Students' Success

As this Bulletin goes to press, I am receiving incredibly positive feedback on BISC students’ success at The Hague MUN. I am proud to have received direct messages from the organisers; they report how impressed they are by our students’ ability to communicate and negotiate, their confident leadership and their engagement in the conference.

In other news, our U15 BSME sports team this week also impressed with their talent, skills and sporting spirit, to achieve second place at the BSME Games. Very, very well done.

Next week, we wish the Under 11 BSME boys' and girls' football teams the very best of luck as they begin their exciting tournament; I am sure they will make us proud. 

Road Safety Around the Campus

Please refer to my letter issued last week to secure road safety around the perimeter of the campus: Road Safety.

Academic Calendar 2024-2025

The 2024-2025 academic calendar can now be viewed on our website via this link: https://www.bisc.edu.eg/term-dates-2024-25.html 

This calendar details key school dates for BISC in the year 2024-2025, including start and end of terms, and religious and public holidays. Please note that some holidays are subject to change/confirmation.

Key Upcoming Dates

Year 7 Girls on Board Workshop

On Sunday 21st January, the Year 7 girls took part in a Girls on Board workshop. Girls on Board is an approach which helps girls understand the complexities and dynamics of female friendships. The approach empowers girls to develop a solution-focused approach to friendship problems. Girls on Board sessions are non-judgmental, reflective and designed to raise empathy amongst the girls. It is that empathy that fuels the search for harmony and resolution. By empowering girls to find their own solutions, the girls learn more effectively – because they are happier.

The girls engaged in the workshop very well and there were some excellent and valuable discussions throughout the session. More photos here.

U15 BSME Trip

Our Under 15 athletes battled it out in a BSME tournament in Abu Dhabi last weekend, showcasing incredible skill and determination across four sports. BISC took 2nd place overall, competing against 10 strong schools from across the region.

Girls Football: With skill and spirit, the girls fought their way to a well-deserved 2nd place finish.

Boys Football: Our boys displayed their tactical prowess, securing a hard-fought 2nd place amidst fierce competition.

Boys Volleyball: The boys soared high, placing a respectable 5th in a challenging tournament.

Girls Netball: Breaking new ground, the netballers made BISC history by reaching the semi-finals for the first time ever, and finishing in 4th place overall.

Beyond the medals, the trip was a true testament to the BISC spirit. The athletes displayed incredible teamwork, sportsmanship and resilience throughout the competition. They supported each other, cheered each other on and learned valuable lessons both on and off the court. More photos here.

Secret Student

In order to raise the profile of positives in school, we introduced a scheme last term to encourage students to take more responsibility for their own attitude and approach to learning, and to improve the culture by striving for a positive learning environment in our classrooms and around the School.

The winning secret students this week are:

• Omar N - 7KM
• Lina T - 8RM
• Naya F - 9HH
• Lili A - 10AB

Stars of the Week

Year 7 - Omar N for a positive return to the new term and working hard in all areas to benefit his learning and school experience.

Year 8 - Tamara A for her excellent punctuality, as well as her hard working and mature approach to her studies.

Year 9 - Haya B for an excellent start to the term and receiving lots of positives.

Year 10 - Ali G - most positives in the year group and great attendance.

Year 11 - Hamza A. Z. - for working incredibly hard during the mock exams and displaying a positive attitude throughout.

Year 12 - Petras and Youssef E.H.

Year 13 - Jana K and Ronza K

Year 10 Student Voice Session

Working with Mrs Walker, in an interactive and lively session, students in Year 10 were given the chance to share their opinions on ways to improve school life. 

Senior School House Winners - Term 1

Last term, students showed immense enthusiasm and talent in a wide range of House competitions across all subjects. From thrilling sports competitions in PE to engaging spelling bees in English, our students showed their skills and dedication. The Geography department organised an exciting Continents Quiz, challenging our students' knowledge and enhancing their understanding of the world we live in. The Art department encouraged students to create artwork inspired by the theme 'Peace'. The Computing department challenged students with algorithmic problems, allowing them to stretch their problem-solving skills and showcase their computational thinking abilities.

