend.

The speed limit in the school car park in 20km/h, please drive slowly and safely to ensure the health and safety of our community.

When leaving the main road (on which the speed limit is 30 km/h) the speed limit must be reduced to 20 km/h around the school car park. All parents need to follow this to ensure the safety of others. Thank you for your continued cooperation on this.

Our calendar for the 2021-22 academic year is available on our website and downloadable too. Click here to view details.

All urgent updates continue to be sent via email.

Please monitor your emails for future updates as this continues to be the best way to send out clear and consistent communication to all parents. Check that you are receiving emails, have enough space in your email folder, that they do not go to your 'junk' folder and if you are unsure, please contact reception@britishschool.si to check your contact email and phone number on record. If you change any contact details, please inform the school immediately.

I look forward to seeing you next week at one of our upcoming events and wish you a restful and relaxing weekend ahead.

Kind regards,

Paul Walton

Principal

May

Mon, May 10	PTA Second Hand Uniform Sale
Tue - Fri, May 11 - 14	International Days
Wed, May 12	PTA Second Hand Uniform Sale
Thu, May 27	Playtime in Early Years

June

Fri, June 4	Coffee with the Principal
Fri, June 4	Student Appreciation Day
Sat, June 12	Enrichment Day 1
Thu, June 17	Year 6 Transition Day
Fri, June 18	Parent Appreciation Day
Sat, June 19	Enrichment Day 2

July

Mon - Fri, July 5 - 16

BISL Summer School