From the Principal’s Desk, 5 March 2021
Dear Parents
“Gratitude is one of the least articulate of the emotions, especially when it is deep.” – Felix Frankfurter
At Blouberg International we teach our students to value and respect others. Our teachers, cleaning staff and security staff, everyone deserves our time and consideration.
Our security staff has a particularly important job to fulfil daily. They are our front line of defense and a guard against uncontrolled access to the school premises. They ensure that the school remains a safe place for teachers, parents, and students. We are privileged to have Harold and Mzolizi, our day guards, who have a wonderful rapport with parents and students and are on hand to greet every friendly face by name. Their role at our school is crucial and their job of utmost importance; they are the unsung guardians of our children. I therefore ask that we treat them with the respect they deserve. These two men fulfill an important role at the school, far beyond the bounds of assisting with congestion in the parking lot or of a simple security guard. Please treat them accordingly and encourage your children to do the same. Remember that children don’t behave like we tell them to, they behave in the manner they see us act.
Thank you to Harold, Mzolisi, Nowhethu, Tembinkosi, Theresa and Vusi. We appreciate your dedication to our children in maintaining safety and security on campus.
“Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.” – David Thomas
Cultivating good habits
It is exactly a year since the first lockdown in South Africa. During the times we were mandated to remain at home, we likely acquired a few bad habits. For some of us, working from our couches or bedrooms became the norm.
How do we help our students to break habits that have been part of their lives for the past year? Poor posture, being online for most of the day and in some cases working in bed- these are just a few of the habits we need to break.
The sum of our thoughts becomes the sum of our actions. The sum of our actions becomes the sum of our habits. The sum of our habits determines our character. To create good habits, it needs to become a pattern and requires effort, focus and attention.
These are some good habits we can help our children create:
- Do not use electronic devices in bed.
- Take the first step and just make a start.
- Try to be organized.
- Do something that you love.
- Look around you and take note of everything you can be grateful for.
As we prepare for the weekend, I wish you wonderful family time of positive habit creation.
Kind regards
Edna
The Impact Of Kiddies Yoga
“Yoga is the dance of every cell with the music of every breath that creates inner serenity and harmony.” – Debasish Mridha
The Year 2 teachers have started using Kiddies Yoga in class when the students need a bit of a break. We have found that moving the students desks and chairs to the back of the class and playing Kiddies Yoga videos for them to follow has had a positive impact on the students.
Kiddies Yoga has several benefits for young students. It helps students manage their anxiety, improves emotional regulation, boost students self-esteem, increase students body awareness and mindfulness, it also enhances concentration and memory, teaches discipline and reduces impulsivity as well as builds strength and flexibility. The lovely thing about Kiddies Yoga is that it works for both girls and boys which can be quite a fun activity to do. There are Yoga stories which include a story along with the actions that keeps the students in class quite busy with a big smile on their faces.
The Year 2 teachers are happy to see that all the students approach Kiddies Yoga with positive and enthusiastic attitudes. We hope that the students will absorb the benefits from Yoga and continue with it more regularly.
“Yoga is the fountain of youth, you’re only as young as your spine is flexible.” – Bob Harper
Erin Hierse
Year 2 Teacher
Yes, Year 9 students are allowed to focus on Photography for their IGCSE Art & Design course and it is not too late to start.
Do you love taking photographs and playing around with the images?
IGCSE Photography is for creative students who love photography and image manipulation. The photography coursework requirements are the same as the IGCSE Art.
This image was awarded 1st place in the Youth Section at the Huntly Artz Festival in 2012. (Credit: Photography by Melissa Kelsey, ACG Strathallan. NZ. From www.studentartguide.com)
These coursework pages are excellent examples of how to approach a project in a riveting and original way: combining local imagery to create breathtaking fantasy scenes.
Students are required to research photographers and develop their own ideas. They will learn how to experiment with cameras, studio lighting and editing. They are required to have an entry level SLR camera with a standard 18-55 camera and access to a colour printer.
