From The Principal’s Desk, 12 March 2020
Dear Parents
I realize more and more that time is a precious commodity. We are facing various threats and challenges in our lives and we all deal with these in our own way.
At the moment we are all very aware of the COVID-19 virus and the threat it poses. We are taking preventative measures and have strategies in place should a crisis situation arise in the Western Cape. I am mindful that as parents we have concerns and we need to plan. It is vital, however, that we do not panic or overreact.
We have a few more days until the end of the term and we are all looking forward to spending time with our families. This is a good time to reflect; spend time with our children and plan for the possibilities of what we might face.
Next week Key Stage 1 will have a Spelling Bee on Monday and Tuesday. School will close earlier on Wednesday, but aftercare will be available.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday ahead and I hope we all return with renewed vigour and strength.
Best wishes
Edna
Chemistry
Chemistry at Blouberg International School is experiential and hands-on; students conduct experiments, research ideas and work together in order to understand the world around them.
In simplified terms, the science of chemistry deals with the properties, composition, and structure of substances and how these substances interact with one another. In the IGCSE, AS and A-level chemistry curricula, topics of study are divided into three broad categories: physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry. In each category students learn about chemical theories and processes that are relevant to their lives and to the challenges faced in the world around us.
A strong emphasis is placed on how past and current chemical processes affect the environment and the lives of others. We have had many lively classroom debates about alternative sources of energy, agriculture and the use of fertilizers, food security and transport. The Cambridge curriculum allows students to be exposed to scientific applications on a global level – illustrating how countries around the world have approached these issues and found possible sustainable solutions. Our classroom discussions have also focused on solutions for the African and South African context: identifying our unique resources and challenges and how we can improve on our current processes.
Practicals are another important component of chemistry. Students are empowered to work independently, make discoveries for themselves and apply their theoretical knowledge in a laboratory setting. In the final AS Chemistry examinations, each student carries out their own two-hour practical in which they complete both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Using both their theoretical knowledge and practical laboratory skills, students calculate the quantity of a compound given using various laboratory techniques. In the second half of the examination they apply their knowledge to identify unknown substances using various chemical tests. The AS and A-level curricula prepare students very well for university by providing them with a solid foundational understanding of chemistry principles and laboratory techniques.
Philippa Goch
High School Chemistry Teacher
Year 6 Camp To Big Oak Adventures – Student Feedback
On Wednesday, 26th to Friday 28th February, the Year 6’s went on camp to Big Oak Adventures.
The Year 6’s had lots of fun. They worked on their teamwork, communication and leadership skills. They did a variety of difficult activities, but the Year 6’s were determined to accomplish all of them, and they did.
They did activities such as cliff jumping where they had to jump off a cliff into a river which helped them realise that they could accomplish anything they put their mind to no matter how scary.
We ended the camp off with an exciting group concert. Everyone came out of their shells and performed like they’ve never done before.
-Saumya Maharaj
Snippets:
What we learned on camp that we can apply in our daily lives:
Learning about leadership and applying it in our daily lives was Big Oak Adventures Task and they succeeded. I am sure to apply responsibility in the life ahead of me. Kindness will be my daily task and leadership will follow me for the rest of my life. They taught us a lot but friendship was probably the most important to me.
-Maia Davies
I learnt to respect other people’s personalities as a leader and use their talents for specific tasks, to get to know people you don’t really know because maybe they could be nice and good at things you can’t do and to communicate and to be patient with your team.
-Aiden Brandt
I could learn to respect other people and to listen to people’s opinions in a better way.
-Ian Scrooby
¡Hola Amigos!
During the last few years I have been thinking about the latest trends in foreign language learning and teaching and how as teachers we can use them to help our students learn Spanish in the future. I have found that one of the most successful ways to teach Spanish to kids is through technology.
I am confident to say that we have found a perfect formula for our students to success: the combination of Spanish videos, catchy songs and interactive games with vibrant images, accompanying worksheets and now also our new Spanish books.
During this year in the Spanish Department we are very excited to announce that all the students at Blouberg International from grade 1 to 6 each have their own access with their own username and password to the learning online resource called Rockalingua.
As many of you already know – Rockalingua is an interactive website where you will find songs, worksheets and games all in Spanish.
