Update from the Principal - Nov 4 2021 | November 2021 | British International School of Ljubljana

Dear Parents,

We had an amazing Halloween celebration last Friday at school and it was great to see staff, students and parents dressed up together and making this a day of fun, enjoyment and activities. Many of the pictures have been shared out on social media and I've also included some below. Thank you to all parents who must have spent a long time preparing costumes and helping your children get ready for the day, I must say it was well worth it and this event gets better and better each year!

This has been a block packed with events, trips and student projects across the entire school. Thank you to all staff for their efforts and extra time in creating such wonderful opportunities for our students.

Earlier this week we have celebrated Founder's Day and shared it with all students in the school. It is an important annual event at BISL and one that we hold dear to us and cherish. In the past few years we have had class presentations, assemblies, created a memorial garden, planted a tree dedicated to Jeremy and continue the tradition of the Founder's Awards in lasting memory of him.

We also have held our Remembrance Day commemoration today, which has seen some incredible art work, poetry and presentations produced by our students. This is another opportunity for students to learn about, remember, respect and celebrate the lives of those impacted by conflict and families who serve in the armed forces.

I have included the COVID guidance below as we continue to monitor the number of daily cases and the situation in Slovenia. If any decisions are made, we will communicate out to all parents together and we are ready for any possible transition to online learning if this occurs. Thank you to all teachers in advance for the work they have put in preparing resources, activities and online pages for students ahead of time. We continue to plan, but hope for the best.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing block break ahead and look forward to another successful Block 3!

Have a lovely weekend,

Paul Walton

Principal

Fantastic photos from last Friday's celebrations, take a look:

Every year on November 3, as a school we celebrate Founder's Day, in honour of our late founder, Mr Jeremy P. Hibbins - an inspiration to colleagues, students and families, with an unwavering energy and passion for education.

Over the weekend, the new stage for our Performance Theatre has been assembled! Soon, after a few coats of paint and some finishing touches, it'll be ready for our students to take centre stage.

We have arranged extra days for IGCSE/A Level students to come in for booster sessions, more details will be sent out to students as this is a great opportunity for:

Extra 1 to 1 help from subject teachers
Booster sessions on Topics
To sit past papers (and to have them marked by staff)
Revision and support

More information will be sent out regarding this in the next week from our Secondary team. Additional booster sessions and extra classes will be available in Term 2 as normal, as we plan ahead for the exams in Summer 2022.

BISL Health & Safety Guidelines

We are following the general rules and guidance by the Ministry, WHO and NIJZ regarding the use of masks, distancing and hygiene.
As a school, we have a direct contact with the ministry and receive specific instructions, following any changes in our situation, solely for our school community. These obviously, may differ from the general worldwide or regional guidance (shared by social media or aired by the news) depending on the cases in our immediate community.
A part of this guidance is to stay away from school if you show any symptoms and consult your doctor accordingly. As we enter the 'flu season', many of our staff, students and parents will have flu symptoms, and we ask everyone to stay away until you are tested if you show any signs.
If you are tested positive, stay home, and isolate accordingly, following further guidance from your doctor.
Students and staff continue to get tested prior to returning to school to be sure.
Over 95% of our staff are now fully vaccinated, or have recovered / still immune.
We also ask the community to stay away from friends and family who have tested positive or those that have symptoms and are awaiting a test.
If any staff or students are tested positive after contact at school, the whole class will transition to online learning.
We also want to be as safe as possible and ensure that the privacy of families is respected during this tough time.

BISL Daily Routines

Ongoing daily clean
Classrooms are well ventilated and classroom doors remain open
Key areas are cleaned multiple times a day (reception, classrooms, bathrooms, bannisters, door handles, etc.)
Drop off team continue to wear masks at all times
Declaration Form submitted by all students
Declaration Form signed by all key visitors
Extra resources for hygiene (sprays, wipes, gels, hand sanitisers, masks etc.)
Temperature checks when required
School Nurse available (full time)
All teachers will be required to wear masks in key areas
Coronavirus Prevention guidance posters displayed around school
Smaller classes where necessary
Lunches and snacks will be served in the new canteen following the guidance from NIJZ
Staff and parent meetings and events to be held online
Coffee with the Principal online
Daily Review of all procedures by the Leadership Team

BISL FAQs

1. Have the pick-up and drop-off procedures changed?

No, pick-up and drop-off procedures continue as usual.

2. Can parents come into the building?

All parent meetings must be conducted online from Block 2 Week 5. For the few key organised events, parents will enter and exit from the building via the Assembly Hall and sign the COVID Declaration Form upon entry. Further details will be shared by the event coordinating teacher.

3. Will students go outside for break?

Students will continue to be encouraged and taken outside as usual every break time.

4. Should students bring in water bottles?

Yes, water bottles filled with water should be brought from home.

5. Will classrooms be ventilated?

Yes, classrooms continue to be ventilated regularly, and classroom doors remain open at all times.

6. Will there be hand sanitisers in every classroom?

Yes. Hand sanitisers are also available at the entrance and in common areas across the school.

7. Will online lessons be conducted during the day for students who choose not to attend school currently?

When the provision for students is at school, our teachers follow the usual timetables and teach the students in school. They will continue to upload work onto Canvas for students who are absent from school at the end of the day. If a Year group has transitioned to online learning, their lessons will continue online until that Year group returns. Once the Year group has returned to the school, the teacher will teach during the day and assist those absent by continuing to upload some resources from the school day.

8. Will school lunches continue to be available?

Yes, lunches will be served as usual in the canteen. Please order online as per usual.

9. Do all teachers have to wear masks in the classroom?

Teachers are required to wear masks as per the guidance below. We are in direct communication with the Ministry of Education and Health regarding updates on safety guidance.

10. Are teachers vaccinated or getting regularly tested?

Over 95% of our staff are now fully vaccinated or have recovered / still immune. Ongoing regular testing will continue for the remaining staff.

11. What happens if there is a positive case confirmed?

If there is a positive case confirmed in school:

The affected class will be sent home and transition to online learning for the quarantine period.
The Class Teacher / Form tutor will be sent home as well.
Parents of that year group will be informed immediately.
Guidance will be followed regarding health & safety, hygiene and the return of students to school.

We continue to ensure that the privacy of those affected is respected during this tough time.

We have the following events planned after the Block break for November:

Monday - Friday November 15th -19th - Anti-Bullying Week
Thursday November 18th - IGCSE Information Evening
Friday November 19th - Odd Socks Day
Thursday November 25th - Book & Barter (book swap & donation drive)
Thursday November 25th - Story Time at BISL
Thursday November 25th - Sixth Form Information Evening

All of our upcoming events, and more details, are listed on the school website here.

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.