Learning About Nesting Shapes In Year 2
“Children are confident in spirit, infinite in resources, and eager to learn. Everything is still possible.”
This week in Maths class, our Year 2’s learned all about nesting shapes. Nesting shapes are shapes of increasing/decreasing size that fit inside one another. They are perfect for teaching children various skills such as, fine motor skills, coordination, counting skills, spatial abilities as well as problem solving skills.
It is wonderful to watch the students nest, stack and sort all while learning some important math concepts. When using nesting materials, students aren’t simply playing or building – they are experimenting, they are problem-solving and developing critical thinking skills.
We had some fun learning about what nesting shapes are and where we can find them in everyday life. We looked at measuring cups, cookie cutters and even some Russian dolls.
In one of our Maths lessons we got super creative and made some of our own Russian dolls. We coloured them in beautifully, paying specific attention to the detail on each one and how they would all fit perfectly into each other. What fun!
Siobhan Hendry
Year 2 Teacher
Back To School Is Cool!
After 3 long weeks of fun, fun, fun.
Our holidays are over and done.
Time to go back to school
And yes, this can be very cool!
A week of online learning you see.
(It’s really not for you and me)
But 3MG took it in their stride,
And oh my heart will burst with pride!
Each student on time every morning
Although, there was a little yawning.
Heaps of energy and full of beans!
Excited and very chatty it seems!
Lots and lots of holiday news,
A race to talk and share ensues!
But hang on Year 3, there is time to tell
Please hold your tongue and do not yell.
First a cube you must design
And then you’ll have your chance to shine!
On each face, you should draw
A holiday snap of what you saw
And when you’re done, a turn you’ll get
To roll your cube and then you’re set!
To tell us about that holiday snap
A chance to chat and chat and chat!
And when your news has come to an end,
You’ll have to listen to your friend!
Mandy Goch
Year 3 Teacher
Sing Along Learning
At Blouberg International School, in Reception Year, our little ones learn in many different ways, but singing songs is one of our favourites! They love learning new songs and actions and are always very happy to share their favourite songs with everyone.
Did you know:
One way or another, children are exposed to and involved with singing from their earliest years. Whether it’s a parent singing them to sleep, or the opening theme song from their favourite TV programme, singing plays an important part in a child’s development.
Learning a piece of information attached to a melody embeds that information more rapidly in a child’s mind. The majority of children learn the alphabet and numbers not by simply saying them but singing them.
Monique Meyer
Reception Year Teacher
This was our rendition of a counting song…
Read More
Lights, Camera, Action!
On this past weekend, we held our casting and workshop that was done in preparation for Blouberg International School’s production of Bar & Ger by Geraldine Aron for the 25 – 27th August 2021.
This will be a dinner time show. So bring a packed dinner for you and your companions.
At 9 o’clock on Saturday morning, we gathered outside in the parking lot and because of the gentle heat from the bright sun and crisp wind, we decided to practise outside in the gorgeous weather. We started off with a couple of exercises to help warm our bodies and voices. The exercises included warm ups to loosen our lower and upper bodies – from the tips of our toes to the stretching of our tongues. Thereafter, we proceeded to utter random words and phrases by using our diaphragms to help project our voices so that our teachers, who were standing near the middle of the field could hear us. Finally, after lots of repeatedly thrown words and fully worked out diaphragms, we were ready to start reciting our lines! Finally, we could practise like the talented thespians we knew ourselves to be.
We were then split into groups of two by which each were given a number of pages to practise. We were encouraged to share with helpful feedback with one another before meeting with our instructors, who sat waiting patiently. Throughout the performances, each respective group received constructive criticism and advice from the directors to help us improve our performance and feel more in tune with the characters we were portraying. The means to project out voices is a huge factor in order to reach the audience members, particularly those who will be sitting at the back of the theatre. Afterwards, we took a break to recuperate our energy with pizza and cool drinks – this was such a special treat from our teachers. By enjoying the delicious and cheesy pizza, and fizzy drinks, we were able to get to know each other better and form stronger bonds that helped us feel more comfortable with one another, which contributed to making our acting ability to feel more natural.
