bsb vox #5

ISSUE 5 30 SEPTEMBER 2010

BSB students enjoy a fast game of Cricket!

Kwik Cricket ASA

FS Seeing and HearingSecondary Clocks and Hearts

30 SEPTEMBER 2010 ISSUE 5

From the Executive Principal

Dear Parents

I’m really looking forward to the first BSB family picnic on Sunday. We have a great many families coming along and I’m already planning the next event.

Today I spent my time at Sanlitun and then Shunyi listening to the house music competitions. The standard was incredible. It was matched though by the spirit and energy of the performances. The house music contest is always one of my favourite events every year, and this year was no exception.

If you are a Shunyi parent please make yourself aware of the new parking/drop off regime and system that will be in place after the holidays. It’s important that everyone follows this new system for the safety of our children and doesn’t think of themselves as the “one” exception.

The first meeting in the new school year of the Parent Advisory Board took place at Sanlitun this week. We discussed a number of items and the decisions of the board will be made public shortly. For new families I should explain that the PAB forms a very important part of the school. They make strategic policy decisions that have far reaching consequences for the school. I would like to thank them for their time and commitment. The voice of the parent community is vital to BSB.

Have a lovely holiday.

Michael Embley

Sixth Form Dissect hearts Singing ASA FootballSixth form biology students get to grips with hearts. Sanlitun Children enjoy their

singing ASA this week!Sporting success at the BCIS tournament for Sanlitun and Shunyi Primary students, well done!

SANLITUN

Shunyi Pancakes with Parents

BSB Secondary Idol

Secondary Residential Visits

KS2 Activity Days (all KS2 children and staff)

Last week of After-School / Extra-Curricular Activity Programme, Season 1

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15

20

21-22

25-29

SHUNYISHUNYIOctober


Changes toOverseasPassportServices

www.fco.gov.uk

documentation and fee. If you are applying for apassport for the first time you should allow at leastsix weeks. For more information see the FCOwebsite www.fco.gov.uk

Will there be any additional cost?Yes. You will need to pay to send your application(and any supporting documents) to the RegionalPassport Processing Centre and for the return ofyour new passport and supporting documents. Wewill keep our customers informed of any futureprice changes.

What should I do now?> Continue to look after your passport. Identity

theft, passport fraud and related crime are on the increase. This is a precious document

> Check when your passport expires and planahead

> When you need a new passport allow plenty of time to renew: Did you know you can renew your passport up to 9 months before it expires? The extra time will be added to the validity of your next passport

> Check the local British Embassy/ High Commission/ Consulate website for details on how and where to apply

What if I need a new passport urgently?Should you need to travel urgently and you do not

have a full validity passport (including if you haveapplied for a new one and have not yet received it)the local British Embassy/High Commission/Consulate will be able to provide you with anemergency travel document to allow you to travel.

What if I lose my passport?You should contact your local British Embassy/HighCommission/Consulate for assistance. If you need totravel urgently the Embassy/Consulate will be ableto provide an emergency travel document andadvise you on the new process of applying for anew full validity passport.

What other options are there?If you travel frequently to the UK and have a UKresidential address, you can also apply to renewyour passport by post or at your nearest IPSRegional Office. Details about how to apply whileresident in the UK can be found at www.direct.gov.uk.

Alternatively if you travel frequently you can applyfor a second passport. For details please check yourlocal British Embassy/High Commission/ Consulatewebsite.

Where can I find more information now?www.fco.gov.uk

The Identity and Passport Service are working withthe Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensurethat these changes are introduced seamlessly. Welook forward to welcoming our overseas customers.

passport change edit jr 30/6/10 18:03 Page 1

Regional Passport Processing Centre. In a fewcountries, however, customers will still have theoption to submit their application via their nearestEmbassy, High Commission or Consulate reflectingspecific local circumstances. You can find out whereand how to submit your application by visitingyour local British Embassy/High Commissionwebsite.

In 2011, all passport printing will be sent to acentral production facility in the UK, shared withIPS. Most customers will receive their new passportdirectly from the UK, but some will need to collecttheir new passport from their nearest Embassy,High Commission, Consulate or courier depot.British Embassy/High Commission websites willcontain clear guidance on local delivery andcollection options.

There are longer term plans to move all passportapplication processing back to the UK. We willinform customers as soon as we know when andhow this will affect the service.

What will this mean for me?As a British national living overseas you will stillhave the ability to apply for your passport overseaswhether it is a renewal or you are applying for thefirst time. When making your application you willneed to allow time for the passport to be returned.In line with the service in the UK, for customersrenewing a passport we aim to return your newpassport within four weeks from receipt of correct

theft and passport fraud; protecting you and international borders

> Integrating the two passports services into IPS will reduce the cost of maintaining a passport operation overseas, allowing us to continue to offer secure passports to overseas customers

So what’s changing?> A new emergency travel document available in

most British Embassies by November 2010. If you don’t have a valid passport and need to travel urgently, this will provide a fast, secure and readily available way to do so

> Regional Passport Processing Centres in place bythe end of 2010

> All passport printing centralised in the UK in 2011

> In the longer term all passport application processing will also be moved back to the UK

By the end of 2010 we will have created 7 RegionalPassport Processing Centres, based in Düsseldorf,Hong Kong, Madrid, Paris, Pretoria, Washington,and Wellington. These Centres will process all thepassport applications for customers overseas untilthat work is centralised in the UK.

The majority of overseas passport applicants will beable to send their passport applications direct to a

If you live abroad the way you obtain a passport,and where you need to apply, will change over thenext three years. This leaflet explains what’shappening and why.

After more than 20 years of running separatepassport services, the Foreign and CommonwealthOffice (FCO) and the Home Office have agreed thatfrom April 2011, the Identity & Passport Service (IPS- an agency of the Home Office) will become thesingle provider of full validity passports for Britishnationals at home and overseas.

