1. Art and Diseño

Newsletter
Issue 17
30 January,2015
Dear All,
I am delighted to be back in Warsaw and particularly pleased to
be back at School!
The last two months have been challenging but I return in good
spirits and good health.
I would like to thank Dr. Jacek Latkowski for serving as Acting
Principal during my absence.
I know from the feedback I have received from many parents and teachers that
Dr. Latkowski ensured that the daily running of the School continued as per normal.
His diligence and professionalism enabled me to resume my duties seamlessly.
Thank you, Dr. Latkowski.
Dr John Kennard
Principal
Dąbrowskiego News
Dear All,
I Have Just Begun Reading the Book entitled, Thrive: “The Third Metric
to Redeeming Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, And
Wonder” by Arianna Huffington.
This book explores what society deems as success and what the author
discovered real success means for her. As an educationalist I always
reflect on how what I read, could possibly impact young children. It
obviously got me thinking about how we define success for our children.
I am by no means an expert on raising children but certainly in my 23
years of working with these precious beings, I have developed some of
my own ideas about the attributes of successful children. I would like to share these with you in
the points below.
I believe that self-esteem and self-worth are essential to every child’s development, if they do not
see themselves as valuable, nothing else matters. Self-esteem follows very closely in terms of the
level of importance. How your child values their own abilities will determine if they are willing to
use those abilities.
When they know that they have value and abilities that are valuable, they are certain to develop a
can-do attitude. They will feel capable and worthy of being loved. She won’t be afraid of making
mistakes.
Children need to display a willingness to learn, without this attribute, life will be an everyday
struggle for your child. Children who are unwilling to learn shut down. They do not have the same
social skills as their peers and generally become outcasts.
Children who are willing to learn will never be restricted by any obstacle that comes their way.
They will soon learn to tackle obstacles as problems to be solved, not as barriers.
Successful children need to possess the ability to love and be loved. It is a basic human need.
With a loving foundation in their life, the successful child will look at the outside world with
hope. Children who are successful in their ability to love surround themselves with people who
are loving as well. When you foster the ability to love in your child, you are giving them a gift of
always having a loving relationship in their life, and the high self-esteem and self-worth will seek
out people like themselves.
The successful child needs good character in order to gain trust from those around them. They will
slowly build their character and gain trust from others by accepting responsibilities and following
through. Developing character gives them stamina and teaches them the value of hard work and
perseverance. The little things about a child’s character are also important in the road to success.
Manners are really not a forgotten concept and are very important for children to learn.
My last point is that, for children to be successful, they have to be resilient. Every day your child
will face at least one challenge, perhaps more. They need to be able to face that challenge and
work it out in order to be successful. Resilient children can face failure and try again. They have
a higher tolerance for frustration, exhibit impulse control, and are able to delay gratification.
Resilient children become adept at problem-solving and decision-making because of these skills.
Successful children need flexibility so they can deal with other people effectively. Learning to
compromise and to go with the flow will also assist them tuft in with society.
As adults we need to model these attributes if our children are to be successful individuals.
Michelle Stevens
Head of Early Years Centre
Dąbrowskiego News
EAL
Welcome to the first EAL Dąbrowskiego newsletter in spring term. We are all looking
forward to having more opportunities to have fun while learning and gaining more language skills this term. The current Year 1 and Reception topics are enjoyable and exciting
for both children and teachers.
In Year 1 we have started with the topic of wild animals. Every time I am very surprised
with students’ knowledge on that topic. Children have been using their energy to move
and make sounds like animals and to group them according to animals’ physical
appearance. We have been reading non-fiction books to find information about habitat
and diet of various wild animals. That will help us to confidently create animal fact files.
Reception topic this term is traditional tales. We have particularly enjoyed reading and
acting out our favourite stories of Goldilocks and the three Bears and Jack and the
Beanstalk. The nature of these stories means that learning is authentic and exciting. Where
the story being told in English is already known to learners in their mother tongue, this
knowledge will provide additional support when joining in with the teacher and retelling
the story partly or wholly in English. When repeated language is reproduced in the context
of the story, learners are also being given the chance to express character and mood meaningfully through voice, rhythm, expression and gesture. This happens naturally.
Giving language students the opportunity to be storytellers themselves is an effective way
of scaffolding learners’ language use.
Warm regards,
Magda Świątek
ELS Teacher
Primary News
Dear All,
This message was sent out to parents before Christmas but there were an
awful lot of messages at the same time and some parents missed this, so
we thought it was worth sending out again.
