Dear Parents and Families,
We held another evacuation (fire) practice this week as part of a planned sequence of necessary activities to ensure that everyone in our community remains as safe as possible. I am happy to report that the practice went well, and the staff, students and guests all moved to the designated safety zones both quickly and quietly. Well done. Of course, after such an activity we seek out feedback from everyone involved in order to make important adjustments to our procedures for the future. The whole exercise reminded me of how caring, supportive and responsible the BISL community is.
That review and reflection is so important for our young people. To check your understanding, and to make the necessary adjustments in order to improve, seems to be the ingredients for a fulfilling life well-lived. An ideal education is founded on values such as BISL’s such as - Respect, Responsibility, Commitment, Integrity and Compassion – and it is then able to mesh together the growth of an individual who has character, confidence, skill and care for others, with the excellence of great academic results. After that, children can then make the most of the opportunities they face, and have a great chance of fulfil their dreams, big and small alike.
Earthquake Relief Bake Sale
When mentioning character education, it is entirely appropriate to highlight here the incredible efforts of our Head Students Ewa and Julia alongside Urmak, the Student Council and many other secondary students who initiated and delivered a wonderful Bake Sale last week in aid of Turkish and Syrian earthquake. In a school of our size the fact that they raised EUR 752 is a remarkable achievement in such a short space of time.
This type of initiative, team work, commitment and passion for justice as well as consideration for the situation of other people, is truly at the heart of what a good education should and must be. A magnificent effort and all involved should be very pleased and proud of their efforts.
New Principal – Ms. Mel Hitchcocks
It was terrific to have the school’s new Principal visiting this week in order to see the school in action and to start a handover process with key staff. Ms. Hitchcocks and me spent a good amount of quality time together going over the School Development Plan and other important information that will ensure she can a confident and efficient start to her BISL career. It was a pleasure to have her visit and I am confident that the school is in good shape and excellent hands for the future.
BISL Parent Survey and BISL Retention Survey
We have two very important survey published to parents. The access links in order to complete our formal annual BISL Parent Survey have been sent to over the past weeks and I urge everyone to do the survey and help the school to progress and improve quickly. This survey will close in one week’s time.
The other area of the school where we most certainly do need all parent help is the new BISL Parent Retention Survey. This survey is published today and is designed to help the school plan the number of teachers and classes as accurately as possible for the next school year.
In particular, we all are aware that some BISL year groups are full or nearly full, so supports our decision-making very much if we can know in advance approximately how many students we will have in each year group. Without reasonably accurate information, and the speed it takes to identify and employ high-quality new staff here, the likelihood of having to operate waitlists in some year groups becomes higher – and this is something that is always best to be avoided for all concerned.
Traffic in School
Again, please, just a gentle reminder to everyone driving in school.
For everyone’s safety that the school parking is only used for dropping off and picking up of children (no staying), and that the speed limits are strictly adhered to.
We strongly recommend that parents use the public parking right next to the school that can be accessed via Ulica Koroškega Bataljiona. There is a gate from the parking that allows direct access to the front of school.
Have a great weekend,
Matthew Cox
School Principal