Why is this happening?> By taking this action now, customers overseas

will still have access to a passport service

> In October 2010 IPS will introduce new style passports containing more sophisticated securityfeatures. They are required to do this to continue to meet international quality and security standards. It is not affordable to print these new passports overseas

> The UK remains one of the few countries still printing passports in Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates overseas. This is expensive to do and transferring blank passports around the world presents a greater security risk

> New designs and new processes are being introduced to reduce the likelihood of identity

passport change edit jr 30/6/10 18:03

An important reminder from the British Embassy


A busy week!Dear Parents,

What an enjoyable week I have had. Mrs Armstrong has been in England this week as part of her Leadership training she is doing through Nord Anglia Education, hence I have had the pleasure of taking 5A for the week and seeing just how much work they do and how great their attitude is.

I also go over to the Foundation Campus every day from 11.30am till 1.30pm. I eat with our youngest children and cover playground duty with Nursery and Reception children. Again it has been lovely to get to know them all and see their personalities develop.

We have had a great sporting week for our Key Stage 2 children who have been involved in a swimming gala and a football tournament. So many swimmers received awards and our footballers out played all the other schools. Mr Hubbard and Mr Bobby were so proud of them all.

We had a fabulous ‘pastries with parents’ event at the main campus and approximately 280 adults popped in for coffee and pastries with their children. It was a lovely atmosphere and the teachers really enjoyed mingling with their children’s parents.

House Music was a fabulous affair. Every child from Y1-6 was involved and the talent displayed by these children was excellent. Our panel of judges had a difficult decision and I could see a few feet tapping to the music.Our Parent Society is working hard to help organise International Day with the Shunyi Parent association for October 15th. Any parental support would be gratefully received.

Have a wonderful autumn break and I look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday 11th October.

Warm regards

Janet BrockHeadteacher, Sanlitun Campus

From the Headteacher, Sanlitun

October 13th - Parent Society (Sanlitun) Meeting at 9am - Please come - Need volunteers to help at the Halloween Party on the 29th


Sanlitun Parents SocietyAmy FieldAmy, an American from Philadelphia, arrived in Beijing 2 years ago. She and her husband, Manning, and their 3 wonderful children are loving their time in Beijing. Caroline is in Year 2, Elizabeth is in Nursery and Declan is in Pre-Nursery. Amy is also a Daisy Girl Scout Leader and likes to spend her free time exploring the city, reading and playing with her kids.

Andrea Costa Andrea is originally from Peru and moved to Beijing almost 8 years ago with her husband. Andrea is the mother of two Beijing-born children; Lorenzo, Year 1 and Maria who is 2-1/2. After eight years she has seen Beijing change a lot and has gained a deep love for this amazing city. She enjoys training, making new friends and taking full advantage of all that Beijing has to offer.

Kelly CharlesKelly moved to Beijing the first time in September 2007 from Sydney, Australia, for her husband to work on the Olympics. After a year back home in Australia, she has returned with her a family. Kelly has 2 beautiful daughters. Harmony is in 3T and Matisse is currently in a Chinese Preschool. Kelly enjoys learning Chinese, making friends and living in Beijing.

Kim McVeighKim moved to Beijing in April 2010 from Houston, Texas. She has a British husband and two lovely daughters, Fiona in Year 3 and Isla in Nursery. Between the Parent Society and being a Brownie Troop Leader, she makes time for Mahjong, sightseeing and making the most of her 2-3 years in Beijing.

Parents Society


International DayOn 15th October, the Parents’ Association of Shunyi and the Parents’ Society of Sanlitun will host an International Day at Shunyi’s BSB campus for Y1 through Y6. To make the event a success, we need our parent community to participate! If you, as a parent, are interested in representing your home country please let your class rep or a member of the Parents’ Society board know immediately. You will then receive an email from the Parents’ Society with the contact details of fellow countrymen also wishing to participate in this event in order for you to coordinate your efforts. The Parents’ Society will hold a separate International Day on a smaller scale for the Foundation children in Sanlitun at a later date. Ideas to consider for representing your country include: wearing national dress or colors; displaying your flag, currency, posters, and images of important people, places and events; serving a traditional food; playing your national anthem; and showing items that are symbolic of your country (books by a famous author, an instrument, spices, a sport, etc.). Our goal is to have all 53 countries with students attending the school represented! You and your fellow countrymen have the flexibility to decide how to best to show off your country, your patriotism, and your national pride. This will also give you the chance to meet other BSB parents from your country! All parents are welcome to participate but these countries are currently not represented - Australia, Russia, Nigeria, Venezuela. Please start planning what your child will wear to school on October 15th. We would like children to represent their country(s) by wearing national dress, costumes or colors. There will be a Parade of Nations at some point in the school day at the Sanlitun campus. Parent Society of Sanlitun Amy Field: [email protected] Andrea Lopez: [email protected] Kelly Charles: [email protected] Kim McVeigh: [email protected]

From the Parents Society and Parents Association


Foundation Stage, Sanlitun

Camping!Well the first half term has come to an end and all the children, in Foundation, have settled into school life and they have had lots of fun learning through play. This week all the children went over to the Main Campus to watch the House Music competition. The children had a fantastic time watching the spectacular performances of the older children. It was a great way to end the week.

Pre Nursery have had a busy week dressing up. We tried our best to put on the dressing up clothes by ourselves.