We are excited to announce that House Air emerged victorious in the Term 1 competition. In light of their outstanding achievement, we kindly request that all House Air members proudly wear their House kit on Sunday 28th January, making a statement of their collective triumph.

Year 12 Extended Essay Fair

Next Monday, 29th January, the School will be holding an Extended Essay Fair to present the different subject options to Year 12 students and their parents.

Extended Essay is a required component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). It is an independent piece of research, culminating in a 4,000-word paper.

The extended essay provides:

• practical preparation for undergraduate research.
• an opportunity for students to investigate a topic of personal interest to them, which relates to one of the student's six DP subjects, or takes the interdisciplinary approach of a World Studies extended essay.

Through the research process for the extended essay, students develop skills in:

• formulating an appropriate research question.
• engaging in a personal exploration of the topic.
• communicating ideas.
• developing an argument. 

Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyse, synthesise and evaluate knowledge. Students are supported throughout the process of researching and writing the extended essay, with advice and guidance from a supervisor, who is usually a teacher at the School. Students are required to have three mandatory reflection sessions with their supervisors. The final session, a concluding interview, is also known as viva voce.

Upcoming Events 

U11 BSME Trip

Our U11 BSME football teams travel this weekend to Bahrain for the BSME football competition. We wish them the best of luck.

U11 Netball

Our U11 netball teams performed well in a friendly competition against MES this week. Well done to all competitors. More photos here.

Year 1 Music

In their music lesson this week, Year 1 pupils made and played their own harmonicas using popsicle sticks. The children enjoyed the process and were very eager to produce their own music. More photos here.

Year 2 Music Performances

Pupils from Year 2 presented informal class concerts this week. For many of our young performers, this was the first time they played in front of an audience. Mr Bracey was impressed with the confidence they showed in their performances and pleased to see the respect demonstrated by the rest of the class as they listened supportively to their peers. More photos here.

KS1 Assembly

Last Thursday, Y1E pupils gave a fantastic performance in the Key Stage 1 Assembly. They retold the story ‘The Rainbow Fish’, a tale about friendship, and shared their ideas on what it means to be a good friend. Pupils were also presented with Star of the Week and Mathematician of the Week certificates. More photos here.

KS2 Assembly

In last week’s assembly, Y5W pupils presented to Key Stage 2 about what it means to be an inquirer. They introduced a short quiz involving teachers, students and parents, and asked questions they were curious about; showing the audience how important it is to be an inquirer. The students, teachers and parents competed against each other, with the parents being the successful winners. Y5W pupils showed a great level of maturity during the first assembly of the year and they should be very proud of themselves. Pupils were also presented with Star of the Week and Mathematician of the Week certificates. More photos here.

Upcoming Events 

Foundation Stage One

Following the success of our banana popsicles, and rather than wasting the surplus bananas, FS1 kicked off the week with a delightful treat - delicious banana bread made by Ms Farah. 

This week, the children have been exploring oral hygiene. They learnt about the importance of brushing their teeth, visiting the dentist and the impact of various foods and drinks on dental health. More photos here.

Foundation Stage Two

FS2 enjoyed a wonderful safari picnic, including lots of healthy foods. The children prepared a selection of fruit, vegetable and cheese snacks. Children have learnt all about safari animals and taken part in safari role-play activities. More photos here.

FS Sports Day

We are very excited and look forward to FS Sports Day next week. A letter will be issued to FS parents, via Engage, outlining details for this event.

Upcoming Events

Keeping our students safe online is a priority at BISC. We are happy to share advice from the Safeguarding Training Centre, to enable parents to understand the pros and cons of various social media, games and digital trends.

This week we are sharing tips about YouTube.