Candidates are taught how to use traditional and new media processes to produce outcomes such as photomontage, printed photography, and digital photography. Their photographic artworks will be in colour and black & white.
The Photography curriculum guides students in responding to the influences and characteristics of the world around them in creating photographic artworks. They explore the traditional and contemporary genres of photography and a range of techniques.
The curriculum includes the study of:
- Shutter speeds
- Aperture
- ISO
- Exposure
- Depth of field
- F-stop
- Digital editing and postproduction with Photoshop
All Art Photography candidates complete two components:
Component 1
This coursework is completed in Year 9 and 10 and counts 50% of their total mark. There are two parts to the coursework:
- a portfolio and
- a final outcome.
Component 2
This component is done in exam sessions in a total of 8 hours. Component 2 is completed in the third term of Year 10 and counts 50% of their total mark.
The four Cambridge assessment objectives count 25% each.
The Assessment Objectives (AOs) are:
- Record, 25%: Record ideas, observations, and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
- Explore, 25%: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques, and processes.
- Develop, 25%: Develop ideas through investigation, demonstrating critical understanding.
- Present, 25%: Present a personal and coherent response that realises intentions and demonstrates an understanding of visual language.
Riaan Vosloo
IGCSE, AS and A Level Art and Design Teacher
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The Importance Of Drawing For Children
Drawing is one of a child’s favourite activities, but it has so much more value for them than just making pretty pictures. Drawing helps children develop in so many different ways. Through drawing children learn and practice many foundational skills needed at school. It is a wonderful way for children to make sense of the world around them and boosts confidence and emotional intelligence. Here are just a few of the skills that are developed through drawing.
Fine Motor and Visual Skills
Drawing from a young age helps strengthen and fine-tune your child’s fine motor skills. Drawing helps develop hand eye co-ordination. When planning out their pictures children also learn about spatial awareness, size, distance as well as depth perception.
Problem Solving
When drawing, your child is able to express themselves creatively. It provides them the opportunity to ask and solve many questions such as which colour to use or where to place an object. They are also able to develop their picture through the creative process and can change and improve it as they go. Through making mistakes, they learn how to do things differently or how to include their mistake by changing it into something else to enhance their picture. Drawing also develops concentration and helps children to focus on working towards achieving a goal.
Imagination
Drawing helps your child awaken their creativity and imagination. It gives them the opportunity to express their creative thoughts on paper. It is also an important way of expressing and processing their feelings and emotions.
Confidence
As a parent you will have experienced the joy a child has sharing their finished pictures or artwork with others. Through drawing children make pictures that represent their thoughts, imagination and experiences which give them an immense sense of achievement. Children’s pictures are also a record of events that have happened. As they share these experiences with their loved ones, it is also an opportunity for them to bond and develop vocabulary and language skills. As their communication skills progress, it gives children more freedom and confidence during social interaction with others. Drawing also develops important pre-writing and pre-reading skills that translates to greater confidence when learning new skills at school.
As a parent it is important to encourage drawing. Here are some fun ideas to try at home:
- Draw with chalk on paving
- Think of a topic to draw about like a recent birthday party
- Ask your child to draw a picture, but include an object with a specific colour or letter sound
- Draw on black paper using pastels or chalk
- Read your child a story and ask them to draw their favourite part or a new ending to the story
- Draw a background to play with other toys on afterwards, like a home for Lego people, a farm for plastic animals or a town for cars (this is good for visual perspectives and spatial awareness)
- Draw on different surfaces like a chalk board or on the floor
- Trace around your child’s body and allow them to draw in the details of their faces, body parts and clothing
Most children draw something new every day and it is often the most precious gift they have to offer their loved ones. Wishing you many happy memories of drawing fun with your child at home.