You can access Rockalingua by following the below 3 steps:
- Go to the web site https://rockalingua.com/
- On the top right of the page click ‘Login’ in and enter your child’s unique username and password.
Please note this website only works on tablets and laptops, Not on cellphones.
Start to enjoy the videos, songs and the games and complete the assigned tasks.
These videos are designed to combine vocabulary with high frequency structures so that students don’t feel like they’re “learning Spanish”, but instead enjoying it.
Since last year, students have been learning from this online resource in the classroom, and they really enjoyed singing along to the songs.
This year they will have to complete certain assigned tasks every week to progress and gain more vocabulary together with the exercises in their Spanish books.
By customizing the curriculum for each class by blocking and unblocking certain content the students can focus on the topics they are working on in class and complement perfectly the content of their textbooks.
Please allow the students to log in to complete their tasks. To play these games is vital because it takes the pressure off learning the language and provide an opportunity for students to have fun and practice the language at the same time.
In each task you can also view the instructions from the teacher that will indicate all the related content from the Spanish book that the students should complete together with their weekly task, offering in this sense a perfect complement for the Spanish lessons and learning. On the other hand, parents can also easily view their child’s progress during the year.
Rockalingua is a fantastic tool to test their knowledge, and presenting the exam in a more entertaining way, lowering the level of stress, and helping them to increase their vocabulary and knowledge of verbs: essentially to be able to speak Spanish in the future.
The structure is also effective because it promotes repetition by presenting the material in many different formats. Repetition helps students develop the four basic skills of communication—listening, speaking, reading and writing.
In these first weeks I have noticed that the students were very much engaged, working on the tasks I had assigned them, and that differentiated instruction was easily implemented since the program allows me to assign tasks to a whole class or to specific students that might need easier or more challenging assignments.
When I assign tasks the analytics will allow me to see, at a glance, how the class is performing those tasks so I will be able to see which students are already working on the assignments and which students have not yet started make it easier for me to keep track of students’ work and progress.
I will also be able to gauge which concepts each student, and the class, are having trouble with. This data is useful in order to structure the class and for preparing revisions.
Students can immediately see which assignments within the tasks they have already done and which ones they have yet to complete. This interactive learning management system gives students a sense of independence since they can work at their own pace and they can also see their % of right and wrong answers. They can also redo specific interactive games to improve their % of right answers! Keeping them motivated.
To ensure the success of “gamification” in learning a new language, we (teachers and parents) need to work together to capture and retain learner’s attention by allow them to play the games and listen to the songs at home. www.rockalingua.com
Everyone loves games. Albert Einstein himself indicated they are the most elevated form of investigation. He knew games are avenues for something deeper and more meaningful than a childish waste of time. Often times, playing games are the first method children use to explore higher-order thinking skills associated with creating, evaluating, analyzing, and applying new knowledge.
Profesor Javier Vidal
Spanish Teacher Junior School
Das Ist Deutsch! = That Is German!
In Year 4, I asked the students to have a look on their desks and identify anything that is German or made in Germany that they use on a daily basis. Without much effort they were able to identify many products by just looking in their pencil cases and finding various stationery such as pencils, highlighters, erasers , sharpeners, rulers and glue with the words MADE IN GERMANY. They were very surprised that Staedtler, Faber-Castell, Stabilo and Pritt were in fact German. Staedtler founded in 1835 by J.S. Staedtler, Faber-Castell in 1761 by Kaspar Faber and Stabilo in 1855 by G. Grossberger & H. Kurz are all long standing companies producing stationery, all from the Nuremberg area in German, as this area was rich in graphite and clay mines needed for making pencils. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwan-Stabilo“)
To discover that Pritt was produced by the German company called Henkel was an unexpected fact. Henkel was founded by Friedrich Karl Henkel in 1876 , the Pritt stick was developed and marketed in 1969 after extensive research and just celebrated its 50 years on the shelf. (https://www.prittworld.co.za/en/about-Pritt/pritt-history.html)
The year 4’s were asked to investigate further: “What kind of products or brands can I identify in my home or at the shops that are considered German or made in Germany?” and to bring the item and present it to the class.
