Half Term Break

I would like to wish all members of the community a relaxing half term break. As always, it has been a busy half term and this break should be used to recharge and spend quality time with family and friends. 

Lost Items

While relatively rare, parents and students should report any lost items directly to our security team, led by Mr. Amr El Sakka. Please email gate.attendance@bisc.edu.eg if you have any issues regarding lost items; including pictures of the item(s) if possible. Students are also encouraged to hand in found items directly to a member of security.

Turkey - Syria Earthquake

This event had been discussed widely in the school as a major world and regional tragedy. As BISC is a very diverse community, I know that we have students and parents who may have lost family and/or friends; the school would like to offer our condolences to those directly affected.

There are many charities around Egypt where donations of food and clothing can be made. Equally, you can make donations directly to UNICEF by clicking this link and making a donation.

Year 7 and 8 Rewards

Throughout this term, we have been focusing on ensuring that all Year 7 and 8 students read for the mandatory 20 minutes per night. In doing so, they will meet their Accelerated Reader targets, which counts for 20% of their English grade.

Congratulations to English class 8B (Miss Quinn’s class) for being the first class to 1,000,000 words (they’re almost at 2,000,000!)

Congratulations to Class 7C (Ms. Ellicot’s class) on being the first class in Year 7 to  reach 1,000,000 words.

Our star reader in Year 7 this half term is: Laila

Laila has met her Accelerated Reader (AR) target, received 100% scores on four AR quizzes and is showing great dedication to exceed her reading target.

Our star reader in Year 8 this half term is: Louis

Louis has completed the most books in Key Stage 3, having read 14 since the Christmas holidays. He reads at every opportunity he can get, and has read almost 1,000,000 words himself since Christmas!

By Zeina, Year 12

The BISC Literary Costume Parade will take place on Wednesday 1st March. Students should wear full school uniform if they are not participating in the dress up parade.  Please note that they can only come to school not in school uniform if they are participating in the dress up competition, where they must come as a recognisable literary character or figure.

Recommended Reading in Senior School

As part of Book Week, we want to ensure our students are reading a wide range of books that are of appropriate literary value. Therefore, the English department at BISC would recommend the following books:

For Key Stage 3 students:

• The “Harry Potter” series by J. K. Rowling
• “Animal Farm” by George Orwell
• “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri
• “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• “The Roman Mysteries” series by Caroline Lawrence
• “The Chronicles of Narnia” series by C. S. Lewis
• “The Boy in Striped Pyjamas” by John Boyne
• “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hilton
• “The Giver” by Lois Lowry
• “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak
• “Caroline” by Neil Gaiman
• “Private Peaceful” by Michael Morpurgo
• “The Hobbit” by JR Tolkien
• “Dracula” by Bram Stoker
• “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley
• “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Anne Frank
• “I am Malala” by Malala Yousafazi

For Key Stage 4 Students:

• “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
• “1984” by George Orwell
• “We Were Liars” by E.Lockhart
• “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” by Mark Haddon
• “Noughts and Crosses” by Malorie Blackman
• “Scythe” by Neil Shusterman
• “They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei
• “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
• “The Rosie Project” by Graeme Simsion
• “Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt
• “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
• “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline

For Key Stage 5 students:

• “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• “Maus” by Art Spielgeman
• “March” by John Lewis
• “Becoming” by Michelle Obama
• “This is Going to Hurt” by Adam Kay
• “Burial Rites” by Hannah Kent
• “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens
• “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr
• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
• “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck
• “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
• “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr

Creative Arts Trip to London

During the half term break, 51 students from Key Stages 4 and 5 will be travelling with teachers to London for a Creative Arts Trip. They will be attending theatre productions of Mamma Mia, Hamilton, The Woman in Black and Matilda as well as visiting art galleries and places of local interest. We look forward to seeing plenty of photos once they return!

Egyptian Cinema Club

The next Egyptian Cinema Club for Years 7 and 8 will be on Sunday 26th February. For Year 9 students, it will be on Sunday 5th March.

The movie on show is called The Third World War.

