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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From the Principal’s Desk, 11 June 2021
Dear Parents
Our high school students have one more week of exams left before they can have a breather. As we wind down towards the June/July holidays and as the Western Cape enters the 3rd wave of Covid infections, I urge our families to remain vigilant with regards to health and safety protocols. If we all follow the necessary sanitizing, social distancing and wearing of masks, we will protect our school and community.
YOUTH DAY
Next Wednesday, the 16th of June, is Youth Day. Let us take time to celebrate our youth. We have such an important task in equipping young people for the future.
It is our goal to ensure that when our students leave school they are resilient, confident, independent, respectful, resourceful, have a positive attitude, adaptable, well-rounded, self-aware, empathetic, critical thinkers, innovative, creative, problem solvers, responsible, good communicators, confident, compassionate, self-motivated, emotionally intelligent, resourceful, free thinkers, good leaders, balanced, flexible, self-regulated, team players, responsible and accountable.
Enjoy the day with your children.
FEATURE PHOTO
Our main newsletter photograph features Ms Heidi La Bercensie. Ms La Bercensie is one of our Music teachers at school. Did you know:
She was born in Port Elizabeth, attended school in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and in Wolfsburg, Germany. She studied at NMMU and UCT, and she currently performs with a few orchestras and in concerts on a regular basis. As much as she has a passion and love for teaching music and making a difference in children’s lives, a huge part of her passion is being on stage and performing!
Facts about her that not everyone knows:
- She loves travelling & experiencing different cultures around the world, and has been to 12 different countries and counting…
- She has a BMusHons; PGCE, an Associate and a Licentiate degree in Clarinet, and Grade 8 in Violin.
- She was invited to and took part in the annual London Notting Hill Carnival, performing as a steelpan player with the London Mangrove Steelband.
- She is an adrenaline junkie and has a goal to go to as many theme parks around the world as possible.
- She started playing in the South African National Orchestra since 14yrs old.
- She loves quad biking, hikes and doing outdoor adventures.
Heidi started at Blouberg International School on the 1st of January 2018.
WEEKLY THOUGHT: History
“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.” – Aldous Huxley
History. We all remember asking ourselves the question at some point our school careers: Why do I need to learn about that specific event, this famous person or anything else for that matter?
Most of us have a few decades worth of experience behind us and aren’t sitting in school anymore. This being the case, here is another question: Do you still think studying history is a waste of time?
According to Huxley, your answer to this question will put you into one of two categories: You’re either a person that learns from history or you’re one that doesn’t.
Many of our successes and failures in life are a consequence of our attitude towards history and whether we apply its valuable lessons.
Have a brilliant weekend and make an impact.
Andre
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From the Principal’s Desk, 3 June 2021
Dear Parents
GLOBAL PARENTS DAY
“The Global Day of Parents is observed on the 1st of June every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2012 and honours parents throughout the world. The Global Day provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents in all parts of the world for their selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship.
In its resolution, the General Assembly also noted that the family has the primary responsibility for the nurturing and protection of children and that children, for the full and harmonious development of their personality, should grow up in a family environment and in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.”
In celebration of Global Parents Day, I would like to thank all the parents of BIS. Thank you for looking after and caring for our children. As a school community, we should be focused on ensuring that, on leaving school, our leaners are resilient, confident, independent, respectful, resourceful, have a positive attitude, adaptable, well-rounded, self-aware, empathetic, critical thinkers, innovative, creative, problem solvers, responsible, good communicators, confident, compassionate, self-motivated, emotionally intelligent, resourceful, free thinkers, good leaders, balanced, flexible, self-regulated, team players, responsible and accountable.
Keep being amazing parents. We appreciate you!
YEAR 4 TEACHER
Following the resignation of our Year 4 teacher, Mrs Marlize Keyser, we have made an internal appointment and Ms Yvette Fourie will assume this position from term 3.
DROP AND GO AREAS:
Gravel Parking area
We have managed to pave the entrance to the gravel parking area and this seems to have made it a little easier for parents.
The area in the middle is for parking. The circular area around the parking is only for “drop and go”. Please do not park in this area as it will cause congestion. We also rely on our parents to be considerate and not to hold up traffic. Thanks to your cooperation the flow of traffic has improved drastically.
Please be vigilant of children and pedestrians. If we all work together, it will make a huge difference. Thank you to all our families for your cooperation and patience.
Main parking area in front of the school
May I request that if you intend to get out of your car that you park in one of the parking bays. We will no longer allow you to get out of your car at the “drop and go” area.
We understand that some parents want to walk their little ones to the sanitizing station, and you are welcome to do so, but please use a parking bay in that case. When cars are left at the “drop and go” it causes congestion and frustration for other parents. Let’s be considerate and work together in this regard.
Your cooperation is appreciated so much.
FEATURE PHOTO
Our main newsletter photograph features Ms Sheila Marais. Ms Marais is our IGCSE & AS/A Level History teacher. Did you know:
- She did horse riding for 21 years.