At home they realised that they use many German products e.g. Nivea which is produced by Beiersdorf and many items from the brand Adidas, such as sport shoes and soccer balls. Adidas, a company founded in 1949 by Adolf (Adi) Dassler in Herzogenaurach, is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe.
(https://www.adidas-group.com/en/group/history/)
At the shops the products are numerous but the sweets Haribo stand out because of their availability everywhere. The company Haribo was founded in 1920 by Hans Riegel Sr. from Bonn, Germany hence HARIBO the acronym from his name and place of birth. He invented the Gummibärchen (Gummy Bear) in 1922. (https://www.haribo.com/enGB/home.html)
We will continue to discover many new things about Germany in 2020.
One of the 10 compelling reasons in the article “Why learn German?”, is that German companies are considered global market leaders and many brands and corporations are found worldwide. Exploring these brands with the students has helped them realize how important learning German can be.(https://www.fluentu.com/blog/german/why-learn-german/)
Thank you to all the parents who attended the Interactive Curriculum morning recently to learn more about the curriculum and especially to the Year 1 parents who showed great interest in the exciting journey their children are starting in the the world of new languages.
Frau Kerstin Pani
German Teacher Junior School
London Bridge Is Burning Down!
Hear ye! Hear ye!
The fire swept through the central part of the English city, and has gutted 13 200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City authorities.
At least six people were killed, although the final number has not yet been determined.
The Year 2’s have confirmed that it is impossible to get into the city. A melted piece of pottery has been found where the fire started, and shows that the temperature of the fire has reached an astounding 1,250 °C.
Due to the drought of the previous few months and the fact that these houses are mostly made from wood and straw, who knows how long it is going to take before they can get the fire under control. Perhaps 4 – 5 days.
It will take many years for the city to be rebuilt to its former glory and to make future improvements for the medieval city to stand strong and tall.
Here are a few pictures from reporters in the area that depict the extensive damage and extent of the fire.
Wendy Menton
Year 2 Relief Teacher
From The Principal’s Desk, 5 March 2020
Dear Parents
As the end of Term 1 approaches…
It seems only yesterday I welcomed you all to the start of the new academic year and already, here we are, winding down to the end of the first term of 2020.
I have two boys myself, one in Grade 4 and the other in Grade 1 and thinking about how quickly this term has flown by made me realise that I haven’t made contact with their teachers to find out how they are coping in their new classes. Sure, every day I duly ask them ‘how was school?’ but get the same mechanical response we parents know so well: ‘It was fine’ (usually accompanied by a non-committal shrug of the shoulders). Being a teacher and a parent has made me realise the importance of a good parent-teacher relationship. Ultimately, we have the same goal in mind and that is to see a child who enjoys coming to school and does well in their lessons.
They key to this is cultivating a healthy relationship between teacher and parent based on mutual respect. As parents, we should support the school community in whatever way we can. We can attend parent evenings, check Engage regularly and read the weekly school newsletter; all vitally important in maintaining an open line of communication between the parent and the school.
I know I intend to catch up with my boys’ teachers as to their progress this term and I hope all our parents will do the same.
Although holidays are just around the corner, we have a busy two weeks of school ahead of us. We have an Open Day this coming Saturday, the 7th of March 2020, from 10:00am to 12:00pm. There will be guided tours and prospective parents can have a look into the different classrooms and speak to the teachers should they have any queries.
The High School finishes their Term 1 Test Week on Wednesday the 4th March and the academic timetable will continue as normal.
On Friday the 6th of March, the Year 4`s are having a Tudor Day to celebrate what they have learned in History this term. We also want to wish the High School’s Midsummer Night’s Dream cast all the best for their performance at the Fugard Theatre this Friday. They are performing there as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival 2020 and if you are interested, please visit https://thefugard.com/shakespeareschoolsfestival for more information. The cast will also perform the play at school on Saturday the 7th of March. Should you wish to support our students on Saturday night, please email Mr Riaan Vosloo at riaan.vosloo@iesmail.com.
I wish you all a good weekend and remember, together we are stronger.