IB Visual Arts Exhbition

Parents are invited to join us for an exhibition of the work created by our talented IB Visual Arts students. Details are on the poster below.

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Hussein, Alia and Yara in Year 8, and Omar in Year 7, for competing in the Giza swimming competition. 

Congratulations to Omar in Year 8 who competed for his basketball team, the Egyptian Shooting Club, and won first place in a recent competition.

Omar and his team are now through to the semi-finals of the Egyptian Basketball Championship.

Good luck, Omar.

Message from the Careers Department 

Our Economics student has received an offer from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. UBC is ranked number one in Canada and 44th in the world rankings.

Two students have received conditional offers from the King’s College London to study LLB and a BSc in Biomedical Sciences. We will share more success stories of our Year 13 students after half term.

BISC/IDP University Fair - Sunday 26th February

The Careers team is delighted to host our first university fair since COVID-19 with one of the largest education agencies in the world: IDP. 

The fair will include over 25 universities (a list of universities can be seen on the flyer below) from the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia. Students will have the chance to speak with the official university representatives starting at 13:00, and parents are welcome to come after school from 15:00 to 16:00.

Coincidentally, on the very same day, we will welcome six of the top-ranked Canadian universities to BISC, between 14:00 and 16:00.

The universities are: 

• Carleton University
• Concordia University
• Dalhousie University
• Ontario Tech University
• Queen’s University
• York University

This event will take place by the Clocktower. 

Please feel free to contact the Careers team, Mr Raza or Ms. Hassanien, for more information. 

Elevate Education Parent Workshops

Junior School Sports Days

Students in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 took part in their Sports Days this week, and the annual track and field inter-house events are always hotly contested and competitive. 

Students from Years 2 to 6 were able to score points in their sprinting, jumping, throwing and relay events, contributing to their House totals. The winning Houses in each year group were as follows:

This means that the winning House of the Sports Days 2023 was... WATER!

Sports Day also gave us some new record breakers!

Below are links for parents to enjoy all of the photos from some great events.

Year 5 Trip to Luxor

The Year 5 annual trip to Luxor has come and gone again. And what an experience it was. Day one saw the children meet at school bright and early, we then hopped on a flight to Luxor and spent the afternoon singing on a Felucca Boat on the gorgeous River Nile. Days two and three were jam-packed with visits to various historical sites, where we walked through time and experienced the magic of made Ancient Egypt.

Egyptian Games

Our Under 11 teams competed in the last two events of the Egyptian Games recently. We were hosted at MES for the Girls' Netball and Boys' Football, and last weekend we hosted the Girls' Football and Boys' Basketball events. Our U11 teams did fantastically well and this has been great preparation for their BSME Games in Abu Dhabi.

We had two teams in the netball and basketball events, and one boys' team and one girls' team in the football tournaments.

BISC A were undefeated in netball and managed to use their set plays and practice switching tactics in their games. Our shooters, Alia and Tia hardly missed a shot.

BISC B netballers came 4th having beaten nearly half of the teams there, winning three matches. The B team basketball squad, a development squad, also won three games and played with determination and drive. BISC A - the BSME team - only lost to the eventual winners and came 2nd.

In football - the Girls team came 3rd and the boys team came 4th, facing some tough competition that undoubtedly will have them fully prepared for the BSME football matches. Haya deserves a mention as the top goalscorer for the girls.

More photos of the U11 Girls' Football and Boys' Basketball are available here.

U11 BSME Games Squad

We wish them all the best. They have trained very hard and are ready to do their best to represent BISC, and Egypt. It is going to be a tough one this year. With top schools from across the Middle East attending the event in Abu Dhabi, we will be competing against ten very strong, very competitive squads. 

Internet Safety Week

In the Junior School this week, students took part in Internet Safety week. Lessons were focussed on Respect and Relationships Online.

Discussions took place, which involved the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for young people at BISC. In Key Stage 2, the children also created short videos to discuss their experiences using online tools. These videos were showcased during assemblies.

Book Week

We look forward to celebrating ‘Book Week’ from Sunday 26th February to Thursday 2nd March.

