Welcome Back
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you back to the beginning of Term 3. My wish is that you have relaxed, recharged, and feel ready to start the new school term. Campus bounced back this week with students returning from their vacation and new students joining the BIS family. Our students are indeed grateful to see their friends again as they prepare for their collaborative learning and captivating lessons.
We have been looking forward to what Term 3 has in store, including yesterday’s IES Sports Day, Year 10 camp, and our Macbeth production at the Baxter Theatre on August 10th.
I appreciate your positive energy and I look forward to working with you in the new term. All signs point to another incredible and productive school term.
I know each of us wants to make a difference in the lives of our students.
Parents, here is how you can support us and help your child become independent and “own” their learning:
- Be sure to check in with your child daily, about the learning tasks, activities, and assessments they are working on.
- Demonstrate a positive attitude about education to your children. What we say and do in our daily lives can help them to develop positive attitudes toward school and learning and to build confidence in themselves as learners. Showing our children that we value education and use it in our daily lives provides them with powerful models and contributes greatly to their success in school.
- In addition, by showing interest in your children’s education, parents and families can spark enthusiasm in them and lead them to a very important understanding that learning can be enjoyable as well as rewarding and is well worth the effort required.
- Encourage them to complete work to the best of their ability
In closing, I would like to share this interesting post from the “parenting team”, and I would like to add teachers to that team as well – because we are all in this together.
Challenge: Back to School
Been There, Been Through That…9 Tips for Parents of High Schoolers
https://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/been-there-been-through-that9-tips-for-parents-of-high-schoolers
We thank you once again for the consistent and unwavering support you have always shown.
Carmen de Villiers
High School Coordinator
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Term 2 Reflection
We have reached the end of an action-packed semester and would like to thank all our families for your support and dedication. A heartfelt thank you to our teachers for all their hard work to provide a stimulating and constructive environment for our students.
Well done to our High School students who performed well this term in their CASS assignments and examinations – We are so proud of the progress you are making.
Our term was filled with many highlights such as our Year 11 journey, Art Auction, special outdoor and sporting events, and ending the term on a high note with the various class challenges and student wellness day. On all these occasions, we were inspired by our students’ creativity, ingenuity, and growth.
We wish all our BIS families a safe and warm winter holiday. May we continue to encourage each other and be kind to ourselves and those around us.
Carmen de Villiers
High School Coordinator
WATCH: The High School Houses Challenge Each Other During the Term 2 Wellness Day House Games: https://youtu.be/YQNbmTPuvho
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Murderous Macbeth: Paranoid Prefect
We all know and love to hate Shakespeare’s infamous ‘Macbeth’, also known as the “Scottish play”, which etches out the tragedy of an ambitious man who murders his way to the crown. Encouraged by his even ruthless wife and the predictions of three “fates”, Macbeth goes down a dark, haunting, and intriguing path to his demise.
Now, what if we take that basic plot and set it in 2022, in an all-girls school, with head prefect as the goal? The product is all the teen drama one could dream of… but make it a nightmare.
Mackenzie “Lady” Macbeth and her girlfriend, Bethany, want to rule the school. Who do they need to take down to get to the top? And how will they make it happen?
Still dark, as evil plots unfold; still haunting, as there are literal ghosts; and still intriguing, as we try to understand methods and motives: this play is bound to disturb and entertain.
Blouberg International School’s modern version of ‘Macbeth’ will take to the Baxter Theatre stage during the Shakespeare School’s Festival, on Wednesday, 10 August, and again on our school stage on Friday, 12 August.
To book click here! https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1513749284 (Please ensure to book for one of the days our school performs, as we do not perform every day)
Come to see if they can wash the blood off their hands.
Genevieve Kerswill
High School English Teacher and Drama Coordinator
(PHOTOS BELOW: Moments on stage from our Midsummer Night’s Dream performance at the Shakespeare School’s Festival in 2020 at the Fugard Theatre)
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Building inspired students with The President’s Award at Blouberg International School
In 2019 Blouberg International School introduced The President’s Award and joined many of our international IES and SEK schools who are also doing The President’s Award.
For more than 35 years, The President’s Award has been making sure that young people develop a lifestyle that gives them the valuable life skills required to pursue their ambitions.
The President’s Award’s mission is to empower young people between the ages of 14 and 24, by providing a balanced, non-competitive framework for self-development that will increase their self-esteem and enhance their capacity to achieve in whatever context they find themselves; enabling them to become responsible active citizens within their communities.
The benefits of achieving The President’s Award at any level are endless. The Award is about helping you along the path to a productive and prosperous future. As many of our participants say, it’s a life-changing experience.
“Participating in The President’s Award gives one the edge over others when you apply for college, university or a job. Universities want to see evidence of so-called soft skills that you have developed through extracurricular activities, such as communication, commitment, leadership and teamwork. Your President’s Award is a fantastic way to demonstrate these skills in practice.”
Formal education alone is not enough to equip young people to be world ready. According to business leaders, the following skills are considered important in helping young people become ready for the world in the order of importance:
- Individual Skills
- Analytics
- Social Skills
- Humanitarian Skills
- Technical Ability
This leads to longer-term impacts, such as:
- Improved employability and earning potential
- Improved physical health and fitness
- Improved mental health and well-being
- Increased engagement with charitable and community causes
- Improved environmental impact
- Increased social cohesion
- Reduced offending
Students from 14 years old and up to Year 12 are encouraged to enrol for The President’s Award.
For more information contact Mr Riaan Vosloo (riaan.vosloo@iesmail.com), Ms Caroline Grix (caroline.grix@iesmail.com) or Heidi La Bercensie (heidi.labercensie@iesmail.com).
Kind regards
The President’s Award Team
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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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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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End Of Term
As Term 1 comes to an end, we can only reflect on how lucky we were to tackle this term without major disruptions and challenges. We are very fortunate that our programmes and events went as planned during the term. Students and staff were involved in a wide range of events and activities, and we once again enjoyed and celebrated many successes.
As our teachers continue to work hard this week to complete their extensive planning for Term 2, we are optimistic and hopeful that this landscape will continue into next term.
The High School’s academic reports once again testify that our students continue to develop and excel in their learning. The reports reflect the unique and distinctive scope and depth of our curriculum. Over the course of the term, we have received an increasing number of inquiries from parents, mostly for the High School, who hear about the value of a Cambridge education – especially the opportunities that the Cambridge qualification offers to students who want to study at international universities.
Our teachers are committed to building a school of excellence, and therefore, we kindly request that you actively participate in your child’s education. You are invited to contact or visit the school any time you have a question about your child’s progress. We consider it a great privilege and responsibility to be your child’s teachers and we look forward to working with each and every one of you in Term 2.
I trust that this holiday period will be a time of relaxation, family and special moments.
Carmen de Villiers
High School Coordinators
A special photo taken of our High School students after the Founder’s Day go-kart races.
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