Bronwen Nuthall
Reception Year Teacher
From the Principal’s Desk, 26 February 2021
Dear Parents
As you may be aware, the school has a full robotics programme from Pre-reception to Year 6 in the primary school. In the high school we teach more advanced and age-appropriate planning for robotics, computer science etc.
You are not required to purchase Apple devices to accommodate this programme as the school provides this to the students on campus. Unfortunately, when a student is in quarantine, or at home for any reason, they will not have access to the school’s Apple devices. Under these circumstances, the teacher will provide alternative work for the student to complete at home.
Unfortunately, we had to quarantine a class this week as a teacher’s assistant tested positive for Covid-19. The staff followed all prescribed protocols and to date, none of our students have contracted the virus after being at school. Rest assured that we accommodate students under quarantine and ensure that no student is left behind.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR
Our school counsellor, Mrs Cindy Arenstein, has tended her resignation as she and her family are moving to KwaZulu Natal. Cindy has been with us for more than two years and has been instrumental in establishing support systems for students, parents, and teachers. We will miss her but wish her, and her family, all the best in their new adventure.
We have appointed a Mrs Kayla Smith who will join us in the 2nd term. This position is now a full-time one and Kayla will spend two days a week at Helderberg International School and three days a week at Blouberg International School.
As we are at the end of week seven it is almost unbelievable that the end of the term is in sight. Verbal report meetings are scheduled to take place in week 10 and the staff will communicate with you regarding the procedure.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend.
Kind regards
Edna
Hands on Chemistry
In Chemistry this term, we have focused on hands-on, student-centered learning. Chemistry is an interactive subject and what better way to experience science than to “do science”. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”.
In Year 9, students are learning about the structure of atoms and where electrons are found around the nucleus. In order to understand this concept, students played a game with giant-sized atoms and had to correctly place poker chips representing electrons around a nucleus. The game became quite competitive and students very quickly learned their way around the Periodic Table.
In Year 10, students made their own soluble and insoluble salts and filtered and crystallised these to separate them from impurities. Different separation methods are used for different salts and so it is important that students can correctly identify and explain these methods. In the external IGCSE examinations, students write an alternative to practical examination. Hands-on experience in the laboratory is essential for students to understand laboratory techniques and be able to design their own experiments.
The Year 11 students started the AS Chemistry syllabus this term. Students are required to master laboratory techniques as they are assessed on this in an individual practical examination next year. As we cover the necessary theoretical concepts in class, we have done practicals to apply these concepts. Students are becoming more and more confident working individually and are able to obtain accurate experimental results. They have done both titration and gravimetric practicals.
The students in Year 12 had a challenging start to the AS Chemistry course with COVID-19 last year. We were not always able to do a practical experiment at the same time as the theoretical concept was introduced. But students are back in the laboratory this term, and with some extra lessons and hard work, they have been able to complete many practicals already. We have covered all possible laboratory techniques needed in the course and I have seen a marked improvement in the students’ laboratory skills. We are focusing on accurate data presentation and using appropriate data calculations.
This year BIS is also offering A-level Chemistry in Year 13. The syllabus compliments the AS syllabus and students enjoy this course because the added detail explains the trends and concepts covered in Year 11 & 12.
Philippa Goch
Chemistry Teacher – IGCSE, AS and A-level
COOL TO LEAD Workshop
Last week on Tuesday, 16th February 2021, the Year 6’s took part in a ‘Cool to Lead’ workshop hosted by Clara Powell.
The workshop focused on fluid leadership which is the ability of the peer group to create an environment of individuality, mutual respect and collaboration that allows for the fluid movement between individual members of the group stepping up to lead, or using their power to follow, depending on what type of characteristics and intelligence each situation requires.
The Year 6’s learnt the following skills: that every individual possesses some positive leadership characteristics, every individual is intelligent in a different way and in order for fluid leadership to work they need to create an environment of mutual respect and appreciation.
