Update from the Principal - April 8th | April 2022 | British International School of Ljubljana

Dear Parents,

It is very exciting to be in Term 3 as we have many events ahead of us to enjoy!

First of all, thank you to all Parents for attending the Parents Appreciation Day. It is a wonderful annual event and a great way to recognise the support from parents in the community, a day solely to focus on thanking parents for your positive contributions is very important and something we look forward to each year. Today is simply about showing appreciation and gratitude in a positive and heartfelt way.

Parent Appreciation Day Gallery

During the block break we had a great LEGO robotics workshop on the Monday for students to attend. Thank you to Ms Burtrand and all students involved, as we are passionate about creating many opportunities for students to code, problem-solve and think creatively.

A quick shout out to our wonderful MEPI team who continue to offer a range of activities for students (14-18 years old) to explore Slovenia, develop further knowledge and life skills, teamwork and to embrace a range of challenges as part of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award! Well done to all students and staff involved and good luck in the coming months in the future expeditions and events!

I have included a gallery below of photos from the Pro Peace Tournament last Saturday 2nd April. Thank you to the diplomatic representations in Slovenia and a special mention to Mr Anton Niculescu and the Romanian Embassy for organising such a wonderful event.

I really appreciated being involved, it was amazing to see a range of people playing football, and I am very grateful for the support of everyone who attended. It was a real privilege to provide trophies, certificates, student-made posters and a plaque for the event. In school, we have also had a very successful donation drive by our Sixth Form students, a collection of clothes, a gift to the Red Cross and now have a further Bake Sale event on Wednesday 13th April to continue our support. Thank you to everyone for helping out with these 5 events.

We have had further recognition at BISL this year through our 'Exemplary' EAL provision by the Bell Foundation. The support and development of students in their English language acquisition and the wonderful progress they make, is a real strength of our school, and is a true testament of the hard work and dedication by our staff.

As mentioned in my last update, during Term 3 and in this next block, we have a variety of parent events and opportunities for you to come into school. Please see the events page of the website to find out more as these include:

Spring Concert (Year 4 and 5) 4pm, 13th April
Coffee with the Principal 8am, Friday 6th May
International Days Thursday 12th and Friday 13th May

Have a lovely weekend!

Paul Walton

Principal

Take a look at this wonderful gallery of photographs from our Year 1 & 6 Spring Concert, where Year 1 sang "You Are My Sunshine" and Year 6 performed Shakespeare's classic, Macbeth!

Spring Concert Year 1 & Year 6 Gallery

For some weekend viewing, if you haven't listened to our Stories with Early Years series on our YouTube channel, 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.