Mr J Harrison
Head of Academics High School
From The Principal’s Desk, 28 February 2020
Dear Parents
This week we opened the renovated bathrooms downstairs! The students and staff were in awe and could not contain their excitement. We request that you remind them about good stewardship and the importance of taking care of our environment and the things entrusted to us.
Our high school students have started their Term 1 test week today and we wish them all the best for every test. Remember: proper planning prevents poor performance!
Our Year 5 students had a wonderful time at Buffalo Drift Camp last week and returned full of exciting stories to share. Our Year 6 students have returned from camp this afternoon and we are looking forward to hearing all about their adventures.
Last Friday the high school held their annual Valentine’s Dance and the turnout of students was excellent. It was our Year 7’s first high school dance and they had a wonderful time. We wish to thank all the students who attended on their impeccable behavior and the Year 11 students for organizing the event and decorating the hall so wonderfully.
Cultural activities are important in achieving balance in a school community. At Blouberg International we are great supporters of the arts and love to see our students involved in drama productions. We are therefore very excited that next Friday, the 6th of March, a group of students are performing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ for the annual Shakespeare Festival at the Fugard Theatre. We are certain they are going to be a great success and ask you to join us for their second performance on Saturday the 7th March at school in the Junior Hall.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend of family time.
Regards
Edna
Valentine’s Dance 2020
The Year 11 class had been planning for weeks and finally the day had come… it was the 21st of February and that evening was the Valentine’s Dance, a perennial favorite on the school calendar.
The Valentine’s Dance and the celebrations held on Valentine’s Day itself, are one of our biggest fundraisers for the Matric Dance. Thus, the pressure was on for the Year 11 class to beat last year’s fundraising goal, but also to pull together an unforgettable evening for all the high school students. Themes were adopted and discarded, negotiations over décor dominated discussions and the playlist for the evening was subject to constant scrutiny and discussion, but boy oh boy, did they bring it all together!
Friday itself was spent in a flurry of paper hearts, streamers and endless bobbing balloons. The class worked tirelessly to decorate the junior hall, keeping their preparations a closely guarded secret. When I was finally presented with the result, it was amazing! A gorgeous red and white balloon arch dominated the scene on entering the hall, the walls were adorned with hearts in every possible shade of red and pink and a romantic photo booth stood proudly in the corner, eagerly awaiting the happy-snapping couples.
The evening ran smoothly as the Year 11’s were on hand to collect tickets, sell food and drink and manage the different game stations. As the students poured in, the lights dimmed and the music blazed- teachers furiously buttered rolls and patrolled the borders, nimbly avoiding being trampled in the hall. The last song echoed softy through the darkness at 10pm, a nice slow romantic number to end the evening. Then it was lights on and black bags out as guests were herded outside so clean-up could begin.
I would like to thank the Year 11 class and their parents for all the hard work and passion that went into planning both Valentine’s fundraising events.
Alice Pryor
High School Teacher
Young Authors Club 2020
What’s the best part of being a school age author, you ask! Why, the fun of writing, of course – but meeting other young authors is a blast too. The Young Authors’ Club started off the year by getting to know each other through name poems – read on if you’d like to know a bit more about us too!
Sarah:
Super girl power
Amazing at singing
Real deal girl/boy
Active all the time
Helping hand
Akhula:
Awesome at cooking
Kind to others
Hysterical with friends
Unhappy when others are rude
Loves to dance
Always hungry or thirsty
Gabriella:
Great at swimming
Amazing at being a friend
Bright and always positive
Reading is one of my favourite things to do
Interested in new things
Extremely funny
Loves puppies and dogs
Loves reading books
Always wants chocolate
Mia:
May be the most kindest person
I can play piano
Awesomest girl ever
Aimee:
Amazing
Intelligent
Magnificent
Exquisite
Exciting
Vrithi:
Very funny
Really positive
I’m kind
Terrific
Hugs are my favourite
I’m curious
Noa:
Never, ever, ever negative
Observe how beautiful she is
Amazing at singing
Karabo:
King of everything
Accepted everything
Race champion
Apple eater
Big and strong
Orange eater
Isabel:
Incredibly funny
Stunning
Awesome at everything
Beautiful hair
Eating strawberry
Loves Boxers (They’re her favourite kind of dog!)
Hannah Kirkaldy
Club Facilitator