We have explored the concept of floating and sinking. That was fun! We had a tub of water and chose objects to put into the tub. We then observe what happened.We have also been playing with the dice and looking at the pattern of the dots. It was great to roll it to our friends.We are now more settled in our classes. The children who stay for lunch have been eating their lunch sensibly in the hall with everybody else. We will enjoy our much deserved holiday and look forward to the next half term in school. Nursery has been using their listening ears and looking eyes this

week in their topic about ‘Seeing and Hearing’. We made some big ears to wear and walked around the school to see what sounds we could hear. We heard birds singing, wind rustling through the trees, other children in their classrooms and even cars driving on the road. Our sparkly sun glasses looked really cool as we thought about all the things we could see and sang a song called “I can sing a rainbow”. ReceptionWe have thoroughly enjoyed our week camping. We have played in the tent in our role play area and used chalk to make campfire pictures.We also enjoyed a story around our pretend campfire and tasted marshmallows.We would like to thank all our reception parents and children for making this term very successful and we wish you all a happy holiday!Reception Team.


HabitatsIn Years 1 and 2 we have had a very musical week!With the house singing competition on Thursday, all the house ‘choirs’ have been working hard to give their entry the winning formula by adding costumes, props and action. It promises to be a close final!The Year 1 children have been learning about poetry and how each colour makes us feel. Based on the 5 senses they have composed their own poem and shared it with the class. They have also been learning about shape and tens and units in Numeracy. The year 1 topic’ All about me’ has been a wonderful stimulus for art and collage work and the children have produced some striking work, now on display in the corridor.Year 2 have been ‘authors’ and ‘illustrators’ this week, writing their own stories. They have been learning about number sequences and have been introduced to the concepts of division and multiplication. As the ‘seaside’ topic progresses, the children have continued to learn about habitats and types of coastline and the collage work is nearly complete. It will also be on display in the Key Stage 1 corridor. On a personal note, I am delighted to announce that I am now Key Stage 1 coordinator and that I will be working alongside both the teachers and TAs in Year 1 and 2. It promises to be an exciting year!Enjoy your half term holiday!

Best wishes,Maggie McKelvey

Key Stage One, Sanlitun

Key Stage Two, Sanlitun

Forces!For the past few weeks Year 6 in Sanlitun have been studying the forces that are all around them. After learning the scientific names for different forces we began looking in detail this week at air resistance and its effects.

The children planned and executed an investigation into how air resistance affects the speed at which objects fall. After filling up with delicious pastries on Wednesday the children spent the rest of the morning experimenting outside by dropping different shaped pieces of paper and recording the speed at which they fell. It was a fantastic way for the children to get some

hands-on, practical experience of science and to really witness the forces that we have been discussing in class, in action.

In order to really extend the children and test their new knowledge of air resistance we have set them a homework challenge. Over the course of the holiday the children need to design and build a parachute of their own. They need to consider how the size, weight and materials of their parachute may affect its success. We will conduct a parachute testing extravaganza when the children return from holiday to see who in year 6 has mastered the force……… of air resistance!


ChineseChildren in SLT Chinese classrooms had a fantastic week before the National holidays. In the heritage groups, all children worked very hard in learning Chinese characters and year 2 leant a beautiful Chinese song about a river town in south of China. In Group A, Year 1 children made a gorgeous apple tree for learning colours; year 4 and year 6 made their lovely pocket books for learning vocabulary and sentences. Children in group B learnt a lot of yummy foods and practiced through fun

games.GOOD NEWS for all children in SLT! Over a hundred books are new arriving to our Chinese classrooms. Hope these books will arouse children’s interest of reading and help them to improve their Chinese.

Singing Club ASAIn KS1 Singing Club we have been learning to sing some fun and exciting songs. We have also listened to and talked about songs that come from countries around the world. In addition, we have been playing some rhythm and beat games using clapping,

a ball and our bodies as well as experimenting with the different types of voices that we have. This week we added our own music to some songs using bells, tambourines, maracas and guiros. Have a look at out photos and see if you can spot a star in the making!


EALIt’s been another busy, exciting week in the EAL department. The new students on the intensive EAL course continue to make rapid progress. Many students who were too shy to speak at the beginning of term are now feeling comfortable enough to chatter away freely in EAL lessons! The intensive students have been learning how to use imperatives and how the expression “I have got a__” changes when we talk about other people. The EAL students in years 2-6 are staying in their classes, but getting EAL support to help them access the curriculum when appropriate. We wish all the EAL students a happy October holiday. Tip: don’t stop practicing your newly learned English just because it’s holiday time-keep going. You have already come such a long way!

Sanlitun LibraryIn KS1 library club we have been so busy and it seems as if one hour is not long enough for all of our book lovers! The children listened to the stories then did great activities based on the books. This week we have continued to work on the dinosaur topic. We looked at non-fiction books to name and find facts about different types of dinosaurs. we

chose different kinds of dinosaurs and made 3-D models of them. After carefully cutting, gluing and colouring we made our very own dinosaurs and enjoyed playing with them together.Catherine Mang

Sanlitun House MusicThe children have been very busy for the past few weeks with the house music competition.

All the performances were AMAZING and well done to everyone.

Winning House - Red Normans Sanlitun assisted byThe winning song was Three Little Birds and their soloists were Gwennie, Marcel, Thomas, Zhuan Ee and Reika.Pictures will appear in the next newsletter for Sanlitun.


Student Council Roles and ResponsibilitiesThe Primary Student Council has been elected and they have been making important decisions already. We meet on 2 Fridays per month at lunchtimes in the Primary Library and this year we have the largest SC in BSB history with 19 Reps on the Council. Each Y1 – Y6 class held elections in early September and through secret ballots voted in the child who they thought would be the fairest, most determined, kind and thoughtful. The classes made wise decisions – the Reps are as follows:

The SC has already decided to restart Bake Sale on Tuesdays. The products are being sourced from the charity bakery “Bread of Life” and all SC profits go into the coffers of the Student Council. In the past the SC has donated to the Sichuan earthquake appeal, donated dog and cat food to a local animal shelter, and bought mosquito nets for malarial areas of Africa. They have also purchased play ground equipment such as hoops, ropes, crates, tarps etc for fellow pupils to pay with – a HUGE success. The Kids’ Choice lunch has been organised by the SC too for Thursday 14th October. We wish the Student Council all the best of lunch in their duties.

