Key Stage 2: NATURAL DISASTERS
The Year 4’s have been learning about Natural Disasters. We have learnt about Tsunamis, Floods, Tornado’s, Earthquakes and Volcanic eruptions. We even had a look at our current local natural disaster happening in Durban and all the damage that the floods have caused. We have made collages of Tornado’s in art and presented orals on our choice of Natural disaster, explaining how the disaster occurs, where they occur and how to keep safe when a disaster strikes. This has been such an interesting topic especially since we can relate it to current affairs around the world.
Bridget Neal
Year 4 Teacher
Key Stage 1: IT’S ALL ABOUT SCIENCE
The year 2 students eagerly climbed into the bus for a science adventure. Although many had visited the Science Centre before, there were so many new things to see and experience, that they really enjoyed it.
One of the highlights was the Science lesson about ‘Changing Materials’. The students eagerly experimented with a sugar cubes (representing a rock), and found the cubes started melting when heat was applied.
The visit ended with a range of experiments conducted by the facilitators which both surprised and caused quite a few shrieks, as things exploded, flew into their air and lit up in the dark.
The general consensus on the ride home was that it was an exciting morning and thoroughly enjoyable!
Kim Coetzer
Year 2 Teacher
FS GRANDPARENTS AND SOMEONE SPECIAL DAY 2019
The Foundation Stage celebrated Grandparents and Someone Special day on Friday, 10 May 2019.
The grandparents and special people were invited to have tea, coffee and treats before they made their way into the hall for a mini-concert, which was opened with a beautiful song by the senior choir. This was followed by songs and poems, which were presented by the Foundation Stage students from Nursery, Pre-Reception and Reception. Afterwards the grandparents and special guests made their way to the classrooms where they were presented with a special gift from the students. Most of the students then went home to spend some quality time with their loved ones.
It is said that it takes a village to raise a child and this is certainly very true of the grandparents and other special people, such as close family members and friends. They offer essential support to parents and play a key role in shaping the lives of young children. They also fill the gap and help take care of children when their parents are not able to be there. With a lot of wisdom and life experience, they always tell the best stories that children can really learn many life lessons from. This is why we love to celebrate our Grandparents and special people in our lives.
Bronwen Nuthall
Reception Year Teacher
From the Principal’s Desk – 16th May 2019
Dear Parents
We are happy to have finally received our exchange students who arrived yesterday afternoon from our sister school COLEGIO INTERNACIONAL SEK – ECUADOR.
They have had an exhausting trip to get to South Africa, but arrived safely! We are very grateful to our parents who are hosting them and we trust that the students will go home with amazing stories about their Cape Town experience.
PARKING AT SCHOOL/ STOP AND DROP
Please note that we have received several emails from concerned parents with regards to the conduct of parents in the parking area in the mornings and the afternoons. The concerns are that some parents are not courteous towards others and disregard the safety of our students during the process of drop off and collection. We are also concerned that various transport services are not adhering to the stop and drop rule.
Transport services should park in the demarcated areas and then walk in to collect the students.
Stop and drop should not be used as a parking bay.
Please be mindful of other vehicles when parking or reversing.
Please be careful not to bang your car door against other vehicles.
It is very frustrating when common courtesy and respect for other drivers is not adhered to and it is not the responsibility of security to handle potentially volatile situations. If we could please be mindful of one another and demonstrate the respect and courtesy which we would like to receive.
UBER SERVICES
It has come to our attention that there are several students who make use of the Uber service.
We would like to advise you to check the following information when making use of the service:
Ensure that the registration plate, vehicle colour and model match the information provided on the Uber App.
Please be mindful of the age restrictions as set out in the Uber app Terms and Conditions.
The school is not liable for any incidents resulting from the use of Uber by pupils.
All access cards for the aftercare children have been printed and prepared for parents. The staff will provide you with a letter with a card attached.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead.
