Update from the Principal - March 18th | March 2022 | British International School of Ljubljana

Dear Parents,

Another week that has flown over so quickly, with lots going on and lots to celebrate in our community!

We are all very excited about our first performances in our new building, the eagerly anticipated 'Spring Concert' series on Wednesdays March 23rd, April 3rd and April 13th for Primary. This event series will be a great opportunity for you to enjoy the new facilities, see how they work, how our students enjoy learning in these new areas, and then for us to continue improving what we do ahead of a very busy summer schedule of events and projects!

Our students have been excited about their entry into the Kangaroo Maths international tournament, this is a wonderful competition to stretch and challenge our students throughout Primary and all the way up to Year 9 in Secondary. Thank you to Mr Bishop for organising this and for the support of all of our teachers helping students - we look forward to seeing how everyone has done. Congratulations to all students for entering, having a go and for doing your very best!

Thank you to parents for your ongoing support with the donations and raising awareness for our appeals and projects to support those impacted by the conflict. We really do appreciate this and are very proud of how our community has come together to help others during this time.

Next week is the final week of Term 2, please remember that on Friday, March 25, school ends at 12 noon.

Have a great weekend!

Kind regards,

Paul Walton

Principal

There is so much going on in the new building, from Sixth Form lessons, music and performing arts, robotics, reading carousel, mock examinations, clubs and more, it is time for the new building to be given an appropriate name!

We have already named the bridge which connects our two buildings as the 'Skywalk', and would now like to collect your ideas on what we should name the new building itself - please use this short survey to submit your suggestions.

Once the suggestions are in, our Student Council will select the Top 10, and we will then put those suggestions up for a whole school vote.

We look forward to hearing your ideas!

Our Spring Concert series is coming up as follows, taking place in the Performance Theatre:

Wednesday March 23 - Years 2 and 3 - details here.
Wednesday April 6 - Years 1 and 6 - details here.
Wednesday April 13 - Years 4 and 5 - details here.

We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Please remember to park in the public car park, not in front of school.

If you haven't placed your order yet for school uniform, you will find details of our uniform requirements and link to start shopping, by clicking on the link below.

School Uniform

There are some more stories added to our Stories with Early Years series on our YouTube channel, and I encourage you to browse through our playlist of stories read by our fantastic teachers here at BISL.

Take me to the Playlist

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 until further notice. 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 or have tested positive 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. Cancellations can be made with 24 hours' notice.

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

Following the recent announcement by the government regarding the removal of the obligatory wearing of face masks by students and staff in schools and other educational institutions from Monday 7th March, students and staff are no longer required to wear masks at school. We are in direct communication with the Ministry of Education and Health regarding updates on safety guidance.

10. Can students or staff continue wearing a mask if they wish?

Yes. If a student or member of staff feels more comfortable wearing a mask, they may continue to do so.

11. Are teachers vaccinated or getting regularly tested?

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

12. How long is the isolation period for positive students?

The isolation period is reduced to 7 days from Monday January 24, according to new government guidance, provided the person does not have fever or any other Covid symptoms 24 hours before the end of self-isolation and tests negative on the seventh day at an approved testing provider. If the rapid antigen test is positive on the seventh day, the person keeps self-isolating and does another test the following day until the tenth day, when self-isolation ends in line with the regime so far.

We are following the general rules and guidance by the Ministry, WHO and NIJZ.
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 it is '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, as recommended by the NIJZ.
Over 95% of our staff are now fully vaccinated, or have recovered within the last 6 months.
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.
We also want to be as safe as possible and ensure that the privacy of families is respected during this tough time.

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

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.