We have a long weekend once again following this week, as Egypt remembers the 6th October victory. As you will see below, this week the students have been engaged in understanding the significance of this day. We hope that our community enjoys the holiday weekend and we will see you back at school on Monday 7th October. 

In school, we encourage our students to be proactive, to take responsibility for their own learning and to accept that they will get things wrong. But it is important to try and learn from mistakes.

As I walk around the school and visit lessons I see most students actively engaged in their learning, but others sitting back as if they are waiting to be given an answer.

Sometimes, this can be due to children not drinking enough water; causing them to become sluggish and unable to function properly. Please encourage your child to bring their water bottle to school each day and to use our many water machines to refill their bottles.

We also see evidence of some students across the school who are clearly very tired and have not had sufficient sleep. This is certainly a factor in the number of students who continue to arrive late to school in the morning. It is interesting to study the recommended sleep guidelines for children; these have been produced by the "US Sleep Foundation", are in line with other research institutions and are promoted by researchers across the world. If we want our brains to work effectively we really must pay attention to our sleep patterns as well as hydration!

Here are the recommended average hours of night sleep, and bedtimes, based on age:

Message from the Head of Senior School

Senior School teachers met last Sunday to review their feedback practices following Kate Jones’ training earlier in the year. We examined how we mark books and how we encourage students to respond to our feedback. Feedback is one of the most powerful strategies teachers can use to promote student progress. We want our students to focus on next steps recommended by their teachers rather than the grades or the marks awarded. In his well-known study on feedback, Dylan Wiliam, one of the greatest educational researchers, found that students given only grades make no progress, those given both feedback and grades make little to no progress, but students given only feedback make significant progress. This is why feedback is our focus in staff training this year.

As IB learners, our students need to be reflective and carefully consider their thoughts and experiences. Reflection helps students understand their strengths and areas for improvement, assess their learning and plan for growth. We would love your support in this process. Please look through your child's books with them and encourage them to improve their work. Challenge them to think deeply about their assignments and use the learning resources provided by their teachers. Parents' evening next week is an excellent opportunity for these conversations. We look forward to seeing many of you there, and in the meantime, I wish you a restful long weekend break.

In Celebration of the anniversary of the October Victory and the Crossing of the Suez Canal

محاضرة من اللواء سمير عزيز ميخائيل لطلاب الصف الثاني عشر

حظي طلاب الصف الثاني عشر بفرصة للاستماع إلى اللواء سمير عزيز ميخائيل، أحد أبطال السرب 46، اللواء الجوي 104 في حرب أكتوبر 1973، حيث قدم شهادته الشخصية عن الحرب. استعرض الدكتور ميخائيل شجاعة وتضحيات سربه خلال الحرب، مسلطًا الضوء على أهمية الوحدة والصمود. وقد قدمت قصصه للطلاب فهمًا أعمق لما مثله نصر أكتوير. واختتم اللقاء بجلسة أسئلة وأجوبة، حيث شارك اللواء ميخائيل آراءه حول التحديات التي واجهها الجيش المصري خلال الحرب، وأثرها الدائم على مصر والشرق الأوسط

Guest Speaker Inspires Year 12 Students

Year 12 students had the opportunity to listen to a lecture by General Samir Aziz Michael, a veteran of Squadron 46 - Air Brigade 104 from the October 1973 War, who shared his first-hand testimony of the 6th October victory. General Michael recounted the bravery and sacrifices of his squadron during the war, highlighting the importance of unity and resilience. His engaging stories provided students with a deeper understanding of the events leading to the victory. The session concluded with a Q&A session, where General Michael shared insights about the challenges faced until victory was achieved, and its lasting impact on Egypt and the Middle East.