The SC are also in talks with Mrs Ross about an exciting new student led baking initiative – again for charity! Look out for more details in upcoming editions of BSB Vox!

We wish the Student Council all the best of lunch in their duties.

Kind regards for a lovely holiday,

Jane SmithHoP

A Message from the Head of Primary, Shunyi

1DR Dominic Billingham 1MK Jeronimo Gomez 1NT Hannah Daehn 1ES Christian Jorgensen2SA Smirti Srinivasan 2JB Kai Phelan 3SF Nicole Moore 3CB Kirsty McCabe3AO Farah Almadi 4JB Lily Despain 4MW Ben Robinson 4RB Luca Coben5MJ Rosie Woods 5JO Chris Howland 5DW Christopher Ng 5TF Andrea Chua6SK Jae Young Park 6GT Chenny Lee 6DC Cameron Yearn


Student bake saleStudent Council Bake Sale starts Tuesday 12th October

Baked items 12rmb each cinnamon rolls, crunchy cookies, brilliant brownies all for all.

Help support Bread of Life charity bakery and your own Student Council projects!

Bring correct change to the Dining Room each Tuesday at 10.10am.


Shunyi Only


Older Readers Category

PANDA BOOK AWARDS 2010-2011

Read them all to vote for your favorite.

Younger Readers Category




Foundation Stage, Shunyi

Patterns and AntsRECEPTIONIn Reception the children have been continuing to explore their topic about PATTERNS. This week they enjoyed reading “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and making lots of different repetitive patterns and symmetrical patterns based on the story. Their butterflies are beautiful! For Phonics they learnt about the letters “t” and “a” and their first High Frequency Word was “I”. The special shape focus

this week was a rectangle. The children had fun making Toast and constructing Teddies and Ants on an Apple to reinforce their Letter/ Sound Skills.

NurseryNursery has had a great time continuing learning about their senses. This week they explored taste and smell. They tried tasting and smelling a variety of different foods and classified them as “sweet, sour, bitter and savoury”. They also smelt different scents and matched these with the objects that make each smell. The children had fun making their own favourite playdoh food. They are practicing emergent writing skills and writing their names to label their work.

TEDDIESTEDDIES 1This week Teddies 1 began talking about Autumn and exploring changes in the outdoor scenery and feeling the cooler temperatures around us. They enjoyed this weeks’ Nursery Rhyme focus: Little Miss Muffet.TEDDIES 2The children in Teddies 2 began their topic about “Clothes” this week. They had a lovely time discovering the items of clothing in the treasure box and singing “This is the Way We Put On Our Clothes”. They have worked on becoming more independent with taking off their own socks and sweaters and putting them on again. The children enjoyed listening to lots of stories with “clothes” as the theme. They did many fun activities with dress-ups and were very busy washing socks in the water tray and hanging them out to dry.


The magic boxYear 1 have been writing lots of beautiful poetry this week based on the well known poem by Kit Wright ‘The Magic Box’. Please pop along to our classrooms to see the children’s poems on display in our classrooms. The children have also been finishing off their super self portraits, adding the finishing touches and facial features to complete their work. Once again, many of these pieces of artwork will be on display on the Year 1 corridor, celebrating the children’s work. Well done Year 1!We have had another busy week in Year 2, as well as practicing for the House Music Competition. All the children did extremely well in rehearsals and a tremendous job singing and dancing on the day! This week in literacy we looked at the features of explanation texts. The children then started writing their own explanation of how bathing machines were used at the seaside in Victorian times. In numeracy we looked at 2D and 3D shapes and their properties. We also had a fun walk around the school identifying all the different 3D shapes we could find! Dawn Ross

Key Stage One , Shunyi

Key Stage Two , Shunyi

Nutrition tuitionYear 5DW have been investigating the many different elements of ‘Keeping Healthy’ for their science study this half term. The children have spent time looking at why and what we need to eat in order to maintain a healthy body. They have researched different food groups and identified the

best and worst foods for providing nutrients and energy. They have researched how they need to balance the intake of foods from these food groups and created their own delicious, nutritionally balanced dinner plates. We then thought that we should look a little more carefully at how our bodies process these foods and have had a fascinating week looking closely at the process of ‘disgusting digestion’ in all its delightful detail of strange organ shapes and fluids that help to break down the foods we eat at different stage of the digestive process. The children consolidated their learning by working in teams to draw around each other and carefully recreate their digestive organs in glorious technicolour. All the children worked fantastically well in their teams and you can see just how well they have put their ‘inner selves’ together in these photographs. Fancy a hamburger anyone?!


House Music CompeitionThe children have been very busy for the past few weeks with the house music competition.

All the performances were AMAZING and well done to everyone.

Shunyi - SaxonsThe winning song at Shuyni was Chimchiminy by the Saxons and their solo act was Flashdance assisted by Rebekah, Yani, Isabel and Chenny.


