Secondary News - 7. dec 2020

Block 3 Week 3

This week began with ‘thinking outside the box’ during the assembly on Monday. Creativity was the focus and students had to try to consider common situations in vastly different ways. Thinking creatively is critical when engaging in problem solving and coming up with new and innovative solutions. Students are always encouraged to experience, explore, and create!

This week, teachers have been finalising the reports for Term 1. It has been wonderful to see the overall progress of all students, who have been keenly receiving feedback from their teachers. Reports will be distributed by post in the coming days.

Next week, Parent Teacher Interviews begin. All parents are encouraged to book times to see all teachers virtually. Guidance on how to use the Parents Evening Programme has been shared via email and bookings close on Sunday at 16:00.

As we approach the penultimate week of the block, there are some Arts block and Christmas events to celebrate. Next week Ms Clayton and Ms Blundell are busy preparing an Art Exhibition to share digitally with the community, and in the final week we look forward to further Christmas celebrations with Ms Kenealy and Mr Hulse.

I wish everyone all the best for interviews next week and a lovely weekend.

Stephanie Andronikos, Head of Secondary

We are asking for everyone to send in photos of their pets in the christmas spirit, the most christmassy 3 photos will win a surprise prize!

Every student who enters will receive a house point, and pets will be featured in a collage in next week's newsletter.

Send photos to Ms O’Regan.

After an exhausting couple of weeks of midterm assessments. This week students have been able to be a little more creative across many subject areas. Here is a little glimpse into some of our online lessons this week.

Over the past weeks, some members of Year 13 spent part of their free time on decorating the Sixth Form area. Thank you Lana, Jakub and Izabela for using your creative abilities to create a more inspired and welcoming space.

We are very excited for the other students to see this once they come back to school and share some of their ideas to make it even more personalised. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the snow before it is gone. Stay safe and healthy!

Micky & Daniel, Year 13

This week in PE, KS3 students have been focusing on the skill of heading in football. Students braved the snow on Wednesday as they put on their outdoor gear and headed outside for some fresh air while practicing their heading technique. The PE department have been specifically impressed by the Year 8 cohort this week who have submitted some fantastic videos of their football practice. We look forward to sharing these with you soon.

Year 10 and Year 11 students have focused on their lower body power and have studied how to improve power in their quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus maximus muscle groups to improve the effectiveness of offensive and defensive headers. Our congratulations this week go to Petr and Mihai in Year 9 who showcased their football knowledge and skills through live demonstrations via Zoom!

We would like to say a huge well done and thank you to all students who participated in the BISL Compilation video, which has seen all students come together to show how we are all united through these difficult times.

The PE Department has released a new “Keep up with the Teacher” challenge this week and we look forward to seeing if you are up for the challenge of keeping up with Ms Kenealy, Mr Hulse and Ms Železinger. Please send your videos to Mr Damjan for the chance to win House Points for your house.

Our Weekly PE Challenge comes from Mr Damjan this week with a crazy Push Up Challenge. Check out the Facebook page and have a go at the challenge, and don’t forget to send us your videos to be featured on our next BISL video compilation.

We know lots of our students will be spending more time than usual sitting down, so we'd like students to try out our "Deskercise" activities at home to keep up your activity throughout the day.

French

It has been a busy and creative week in French this week for Year 7, creating mind maps about themselves, and building up speaking confidence. Whilst Year 9s have been exploring the past simple, present simple and future simple tenses.

Ms Struna Berden, MFL Department

Slovene as a Foreign Language

Year 8 have been discussing their fashion style in Slovene. They wrote a few sentences about their own fashion style and expressed their creativity with drawings of wardrobe and diverse clothing. If you ask them about their fashion style, I am pretty sure their answer will be in Slovene.

Zelo dobro Year 8!

Miss Košec, MFL Department

Slovene Advanced

Year 8 at Slovene Advanced lessons is currently addressing the topic about domestic and loan words in Slovene language. What do you think? Which words are more common?

Miss Drofenik, MFL Department

Year 8 have been looking closely at the causes of the English Civil War. This week, Year 8 historians carried out the mock trial of John Hampden, who made the risky decision to stop paying arbitrary taxes to King Charles I.

Both the prosecution and defence mounted an impressive case for and against the accused, with remarkable speeches from Elise and Lila, who took on the roles of Charles I and John Hampden respectively. Despite Lila's outstanding justification for John's actions, the court found John Hampden guilty. As John Hampden is forced to pay taxes, Year 8 observed how the divide between King Charles and Parliament keeps growing!

I encourage Year 8 students and parents to have a listen to the trial, which they can find uploaded on the Year 8 History Canvas course, listed under 'Modules' as 'L6 Trial of John Hampden Video'.