إلقاء الطلاب كلمة عن نصر أكتوبر وقصيدة شعرية من تأليفهم خلال تحية العلم

ألقى الطالبان ياسين ع. وعلي غ. كلمة عن نصر أكتوبر خلال تحية العلم، جاء فيها ما تضمنته إشادات بهذا الانتصار من قادة غربيين، مثل ما ذكره الرئيس نيكسون بأنه كمواطن أميركي يشهد بأن الجيش المصري قاتل بشرف وأن الشرق الأوسط قد تغير تمامًا بعد هذه الحرب، وكذلك ما ذكره أحد الخبراء العسكريين الأمريكيين"'كينيث بولاك" عن أن الجيش المصري بدى في حرب أكتوبر وكأنه عالج كل المشكلات التي عانى فيها في حرب ١٩٦٧

كما ألقى أيضًا الطالب صلاح الدين عبد الوهاب قصيدة شعرية من تأليفه عن حب الوطن بعنوان "مصر فخر"، جاءت كلماتها كما يلي

مصر فخر

Flag Ceremony Commemoration

During the flag ceremony Yassin EA and Ali G delivered a speech commemorating the October victory. Additionally, Salah Eldin A recited a poem he specifically wrote for the occasion which manifested great Arabic linguistic skills.  

مشاركة طلاب الصفوف السادس والثامن والتاسع في نشاط غنائي مع العقيد ضياء الدين خير الله، من أبطال حرب أكتوبر وأحد جدود طالب سابق بالمدرسة 

شارك طلاب الصفوف السادس والثامن والتاسع في نشاط غنائي مميز بقيادة العقيد المهندس والموسيقي ضياء الدين خير الله، حيث تدربوا على أداء بعض الأغاني الوطنية التي شكلت الهوية المصرية. يساهم هذا النشاط في تحسين مهارات اللغة والنطق وتطوير استخدام المفردات لدى الطلاب، بالإضافة إلى تعزيز الوعي بالتراث الثقافي المصري وغرس روح الفخر الوطني في نفوسهم

Arabic Singing Activity

Students from Years 6, 8 and 9 participated in a special group singing activity led by Engineer, and musician, Diaa El-Din Khairallah, a war veteran and the grandparent of a BISC alumni. Students sang iconic national songs that have been part of shaping the Egyptian identity. Such activity helps students enhance their language skills, pronunciation and vocabulary, while increasing the awareness of Egypt’s cultural heritage and fostering national pride. Below, you can see photos of Year 6 pupils singing.

نشاط للصف العاشر بحصة التاريخ باللغة العربية

قام طلاب الصف العاشر بالمدرسة خلال حصة تاريخ مصر والشرق الأوسط بتصميم ملصقات تعبيرية عن أهم الحقائق المتعلقة بنصر أكتوبر المجيد.

Year 10 Arabic History Class

During their Egypt & Middle East History lesson, Year 10 students created posters representing important facts surrounding the 6th October victory.

Year 7 Science

Year 7 students worked hard on producing 3D specialised cell models. They carried out research, and identified functions, organelles and adaptations associated with each specialised cell. The students then refined their presentation skills as they shared their hard work with the rest of the class.

Swim Meet and U18 Football

Well done to our Swim team and U18 girls' Football team, who represented the school wonderfully at our first sports events of the academic year.

The dedication and spirit of our players were incredible. With special thanks to our hardworking coaches, enthusiastic parents and tireless volunteers who made the events a roaring success. We are proud of every athlete who competed. 

Stars of the Week

Year 7 - Daria 
Year 8 - Yousef F
Year 9 - Seif A
Year 10 - Louis 
Year 11 - Andrei
Year 12 - Soliman  
Year 13 - Hassan

Secret Students - Key Stages 3 and 4  

To raise the profile of positives in the school, we have been encouraging students to take more responsibility for their own attitude and approach to learning. Choosing a Secret Student takes into account: attendance, where students are automatically awarded 5 points for being in school each day; punctuality, where students automatically receive 1 point for each lesson they arrive on time to; and behaviour, where students receive 1 point for each positive they are awarded with. 

The Secret Students selected this week are:

Year 7 - Marlies 
Year 8 - Adham EA
Year 9 - Hussein ES
Year 10 - Eman
Year 11 - Andrei 

Readers of the Week

Charlie in Year 8 is already at 97% of the reading target that he has been challenged to meet by the end of November! He is also helpful with finding books that other students will enjoy and has excellent knowledge of books for his age group.

Tony in Year 9 carefully plabs out his reading time and makes sure to spend time  reading outside of Library lessons. He has been super organised this term and as a result, passed his Year 9 target, which is due this month, well ahead of time. 

Well done Charlie and Tony.

SparxMaths

Congratulations to all students who have completed three Sparx homework to 100% in a row, as well as our next class to have a 100% completion rate: 7MathWFA!