Effort is the very special ingredient that students bring to their studies
and the consequences of different levels of effort should never be underestimated. Persistent effort in classwork and homework really do make the
difference to what students achieve in the long term and I am pleased to be
able to say that here at The British School, Warsaw, trying hard in lessons
and wanting to do well is the norm.
We have dedicated and determined teachers who know that inspiring students is a key to
unlocking potential and helping the students to be the best that they can be. In lessons that I have
seen in the primary school, I see teachers using a great range of different approaches to inspire
interest, curiosity and, in the long term, a love of learning.
This year we are changing the effort grades scale that we use on reports from a 4 point scale to
a 5 point scale. This should make it easier for teachers to distinguish differences in levels of effort
and give parents a better idea of the different levels of effort that their child is putting into their
studies. The effort grades that you received on the reports at Christmas (and in the future) are
from 1 to 5, with:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Outstanding – Often goes beyond expectations in effort
Good – Consistently meets expectations in effort
Satisfactory – Usually meets expectations in effort
Inconsistent – Meets expectations some of the time in effort
Cause for concern - Not meeting expectations in effort
Basically, a few children will be Grade 1 which, as it says, is for the students who go beyond
expectations , most children will find themselves in Grades 2 and 3, Grade 2 is consistent and
Grade 3 is usually. Grades 4 and 5 are the ones to worry about.
There is a further explanation of what this means in terms of the three sub-categories of homework, classwork and behaviour on the school website: Effort Grades.
The descriptors recognise that student effort can vary and therefore they are mainly based on how
much of the time a student exhibits particular behaviours. These are ‘best fit’ descriptions, not
minimums, and, like all written criteria, do involve some level of subjectivity.
In the short term, it may be harder for parents to compare current performance with last year but
in the long term we hope the new scale will give you a better idea of how your child is doing with
the special ingredient, effort.
Michael Waterhouse
Deputy Head of Primary School
Primary News
All Change
Well this year has seen some big changes going on in the Primary curriculum throughout
the department and although we in Year 6 get to keep to the old curriculum Maths for
one more year we have seen a completely new Science curriculum come in which has
fascinated the children and teachers alike.
For the last term we have looked at a mainly biology based subject in which we have
studied plants, the human body and this term how animals and plants have changed over
millennia to survive in their surroundings.
This term we have learnt about fossils which have shown us how life on Planet Earth has
changed and how creatures had to adapt or perish. We have begun to look at significant
people who have added to our knowledge like Mary Anning and Charles Darwin.
Mary was a woman born into an era where there were very few women whose voices were
heard in science and yet she was able to make significant contributions to what we now
know about fossils.
Charles Darwin was ahead of his time with his theories and was constantly attacked by the
church for his views but is has changed the way that biology is taught.
These two inspirational people have inspired the children to want to learn more and
I hope that we continue to see this inspiration as we explore this new curriculum together.
Two interesting facts about Darwin. He went to medical school but dropped out as he
could not stand the sight of blood. The Church of England apologised for their treatment
of him 126 years after his death. Better late than never I suppose.
“Think and wonder, wonder and think.” Dr Seuss
Lorraine Bastone
Learning Leader for Year 6 and English
Secondary News
NEWS FROM THE SECONDARY YEAR TEAM LEADERS
Year 7
Having only recently taken on the position of Team Leader for Year 7 I am just in the
process of getting to know all the students in this year group. This may take a little time
but I am already very familiar with many and I have made a point of introducing myself to
all Year 7s during their registration periods.
We have a dedicated team of teachers and Form teachers helping Year 7 through their first
year in secondary school. Many ‘teething’ problems have already been ironed out (thank
you Mr Taylor) and it seems that students are settling down well into the school routine.
However, experience tells me that sometimes, with new found confidence, comes a certain
lack of focus. We do expect Year 7 to take on the responsibility of organising themselves
for school; that means with their books, bags, pencil cases and, of course, homework.
I would encourage all parents to reinforce this at home.
I was very pleased to meet some of the parents this week at the Parent Forum. There was
a good deal of constructive discussion and lots of ideas were put forward. If you were not
able to make that meeting but would still like to contribute, please do feel free to contact
me.
I am very much looking forward to working with Year 7 and to meeting many more of you
as the year progresses.