Football U9On Sunday our under 9’s played their first ever match in BJFL. Sports Beijing hosted us. It was a very tough match for us, as we lost 10-2. Jung Hui Kang scored both our goals, and excellent goals they were.Chris Yau was nominated our man of the match with a string of stunning saves. Dispite the score BSB did play some good football towards the end of the match. Due to the popularity of this age group we’ll be looking at entering 2 teams in the next ‘season.’ Full squad: Chris Yau, Jing Hui Kang, Kai Phelan, Guy Yearn, Sedric Lin, Marvin Lin, Andrew Inskip, Micheal Oak, Jim Lim and Victor Melander Our U11b team were host by Jia You FC, with debuts for Nandi and Kevin. This again was a tough game with us losing 6-2. Again there was plenty of effort for our team, Eric Kim scored our first goal and Ben scoring the second. Full squad: Paul Chang, Nandi Rikonda, Georgia Phelan, Ben & Brad Francis, Eric Kim, Kevin Sun and Slater Wylie. Please can you add that i’m looking for recruits for parent/teacher football team to play the odd friendly. Anyone interested to contact me direct [email protected] Raymond

Kwik cricket ASAIn week one, we played a big game to introduce everyone to the sport. Some of the children have played before and it has been lovely to see them helping each other out. From week two the children were split into three smaller groups and we began working on the specific skills of the game including bowling, fielding and catching as well as batting.

Most weeks two groups will play a game with the remaining group playing the following week. This

gives the children an opportunity to practice the skills they have been taught in an actual game.

By the end of the season the children should have improved bowling, catching and batting skill as well as a heightened tactical awareness of the sport. We hope they continue to enjoy it as much as they have done during the first two sessions and that they play some more cricket in the future!

ASA


ChineseOctober 1st is the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and celebrated as China’s National Holiday. An important occasion, the holiday is celebrated all of the People’s Republic of China. The National Day Parade was designated by CPPCC as an important component of the grand ceremony for the founding of P.R.C. Fireworks displays are usually held nationwide in all cities during China’s National Day, One of the grandest and most famous being The Hong Kong National Day Fireworks Display held since 1997 in Victoria Harbor. The National Day Flower Bed festival is found in the main squares of many cities during National Day. The Flower Bed in Tiananmen Square is of course the grandest and most beautiful. During China’s National Day, red lanterns are seen everywhere, especially hanging at the gates of government office buildings as well as all kinds of stores and shops. The red lantern is a symbol of festivity, luck and happiness.

EALThis week in EAL we have been concentrating on body parts, classroom vocabulary, and rooms of a house and what furniture goes in each room.The children have been active during a game of ‘Simon Says’ using different parts of the body, arty when drawing rooms of a house and excited in ‘Classroom Bingo’! We have learnt lots of different vocabulary in a fun environment!

EAL


SecondaryDear Parents,

Over the weekend BSB staff took part in the International Award Regional training. The International Award is an exciting self-development programme for all young people worldwide. It equips them with life skills, builds their confidence and engages

them with the community. To date more than six million young people from over 130 countries have undertaken a variety of voluntary and challenging activities through the Award. It is based upon the very popular Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school has already run an expedition in preparation for the International Award to the Silver Pagadoas. Over the seminar BSB staff were brought up to date with current methods and received certificates that allow them to coach students though the Award. Staff also met with instructors and activity providers and this will allow us to offer a greater variety of challenging trips for the students and to qualify more of them for the Award. More information on the award can be found on http://www.intaward.org/Rob HewettHead of Secondary

Last month a new BSB secondary student, Kirsty Macleod, appeared on the front cover of Beijing Kids!

Well done Kirsty. She has also written an article for City Weekend Parents and Kids which has been reproduced

on page 25.


Clock MakingArtYear 9 Clock MakingStudents have been busy designing and building clocks and clock faces as part of the year 9 Art Project

Horse Riding ASAAfter just two horse riding lessons I’m pleased to announce that all the students managed to escape the restraints of the lunge reign! There were a few hair raising moments that nearly led to a horse pile up! But all have really grown in confidence and their ability to manage and control a horse are coming along nicely. Charlotte Yearn


ScienceYear 7 ScienceUsing Bunsen burners safely and learning how to heat liquids and record temperatures accurately using a thermometer.

Maths Miss Benson’s Year 8’s were in a rather strange situation this week in Mathematics. They found themselves on a treasure hunt around the class looking for questions and puzzles in order to learn about sequences. Students started off at different points in the classroom with a clue and through understanding the questions and using their functional skills they managed to complete all of the treasure hunt at the same time of expanding their knowledge and understanding of the topic.

Miss Benson


Heart Dissection!The Year 12 AS Biology students have been learning about the structures and functions of the heart. Students first watched a video on the heart before they were given the opportunity to carry out their own dissection. They were guided through the process by Ms Brangquinho, carefully making an incision into the wall of the atria and following it down the wall of the ventricle. This enabled them to locate and observe the valves in the heart. The students then explored how the chambers and blood vessels were connected and their positions relative to each other. Following their experience we hope to give the students the opportunity to help teach year 5 about the heart in a few weeks time.

You can learn more about the heart from http://thevirtualheart.org/anatomyindex.htmlOr become a heart surgeon @ http://www.bhf.org.uk/cbhf/games/heart_op/

Dr Iain Massie

New Zealand Trip talkNew Zealand Trip 2011 - Years 9 and up, as well as parents, were in the theatre last Thursday to listen to the founder of “Little Brown Kiwi” (the group that we are using for our trip down under) give a great presentation about the fantastic environment we will be going into. He was very inspirational although some students balked at the thought of doing their own washing up !!! This is a curriculum based trip with students able to do fieldwork in calderas or geo thermal power stations – places they might never be able to visit again. It was very exciting seeing the trip come to life and I am very grateful to Mr Henry Ballantyne for detouring so he could visit us.



Mature Readers Category


Middle Readers Category




University News:The month of September has flown by with several completed applications to the following universities in various courses of study1. London School of Economics and Political Science 2. London Metropolitan University 3. City University 4. University of Cambridge 5. The University of Buckingham6. The University of Edinburgh 7. The University of Nottingham8. University of Southampton 9. The University of Manchester 10. The University of Sheffield Independent University Visits:

It is never too early to start thinking about universities. While away on the Chinese Holiday, try to fit in a university visit, no matter where you are. I always find that students begin to formulate ideas of what they like and don’t like the more they get exposed to universities.