Thereafter, we got back to work where we switched up team members, continued flipping pages during practise and carried on with the day. Just before we were about to head to our separate ways and return home, we all lay down on the field for one last exercise that was conducted by Ms. Kerswill. Through calming instructions we were guided into what felt like a tranquil world wherein our bodies and minds became relaxed. In addition to sitting up from our peaceful minds, we bid farewell with a calm and pleasant mind set. All in all, it was a lovely end to a hard days work.
On Sunday around 9 am once again, we found ourselves back at the parking lot of the school. The cold, crisp, morning air sent shivers down our spine and the minute the junior hall was offered as shelter, we raced through the side door and welcomed the warmer area with open arms. We resumed with the workshop starting with a few warm up exercises, before splitting off into our pairs to finish the last few pages of our script. Everyone embraced the emotions of their characters, and we were slowly becoming more and more in touch with the characters we were playing. The relationship between ourselves and our respective characters had eventually taken form – that is having become immersed into our characters . This could be comparable to being a small seed like having slowly grown until we blossomed into something special – we would not just portray the character, but instead be the character.
Throughout this workshop, we were able to achieve a better idea of the play and our characters, as well as feel the nervous excitement that always happened at rehearsals. We hope that everyone will come to experience the curtain rise for this play at the end of August and eventually realize the fruition of our efforts and hard work that we had put into practise. We have certainly learnt a lot over the past weekend and cannot wait to perform in this play, be it in front of an audience, or live streamed. We are ready and excited to share our hard work with everyone. We hope that you will support us by coming to watch the exciting, incredible, emotional, remarkable and heartfelt production of Bar and Ger!
Written By:
Jean-Marie Schoots
Year 11 Student / Bar and Ger Cast Member
A Warm Welcome To The Third Term Of 2021
I trust you were able to enjoy quality time with your family and are well rested.
On behalf of all our staff members, I would like to welcome back our high school students, who are currently online for now and will hopefully soon be back in class.
We have big smiles (and smiling eyes), positive attitudes and a group of children who have settled marvellously into the new normal.
We would like to welcome Mr. Louis Marais, our new junior high school Science, Maths and PE teacher and Ms. Michellene Williams, our high school IGCSE, AS and A Level English teacher, to our team and wish them the very best for the term to come.
Also, sincere congratulations to the newly elected Interact Board Members for 2021-2022:
Rifqah Price – President
Ayanda Gumede- Vice President
Altesse Cimbalanga – Secretary
Oscar Berger – Treasurer
Ben Cimbalanga – Board member
High School parent-teacher meetings for Term 3 will take place over the following dates:
26/07/2021 – 08:00 – 16:00
27/07/2021 – 08:00 – 16:00
28/07/2021 – 08:00 – 16:00
Parents are kindly requested to book meetings with subject teachers via the Engage platform. Further communication regarding the booking process will be sent out on Friday, 23 July 2021.
As an outstanding school, we value the holistic education and growth of our children and I want to thank all parents, students and staff for working endlessly and incredibly hard to continue to maintain a very high standard of work in the school and also at home.
Carmen de Villiers
High School Coordinator
(PHOTO: BIS INTERACT BOARD of 2022 – Top Left to Right: Altesse, Oscar & Ben; Bottom Left to Right: Rifqah & Ayanda)
Read More
Welcome Back To Term 3 2021!
The Year 6 teachers are incredibly excited to be back at school and starting lessons with our students! Even though we are online, we can still feel the eagerness and commitment resonate through the screens from our Year 6 students. It is lovely to see their faces and hear them contribute to lessons just as they would in class.
This week, the Year 6’s entertained our lessons by showing us their new pets that graced their homes over the holidays!