The following events will take place during ‘Book Week’:

Book in a Box Competition (hand in on Sunday 26th February)

This year, children can participate in a ‘Book Week’ competition. Children will need to create a diorama based on a book they have read. Children can use a shoe box and recycled materials to create their dioramas. It should be decorated on the inside and outside. They should also add a book summary to the back of their box. Pupils should label boxes clearly with the book title, name, and class. Please hand your box to your class teacher no later than Sunday 26th February. 

Today we saw these great examples by Yassin and Rasheed in Year 6!

Visitors from the UK (Monday 27th February and Tuesday 28th February)

A performance group from the UK will visit us, providing creative learning workshops and enabling pupils to experience something truly magical. All Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children will attend a performance and a workshop linked to our Book Week theme, ‘Animals’. The activities during the rest of the week will be inspired by the things learned during our workshop.

Joint Senior School and Junior School Activities (Tuesday 28th February)

Senior School students have been working hard to organise different activities for our Junior School pupils to share their love for reading. They will create a photo booth, participate in buddy reading activities and model good reading throughout the week. 

Book Week Parade (Wednesday 1st March )

Children are invited to come into school dressed as: a character from their favourite book, an animal, or as a word of their choice. A parade will showcase costumes to the other children in the Junior School during assembly. Parents will not be able to attend this event, but we look forward to sharing photos of all the fantastic costumes. 

Buddy Reading (Thursday 2nd March)

Classes from the Junior and Senior Schools will participate in a buddy-reading activity to share their favourite stories. This will also be a fantastic opportunity for our Senior School pupils to model good reading behaviours to Junior School pupils. 

Book Fair

(Tuesday 28th February, Wednesday 1st March, and Thursday 2nd March )

The Book Fair will be set up around the Junior School Quad. Each class will be designated a slot during these three days. Parents are allowed to attend the book fair at this time. Class teachers will inform parents accordingly. Additionally, parents can visit the book fair before and after school to purchase books.

• Children in Key Stage 1 will use their slot to browse books and create a wish list. Parents attending the book fair can purchase books with their children. Children should not bring in their own money. 
• Children in Key Stage 2 are allowed to bring in money to purchase books. However, children are responsible for their money; teachers cannot collect money for safekeeping, but they will be able to guide children when choosing books. The money should be sent to school in a sealed, clearly labelled envelope on the designated day.

Recap of Book Week Dates: 

If you have any queries, please contact Lisa Dooijeweerd (KS1) or Katie Miah (KS2).

Pupil Achievements

Some of our pupils visited the Grand Egyptian Museum recently and had the opportunity to take a picture with the famous Egyptian Artist Klay Kassem.

In the picture are: Mansour, Hassan and Nadia from Year 4, as well as Hana from Year 3 and Karima and Hassan from Year 1.

Songwriting Competition

Calling all young songwriters, singers, musicians, and producers: the Song Academy Young Songwriter 2023 Competition is now OPEN for entries!

All students in Key Stage 2 are invited to enter this global competition, before the deadline of Friday 31st March.

Star-studded judges include Fraser T Smith, Plested, Amy Wadge, Jimmy Napes & Calum Scott), and there are fantastic prizes up for grabs, including a Yamaha instrument worth up to £1,000, home studio set-up, a recording studio session with a top producer and a chance to perform at The Young Songwriter 2023 showcase.

Check out www.songacademy.co.uk/SAYS23 for further information, plus songwriting tips. If you would like advice or support, please contact Mr Shaun Bracey or Mr Callum Watt.

Maths Workshop

Mr Banton-Smith, Junior School Maths Coordinator, will be hosting a workshop to share examples of the work the children complete in Maths, and go over the variety of concepts and methods used. The workshop will take place on Sunday 5th March in the Farag Hall and is for all year groups.

Words of the Week

In Key Stage 2, we are committed to expanding the vocabulary of our learners across the curriculum. Every week, we will share a 'Word of the Week', for children to learn and practice at school and at home.

Below you will find the words of the week for Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

On Wednesday and Thursday the Foundation Stage children participated in their first annual Sports Day competition. They have been practising the events and they were all eager to compete. Please see the photos below.