Important DeadlinesSATs Scholastic Aptitude TestParents interested in learning more about US University testing and admissions might want to visit http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/SATs must be taken for entrance to most US and Canadian Universities. A paper mail-in registration is required. Please come to the secondary library to pick up a registration package.Test Date Registration Must be received byNovember 6, 2010 October 8, 2010December 4, 2010 November 5, 2010January 22, 2011 December 23, 2011

UCAS www.ucas.comParents interested in UCAS news should sign up for parent emails at www.ucas.com/parentsOctober 15, 2010: Application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science courses and for all courses at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. January 15, 2011: Application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all courses except those listed above with a 15 October deadline, and art and design courses with a 24 March deadline.BMAT BioMedical Admissions TestSeptember 30, 2010 Standard registration closesOctober 15, 2010 Last Date for BMAT entries (late fees apply)November 3, 2010 Test

LNAT Law Apptitude Admissions TestDeadlines for applications to other LNAT universities if you want to guarantee that your application will be considered:


New Sixth Former out now!

Register and book an LNAT test slot by 15 January 2011Submit UCAS form by 15 January 2011Sit the LNAT by 20 January 2011

Upcoming University Presentations

October:Les Roches International School of Hotel Management BSB; Friday October 15, 2:30pmLinden U.S. University Seminar October 17th downtown Beijing (more information): http://www.britishschool.org.cn/news/2010/USUNI/en/Linden U.S. University Seminar Monday, October 18, at 3:00pm ISB, Upper Gallery (BSB students invited to attend. Please inform Liz Stucke of your interest)Ivy International Education Consultancy (IIEC) seminar on 50 US colleges and universities. October 16; 2:00pm to 4:00pm at Ariva Beijing West Hotel. Free, but registration required:www.ivycounsel.com/registration_form1.htm

November:The University of EdinburghThe University of Andrews

Other Universities scheduling times: Oxford Brookes UniversityUniversity of Aberdeen

Welcome to Issue 2

A letter from...Head BoyI would like to wish a warm welcome to all our new students in Secondary. I hope everyone had a great summer. Here’s a little introduction about myself. My name is Tommy, I’m sixteen and this is my sixth year in BSB. To my surprise I was elected Head Boy on the very first day of school, but relish the opportunity. This year my aim is to ensure that all students feel comfortable being themselves in school.

Head GirlMy name is Min Jung Kang, currently in Year 13. I am from Korea, but have lived in Beijing for more than 13 years, this being my fourth year at BSB. I am currently studying A Levels in Art, Chinese, Maths and Spanish. I have participated in sports teams and represented BSB at basketball and swimming. From a young age I have always enjoyed taking photographs of scenery, painting and swimming.

The Sixth FormerIssue 2 | October 2010

University Application UpdateUKBSB Deadline for UCAS registration December 1st 2010 15th October 2010 deadline for Oxbridge Applications15 January 2011 - Closing date for 2011 UCAS applicationsEnd March 2011 - Majority of decisions madeEarly May 2011 - Deadline for applicants to make replies to offersBMAT Registration deadline 15th OctoberBMAT Exam 3rd NovemberUKCAT registration deadline 27th SeptemberUKCAT Last Testing Date 8th OctoberDeadlines for applications to other LNAT universities if you want to guarantee that your application will be considered:Register and book an LNAT test slot by 15 January 2011Submit UCAS form by 15 January 2011Sit the LNAT by 20 January 2011Deadlines if you are applying to Oxford (Oxford will not consider later applications):Register and book an LNAT test slot by 15 October 2010Submit UCAS form by 15 October 2010Sit the LNAT by 1 November 2010 at the very latest

USASATOctober 9th, November 6th, December 4th, January 22ndPSAT/NMSQTOctober 13th, October 16th

Visiting Universities15 October, 2:30pm -Les Roches, International School of Hotel Management17 October - The Linden Tour5 November - The University of Edinburgh Visit

Princeton UniversityPrinceton University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that stands in the nation’s service and in the service of all nations. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.As a world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.Today, more than 1,100 faculty members instruct approximately 5,000 undergraduate students and 2,500 graduate students. The University’s generous financial aid program ensures that talented students from all economic backgrounds can afford a Princeton education.

Q&A with a Princeton StudentWhat type of Work experience Volunteer works did you do?I taught piano for several years as an on-the-side job in both middle and high school. In my senior year of high school, I served as the voting student member on the Maryland State Board of Education, having been elected by the state student council and appointed by the governor. This past summer I interned as a research analyst at the National Council on Teacher Quality, a non-profit think tank focused on education policy in Washington, D.C. I was also a founding member of Wicomico County Youth Leadership Academy and co-chair of the education sub-committee for the Wicomico Sister City Committee.

What other Universities did you apply to?Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, University of Maryland, University of Virginia

What do you want to study?Economics and Public Policy

Why Princeton?1. Princeton was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for 8 of the past 10 years, so there was certainly an element of prestige that factored into my decision. 2. I was enthralled with the university. The campus scenery was beautiful, and it was nestled in a small affluent town close to several

metropolitan areas. 3. I was impressed by Princeton’s premier focus on undergraduate education, where it is not unusual to have a Nobel Prize-winning professor

teaching an introductory course; the undergraduates also have opportunities to meet famous professors and alumni. 4. After talking to students at the university, I was amazed at how happy they were, being able to balance an array of extracurricular activities,

receive a fantastic education, and still have lots of fun.5. Princeton has the most attractive financial aid package.