Well done also to 10Math5, who had the biggest completion improvement last week; a 40% rise from the week before.

Year 11 Parent Workshop

Year 11 parents are invited to attend a Study Skills Workshop, alongside their child. The workshop takes place on Monday 7th October, at 13:10, in the Multi Purpose Hall. More details can be seen in the PDF below.

Sixth Form News

The Sixth Form has been buzzing with activity this week! Year 13 students are making great strides with their university applications, having recently met with the Leadership Team to discuss predicted grades and gain valuable guidance. Meanwhile, Year 12 students have been delving into the IB Academic Integrity Policy and exploring available academic support resources to ensure their success in this rigorous programme.

University Fair

On Sunday 13th October, BISC is hosting a university fair, where parents and students can meet with dozens of universities from the UK, Europe, USA and more. The event starts at 15:15 in our Sports Hall.

COBIS Art Competition 

Calling all artists! Please enter the 2024-25 COBIS Art Competition; theme "Magical Moments".

The categories are:

• Key Stage 3

• Key Stage 4

• Key Stage 5

Entries should be created by an individual student, not a group of students. Please hand in your entries to Ms Wheeler in A305 or Mr Collis in A301 by Thursday 24th October; with your name, category, form group and House clearly marked on the back. The winner in each category will be selected shortly after. You may use an existing artwork that you have already created for coursework or classwork. 

BISC will be able to submit one entry per category. Artwork will be judged by Ms Wheeler, Mr Collis and members of the Senior Leadership Team. Best of luck!

Important ASA Dates

Due to parents' meetings and events, ASAs will be cancelled on the following days.

Monday 7th October (Year 7 and 13 parent meetings)

Wednesday 9th October (Year 10 and 12 parent meetings)

Tuesday 29th October (Year 8 and 9 parent meetings)

Monday 11th November (Year 11 parent meetings) 

Please note this will affect transport arrangements on the day, with all students taking the first bus home unless involved in parent meetings. 

Message from the Head of Junior School

With the long weekend ahead, I would like to gently encourage some well-deserved rest and relaxation for the children. This is an excellent opportunity for your child to recharge, both physically and mentally.

From our most recent Komodo survey, a number of pupils have mentioned that they are not getting enough good-quality sleep. As you can see from the Principal's message above, sleep is a vital foundation of well-being, underpinning everything from academic performance to emotional resilience and physical health.

In addition to ensuring the children get the recommended hours of sleep, here are some simple routines and takeaways that may help support healthy sleep patterns:

1. Establish a consistent bedtime: Setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time -even on weekends- helps to regulate a child’s internal body clock, making it easier for them to fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
2. Create a calming bedtime routine: Encourage activities like reading, listening to soft music, or taking a warm bath in the hour before bed to help the body and mind wind down. Avoid stimulating activities such as screens or energetic play.
3. Limit screen time before bed: Exposure to screens (phones, tablets and TVs) can interfere with the body’s natural production of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. It is helpful to set a cut-off time for screen use at least an hour before bedtime.
4. Create a sleep-friendly environment: A quiet, dark and cool room can make a big difference in sleep quality. Consider using blackout blinds or white noise to create a calming environment that is conducive to sleep.
5. Encourage physical activity during the day: Regular physical exercise, especially outdoors, can help children fall asleep more easily and sleep more deeply. Just be sure to avoid vigorous exercise too close to bedtime.
6. Balanced nutrition: Heavy meals and sugary snacks before bedtime can make it harder for children to settle. Aim for lighter, nutritious snacks in the evening, such as fruit or a small glass of milk.

Establishing healthy sleep habits is one of the best ways to support your child’s overall well-being. A good night’s sleep helps children manage their emotions, concentrate during lessons and engage positively with those around them. Thank you, as always, for your continued support in nurturing the well-being of your children.

Here are the recommended average night sleep hours, and bedtimes, for Junior School pupils:

Creative Arts Week 

We were delighted to hold 'Creative Arts Week' this week. From collaborating with buddy classes to creating individual art pieces, the creative flair within the Junior School was evident, as you can see from the pictures below. The buzz and attendance around the Gallery Exhibition today were greatly appreciated, especially with the accompanying musical pieces by Year 3 and the physical theatre performances from Year 6. Well done, Junior School!