During Science, we started learning about Electrical Conductors and Insulators and we were able to see an impressive circuit presented by Year 6 student, Juliette East.
We giggled when I shouted “selfie” to take a picture for the Newsletter.
The students also opened up about missing everyone during the holidays and that they were happy to be back.
It was a great first week back and we are all looking forward to the rest of the term. The Year 6’s have a lot in store for Term 3 and we look forward to sharing this with all of you as we progress.
Brittney Hakime
Year 6 Teacher
Here are some great tips and tricks I know I have definitely learnt from my students to make an online lesson a little more interesting:
Read More
Year 2’s Rock Online Learning!
We sometimes tend to underestimate our children’s ability to adapt to change and forget how resilient they are. The dreaded ‘online learning’ loomed over our heads during the holidays. Would we? Wouldn’t we?
Of course, I can only speak for us teachers and have no idea how much effort, bribing or even begging, parents have had to resort to, to ensure their children are online and also complete their work daily. So, our heartfelt thanks go to all the parents, grandparents, family members and friends who are supporting the children during this process.
I have really enjoyed the one-on-one chats I have had with my class over the last few days. In a classroom situation, often there just is not enough time to listen to every child’s story or viewpoint.
Yes, it is stressful for parents and teachers alike, but if I compare Term 3 now, to the hard lockdown during Term 2 last year, I think we have all come a long way.
We look forward to welcoming our students back into the classroom and sincerely hope it will be sooner than later.
Kim Coetzer
Year 2 Teacher
Holiday News
The winter holidays are often a challenge for many parents especially when there are rainy days. However, the Year 1 students enjoyed the time at home and had lots of fun.
Usually on the first day back at school, they love to share their news with their peers, but could not do that with online learning. Instead, they have practiced their writing skills and wrote about the highlights of their holiday.
Ann Cordner
Year 1 Teacher
From the Principal’s Desk, 23 July 2021
Dear Parents
Term 3 is a short 9-week term. We should remember that there is much to do as this is a non-exam term and every task is important.
Our school activities remain hampered by the Covid pandemic but we remain positive. We have much to be grateful for and making excuses will not help us. Let us continue focusing on the many blessings we have and make the most of every opportunity.
We welcome Mr Louis Marais (Year 7 & 8 Mathematics, Science and PE teacher) and Ms Michellene Williams (IGCSE, AS and A Level English teacher) to our school. It is with much excitement that we look forward to having them settle in and work with us to reach our goals.
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today” – Abraham Lincoln
ONLINE LEARNING
“Accountability is the glue that bonds commitment to results” – Will Craig
Thank you to all concerned for a good start to our 1st week of online learning despite some connectivity issues on Tuesday. We sincerely trust that our students will fill our school from Monday, 26th July.
As mentioned at our Parent meeting on Tuesday evening, we have divided the first six weeks of this term into 4 periods. Parents/students have a choice to learn from home or attend school in person from Monday, 26 July 2021.
I request that parents inform the respective class/tutor teachers of their choice for next week (26th – 30th July). Once a choice has been made, we expect students to stick to that choice for the duration of that period. It becomes very disruptive and disorganized if students do not stick to their choice. Please could you let teachers know by the end of this week so they are prepared for Monday.
Online learning is no excuse for students not to attend classes. It is normal school. Please assist all students in maintaining their full commitment.
6 Tips for productivity:
- Establish a routine
- Be organized
- Make deadlines
- Take small breaks
- Stay motivated
- Know yourself
“ACCOUNTABILITY – It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable” – Moliere
FEATURE PHOTO
Our main newsletter photograph features Mrs Nadia Mahomed. Mrs Mahomed is one of our Year 5 teachers and started at BIS in 2016.
A little bit about Nadia:
- She was born in Durban, schooled in Johannesburg and currently lives in Cape Town.
- The things she loves the most are being a mum and those moments when she gets to hide in her room with a bag of Simba chips.