Both FS1 and FS2 teachers will be sending you details regarding the new themes that we will begin after the half term holiday. You will also find this information on the Google Classroom pages.

Please be aware that the first week back is Book Week and there will be a dress-up day on Wednesday 1st March and a Book Fair will be held in the Junior School Quad. Again, more details can be found on Google Classroom.

We would ask that if your child is not well, please keep them at home until you are sure they are recovered. In the meantime, we are keeping our rooms well ventilated and constantly clean.

We are happy to celebrate your child's birthday in class and it is always fun to enjoy some cake on a special day. We would, however, ask that you consider the type of cakes you send to school; a surplus of sugar in icing conflicts with our message about healthy eating and healthy teeth.

Foundation Stage Sports Days

Our youngest children had a great time at their first Sports Days.

Please enjoy our photos on the links below, including some lively action from the FS1 parent race!

In the Classroom

This week FS1 learnt about different sports and the skills required to be a good sportsperson. They also made Valentine's Day cards for someone they cared for.

In the FS1 Arabic classroom, we enjoyed learning this week about traffic lights and primary colors. 

FS2F children have had a lovely week making cards and doing observational drawings of real flowers for Valentine's day. To finish our topic about Space, we have made some planet cookies and decorated them to look like the planets in the solar system. The children have also worked hard on making a "Space fact book".

In FS2H we have continued to learn about our Space topic. We celebrated Valentine's Day in class and the children all made some cookies for themselves and for their parents.

In FS2G, children have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the solar system and the history of space exploration. 

In the FS2 Arabic Classroom, the children enjoyed learning about the sounds of the letter (ش). Our fun activity this week was making a tree and a sun.

Book Week in Foundation Stage

We look forward to celebrating ‘Book Week’ from Sunday 26th February - Thursday 2nd March. The following events will take place during Book Week, which will be centred around the theme of ‘Animals’.

Unusual Places to Read a Book

We aim to celebrate and continue to foster a love of reading for the Foundation Stage children. We are going to find the most obscure and unusual place to read a book. To participate please take your child somewhere unusual to read a story. Take a picture and email it to your class teacher or print it out and bring it with your child to school. We will share and celebrate these with the class. In school, we will also be taking class photos of our unusual story times, which will be posted in the Bulletin next week! 

Foundation Stage Activities

Primary pupils from a range of year groups will come to Foundation Stage to share their love for reading. They will participate in buddy reading activities and model good reading throughout the week. Foundation Stage One children will be making a non-fiction animal book in school. Foundation Stage Two classes will have a range of reading-based activities around the theme of 'Animals.' It will be centred on the stories; 'Giraffes Can't Dance’, ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’, ‘Elmer’ and ‘The Lion Who Wanted Love' 

Book Week Parade - Wednesday 1st March

Children are invited to come into school dressed as: a character from their favourite book, an animal, or as a word of their choice. A parade will showcase costumes to the other children in the Foundation Stage playground. Parents will not be able to attend this event, but we look forward to sharing photos of all the fantastic costumes.

Parent Reading

We would like to invite parents to read a book of their choice to their children's class. If you are interested in reading a story, it will be at the end of the day before the children go home. Please email your children's class teacher to express interest and organize a time during book week. 

Book Fair - Tuesday 28th February - Thursday 2nd March

The book fair will be set up around the Junior School Quad. Each class will be designated a slot during these three days. Parents are encouraged to attend the book fair at this time. Class teachers will inform parents accordingly. Additionally, parents can visit the book fair before and after school to purchase books.

Children in Foundation Stage will use their slot to browse books and create a wish list. Parents attending the book fair can purchase books with their children. Children should not bring in their own money. 

Keeping our students safe online is a priority at BISC. We are happy to share advice from the NOS (National Online Safety), to enable parents to understand the pros and cons of various social media, games and digital trends.

This week's advice is about popular video sharing app, TikTok.

If parents would like copies of any of the photos you have seen in the Bulletin, please email s706@bisc.edu.eg.