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Attending an English-speaking school when English is not your first language can be a daunting experience for children of any age. Making friends when joining a new school can already be tricky, but add to that the language barrier and it sometimes seems like mission impossible! Then there is the difficulty of having to follow instructions, take part in lessons, and sit tests and exams for most subjects, in English. A very scary thought for many new parents and children who move to a new country or a new school.

Being outdoors is quite literally like a “breath of fresh air”. I am sure most of us can agree that there is nothing quite like being outdoors after been stuck inside for the day. Being outdoors is good for the heart, body and mind and is a vital aspect of a healthy and active lifestyle for children and adults. Outdoor learning benefits us all, it engages and connects. From the emotions we feel to the sensorial and physical experiences we have as we move through the space the outdoor provides.

We are delighted to be introducing the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) to our Primary school this academic year. We believe that this significant development will not only deliver a timely injection of new ideas and fresh impetus to the Primary curriculum, but will also support the continued development of our academic staff and boost attainment for our pupils.

Since joining our school in August 2021, I have seen so many things that BCB does exceptionally well. Our teaching and learning are the most developed I have seen, when compared to other international schools that I have visited. Our implementation of the International Primary Curriculum ensures that our approach to education is linked to relevant research for successful, meaningful outcomes. Our sense of community makes BCB such a special place to work every day. Our Maths and English curriculums have been developed to ensure all our students can make outstanding progress throughout their Primary years.

Year 11 is a testing time for students, teachers, and parents. For our students, the previously elusive IGCSE exams were a glimmer on the horizon. The realisation that the mock exams are in 24 weeks has been something of a shock to the system for many. Add this to the serious and complicated nature of the PSHE sessions in the past weeks, the Y11 pastoral team wanted to try to relieve some of the growing pressure and stress.

It can be easily said that in today’s world we are living online and I think we still have yet to fully realize the implications of doing so, one of those implications is that our tracks through the digital sand are eternal!

On 17th June BCB secondary school students took part in a house sports day. Students competed in a variety of team events, each worth up to 100 house points. The team with the most house points at the end of day won the coveted house trophy!

WIDA MODEL provides information about a student’s level of English proficiency (ability to listen, speak, read, and write), both in social and academic language. Social language is English used in everyday communication. Academic language is English used in association with school subject areas including: Language Arts, Mathematics and Social Sciences at all age levels.

Throughout the English curriculum at BCB, students are encouraged to be critical readers. But what is critical reading? According to The Writing Centre, critical reading is ‘reading that applies certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension.’

The school has recently joined in with the puzzle of the week! It is an international maths competition to engage students, teachers and parents alike! The puzzles are designed to be accessible to all students from year 5 and up, and often our year 4s like to have a go.

"Olhos de cigana oblíqua e dissimulada. Eu não sabia o que era obliqua, mas dissimulada sabia…"

Science teachers are aware that experimentation awakens a strong interest among students at different levels of schooling. Students also tend to attribute to experimentation a motivating, playful, intrinsically linked to the senses. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to hear from teachers that experimentation increases the ability to learn, as it works as a means of involving the student in the topics that are discussed in theory lessons.

The term “number sense” was developed in the 1980s but began to be used more frequently during the late 1990s and early 2000s. There is some disagreement amongst academics on a clear definition but in essence it is the ability to recognise and identify numbers in many representations, manipulate them by composing and decomposing numbers and using this knowledge to solve mathematical and reasoning problems that are not bound by traditional algorithms.

“An intelligence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings.” -- Howard Gardner, Frames of Mind (1983)

People that migrate (move) from the place where they live to a new place where they will live are known as migrants. Internally displaced people (people that migrate inside the country), internationally displaced people (people that migrate out to a different country), refugees (people that seek refuge, shelter), they are all types of migrants. Migrants, and migration, are as old as humanity itself. Migration is so common, and so present in our daily lives, that it’s very likely you know someone in your family who is (was) a migrant. My family, for instance, is made up of many migrants.

The Y11s only have about two weeks to prepare for their IGCSE exams. This is quite an interesting but also very demanding time for them - everyone remembers how stressful exams can be from back when we were in school ourselves.

Creative Thinking can be considered one of the most valuable and necessary skills in today's society. We all know how workplaces are constantly changing due to new technologies and ways of seeing things. With that in mind, Cathy Davidson estimated in her book Now You See It, that two-thirds of today's children will end up doing work that hasn't been invented yet. So, how can we teach and prepare our children for a future that we can't actually predict?

The behavioral policy makes sure that all our students understand that decisions and choices have consequences just like in the real world. We need to follow guidelines that are created to ensure students are safe, feel included and can focus on building positive relationships and achieving success in academics.

It is that time of year when Primary students in Year 6 look forward to transitioning into Secondary with students moving from both the CF and CJ Primary to a vastly different and strange new world …….or is it?