Regards
Edna
Year 6 Outing – Student Feedback
Mind Blowing Year 6 outing
By: Ben Van der Westhuizen, Riley Hanning and Jens Buchwald (Year 6 Students)
This term the grade 6 classes have been learning about electricity. On the 3rd of May 2019 they went on an outing to the Cape Town Science Center. They hopped onto the bus at 8:30am and arrived there at 9:00am.
First they learned about how to construct an electrical circuit in groups of two. They also learned more information about electrical circuits. The grade 6s were tested on their knowledge about electricity on what we had learned in the previous lessons.
A few kids went on the gyroscope. Here is what Damon Moodley has to say about the ride, “I enjoyed it, but it was disappointing because I had to manually move it. It was still an awesome experience.”
Later on, the grade 6s watched a science show. There were lots of surprises and it was a wonderful way to end the outing.
Grade 6 Outing
By: Chloe Ralph and Linamandla Moyo (Year 6 Students)
On the 3rd of May 2019, the grade 6s of Blouberg International School went on an outing to ‘The Science Centre’. The grade 6 class boarded the bus excited and ready for the Science Centre.
Once the class arrived, they were paired into groups. Blue, which was Mrs Esturhuizen’s class. Red, which was Mrs Hack’s class. The grade sixes’ first activity consisted of learning about electrical circuits and heat gas. They participated in making their own electrical circuits in pairs. Then they were granted permission to go explore all the technology, illusions, and inventions.
Jamey, a staff member of the establishment ‘The Science Centre’, allowed the grade sixes to go and fetch their lunch. Once finished, the grade sixes played a fun challenging quiz game known as Kahoot.
Soon after, the grade sixes went to a show which was made to teach the children what gases can do and how they react. The final activity included seeing one of the oldest cameras in South Africa. Then they entered a dark room where a projector-like camera was. Mirrors were inside – giving the grade sixes a view outside of the Science Centre.
“It was a great experience and my favorite part was when we could see the outdoors with the camera obscura.” -Damon Moodley, 12.
The grade six classes leaped back into the bus with their faces full of smiles and giggles.
In conclusion, the grade sixes had a wonderful time spent at the Science Centre.
Read MoreInteractive Curriculum Morning Term 2 – Key Stage 1
The Interactive Curriculum morning is a series of presentations covering different topics each time. All primary school parents are urged to attend these sessions as this is a vital platform for teachers to guide parents through the Cambridge curriculum.
On Saturday, 4 May, Year 1 presented the Cambridge English curriculum to parents. I had the opportunity to present and discuss information about reading. The importance of reading cannot be emphasised enough. Parents and educators need to make every day reading a high priority. Reading enhances a child’s vocabulary, cultivates a vibrant imagination and ultimately helps them understand how to read and write. By reading aloud to children you are helping them comprehend various topics about the world and every day life form multiple point of views. This teaches them to think outside of the box and to reach conclusions by using more complex and creative methods.
Charlotte Cronje
Year 1 Teacher
Four Seasons – Foundation Stage
During the last two weeks in Reception Year, we have been talking about the four seasons. We discussed how nature tells us when it is summer, autumn, winter or spring. We learned that summer is the hottest season and our days are longer so we can play outside till late. During autumn the weather starts getting colder and the trees start to turn brown, red and yellow. Winter is the coldest season and some animals hibernate during winter. Spring is when the weather starts getting warmer again and the farmers start to plough their lands and plant their crops.
The students listened, watched and discovered. On Thursday, 25 April 2019 they had to recall all the information and add some of their own, and present their ‘favourite season’ to the class., some students designed their own charts; others drew pictures and some brought winter clothes. It is always exciting to hear their stories and see how well they do under with so many eyes on them.
Martie van Dyk
Reception Year Teacher
From The Principal’s Desk – 9th May 2019
Dear Parents
We are already halfway through the term and with only five weeks ahead of us, the students and teachers are working hard in pursuit of their goals.
We are hosting the first of our annual Grandparents/ Someone Special Day tomorrow, Friday the 10th of May, and are excited to see what our students and their teachers have planned for the morning.