Years 9-11 are studying the interwar years in Europe. 9 are looking at the experience of living under a totalitarian regime and 10 are evaluating the breakdown of international peace by weighing the responsibilities of various factors. Year 11 continued with their IGCSE Depth Study on Germany and made informative posters on the Nazi machinery of terror. This week they've also delved into analysing how art can be used to create a dictator's cult of personality and are preparing presentations on various sources for a digital exhibit.

Miss Dasculescu, History teacher

Key Stage 3: students learnt how to solve linear equations by applying the balance method.

Year 10 students refined their knowledge of rearranging formulae and substitution.

Year 11 students were introduced to optimisation problems and linear programming.

Mechanics students discovered the connections between displacement, velocity and acceleration when the acceleration is not a constant value, but a function of time.

The answer for the last Maths question of the week is: 12th term. Thank you for all submitted answers and congratulations to Aleksander from 9B

who guessed correctly and received 5 house points each. Well done!

Maths question of this week is:

There is something strange about this addition table. Can you find the missing value?

Students who solve the question send their answer to my email by Wednesday 9th December.

Miss Zupanc, Maths department

Year 7 are writing from a Dragon’s perspective this week, who can’t help setting fire to things! Students are being encouraged to zoom in on the five senses.

Year 8 are writing from multiple perspectives this week, from a Dragon’s and his best friend. Students are being encouraged to zoom into certain events which happen in the Dragon’s day, and describe his emotions in detail, capturing details such as the sensation of the snow on his magnificent feet, and his devastation at setting fire to an innocent snowman. Following on from this, they have been rewriting nursery rhymes from the other point for view. Enjoy the new version of Little Miss Muffet!

Little Miss Muffet,
Sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey,
I came along,
And wanted a crumb,
She screamed,
I thought she would squish me with her spoon,
I felt very frightful,
So I asked to run away.
- The Little Black Spider by Isabella

“I am trudging along the snow covered path with my friend, the human, until I see some children making a snowman, I run along to help them put the finishing touches on, but my excitement gets the better of me and fire spurts out of my nostrils and melts the snowman. What a pity, he was a nice little iceman.” - By Lila, Y8

Year 9B have spent the week exploring poetic devices in the poem Émigrée by Carol Rumens. They finished the week by creating a poster explaining poetic devices!

Year 10 have just finished Orwell’s 1984, they have joined Winston in room 101, and reintegrated back into society with him, but haven’t quite finished judging his actions and debating whether or not he is a hero. The class smashed a mock exam paper on Thursday, with several students gaining top grades. Finishing the week off on a creative note with students making kahoot quizzes.

Year 11 have successfully sat their midterm exam on The Crucible with several students gaining A grades. Now year 11 have moved back on revising for GCSE language paper 1 (reading and comprehension). With many students noticing the skill set learnt whilst analysing English Literature is just as relevant for language paper 1.

Year 12 in Language are continuing to work on discursive writing, exploring both sides of any argument and expressing them in both a balanced and sophisticated manner. The issues in class being discussed always raise a number of points for and against, as the students discuss and write about their views

Year 13 in Literature we are now on the memory play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

In Language students are now studying a new module entitled English in the Global World. The students have been discussing the current status of English in the world and the differences between British and American English. This week they studied Language Imperialism and Language Decline, as part of their preparation for their A Level Examinations.

Additional English News

A huge thank you to the thoughtful and wonderful students who have kept Mr Eve’s spirit high in hospital with handmade get well cards. A quick word from Mr Eve: “Tell the kids, thank you, and they may not realise it but they are really making a difference to somebody with these…”.

In Mr Eve's absence, Ms O’Regan is the point of contact for parents and students from year 7 and 8 English. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ms O’Regan at julia.oregan@britishschool.si

Ms O’Regan will be available for year 7 and 8 parents for parent teacher interview appointments if the parent wishes.

Poetry workshop with guest poet

On Thursday 10th December, 9b will be receiving a poetry workshop in their English lesson, to help them understand and write poetry. This will be led by English teacher and poet Mr Alan Parry from Southport, UK.
If you wish to view his poetry/purchase his book, you can do so on the following link: https://thebrokenspine.co.uk/

Miss O’Regan, Mr Kirwan and Mr Eve, English Department

Year 10 Are working hard to create organisation charts on a subject of their choosing. They are making their own ‘org charts’ and finding out how this affects their chosen business/organisation.

Year 12 In economics we are exploring the concept of macroeconomics. Business students are getting down to business with the marketing mix.

Year 13 In economics we are having an indepth look at macroeconomics. Whilst in business we are looking at operations.