Here is what some of the Year 6’s had to say about the ‘Cool to Lead’ workshop:
“I enjoyed the Inting and I learnt what characteristics a person needs to be a leader. I learnt a leader is able to work with anyone, teamwork is key to a good team and that a good leader is kind. In the Inting I thought that the team I was on worked well together and had many great ideas when we built our Noodle Tower and we had fun.“
– Juliette East
“The Leadership Inting was really inspiring. It taught me how to be the best leader I can be. I found out that I work quite well with a few people I don’t usually work with, and I know a few more things about my friends that I didn’t know before. I had so much fun and I’m happy I got to experience everything.“
– Lily Mawaya
“I liked when we had to make the tallest tower out of spaghetti, tape and place marshmallows at the top of the tower.”
– Cole Dreyer
“The Inting was truly great. We played a lot of fun team games and learnt many things. We discovered that being a monitor takes a sense of teamwork, leadership and kindness. As the future monitors, we need to set an example TOGETHER!”
– Lulu Venzke-Krecklenberg
Katherine Nel
Year 6 Teacher
Healthy Eating
In Year 1, we often talk about what is in our lunch boxes for the day. We have competitions to see which child has the healthiest lunch box.
The importance of packing a healthy lunch box is immeasurable. Children are more alert and focused when they’re fuelled with healthy food. Higher levels of sustained concentration mean that kids can more readily retain information and therefore learn.
Crisps, chocolates, cakes and juice are full of sugar and additives, which do not help a growing child.
Below are some of my class’s awesome super healthy lunch boxes.
Charlotte Cronje
Year 1 Teacher
The Importance of Sensory Play
Children use their senses to explore and try to make sense of the world around them. They do this by touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, moving and hearing. Providing opportunities for children to actively use their senses as they explore their world through ‘sensory play’ is crucial to brain development – it helps to build nerve connections in the brain’s pathways. This leads to a child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks and supports cognitive growth, language development, gross motor skills, social interaction and problem solving skills.
Five reasons why sensory play is beneficial:
- Research shows that sensory play builds nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks.
- Sensory play supports language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction.
- This type of play aids in developing and enhancing memory.
- Sensory play is great for calming an anxious or frustrated child.
- This helps children learn sensory attributes (hot, cold, sticky, dry)
In the Nursery and Pre-Reception classes we incorporate sensory play and fine motor activities into students’ daily programme. Play dough is used as part of the heavy work component of a sensory diet. It can also help improve a child’s fine motor skills. They are encouraged to squeeze, stretch, pinch and roll the play dough and even cut the play dough with scissors.
Different types of painting can also help strengthen hand eye coordination and manual dexterity. Finger painting gives the student an opportunity to use their hands and get messy. Painting with a brush helps them learn to hold a brush and gain greater control using it as a tool.
The students also get to look for numbers covered in rice and play in corn flour mixed with water. A fun and messy activity enjoyed by most of the students!
Cindy Nunan
Nursery & Pre-Reception Teacher
From the Principal’s Desk, 19 February 2021
Dear Parents
It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through Term 1, with only five weeks till the holidays. This week we were able to reintroduce sporting codes after new regulations regarding sport at school were gazetted. Sport and physical activity play an integral role in a child`s development, health, and wellbeing. We therefore ask parents to encourage their children to participate in the sports offered at school.
Last year we all became overly familiar with the word ‘online’, using it in almost every sentence. The ability to do things online has it’s benefits, but it also has it`s dangers. We tend to leave our children to their own devices when they tell us they are busy online with schoolwork or the class WhatsApp group. The school has recently become aware of some of the conversations that take place on these social media platforms and we therefore urge parents to monitor their children`s devices.
Things we can do to keep our children safe online:
- Know what social media platforms your child is on.
- Be aware of age restrictions and read the T & Cs of each social media platform.
- Ensure privacy settings are secure on each platform they are on.
- Install parental control software on their devices. These apps are free.
- Ensure that screen time is limited.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Mr J Harrison
Head of Academics High School
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