The Importance Of Reading
As an English teacher, I am no stranger to reading. I am also no stranger to students trying anything and everything they can to get out of reading. It has become apparent that children nowadays either refuse to read, or they are unaware of just how important reading is.
When I deal with students who are not performing up to standard, I always ask whether that student likes to read. The reason for this is that there is a proven correlation between achievement in English and the enjoyment of reading. This is because reading allows people to see how the language is supposed to be used. It enables one to see how to properly use grammar, how words are supposed to be spelled, how sentences are supposed to be structured, and it allows one to learn brand new words to expand one’s vocabulary.
In addition to reading having academic advantages, it also allows one to be transported into different worlds without even having to leave their couch. It enables the young aspiring adventurer to step into the world of swashbuckling pirates, crime fighting superheroes, or brave soldiers. Reading is an excellent way to broaden the imagination of young dreamers and creatives, as it inspires them to push the boundaries and think outside of the box.
I will forever encourage students to read as much as possible. For the non-reader, I always suggest reading articles or blogs – anything that contains subject matter that is of interest to them. Hate reading, but love soccer? Pick up an autobiography about your favourite soccer player. Can’t stand a novel, but love Science? Grab yourself a National Geographic magazine and read the articles. Reading can be so diverse that even the most stubborn nay-sayers will be tempted to pick something up and read.
In celebration of Book Week, I would like to encourage all our students, staff and parents to pick up a book this week, and immerse yourself in the joys of reading.
Mia Tossel
IGCSE, AS and A Level English Teacher
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A Healthy Mind Is The Greatest Treasure To Find
As adults, our mental health- our psychological, emotional and social well-being — impacts every area of our life. Our mental health helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. This is no difference when it comes to children. Our children’s mental health helps determine their academic success, their motivation levels and drive, their levels of joy and their ability to healthily connect and socialise.
“It takes a village to raise a child.” For me, no proverb rings more true than this. It takes a community of people to provide for, support, and interact positively with children for those children to grow and develop into the person they are meant to be. I believe that we as parents, teachers, counsellors, assistant teachers, carers, grandparents, aunts and uncles- the adult role players are endless- are all responsible for helping cultivate our children’s mental health.
At BIS, we are committed to providing a quality and engaging learning environment. We prefer to work from a whole-child framework, where we believe that in order for our students to achieve academic success, their mental, emotional and social needs need to be considered and supported. As such, the counselling department is beginning with new ventures in Term 2, as a means to offer pro-active and preventative intervention. These will include more group work and engagement with the larger student body, in addition to the individual counselling sessions, which will continue at school.
The following are confirmed dates of workshops that will be taking place this term:
- Year 5 – 22 April ; 29 April and 6 May
- Year 6 – 22 April ; 26 April and 6 May
- Year 12 – 28 April
Additional information related to the Y5 and Y6 workshops will be shared with our parents ahead of each scheduled date.
Mental Health Day takes place on the 11th of May 2022. It is estimated that one in every five children presents with a diagnosable and treatable mental health disorder. During this week on campus, we will be raising awareness on youth mental health issues around the world; and how our children can support and safeguard their own mental health. “What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candour, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close
Let us, together as parents and teachers, intentionally strive to help our children in the search for their treasure – a healthy mind. With the treasure of a healthy mind, comes the jewels of joy, healthy self-esteem, positive relationships, motivation and empathy for others. Let us ensure that we are supporting, and mindfully playing our part, in raising happy, healthy and inspired children.
Kayla Smith
School Counsellor
Ms Kayla Smith – Blouberg International School Counsellor
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The Journey, 2022
On Wednesday, 9 March, thirteen Year 11 students, accompanied by Ms Sheila Marais and Mr Julian Harrison, departed on a ten day camp known as the ‘Journey’. The students were dubbed the ‘Pioneers’ as they were the first to participate in what will become a school tradition.
The Journey began at Elgin, wound its way through the mountains and followed the Overstrand Coast until its end at the Walker Bay Nature Reserve in De Kelders. The Pioneers hiked through mountains and towns and along the beaches. They kayaked to one of their campsites, as well as enjoyed a picnic on the bank of a river. Each stage of the Journey challenged the Pioneers both mentally and physically. In the late afternoon and early evening, students relaxed by swimming, playing card games or talking around the campfire.