- She is obsessed with Thai food and loves cooking. She does not like baking and has been known to set an oven or two (or three) alight in her attempt to bake.
- She has a Bachelors of the Arts Degree, specialising in Industrial Psychology and English Literature. She also has a Postgraduate Degree in Education.
- She loves travelling but stays far away from camping or any place she cannot plug in her hair straightener.
- Kindness and honesty are values of high importance to her.
Thank you, Nadia, for all you do for the students and our school.
WEEKLY THOUGHT: Do We Invest in Ourselves?
“We take better care of our smartphones than we do of ourselves – the phones are always recharged!” – Arianna Huffington
If the above were not so extremely accurate, one might have thought that Huffington was taking a cheap shot. But she really isn’t…
Our cell phones have screen protectors, covers, and are always charged.
When it comes to us humans, however, the reality is that we do not always take as much care of this person – ourself – whom we hope makes it to a 100%.
I am sure you will agree that most of us don’t take enough care when it comes to:
- What we eat and drink, and in what quantities;
- Ensuring we get enough sleep, rest and time for meditation & thought;
- Exercise and outdoor activities;
- Friendships and depositing into the lives of others;
- Spiritual matters.
While most of us get a new cell phone every 2 years, the body we have and the person we see in the mirror each morning, will be the same image we see until the day we die. The better we take care of ourselves, the better shot we have at a long life. But merely reaching a high age is not first prize – it’s reaching those big numbers and still being able to enjoy life at that stage. That’s the trick!
Like most investments, the sooner you start, the better.
Have a brilliant weekend, setting some time aside for a coffee/tea with yourself.
Andre
Read More
From the Principal’s Desk, 25 June 2021
Dear Parents
We have reached the end of the term. Thank you to our amazing Blouberg families for your support and commitment during the past term.
Thank you, to our teachers, for your hard work and the extra effort put into providing a great education for our students.
We wish all our families a safe, and wonderful, winter holiday.
COVID-19
We will communicate, with you, during the last week of the holiday regarding the arrangements for the new term.
FEATURE PHOTO
Our main newsletter photograph features Mr Riaan Vosloo. Mr Vosloo is our High School Art teacher and started at BIS in July 2019.
- He was the first South African citizen to challenge Section 9, subsection 4 of the South African constitution at the Supreme Court. A short film, entitled “A Still life” about this was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. The New York Times published a follow up article about him.
- He wrote columns for “Die Burger”, interviewed and photographed IFBB SA athletes for sport magazines.
- He acted professionally for Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB). He was always either the antagonist or the “not so smart” character.
- He did conceptual designs for Sun International.
- He was twice in the top 10 of the AngloGold SA jewellery design competition.
Thank you for your commitment to the school.
WEEKLY THOUGHT: Original
“The point is not to take the world’s opinion as a guiding star but to go one’s way in life and working unerringly, neither depressed by failure nor seduced by applause.” – Gustav Mahler
Why do we do the things we do? Have you ever sat down and given this some proper thought?
Like most individuals, we often look around us and ask: “What will people say of this action or this achievement?” It’s a prominent attribute of human beings to want to be accepted by our fellow humans – well at least for the vast majority of us. Wouldn’t you agree?
But Mahler, the famous composer and conductor, warns that if we want to live meaningful lives, we should make less of the world’s opinions and aim to live perfect and committed lives, always trying to do that which we ourselves know to be right.
All too often we do things because of the applause we think we’ll receive from others. The opposite is also true. In many cases, we decide not to embark on a project because of our previous failures, or sometimes even due to the past faults of others.
What Mahler seems to be encouraging us to do is the following: “Live as wisely and unwaveringly as you can each day, not worrying about previous failures or the applause you might receive from the world. Just do what you find to do and do it well.”
If we do this, our journey will certainly be an epic one, not walked by many others. In one word – “Original”!
Have a wonderful weekend, encourage those around you – they need it more than you may think!
Andre
Read More