إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون

 ينعي مجلس إدارة المدرسة الطالبة ليال طاهر، بالصف الحادي عشر، ووالدتها السيدة/ بسمة شيحة، اللتان وافتهما المنية في حادث أليم يوم الأحد الماضي. على مدار السنوات التي قضتها "ليال" في مدرستنا، حظيت بحب جميع من تعاملوا معها، من طلاب، ومدرسين، وعاملين. ستظل ذكراها باقية مع كل من تعامل معها

ندعو لها ولوالدتها بالرحمة 

مهندس أحمد عز

رئيس مجلس الإدارة

Condolences from the Board and Chairman

The BISS Board of Directors mourns Layal Taher, our Year 11 student, and her mother, Mrs Basma Shiha, who both passed away in a tragic accident last Sunday. 

Throughout her years at BISC, Layal was loved by everyone; students, teachers and staff. Her memory will always remain with everyone who knew her.

May their souls Rest in Peace.

On behalf of the BISC society and community

Ahmed Ezz

Chairman

This week, I would like to begin by expressing our deep sadness regarding the loss of a beloved student from Year 11, Layal Mahmoud Taher, and her mother, Mrs Basma Osama Shiha, who were so tragically taken from us in a car accident on Sunday 6th October. As a community, we are all experiencing a sense of loss and bereavement and we are working together to grieve and support each other and the family. We will celebrate and remember Layal’s too brief life and time at BISC in a forthcoming memorial service which students and staff are planning. We are blessed to have a strong pastoral team, and counsellors, who are working with our community at this most distressing time to support our students and staff.

Elsewhere in our community, it has been good to see our Junior School pupils on curriculum trips to the GEM and to a BSME Debating Competition, detailed below. We have a football trip of 44 students travelling to Spain today to enjoy a World School Games tournament there. And, we are also pleased to welcome coaches in school such as from Ahmed Hossam Mido’s "The Maker Football Academy" to work with our BSME teams for the upcoming football tournament at BISC.

Linked to this, I am pleased to update you with news of the new astroturf playing surface which will be laid soon. This new surface has come from Spain and is of world class standard - it is the same product used by Barcelona FC at their training ground. Currently, we have a temporary surface laid, so during the week of 10th - 19th October we will close the main pitch area, and make alternative arrangements regarding the provision of PE lessons and After School Activities as well as break times to minimise the disruption for students.

Message from the Head of Senior School

This has been a difficult week for many of our Senior School students who lost a well-loved member of the BISC community. As the week progressed, we saw students gradually return to their routines and begin a long healing process. This coming week, we will host a Memorial Day for Layal to honour her memory and provide our community with some closure. We are mindful that people grieve differently and we are approaching our students with kindness.

Our Sixth Form Team has been working diligently, meeting with Year 13 students and parents to discuss predicted grades. It was inspiring to see our Year 13 students embodying all IB Learner attributes as they approached these meetings. They researched what they need to do to be considered for their ambitious university destinations and reflected on the improvement since their last assessments.

Students across all year groups are sitting assessments this week. This presents an ideal opportunity to remind our community that our assessments are primarily formative in nature. They inform teachers about learning gaps, areas that need revisiting, and where students can be further challenged. We ask parents to support us by encouraging students to focus on the feedback given and engage in improving their work, rather than fixating on grades.

Stars of the Week

Year 7 - Elvin
Year 8 - Yassein H
Year 9 - Elias
Year 10 - Abdel Aziz

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 - Ismail EF
Year 8 - Seif Y
Year 9 - Harun
Year 10 - Carma
Year 11 - Farida A

Reader of the Week

Stasy in Year 9 completed her reading target with 100% quiz accuracy. She was ahead of her deadline but instead of taking a break, she continued reading a book that she had been enjoying in her free time. This shows fantastic dedication to reading. Well done, Stasy!

Well done to the students in Year 9 who completed their recent target. Reading practice is important, even for the strongest readers. It is fantastic to see so many of our students taking responsibility for continuing to develop their reading comprehension skills, fluency and vocabulary. If you missed your target this time, now is the perfect time to start working towards your next reading goal. The library is always open at break times and there is an ASA on Wednesdays too that you can join if you would like extra help with reading.

SparxMaths

Congratulations to all students who completed their homework to 100% this week. Pupils are reminded that if needed, they should watch the Support Videos and if this does not help, they can attend Sparx Sundays in S106 at 2nd break.