The Pioneers stayed in camps at various campsites between Palmiet and Stanford. While some enjoyed the bustle of the campsites closer to the towns, many others enjoyed the peace of the more isolated options. Tents were pitched as soon as the students arrived at camp. While some wanted to rest after an eventful day, they certainly appreciated this forward planning by the time night fell.
The Pioneers were also required to prepare their own food. They cooked a variety of meals over gas or fire. While they did an outstanding job, I’m certain that they gained a new appreciation for the food they receive at home, as well as the effort that goes into preparing it.
The Journey taught the students much about overcoming challenges, leadership, teamwork and the importance of friendship. Students’ helpfulness, thoughtfulness and kindness really stood out. Students accompanied and carried the bags of those who found the day more challenging. They were friendly to those who were inspired by and asked about their adventure. They shared space to hang their clothes and helped each other to carry kayaks, made heavy by water, up the river bank. Students shared their loads and shared the food – even with the staff. They even shared equipment, and when treats were available, they shared those too. Some students prepared hot chocolate or parts of meals for the group, serving themselves only once the rest of the group had eaten. The parents of the Pioneers can be truly proud of the young adults that they have raised. Let it never be said that there is no hope for future generations.
Aside from a little disappointment at not seeing more wildlife (save for the dolphins, snakes, birds, fish, field mice and a few thousand shongololos that made an appearance), the Journey was an outstanding success. Spurred by the thought of pizza and a shower, it was a very tired group of students who met Mr Andre Swart and their parents at the nature reserve on 19 March.
Special mention must be made of Venture Forth. The Journey would not have been possible without their expertise.
We look forward to our Year 10s undertaking this adventure in 2023.
Sheila Marais
Journey Co-coordinator
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A Recipe For A Good Friendship
Recently we have been discussing what it means to be a good friend or the ‘recipe’ for a good friendship. As a class, we shared many comforting stories about when others showed care for us. In further discussion, we highlighted the importance of our ‘Blue Badge’ system at school, which focuses on three simple foundations.
As a BIS student we aim to be KIND, CARING & ENCOURAGING.
Year 4NM came up with their own Recipe for a good friend, modelling the 3 simple foundations of kind, caring and encouraging.
How can you be kind…
- Say nice things to others.
- Smile, because it is the best and easiest exercise for the body.
- Be happy for others because when it is our turn we would want others to be happy for us.
- Offer to help whenever we can because giving is always more rewarding.
- Use good manners like saying:
- Good morning!
- Please.
- Thank you.
How can you be caring…
- Let your friends know that you are always there to listen.
- Ask, “How are you?” and remind them that you are a good friend even when they are not feeling good.
- Be patient and respectful to others.
What does it mean to be encouraging?
- It means we must support each other to do good or to be the best we can.
“Everyone needs encouragement like a plant needs water”
- Not everyone is having a good day all day, remember to show some support. It might brighten up their day.
- Be the reason someone feels good today!
Nadia Mahomed
Year 4 Teacher
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Art Day!
We are very excited in Year 1 to be having a special ‘Art day’ today, for our upcoming school Art auction at the end of this month!
We are working on a collaborative artwork, which means each child in the class is contributing to the picture. We are creating a natural, floral scene against a beautiful sunrise, using mixed media culminating into a layered piece of artwork.
The students are having a lot of fun, painting macaroni, decorating bottle tops, beading pipe cleaners and exploring mixing colours.
I can’t wait to see the finished product displayed at the art auction!
Charlotte Cronje
Year 1 Teacher
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The Importance Of Art In A Child’s Development
There is an overwhelming excitement and enthusiasm throughout the School as the students are busy creating the most amazing works of Art for the upcoming Art Auction on Tuesday, 26 April from 5:30pm.
It is wonderful to see the concentration on the students faces and the joyful expressions of art explored!
Creating art expands a child’s ability to interact with the world around them and provides a new set of skills for self – expression. Not only does art help to develop the right side of the brain, but it also cultivates important skills that benefit a child’s development.
SKILLS CHILDREN DEVELOP THROUGH ART ACTIVITIES:
- Life skills
- Communication skills
- Problem – solving skills
- Social & Emotional skills
- Fine Motor skills
- Self – expression & creativity
It is important, however, to separate “talent’ from ‘creativity” – a child does not have to create a masterpiece to have a meaningful artistic experience. Art is a process not just a product. It is the process of creating – exploring, discovering and experimenting – that is important and adds the greatest value. Through self – expression and creativity, a child’s skills will develop naturally. Art matters the same way language matters. It is a fundamental component of what makes us uniquely human.