What three pieces of advice would you give to a student applying to University?1. Start early. You’ll be surprised how relieved and fulfilled you’ll feel when you’ve left enough time to individually concentrate on the all aspects

of your application (especially your essay and portfolio) 2. Keep everything in perspective. One thing on the application will not make or break you, and you want to make sure to present a holistic

portrait of you as an applicant. 3. Make sure this is your assignment and that you take the initiative. It definitely helps to get advice from your parents, teachers, and peers, but

you’re the one who ultimately knows yourself best.

Will you live on campus?Yes. One of the great things about Princeton is that all students have guaranteed housing on campus—I’ll be living in a suite at a residential college.

What are your hobbies /interests?Playing the piano, Sports, Traveling, Working out, Movies, Trivia, ReadingDerek Wu is the son of one of our College Counselors and is entering his Sophomore Year at Princeton University. On a visit to BSB in early September he spent time talking with our Year 13 students.

AS PhysicsThe AS Physics course includes five main topics organised into two Units, namely Unit 1: Mechanics (Motion, Forces, Energy and Power), Materials (Fluid Flow, Strength of Materials), Unit 2: Waves (Types of Wave, Wave Behaviour, Light and Sound), Electricity (Electrical Quantities, Complete Electrical Circuits), Nature of Light (What is Light?, Spectra and Energy Levels in Atoms). The theory is fully supported with a range of practicals and opportunities for students to question and evaluate their own work. Assessment is by means of three written examination papers at the end of the course on Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3 is an ‘alternative to practical paper’ which assesses practical skills and ability to analyse and evaluate experimental data.The course is ideal preparation for students wishing to attend further education in engineering, physics, mathematics, architecture, medicine, biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, astronomy and other sciences. Physics explains the basic principles by which the universe works and is therefore an essential requirement for a proper understanding of any science-related subject. This course would suit someone who is numerate and can pay attention to detail and accuracy. He/She would need to be adaptable to a rapidly changing field and enjoy being at the forefront of technology.Written by Mr Mike Pryer

Subject Spotlight

Issue 2 | October 2010The Sixth Former

Spotlight

on:

Interview

Important Information


U19 Girls VolleyballThis pack week the British School Beijing (BSB) U19 Boys and Girls Volleyball teams were back in ISAC (International Schools Athletic Conference) competitions. On Friday the girls traveled to Beijing City International School (BCIS) and the boys hosted the International Academy of Beijing (IAB). The girls played well but were unable to put together a complete set and lost 0-3 sets against BCIS. The boys on the other hand also played well at times but too came up short 1-3 sets against IAB. Then on Saturday the boys traveled to the Canadian International School Beijing (CISB) to play CISB and Tianjin International School (TIS). Unfortunately the boys were shut out in both matches 0-3 sets. However, though the scores don’t reflect it our boys and girls are showing great improvement and continued understanding for the competitive game of Volleyball. Given this is our first year ever playing ISAC volleyball and the fact many of our players are quite young echoes for future development and improvement.

After the October National Holiday break BSB will be back in action on Friday 15th October when the boys host BCIS. Then on Saturday both the boys and girls will be participating in the ISAC season ending tournament, the boys travel to IST and the girls travel to CISB. If you are free and available to come and cheer on our BSB teams please feel free to do so.

Travis WashkoU19 Boys Volleyball [email protected]

Primary Football Exchange Tournament @ BCIS Wednesday 29th September On a glorius sunny day over at Beijing City International School, pupils from both BSB Sanlitun and Shunyi played in the first ever Football Exchange Tournament.Both BSB teams were playing their first Primary Football matches of the season with teams entered in the U11 Boys, U11 Girls and U9 Boys sections.... and what an incredible start it was!


BSB Sanlitun U11Boys team got off to a flyer defeating BIBS 5-0 with Jorge bagging a hat-trick and Howie and Zhuan Ee netting one each. The all-around team play and passing was superb with the defence of Jay, Chun Beum and Joey keeping things tight and this proved the same for the next few games as they ran out 3-1 winners over BCIS. The next game was a 7-2 rout with Kimbo in scorching form - bombing down the flanks all game and in one instance setting up Zhuan Ee for a diving header! The boys finished off the tournament with a 4-0 win over Canadian International School to leave a record of: Played 4, Won 4.Team; Max, Jay, Joey, Chun Beum, Song Xuan, Inaki, Jorge,

Kimbo, Zhuan Ee, Howie. The Sanlitun Girls team were also very impressive. In a tournament with very few goals scored, the BSB girls played some very good football and were unfortunate only to draw their first 4 games. In the last game however, it all came together and their excellent passing and shooting skills finally paid off with a convincing 4-0 win over Beanstalk school. Gwennie hit 2 great goals, before strikes from Pearl and an absolute belter from Atu meant our girls were the top goalscores in the tournament!Team: Yoko, Gwennie, Pearl, Gennie, Atu, Naomi, Sascha, AnnLinn. In the U9 section, because of the huge amount of teams and players, our boys combined forces with BSB Shunyi and BIBS. All of our boys who played showed great determination and super skills, with most of them bagging some great goals! Evan, Sam, Wonjoon, Tyler and Anakin all got on the scoresheet with well-taken goals while Matthew, Lukas, Fabian and Jar all played out of their skins. There will be plenty more games after half term for all these teams.Thank you also to Mr. Avery and Mr. Lee for helping out. WELL DONE EVERYONE! Mr. Hubbard