Year 1 created beautiful collages in the colours of their Houses.

Year 3 pupils created unique pieces with balloons, straws, crayons and a hairdryer!

Year 4 joined with their Year 1 buddy classes to work on drawing portraits using pencils.

Class 4B produced surreal self-portraits in their art class.

Class 4W used watercolours and various smudging techniques to bring their portraits to life.

Year 5 was busy making colourful artwork using crepe paper and glue.

The week culminated in a fabulous exhibition, where parents could view all the work produced during the week, with musical performances to enjoy as well. 

Year 3 Trip to the Museum

On Tuesday 1st October, Year 3 visited the Egyptian Museum of Ancient Civilisation. Pupils enjoyed a range of activities including making jewellery and Egyptian pottery. The pupils learnt about how life in Egypt has changed over the past 10,000 years and were even brave enough to look at the Egyptian mummies.

Year 3 Music

Year 3 classes have been creating their own musical pieces based on the four elements of the school Houses. Class 3B used drums to write an Earth piece, 3O turned up the heat with a piece based on Fire, 3F flowed beautifully with their Water piece and 3M created an atmospheric Air interlude. The pieces were also performed at the Creative Arts Week exhibition at the end of school today.

Leadership Roles

We are very proud of our array of pupil leadership roles so far this year. With the Pupil Councillors, Assembly Leaders, WUSU Leaders, House Captains, Wellbeing Ambassadors and Prefects in place, we are excited about following their lead and journey through the academic year. They will play a vital role in sharing their and their peers' views as well as shaping the future of our school. 

As we are keen to extend these opportunities, Mrs Bukhari is currently looking for PALS (Playtime Activity Leaders) and is accepting applications until the end of the school day today, Thursday 3rd October. We also look forward to recruiting Eco-Committee members very soon. 

Last Week's Assemblies

We celebrated the following Stars of the Week in last week's KS1 assembly, along with some masterful mathematicians:

Nirvana (1E), Sherif (1H), Hannah (1T), Ali (1N), Yehia (2F), Soraya (2L), Malek (2B) and Selim (2S).

Meanwhile, in the KS2 assembly, we celebrated the following Stars of the Week:

Nadia (3O), Laila (3M), Oli Jac (3B), Mansour (3F), Fady (4D), Haya (4B), Amina (4W), Jerry (4F), Medhat (5S), Nour (5C), Sana (5B), Hussein (5D), Amina (6F), Amina (6i) and Omar (6M).

Congratulations also to last week's Mathematicians of the Week:

Adam (3M), Jessy (4D), Sarah (5B) and Leah (6F).

انطلاق نشاط الدراما العربية

بدأ نشاط الدراما العربية  بقيادة سمر جلال، مدربة التمثيل والممثلة في مسرح ستارة، بدعم من أساتذة اللغة العربية في المدرسة الابتدائية. يهدف هذا النشاط إلى تعزيز مهارات الطلاب في التمثيل والتواصل من خلال ألعاب الحركة والتمثيل. هذا الأسبوع، تمت مناقشة المسرحية التي سيؤديها الطلاب خلال الفصل الدراسي الأول، وبدأ المشاركون في النشاط بتمثيل المشهد الأول بحماس شديد

Arabic Drama ASA

The Arabic Drama After-School activity has now started, led by Summer Galal, an experienced acting coach and actress at Sitara Theatre, with the support of the Junior School Arabic team. This activity aims to polish the pupils' acting and communication skills through engaging movement and acting games. This week, students were introduced to the play they will perform during the first academic term, and they enthusiastically began acting out the first scene, as you can see in the photos and video below.

Reader Leaders

To promote and foster a love of reading in the Junior School, we are working with some very keen volunteers from Year 12 and Year 13, who will be coming to read with our younger pupils. These role models will further the pupils' enthusiasm for reading and help them to explore new books in a fun and engaging way.

COBIS Art Competition for Junior School

The COBIS Art Competition is back! Based on a brief of ‘Magical Moments’; pupils are asked to create a piece of art that represents this theme. Please take your time and get creative. Entries open on Thursday 17th October and will be accepted until Wednesday 6th November.