Alison Fox,
Team Leader Year 7
Secondary News
NEWS FROM THE SECONDARY YEAR TEAM LEADERS
Year 9 Options
Students in Year 9 will soon be deciding upon their IGCSE options, a decision which can
affect not only IB subjects but also university and career paths too. Here is some simple
but important advice for students choosing their options subjects:
1) You make the decision
You may have already found that many people will have opinions about your choices.
You'll receive advice from parents and teachers - do listen but in the end go for what you'd
like to do. You may also have friends suggesting you do the same subjects as them - choose
subjects that you will enjoy. Further down the line when workload is heavy you'll appreciate enjoying a subject and looking forward to rather than dreading lessons.
2) Consider your future plans
Usually the subjects you take at IB Level will be part of your options at GCSE. If you want
to go on that far, what subjects do you see yourself taking? This long term thinking also
applies to University and Careers. It can be scary to think that far ahead but spend a little
time dreaming. What would you like to do with your life?
3) Find a balance
Good GCSE options will look balanced. If you love the Arts, find a subject like History or
a language alongside it. The reason for balance is not to please teachers; it's just a way of
keeping your options open. As your school career progresses you may find you have gifts
you never dreamed of. Try to not shut too many doors too soon.
4) Choose the subject, not the teacher
We all know sometimes a relationship with a teacher can have an impact on your studies.
You may choose a subject because of a great teacher, but think hard before you do so.
In the long term teachers will change but it's subject that will carry you through.
Options can be a very stressful time. But remember that thousands of pupils get through
this step and thrive. Options can open new doors and there is plenty of help along the way.
Parents and students will have the opportunity to discuss the process with subject teachers and myself at our Options Evening on Wednesday 25th February.
Richard Snape
Team Leader Years 8 & 9
Secondary News
NEWS FROM THE SECONDARY YEAR TEAM LEADERS
Year 11 Exams
Year 11 students will be well aware that the mock exams have finished and they may
breathe a temporary sigh of relief, although not for long as their actual exams are just
around the corner. They were given their results this week and these exam grades are a
close reflection of how they will do on their final exams this spring. If they have done well,
they should continue with their level of effort. However, if they have not earned the grades
with which they are happy, they will need to put a great deal more effort into their studies
and attend revision sessions.
Next week we will be sending out an email to parents of those children we have identified
as needing additional support. If your child’s grade in a subject is below our expectations,
they will be required to attend the mandatory study sessions identified on a timetable that
will be attached. These will take place each week and will be led by a specialist subject
teacher. Your child may have to attend more than one session a week so we have attempted
to spread them out accordingly. Please make arrangements with your child to attend these
extra sessions.
Year 10’s will be writing their mock mid-term exams the week of February 9th to the 12th.
These will take place in the Hall and will model the real exam experience they will have
next spring. They will be required to write one exam per subject taken and they will be
between 1 and 2 hours each.
We hope that, with your support, our students will work to the best of their abilities to
achieve the best possible exam grades.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Kari Ellis
[email protected]
Year 10 and 11 Team Leader
Secondary News
NEW BOOKS IN SECONDARY LIBRARY
Monster on the Hill by Rob Harrell
In a fantastical 1860s England, every quiet little township is terrorized
by a ferocious monster - much to the townsfolk’s delight! Each town’s
unique monster is a source of local pride, not to mention tourism. Each
town, that is... except for one. Unfortunately, for the people of Stoker-onAvon, their monster isn’t quite as impressive. In fact, he’s a little down
in the dumps. Can the morose Rayburn get a monstrous makeover and
become a proper horror? It’s up to the
eccentric Dr. Charles Wilkie and plucky
street urchin Timothy to get him up to snuff, before a
greater threat turns the whole town to kindling! Monsters
of all ages are sure to enjoy this tale about life’s challenges,
the power of friendship, and creative redemption, packed
with epic battles and plenty of wild beasts!
“Really fun, goofy, extremely silly fantasy for readers
of all ages, crying out for reviewers and critics to make
appalling puns of the ‘monstrously good’ variety.” -- Neil
Gaiman
Friends With Boys by Erin Hicks
A coming-of-age tale with a spooky twist! Maggie McKay hardly knows
what to do with herself. After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling
with her mother and rough-housing with her older brothers, it’s time for
Maggie to face the outside world, all on her own. But that means facing
high school first. And it also means solving the mystery of the melancholy
ghost who has silently followed Maggie throughout her entire life. Maybe
it even means making a new friend--one who isn’t one of her brothers.
Funny, surprising, and tender, “Friends with Boys “is a pitch perfect YA
graphic novel full of spooky supernatural fun.
Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley
Charlotte Usher has always felt invisible at school. But now she has a plan
to break into the popular crowd and nothing is going to stop her. Not even
death.
It’s the first day of the rest of Charlotte’s life. She isn’t going to be invisible
any more. And she’s not going to stop at just getting noticed, she’s
determined that she’ll be envied! Much to Charlotte’s surprise her plan
actually seems to be working: Petula, the most popular girl at school has
finally acknowledged her existence and her lab partner for the rest of the
term is none other than Damen Dylan, school heart-throb and object of Charlotte’s desire.
It’s only a matter of time before she’s accepted into their elite circle...that is until, in her
excitement, Charlotte chokes to death on a gummy bear.
So, OK, it’s the first day of the rest of Charlotte’s death - why should that change her plans?
Secondary News
WONDERWALL
Some excellent examples of the written work produced by our students are being
displayed on the Wonderwall board outside the English classrooms.
To give these creations the wider audience they deserve, they will also be re-printed
in this Newsletter. This week’s stories are by students from Ms Fox’s English class.
Spider by Paula Broniszewska
There he was. High up in the corner of the room. The lights went out, the
window swung open. Then she saw him. There was a scream. She didn’t see
anybody else again. The only thing left was a stolen ring on the floor.
BZZZ...BZZZ by Ala Mostowska
By 9 pm Lisa had finally finished at work. It had been a very long day. Waiting outside Lisa was
freezing in very cold wind. The weather was horrible. Meanwhile, there was a very generous man
who looked very kind and offered her a lift home. She was very thankful and accepted.
“What is your address?” The man asked very softly.
“It’s a red house, number 32” replied Lisa.
The man was driving very smoothly and the atmosphere was very relaxing, but suddenly half way
home he punched her in the face really hard. Lisa passed out in the car. The man drove off into
the darkness.
When she awoke, she felt dizzy. The only things that she could see were dead people. They were
all over the place, blood dripping down from the shelves to the floor, stains of blood smeared
across the walls and the smell of rotten fish. Suddenly without expectation the man lunged out
from nowhere with his chainsaw. Lisa felt terrified and started shouting “HELP, HELP!”
“No one can here you, it’s only us and those dead people” said the man.
“What do you want from me?” asked Lisa nervously.
“All I want is your meat for my dinner.” “BZZZ...BZZZ!”
The man turned on his chainsaw and started coming closer and closer to Lisa. Lisa tried to escape
from him but she was tied up, so the man moved closer and with one swipe of his chainsaw
chopped off her head. Her blood was spurting out like a fountain. Sadly Lisa ended up like the
others and the man contentedly cut her up for dinner.
ESTRANGED by Francisco Pereira Yr 9C
“Look, a firetruck!” yelled five-year old Billy.
Mum had always told him that his dad had been a fireman.
When he got older Billy set fire to his house.
He was hoping to finally meet his dad.
A NOTE by Guy Mizrachin Yr 9C
It was the first day of school after the summer vacation. There she was,
standing with a magnificent smile on her radiant face; eyes blue as the
ocean.
The bell rang and all the students finally met up after the long vacation. Everybody was excited to
start the new school year. All the boys were happy and excited, but I was the luckiest. The most
beautiful girl in the whole school was sitting right next to me.
It all started the next morning. When I entered the classroom she was already there. She looked
shy. When we started the first lesson she reached over to me and gave me a note. It was sealed in
a white envelope. She was so shy that she couldn’t stay; she left and didn’t come back. I couldn’t
think about anything else but the note. What was in it? What did it say? I thought to myself.
With shaking hands I opened the envelope, I was extremely nervous. I began to read. Then I
understood how stupid I had been. I was just the delivery boy, nothing more.
School Notices
The British School
Brunch
On Sunday 1 March: 13:00 - 17:00
at The Westin Hotel Warsaw
Join The Britsh School, Warsaw community for a delicious Brunch
at The Westin Hotel Warsaw (Jana Pawła II 21) on Sunday 1 March.
Childcare from Nanny Express and Golf and Tennis Management
will be provided.
Discounted rates for The British School, Warsaw Community are:
Cost: Adult: 145PLN,
Age 6-12: 72PLN,
Under 6: Free of Charge
To book your place, please contact The Westin Hotel directly on 0048 22 450 8631 or email
[email protected] and make sure to quote: THE BRITISH SCHOOL BRUNCH when making your
reservation. To secure your place, you will be required to pay 50% of the total price upfront.