Hope to see you all at our Art Auction!
Cindy Nunan
Pre-Reception Teacher
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Healthy Eating
Going forward into a new term I encourage parents and students to consider adopting healthy eating habits throughout their day. In the Junior campus we have incorporated a robot system which gives the children a visual aid of which foods are a healthier choice.
The red light is used for foods which should be avoided in school lunches. “Red light” foods include items such as sweets, fizzy drinks, pastries, chocolates, etc.
The orange light is used for foods which can be incorporated occasionally in school lunches. “Orange light” foods include white grains (such as white bread or pasta), chips, etc.
The green light is used for foods which are encouraged in school lunches. “Green light” foods include fruit, vegetables, wholegrain foods (such as brown bread and whole-wheat products), water, etc.
It has been proven that sugar hampers a child’s ability to concentrate and focus. In the Junior classrooms the students are very proud when they have healthy items as snacks and love to show these to their classmates. We would like to encourage this behaviour and really adopt a positive attitude towards healthy eating habits. If we do this from a young age then we can be assured that our children will grow up with this healthy frame of mind regarding food habits.
For some inspiration for healthy school lunches, please see the below article entitled Healthy Food for Kids: Are your kids hooked on junk food? With these simple tips, you can get children to eat right without turning mealtimes into a battle zone.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthy-food-for-kids.htm
Kim Hahn
Reception Year Teacher
Inspiring Your Child To Read
This week, I want to share a few basic and wonderful tips on how to get your little one to become a life long lover of reading…
We all know it can sometimes feel daunting to explain to our children how important it is to build good reading habits. Reading is a vital component of education. All students need good reading skills to succeed not only at school but in life in general.
I hope that sharing these insights with you can inspire you as much as it did me. See the image below titled: Building a Reader At Home
Ann Cordner
Year 1 Teacher and Key Stage 1 Coordinator
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Year 5 Haikus
In English, the Year 5s have spent some time looking at poetry. We explored Haikus in particular, looking at their famous line and syllable structure, as well as delving a bit deeper into their usual subject matter. We also experimented with the balance between descriptive and figurative language often found in these Japanese poems.
Our favourite part of the lesson, of course, was writing our own!
Robins
Robins in a tree
Sitting high above the lake
Kings and queens they are.
- By Okuhle Williams
Saturn
Saturn spinning dream
Milky vision blurs your way
Falling into space
- By Christina Donald
Encanto
Magical People
Rhythm of its own design
Perfect Family
- By Dicla Tona
Buzz
Busy buzzing bee
Collecting honey for me
Oh so delightful
- By Emily Röhlandt
Rabbits
Rabbits, white or black
They’re adorable and cute
Hopping there and back.
- By Nivad Manouchehri
Hannah Kirkaldy
Year 5 Teacher
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Term 2
Dear Parents
Welcome back to Term Two! We hope you have had an enjoyable holiday break and that you are as excited as we are to start the new term.
It is evident to us that the culture of the school is centred around our students’ well-being, and we value that. A safe and supportive school environment, as well as providing social-emotional support, is certainly at the core of our work.
Our school will be stronger with the support of its community. We invite you to take advantage of the opportunities to support our students’ learning and experiences. We look forward to meeting you at our parent-teacher meetings next week and working with you this term.
To start the term on a light note, I would like to share these amusing “Teenager Pro Tips” that were sent to me during the holiday. I think many parents and teachers can relate to these:
Teenager to Teenager Tips
“9pm is the proper time to request supplies for tomorrow’s school project.”
Or 10pm, if you’re an overachiever.
“When asked to go get a sibling, don’t go. Instead, stand next to the person who asked and scream your sibling’s name.”
“When reminded to do something say ‘I did’ until proven otherwise.”
“Teenager comes home from his first day of school, and his mother asks, what did you learn today? ‘Not enough,’ teen replies. They said I have to go back tomorrow.”
We continue to appreciate your unwavering support and encouragement; it makes a critical difference to our success.
Thank you.
Carmen de Villiers
High School Coordinator
(PHOTO: IGCSE Computer Science students hit the ground running this week)
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