Please bring creations to classroom J204, with your name and class clearly stated on the back. Ms Fox will choose a winner from each year group and will take a picture of your creation, which will be emailed to the main panel of judges. 

COBIS Poetry Competition for Junior School

Pupils are invited to write a poem, based on this year's competition theme, 'Magical Moments'. It is a brilliant opportunity for young writers to compete internationally and showcase their talent. The competition is open to all COBIS schools.

At BISC, there will be a winner from each year group and one overall winner, whose poems will be submitted to the COBIS competition.

Cafeteria Coupons

Please note that Key Stage 2 pupils are not permitted to bring money into school. Parents can purchase termly coupons for school lunches from Ms Basma in the Business Office, and the pupils can use these at the cafeteria in exchange for their lunch. Email: Basma.Said@bisc.edu.eg, Landline: 02 38270422

Parental Concerns

If you have a concern, then the first point of contact at school is your child’s Class Teacher. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your meeting, you should then see the Head of Year.  If the issue remains unresolved, you can see the respective Key Stage Coordinator. Finally, the Key Stage Coordinator may refer you to the Assistant Head, Deputy Head of Junior School or the Head of Junior School. If you still feel your concern is unresolved, then you have the opportunity to speak to the Principal.

The diagram below illustrates the escalation of concerns:

Upcoming Events

Message from the Head of Foundation Stage

Foundation Stage 2 teachers have begun teaching daily phonics lessons. You will find out more information about the sounds that are being learned each week on Google Classroom.

A Phonics workshop is planned for Thursday 21st November to help you understand the process of learning to read and how you can support this.

Phonics is also taught in Foundation Stage 1. The Foundation Stage 1 Google Classroom pages will provide more details about what is meant by the early stages of phonics and how it is introduced to the children.

Reading ‘readiness’ begins long before children come to school; parents are encouraged to read to their children before they are even born, and when they are babies. Books are a particularly important aspect of that rich linguistic exposure; since written language often includes a wider and more nuanced and detailed vocabulary than everyday spoken language. This can in turn help children increase their range and depth of expression.

The greater the variety in books and stories available for children, the more the cognitive development. All our Foundation Stage classrooms have many, varied books available for the pupils to peruse. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, picture books, dictionaries, Arabic books; each day, children choose to ‘read’ alone, with a friend or ask the teacher to read for them. The BISC library is extremely well stocked and all Foundation Stage children have the opportunity to select books on a weekly basis.

The cognitive development associated with reading contributes towards academic success. When children engage in reading from an early age, they improve their general knowledge and language skills and also improve their attention span and concentration. The latter two are crucial for later schooling. Confidence gained through early reading is important to instil a love of learning which will benefit children throughout school.

Reading and being read to, allows children to explore empathy and thus facilitates emotional development. Certain characters and storylines will encourage children to think critically about emotions and feelings whilst in a safe and controlled environment. For example, many Foundation Stage children experience a new baby in the family which can lead to feelings of jealousy and anxiety. These feelings can be alleviated if children hear stories about other children coping with change; children feel comforted by the knowledge that their feelings are shared.

Often, children can feel pressure when learning new skills in school, particularly if perhaps they feel they are developing at a slower pace than their peers. This can have wider implications for their self-image and thus impact the way they learn and feel about school. This is one of the key reasons why reading at an early age is so important. Starting to read with your child early on will encourage them to learn at their own pace in a safe environment and will improve their self-confidence amongst peers.

Below are some ideas to try at home to make reading a fun and enjoyable part of your routine.

Involve your children: this could be in the selection of the book itself or through interaction during the story. Why not try asking children to predict what will happen next in the story, ask questions or come up with an alternative ending?

Introduce themes: these themes could be tailored to your child and their interests. For example, one week why not explore animals in your reading, or perhaps another week you set the theme of colour and each day you explore a different colour?

Incorporate props: a lot of books these days come with accompanying puppets and story sacks. Such resources are a great way to get children involved in the story as they act it out using the props, this could be via a puppet show, dressing up or simply holding the characters.

Lastly, create a comfortable and inviting space for reading, some cushions or a dedicated sofa that your child identifies as the ‘reading place’.

As always, in the Foundation Stage, there have been plenty of fun activities and tasty elements to the week as evidenced in the selection of photos below.

Upcoming Events