ISAC Soccer Exchange On Wednesday three teams from SY travelled to BCIS to compete in the newly formed Junior ISAC soccer exchange. The teams did themselves and the school pround, conducting themselves beautifully and demonstrating great sportsmanship. U11 BoysWon 4This team did a fantastic job throughout the day, scoring a total of 25 goals over their four games without conceding a single goal to their opponents. Solid teamwork and superb skill won the day for us. Throughout the competition our players showed fantastic sportsmanship, cheering for other teams as well as their own. Well done boys! Man of the tournament: Efekan Bilgin Coach: Mr Conor Smart U11 GirlsWon 1, Drew 3, Lost 1This team showed great improvement as the day progressed. Our defence was good and grew in confidence. The girls showed great teamwork and enjoyed all of the games they played. The highlight of the day was scoring their only goal in the final match, well deserved after the progress made through all matches. Well done girls! Players of the tournament: Maria Garcia, Danielle Moore Coach: Mrs Katie Robinson U9 BoysWon 4The U9 team showed fantastic performances both on and off the field of play. The team won all four of their matches and showed great sportsmanship to their fellow competitors. Everyone gave 100% in every match played, furthermore the whole team listened well to coaching points from all staff involved. This team were great ambassadors for the school, helping to promote a great image of BSB. Well done boys! Player of the tournament: Nicolas Brunel Gomez Coach: Mr Ian PhillipsonKatie RobinsonHead of Primary School PEBritish School of Beijing, Shunyi Campus


BSB Open Swimmers MeetBSB open on Sept 28Our first school swim meet this year was a great success. 80 swimmers took part and we witnessed great swims and great effort. It ran very smooth with volunteered parents and TAs. Thanks very much! Wineners in primary school were presented ribbons at the assembly. Lots of new school records were set. It will be displayed on the Aquabears notice board soon.

Tuesday Learn to Swim ASA-ImproversLearn to Swim meets every week in the pool. Children are having lots of fun working hard to improve their stroke techniques and learning new skills. Wednesday Learn to Swim ASA-IntermediateOn Wednesday lessons we are consolidating basic techniques, developing sculling, refining stroke techniques and extending swim skills. There are few places available for Season 2 lessons. If you are interested, please email: [email protected]


BSBCCThe BSBCC has been scratching their heads all week to come up with ideas for new events. And things are telling me it’s going to be quite exciting this year!

So here is the round-up of up-coming events!

First up is the NON-UNIFORM DAY!! ( does anyone call it mufti here? ) For this year’s non-uniform day the committee has chosen that everyone wear red! What?? Has the Red house taken over? No, this isn’t propaganda for the Red house. Well, for those who like

red, this is a treat for you! For those who aren’t fans of red.... you can learn to like it :) So go outside and get something red!! You get to wear red for the day for only a minimal donation of 10RMB!!! This will take place on the 29th of October and money will be donated to “ A child’s voice appeal” charity. Children raising money for other children! Parents will receive a letter about this shortly after the break.

Next up is the Halloween Disco, featuring our teachers’ band!!Students can recommend songs for us to play at the disco this year, so you get to dance to some of your favourite tunes! We will give out wish lists for songs very soon. Everyone can choose up to 3 of their favourite songs. There will be the Limbo so you can show off your skills. Also, an eating competition will be organised so be sure to come with an empty stomach! Drinks and snacks will be supplied, pizza can also be purchased for 5RMB per piece. The admission fee will be 15RMB if you are wearing a costume or 20RMB if you aren’t. This will also be held on the 29th of October.

Finally we are going to sell popcorn and other snacks at the Cinema of Dreams also coincidentally held on the 29th of October. What’s with the 29th?

That’s it for this week.Stay tuned for next week’s update!

Benjamin Sy – Yr12


BSB is pleased to widen the scope of our newsletter by including a parents’ page, items for this page should be in keeping with the ethos of the School and should be submitted to our Publications and Liaison Officer on [email protected] before 4pm Wednesday on the week in which they are to appear. Please note we cannot advertise

businesses, the aim is to promote charitable events and personal ads.

NORMANS SAXONS VIKINGS ROMANS

Sanlitun House Points Shunyi House Points

Normans

Saxons

Vikings

Romans

Normans

Saxons

Vikings

Romans

Well done Saxons! House points begin soon for Shunyi.

Secondary Merit Awards

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Erik Melander

Mina Shin

Amelie Auvray

Lawrence Greco

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JiEun Kang

Randy Zhang

Prateek Pandey

Silvia Vininyu

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Parents Page

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Halloween is quickly approaching--have costumes for your children? Shop from the world’s largest online Halloween store--HalloweenExpress.com--and have Dong-Xi.com ship it to you. Even better, to save on shipping costs, Dong-Xi.com is organizing a special GroupShip for the costumes, to save on shipping costs for British School families.” Three easy steps:1. Send the link of the costume/items you want to [email protected] 2. Pay through Dong-Xi.com 3. Receive costumes one week before Halloween

William Heathershaw


PARENT EFFECTIVENESS TRAINING

Hassles over issues like bedtimes, chores, rules, TV & TV programs, homework; tantrums, scenes etc. Are these situations familiar? P.E.T. offers skills to resolve these problems together with your child.

P.E.T. is an 8-session course specially designed for families to learn a time-tested model of communication that offers skills, which gives you

Better two-way communication Establish successful discipline Children who become self-disciplined, more responsible and solve

their own problems Children who are more self-reliant, resilient, independent, and self-

motivated Children who are more open to parent’s ideas Warmer feelings, closer relationships and more FUN in the family

Course starts: Wednesday 13th October, 9am- 12pm at BSB Shunyi

For More Information or a course outline contact: Susie Havas: [email protected] or 13910024146

Mum, can I have …

I’m very confused!

Help!

All I want is some peace and quiet!

Lookout! They’re arguing again!!


More information can be found on the posters in school.

bsb vox #5

Documents

validity passport

new school year

new system

passport fraud

new families

return ofyour new passport

new parkingdrop

sanlitun children