World School Games

We are thrilled to announce that our U13 and U15 teams will be participating in the WSG Football Cup this week at an event near Barcelona. This international tournament promises to be an exciting event for our young athletes and a chance to shine. 

WSG offer live streaming of the group matches below. To watch them, please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/@wsgevents 

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.

Important After School Activities Dates

On Monday 14th October, all ASAs are cancelled due to Senior School parent meetings.

On Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th October, all Sporting ASAs are cancelled due to the Junior School parent meetings.

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

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. 

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!

للتذكير: مسابقة القراءة باللغة العربية لطلاب الصف الخامس حتى الصف الحادي عشر

هذا لتذكير جميع طلاب الصفوف من الخامس إلى الحادي عشر بضرورة التسجيل في مسابقة القراءة بحلول 17 أكتوبر! يُرجى التأكد من تسجيل أسمائكم لدى معلميكم لضمان مشاركتكم

بعد التسجيل، تواصلوا مع معلميكم لمناقشة اختياراتكم من الكتب. هذه فرصة رائعة لاكتشاف قراءات ممتعة، ومشاركة ملخصاتكم، والتحضير لعروضكم التقديمية

تذكروا، كل مشارك هو فائز، وهناك جوائز في كل مرحلة من مراحل المسابقة! دعونا نستفيد من هذه التجربة ونُظهر مهاراتنا في القراءة

نتمنى لكم قراءة ممتعة، ونتطلع لرؤية مشاركتكم الحماسية

Arabic Reading Competition 

This is a reminder for all students in Years 5 to 11 to enrol in the Arabic Reading Competition by Thursday 17th October. Please make sure to register your names with your teachers to secure your participation.

After registering, consult with your teachers to discuss your book choices. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore exciting reads, share your summaries and prepare for your presentations.

Remember, every participant is a winner, and there are prizes in each phase of the competition. 

Happy reading, and we look forward to your enthusiastic participation!

Message from the Head of Junior School

This week has been challenging for many in our BISC community as we mourn the tragic loss of a Senior School student and her mother. In this time of sorrow, we are drawing strength from one another, united in our support and care. Our pastoral team and counsellors are providing much-needed care and support to both students and staff, helping us navigate this difficult period together.

Our Junior School students have been busy with enriching curriculum visits, and we are excited to watch the installation of our new world-class astroturf surface from Spain next week. While the main pitch will be closed from Sunday until Thursday, we have made alternative arrangements to ensure PE lessons, pick up arrangements and break times proceed smoothly (more details below). After the half term break, our students will enjoy a top-tier playing field.

This week, Year 5 enjoyed a memorable visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum, where they explored their heritage through an interactive session on hieroglyphics as part of our Egypt and Middle East Programme.

We are immensely proud of our eight Year 6 students who excelled at the BSME Debate Competition in Dubai, winning a challenging debate on economic growth against older students. Year 3 also showcased their creativity with musical compositions inspired by the school House elements, which were featured during Creative Arts Week.

In addition, we held a successful parent workshop on 'Supporting Your Child's Learning', led by Mrs Bukhari and our school counsellors. This session focused on holistic development and behaviour management strategies, further strengthening our school-home partnership. These experiences highlight the vibrant, supportive community we continue to build.

Year 5 Trip to the Grand Egyptian Museum

This week, Year 5 pupils visited the Grand Egyptian Museum to learn more about where we, as Egyptians, came from. They visited the Children’s Museum and took part in an activity based on hieroglyphics. As this trip is part of the school’s Egypt and Middle East Programme, it was delivered in a mixture of Arabic and English - further exposing the children to their native language. 

رحلة المتحف المصري الكبير لطلاب الصف الخامس

قام برنامج مصر والشرق الأوسط خلال هذا الأسبوع بتنظيم رحلة للمتحف المصري الكبير لطلاب الصف الخامس. تعرف الطلاب خلال الرحلة على أهم الشخصيات والمراحل التاريخية للعصر الفرعوني، وكذلك على خصائص اللغة المصرية القديمة. يمكنكم تصفح الصور الخاصة بالرحلة أدناه

BSME Debate Competition

Eight Year 6 pupils travelled to Dubai for an exciting residential trip to participate in a BSME Debate competition. Competing against mainly Year 9 pupils, they showcased incredible debating skills, confidence and outstanding behaviour throughout the event. They impressed everyone by winning a challenging debate on economic growth, proving their ability to hold their own against older students. This experience was invaluable for them, as they gained new perspectives and honed their skills in a supportive yet competitive environment. We are extremely proud of their achievements and how they represented our school with such professionalism and enthusiasm! Well done to Maya, Rafea, Lara, Hassan, Mona, Ovidiu, Haily and Samy. The work and dedication you all applied throughout the weekend were phenomenal. 

