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As educators, we recognize the profound learning benefits that come from embracing cultural celebrations such as Chinese New Year within our international school community here in China. Beyond the glittering festivities and vibrant traditions, this annual event offers invaluable opportunities for our students to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and enhance their global perspectives.

This term, the Primary School students enthusiastically embraced the MIT Challenge: Build Better Plants! The challenge centred around designing plants equipped to thrive in the face of climate change scenarios. The initiative aimed not only to cultivate scientific curiosity but also to instil a sense of responsibility towards our planet in our young minds.

In January, BISS Puxi was delighted to welcome Brian Drye to the school. Brian is BISS Puxi’s Juilliard Music Curriculum Specialist. He spent two days with BISS staff and students and focused on providing professional development to the members of the Music Department.

Year 9 students in Ms Sena Piao’s class have been to RT Mart today to practice their oral skills. The students have been learning language from the topic of shopping and food. At the supermarket, they were set tasks to complete. They had to ask the RT Mart staff some questions in Chinese in order to find out about certain items and their prices. All of the items were of a specific brand and weight and so, the students needed to communicate with the staff in order to find the correct items.

Working alongside one of our partner charities in Tanzania, Seeway, our students engaged in a highly rewarding programme of sustainable service work, to improve the health and long-term prospects of children and their families in Tanzania. Last week, our students worked with project partners across the globe providing new educational facilities with Seeway Tanzania and improvements to local families in most need.

On Tuesday 30 January, the Year 10 to Year 13 Art students visited The China Art Museum. The museum is housed in the China Pavilion building, formerly of the Expo 2010 Shanghai China. An appropriately impressive choice of venue for the Year 11 artists who received their exam paper today with the theme of “Power”.

The British International School Shanghai proudly celebrates the remarkable achievements of its IB Diploma students as they receive an array of extraordinary university offers. Among these stellar offers, a shining pinnacle stands tall—the University of Oxford, a testament to the exceptional academic prowess cultivated within the school's walls.

The Battle of the Bands concert, which took place last Friday, was a showcase of musical talent at our school. Four bands, each with their own unique sound, took to the stage to perform one song each, creating an electric atmosphere in the Auditorium. Our three judges evaluated performances for first, second and third places, while the audience actively participated by selecting their favourite band for the coveted Audience Choice Award.

Nothing has been more exciting for Model United Nations delegates than the resumption of face-to-face simulations not only in Shanghai but across the country as well. One such conference that is back on its feet after a three-year hiatus is the Concordia MUN (CISSMUN) conference whose 13th annual iteration was held from 19 to 21 January 2024. Based on the theme “The Age of Acceleration”, the conference attracted over 700 delegates from China and beyond.

Welcome to this, our first PAWS blog, where we delve into the heart of our organisation's journey and share the strides we're making to protect and improve the lives of stray animals in Shanghai.

The BISS Lions swimming team participated in Round 3 of the Shanghai Swim League from the 19-21 January, hosted by Nanjing International School, with over 600 competitors. The two-day event epitomised the commitment of our swimming team and their parents to the programme, as the time invested at swimming events is huge. The students put on fantastic individual and team performances, demonstrating solidarity, when supporting their peers across the course of the weekend.

As a parent, you want your child to grow up to be happy, confident and well-adjusted adults. One of the most important factors in achieving this is developing strong social skills. Play is a powerful tool for children to develop these skills. It allows them to begin to understand the world around them. When children play together, the benefits are endless.

On 19 January, the Primary School hosted an exciting Maths Appreciation Day. The day’s activities aimed to encourage the students to appreciate the fascinating world of mathematics. The day started with an engaging discussion and presentation about where maths is used in in our daily lives, highlighting the omnipresence of the subject. Without maths, the world around us wouldn’t exist as we know it today since technology, engineering, medicine, etc. are all dependent on mathematical calculations! With this, the students gained a deeper understanding of the beauty and relevance of maths.

At BISS, we believe that true education extends beyond the traditional classroom, reaching into the real-world applications of the subjects our students study. On 17 January 2024, the Year 13 IB Chemistry trip to the SGS Analytical Laboratories in Pudong, Shanghai, stood as a testament to our commitment to providing holistic learning experiences.

Last Wednesday, we held a special ceremony to recognise the achievements of the cohort of students who completed their IGCSE programme at the end of last academic year. This was an opportunity to reflect upon the significance of this educational milestone as well as to present their IGCSE certificates from the respective examination boards.

On Friday 19 January BISS Puxi hosted an IB Spanish B Workshop for Spanish teachers in the region. The event was led by Ms Díaz Fernández and Dr Cattell. The purpose of the initiative was to draw on expertise and to share best practice in order to enrich the student experience of the Spanish B course and to enhance academic outcomes. The event began with an opening address from Dr Cattell, who then led a session on how to prepare students for the standard-level oral examination.

When we speak, the way that we sound out the words and sentences is known as pronunciation. Depending on what your native language is, when you speak English, you will have an accent. Someone’s accent depends on from where in their Anglophone country they come and indeed which country. English language learners often want to speak the Queen’s English because it is cited as being the gold standard of pronunciation. There is also Received Pronunciation [RP], or the old BBC English, which is English without a regional accent. This suggests that the listener cannot tell from where the speaker comes.

On Tuesday evening, with IGCSE and IB subject choices just around the corner for Year 9 and Year 11, the Music and Drama departments hosted a special parent event to give more information about what the Performing Arts look like after Year 9 at BISS. Often overlooked as academic subjects, Music and Drama offer a huge range of opportunities for students to build skills in communication, self-management, research and collaboration as well as fostering an understanding of world cultures and creative thinking abilities.

BISS announced today its students have received funding from Nord Anglia’s community investment fund to support student-led social impact project, PAWS.

On Thursday, our Year 10 pupils had the privilege of welcoming Dr. Bruce, an expert in health and puberty education from Shanghai United Family Hospital, for an insightful and engaging session. The anticipation buzzed through the air as the students, both girls and boys in separate sessions, eagerly gathered to delve into the mysteries of adolescence and well-being under the guidance of a professional.