- She has been a trail runner since 2019.
- She is an avid reader and collects Sherlock Holmes books.
- She also collects vintage and antique items.
- This teacher does in fact have a pet – a 10 year old English Cocker Spaniel called Eli.
WEEKLY THOUGHT: Courage
“Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne
For most people, courage is the absence of fear, but John Wayne would disagree.
According to Wayne, everybody gets scared in certain situations – even the brave and courageous! BUT, the difference is that the courageous press forward in spite of their fear.
This should be good news for all of us.
Are you currently facing a situation that is daunting and leaves you with doubts and fears? Whether you are courageous or not will be determined by your next action – not by how you feel now.
So often in life, fear makes us feel inadequate, and the perception that others “do not fear” obviously doesn’t help. But what we need to understand is that everyone experiences fear and that fear gives us an opportunity to be courageous.
Victory and success are reserved for those individuals who move forward despite the fear they experience. During the last year, things all across the world have changed dramatically. The fact is that we don’t know what to expect from next month (never mind next year), but this should not paralyze us. Instead, we need to show courage by pressing forth regardless of what tomorrow may bring.
Our prayer is that those who are scared will discover the courage they need to keep going. Let us press on and never give up.
Andre
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From the Principal’s Desk, 28 May 2021
Dear Parents
We have reached the business end of the term and this means exam and test time. By now, all students should have a study timetable to ensure that they are able to do THEIR very best.
Student wellness is most important. Let’s all work together to ensure that our children are as relaxed as can be. While these assessments are important, they DO NOT define our children. As parents and teachers, we need to care for our children more than we care for the results.
FEATURE PHOTO
Our main newsletter photograph features Mrs Ann Cordner. Mrs Cordner is our Key Stage 1 Coordinator. Did you know:
- She started teaching at Blouberg International School in 2014 as a Year 1 teacher.
- She was one of two teachers who started a brand new school in Durbanville. She taught Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 in one class for 6 months, an experience she never wishes to repeat!
- She runs about 5km 3 times a week and has aspirations of one day running a half marathon again. Actually, in her dreams it’s the Comrades.
- During the lockdown in April 2020, she ran a marathon over three weeks doing laps around her garden, each lap was only 120m which equated to 350 laps. So she was well acquainted with every blade of grass by the end of the 42.2 km.
- She loves to sit and read a good book accompanied by a cup of tea and a chocolate.
- She always jokes with the children in her class that she is 99 years old and sadly they find it easy to believe.
Thank you, Ann, for all you do for our school. You are an inspiration for many.
REAL MADRID SOCCER CLINIC FOR SEK AND IES
IES and the Real Madrid Foundation have signed an important agreement, exclusively for our students, with the aim of carrying out high-level sports activities.
From July 4th to the 10th, students between the ages of 11 and 14 will be able to take part in a soccer clinic (intensive soccer program) at “Real Madrid City” in Valdebebas (Madrid), considered the largest sports centre built by a club in the world.
Students will be housed, on a full board basis, in a student residence located in the heart of Madrid, on Paseo de la Habana, next to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
Daily soccer training sessions will be led by Real Madrid coaches, offering elite and competitive soccer training.
Our students will also be provided with a complete Real Madrid Foundation training kit.
In addition to sports activities, students will enjoy recreational and cultural activities in the city of Madrid.
The price of the complete course, including transport and transfers in Madrid, is € 1,190 (excludes flights).
There is limited space in the camp (a total of 25 participants) so if you are interested in having your child participate in the Real Madrid Soccer Clinic please contact our Sport Coordinator, Ms Yvette Fourie (yvette.fourie@iesmail.com) for more details.
WEEKLY THOUGHT: Small Matters
“Big doors swing on little hinges.” – W. Clement Stone
Let that image sink in…
When things go right, it often is not because people or institutions got the “big” things right. This goes the other way too: If things go terribly wrong, it usually isn’t because people made massive and apparent mistakes.
In failures and successes, we must not immediately look for the obvious things. Instead, as Stone suggests, we should rather set our sights on the small things.
We will all do well to look at our own lives and ask ourselves whether we are living life as successfully as we would like to be? If the answer is “No”, we are quick to think that getting a degree or a new job in a different city is what we need to set our lives in a better direction – you know, some “big” changes…
But if we take Stone’s words to heart, we may want to consider the following things: How much we sleep; how much time we set apart just to think and meditate; whether we exercise and eat balanced meals; what and how we read; who we hang out with and call our friends; what we believe and the amount of time we spend on our spiritual lives.
Can you recognise these “little hinges” in your life? If we work on them, we may just find that the doors of opportunity swing open, along with peace and success. Though largely unnoticed, the above aspects of our lives are so much more significant than we could ever imagine.
Shall we try to get the “small” things right in our lives? Doing so may just mark the start of a wonderful new journey – for us and the people dearest to us.
Have a wonderful weekend and let’s execute well on the “small things”.
Andre
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