For your reference, the bank account details are: 90 1030 1508 0000 0005 0167 9151
School Notices
COMMUNITY CHOIR
The British School of Warsaw COMMUNITY CHOIR consists of parents and teachers who
have a love of singing. There is no audition to join the choir and you do not need to have
previous experience or read music, just enthusiasm.
The choir meets every Wednesday in the school dining room at 7.30 pm until
9.00. Members sometimes bring a bottle of wine to drink in the break!
The next rehearsal is next Wednesday 4th February - NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!
Contact Simon Porter at [email protected] for more details or just turn up
on the night.
Year 13 IB Physics
A notice to all parents of year 13 IB Physics students that extra lessons will continue
every Saturday (exept half-term) from 10.00 until 13.00 until Easter.
It is presumed that all students will attend.
Please contact Mr Porter at [email protected] if you have any questions
about these extra classes.
New Year - New Challenge!
Science Just Discovered Something Amazing About What Childhood Piano
Lessons Did To You
"If your parents forced you to practice your scales saying it would "Build character," they
were onto something. The Washington Post reports that one of the largest scientific studies
into music's effect on the brain has found something striking: Musical training doesn't just
affect your musical ability - it provides tremendous benefits to children's emotional and
behavioural maturation."
Continue reading at: http://goo.gl/jJ51C1
The Instrumental and Vocal Teaching programme in school has a great team of experienced
and enthusiastic teachers who can give trial lessons to students wishing to find their
instrument.
Please check out the link to the staff profiles on the school web site:
http://goo.gl/eWreSq
For more details please contact Mrs Porter at [email protected]
School Notices
ELS
Maintaining a strong home language and culture whilst promoting good English
language development:
If you have ever wondered about how to find the balance between these two very
important aspects of your child's education and development then come along and share
your ideas at the parent seminars held on the dates and times below.
10th February -9:30 - in the Dining Hall (Limanowskiego)for parents of children in Y2 to Y6
11th February 9:00 - In PE Hall (Dambrowskiego) for parents of children from Pre-Nursery to Y1
12th February 15:00 - in the dining Hall (Limanowskiego)for parents of children in Y7 to IB
Jean Kingham
Head of ELS
Dear ABRSM Candidates,
I am pleased to inform you that it is possible to apply online for the 2015 ABRSM exams
on www.abrsm.pl.
Applications for Practical Exams are due in on 6th of February.
Please note that the account number has changed and it is now:
Alior Bank SA
19 2490 1044 0000 4200 5185 7246
Please check the board next to LB011 for fees and exam dates.
Anna Mytko
Christmas Giving Tree 2014-Foundation
for Corporate Social Responsibility Dinner Dance
As a thank you to the British School of Warsaw for the annual Christmas Giving Tree we
have been given a number of tickets to the FCSR Dinner Dance which takes place on
Monday 9th February 1830 at the Hilton Hotel in Warsaw.
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the work of the FCSR and see some of the
children from the schools that we support perform the event.
If any parents or teachers are interested in attending please contact:
Anna ([email protected]),
Anne ([email protected])
or Basia ([email protected])
School Notices
To check the Dates for your Diary please click our
Calendar
TBS Cheetahs Need Players!
The TBS Cheetahs football team provides girls an opportunity
to learn the rules of the game and encourages good
sportsmanship and teamwork. We had great fun during our
autumn season outdoors (we scored our first goal against our
rivals at The German School!).
Now that winter is upon us, we are moving inside.
We hope to participate in a couple of tournaments and
matches this season.
We will be practicing Saturday mornings at Centrum Futbolu Warszawianka
(behind Digiloo). Our training sessions start Saturday, 10th January at 10:00am.
They will run through the end of March. If your daughter is in Year 2- Year 5 and is
interested in joining us, come to practice Saturday morning!
Please contact Nikki Stefl ([email protected] ; +48 792 431 892) for more
information.
Advertisement Opportunity
with The British School, Warsaw
Every year the British School, Warsaw produces a Yearbook –
a type of book published annually to record, highlight, and commemorate the
past year of a school. We give the opportunity for companies to
advertise in our yearbook.
There are two options: full page advert for 5000PLN
and half a page advert for 2500PLN.
There are around 1,000 students attending our school, therefore your advertisement will reach out to thousands of parents and their colleagues from the
international business community through to the diplomatic corps.
If you are interested in advertising in our yearbook,
please do not hesitate to contact Sara Debevec at [email protected]
Click for PTA
News
Click for PTA
Noticeboard