Year 3 Music

Last week, Year 3 classes created their own musical pieces based on the four elements of the school Houses. We featured Class 3B using drums to write an 'Earth' piece in the bulletin last week. This week, we feature the three other Classes: 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 performed at the Creative Arts Week exhibition at the end of school last Thursday.

Junior School Parent Workshop - 'Supporting Your Child's Learning'

On Tuesday, we held a parent workshop to support, guide and advise parents on how to support their child's learning in school. The session, which was extremely well-attended, was facilitated by Mrs Bukhari, who was joined by the School Counsellors, Mr Ahmed and Ms Grijalva. Holistic development, expectations at school, as well as strategies for behaviour management at home were shared. This will be the first of a series of workshops aimed towards supporting our community to develop the overall development and wellbeing of our pupils.

 You can find the information that was shared below:

If you did attend, we would appreciate your feedback and ideas for further workshops. Kindly fill in this form: Feedback Form

Last Week's Assemblies

We celebrated the following Stars of the Week in last week's Key Stage 1 assembly, along with some masterful mathematicians:

Sherida (1E), Omar S (1H), Taha (1T), Kanza (1N), Amer (2F), Mariam (2L), Mamdouh (2B) and Selim (2S).

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

Omar (3O), Ramsey (3M), Tamara (3B), Dima (3F), Maya (4D), Hassan (4B), Mariam (4W), Sheriefa (4F), Zak (5S), Nader (5C), Adam (5B), Gulnaar (5D), Zayd (6F) and Laila (6I).

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

Magda (3B), Farida (4B), Karim (5) and John (6I).

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.

Upcoming Events

Message from the Head of Foundation Stage

In February 2012, a school in Scotland asked primary pupils to do 15 minutes of exercise every day... and started a global trend. A month later, almost all of them could run for 15 minutes without stopping. By the summer, every class was doing it and, soon afterwards, the nursery children joined in too. The Daily Mile had been born.

Since then, this concept of sending children outside during normal lesson time to run or walk laps of the playground for 15 minutes a day has spread to more than 3,600 primary schools in 35 different countries including BISC here in Egypt. 

“Children often learn about healthy eating and the benefits of physical activity at school, but the kids who are doing the Daily Mile are not just learning it in their minds, they are learning: This is something I do every day, as part of my day, and this is how it makes me feel" - says Naomi Brooks, a senior lecturer in sport at the University of Stirling, who led a study into the benefits of this initiative.

Even so, initiatives such as the Daily Mile are only part of the solution. The UK Department of Health Physical Activity Guidelines says that children should be engaged in at least 180 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day – yet only a fifth of children aged between 5 and 15 achieve this. Moderate activities could include walking to school, riding a scooter or cycling, while vigorous ones include playing chase, football, dancing or swimming.

If that sounds like a lot to you, you are not alone: in a UK nationwide survey, a third of parents underestimated how much exercise children need. “Parents and children felt that the biggest barrier to being more active was a lack of time” - says Susan Coan at Leeds Beckett University, who led the study. “From our research in this area, the main piece of advice would be for families to find ways of being active together that work for them. Small changes are more sustainable and can make a real difference – for example, walking part of the way to school or playing active video games as part of children’s screen time.”

Physical activity has been found to boost young people’s brain development and function as well as their intellect. Studies have found that a single bout of exercise left children feeling more awake, increased their attention and verbal memory, and improved their feelings of wellbeing. 

Foundation Stage 1 Parent Workshop 'Prime Areas Of Learning' 

Thank you to all Foundation Stage 1 parents who attended the workshop and who joined in the physical activity - there were some amazing runners and perhaps some future Olympic medallists amongst the children!

Foundation Stage 2 children have been enjoying the story of 'The Little Red Hen' which raises thought-provoking questions about teamwork. The children were able to identify the difference between working together, and independently. They engaged in activities and discussions reinforcing the values of hard work, self-reliance and teamwork. The children particularly enjoyed baking bread and eating it with their friends.

Upcoming Events