Mr Dalton, Business and Economics teacher

This week's MEPI Meeting gave this year's Bronze participants the opportunity to catch up with activities in the Online Record Book (ORB), and review the Kahoot quiz which focused on the Navigational requirements for the Adventurous Journey / Expedition section of the Award. Although the skills and knowledge will be revised, practised, and expanded upon over the coming weeks, we hope that this part can be signed-off in the ORB next week! There was just enough time to go through the Expedition Kit List, with a view to looking at all of the equipment (good or bad) that we actually own. This should enable us to make informed choices as to equipment that individuals may need to consider acquiring in time for more practical expedition training!

One challenge to unite us all! Started by Mr Černi in the PE department, the challenge soon spread across the school. The challenge is to follow 5-7 basic moves, to help keep us moving, and make us feel united as a school.

Please keep sending in your videos, we can’t wait to see them.

Give the gift of life this Christmas

All it takes for you to save a life, is less than an hour of your time. As of today, the Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Zavod Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino, is desperately calling out for blood donors, as the stocks of blood are low.

On Monday, 6th form students had volunteer visitors from the Red Cross come to their Assembly and provided them with an information session on donating blood. A big thank you, to two 6th formers who have already donated blood this year. Unfortunately at the moment we can't go together as a group to donate blood as we have in the past, where perhaps there is comfort in numbers. But if you are a first time blood donor, I would suggest you go with either your partner, or Mum or Dad. All you need to do is call one of the numbers below and make a reservation at the blood transfusion centre, as they are limiting the number of people in the building at any one time. Once there you will receive a form to fill out, checking that you are eligible to give blood in Slovenia at that time.

For more information see:

http://www.ztm.si/en/blood-donation/blood-stocks/

Their mobile phone numbers for blood donors are 051 389 270, 051 671 147 or 030 716 796.

To show others how easy it is to donate, please send in a photo of yourself donating blood with a smile on your face (underneath that mask), and hopefully you will encourage someone else to give it a go too.

What a wonderful way to teach each other the values of Empathy and Challenge.

Most of us have perhaps a bit of extra time this upcoming holiday season, so why not use it to save someone's life!

Trije Zimski Botri Project

Thank you to our BISL community for being so supportive of the christmas present project. Just a quick reminder that the presents should be dropped off to Zveza prijateljev mladine Ljubljana Moste-Polje, Proletarska cesta 1, 1000 Ljubljana. (You can park in a yellow designated zone and the security guard will guide you to the room where you will drop-off your gift.)

PLEASE DO NOT BRING THE GIFTS TO SCHOOL!!! Due to Covid measures we have to kindly ask you to deliver directly to the foundation!

The time slots for gift deliveries for BISL are as follows:

• Tuesday 8. 12. 2020 from 8:30 to 12:00 and from 17:00 to 18:00
• Wednesday 9. 12. 2020 from 8:30 do 12:00
• Thursday 10. 12. 2020 from 8:30 do 12:00 and from 17:00 do 18:00

Or

• Tuesday 15. 12. 2020 from 8:30 to 12:00 and from 17:00 to 18:00.

Please don't forget to stick/write the code to the top of the present, as this enables the present to go to the correct child.

Thank you,

C4C Team & PTA

In case you missed it last week…

Fancy the chance at winning a free or significantly discounted place at an Oxford or Cambridge summer school? The Immerse Education essay competition is open for students aged 13-18.

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. Essays have a 500 word limit, and must be referenced (Oxford system). There are over 20 subjects to choose from, including medicine, history, economics and architecture.

Please contact the English department if you wish to take part in the competition, Ms O’Regan and Mr Kerwan will happily help you with your application. The competition closes 5th January.

Want to know more? Please check out the competition details here.

If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to get to know our teachers better by reading their spotlight interviews which have been shared this term so far:

• 25.11.2020 - Mr Tobija Siter

• 04.11.2020 - Mr Gary Bradley

• 28.10.2020 - Ms Laura Harris

• 21.10.2020 - Ms Katarina Miklavec

• 06.10.2020 - Mr Jason Batson

We will continue to share new Teacher Features regularly, so keep an eye out for these on Facebook, on the website and in the newsletters.

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your support throughout this block, it has been very busy, lots of challenges and I would like to personally thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement for the staff at school.

It has been wonderful to be able to celebrate the snowy weather this week - our students in school have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the changing environment, and I'm sure students learning at home have done the same.

Thank you for joining me at our virtual Coffee Morning today, for those of you that were unable to make it, please read my full Update from the Principal to see what was shared.

Kind regards,

Paul Walton

Principal