On Monday the 13th of May we are welcoming students from Colegio Internacional SEK – Ecuador and I would like to thank every family who has opened up their homes to host these students as we are looking forward to hosting them at our school. Our students will also have the opportunity to visit sister schools around the globe and planning is about to begin for the first exchange program for the year 8’s of 2020. We hope that our exchange students will feel at home at BIS and that they form relationships which will extend across borders
“Good – if so-called elite – schools have so vital a role to play. We all carry with us intimations of immortality: The need to belong, to have a community, the seek excellence and have a share in something fine that transcends to mediocre, is deep in the heart, no matter how humble the parent or how disadvantaged the child”
– Marguerite Poland (South African poet and author)
Happy Mother’s Day to all our wonderful moms!
Regards
Edna
KS 2: “Reading is Dreaming with Open Eyes”
In continuing our efforts and enthusiasm of World Book Day, the year Fives have delved into the exciting and enthralling world of Wonderland through the magnificent pages of, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. As we meandered through this topsy-turvy world of talking animals, mysterious creatures and strange occurrences many of our Year Five students developed their own opinion and thoughts about the novel. Here’s what a few of them had to say…
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
“How would you feel if you fell into a crazy, upside down world filled with all sorts of creatures, a crazy hatter at a tea party, a talking rabbit and an insane queen?
Alice fell into a very deep hole only to find that she landed in a whacky world. She had to face many challenges while meeting absurd people, or may I say, absurd things!
This crazy adventurous book is funny, weird and gave me the giggles.
I really enjoyed the book. My favorite part was when the baby turned into a pig! I would recommend this book to all children aged 11 – 14 years old. If you are adventurous, then this book is for you.”
Written by: Hannah Petersen (Y5NM)
“Can you imagine falling down a very deep hole for an hour?
Alice was startled when she saw a white rabbit with pink eyes talking to himself and then running down a rabbit hole. Following the white rabbit, Alice is confused to find herself in a hallway with many doors and a three-legged table with nothing on it but a tiny golden key. She came upon a low curtain and behind it was a little door, fifteen inches high.
In this adventure, Alice uses her smarts to show if she can solve the riddles and questions. I enjoyed the book. My favorite part was when they went to court. I would recommend this book to all ages of 10 – 14 years old.”
Written by: Shamiso Samasuwo (Y5NM)
“This fictional novel of adventure and fantasy has so much to offer but, don’t get too caught up in this world of wonder.
I Personally did not enjoy this book because it was very complicated and so much was happening. I would however recommend the book to all children of the ages 12 years old and up.”
Written by: Maia Davies (Y5NM)
“This adventurous fantasy will make your head go around and round but, that is why it could be an exciting and fun read.
I didn’t really like the book. It was a bit too complicated with all it’s powerful verbs. I prefer reading comedy but if you love adventures, this is the book for you…”
Written by: Amanda Nkomo (Y5NM)
“I really liked this book. My funny and favorite part of the book was when Alice kept growing and shrinking. The worst part was when the Queen of Hearts started beheading people.”
Written by: Joshua Laljit (Y5NM)
Happy reading all…
Mrs Mahomed
Year 5 Teacher
KS 1: Problem Solving In Numeracy Counts
In Cambridge Primary the skills taught in numeracy, and most importantly problem solving skills, will apply to all learning areas throughout a student’s life. Problem solving is an interactive and fun way for the students to learn numeracy and apply new concepts taught. It produces positive attitudes and love towards numeracy. It teaches thinking, flexibility and creativity.
We encourage our students to teach each other how they got to their answer, their understanding of the concepts and how they apply it to other learning areas at school.
We rather ask the question: “How many ways can we solve it?” It is opportunity for them to learn from each other which promotes holistic development.
Our students are encouraged to use strategies of their choice and then solve their problem on their white boards so that we can identify the different techniques used.
My class loves problem solving, here are some pictures of them solving problems in class:
Ms Tayla White
Year 1 Teacher