The BISC Newsletter 23rd January 2025
Above and Beyond
Activities this week remind us of how much BISC students do outside of the classroom. Trips abroad to represent the school in sporting competitions, myriad after school activities, and hard work behind the scenes to prepare for events such as the Pupil Leadership Conference should not go unnoticed. Well done to everyone who features in this week's review of a busy week for our BISCuits.
U15 BSME Games
There was a spectacular showing from our amazing athletes in this week's U15 BSME Games, held in Abu Dhabi.
Our unstoppable girls' football team kicked their way to the finals and grabbed an awesome 3rd place overall!
Seif AH won a silver medal in javelin and played beautifully in volleyball, earning himself MVP honours! Meanwhile, high jump hero Mohsen S leapt to a silver medal, while speedster Adam ES blazed into the 100m finals!
World School Games (WSG) Basketball
Our U16 boys’ and girls’ basketball squads performed brilliantly at the World School Games in basketball this week. Here is an interview recorded with our team captains Omar and Amena before the tournament began.
Our girls' team went all the way to the final, losing narrowly to claim a sensational 2nd place finish. Farida was also rewarded as Player of the Tournament.
As the event was streamed live on YouTube, you can enjoy replays of two of their performances on the links below:
Girls' Match vs. ACS Cobham / Boys' Match vs. ISG
BSME Pupil Leadership Conference 2025
Preparations for the highly anticipated BSME Pupil Leadership Conference 2025, taking place on Thursday 6th February, are well underway. Pupil leaders from Year 4 to Year 9 are hard at work, collaborating to design dynamic workshops centred on this year’s theme of Sustainability. The event promises to be an inspiring day of learning, leadership and innovation, as students from both the Junior and Senior Schools, along with guest schools from the BSME network, come together to share ideas and drive discussions on building a sustainable future. Stay tuned for more updates as the big day approaches!
Senior School News
Year 11 Celebration Assembly
On Wednesday, we celebrated the Year 11s successes of the first term. Awards were given to numerous students for positive points, attendance and for stand-out contributions to the School community. It was wonderful to see their hard work, dedication and resilience shine through, well done Year 11, and thank you to Maya S who sang beautifully at the start and end of the assembly.
Year 9 Options Fair
We are delighted to share the success of our recent Year 9 Options Fair. The event provided an invaluable opportunity for both students and parents to gain a deeper understanding of the diverse subject choices available as students prepare for the next stage of their academic journey.
Throughout the event, attendees participated in informative presentations by subject leaders, who highlighted the skills, knowledge and opportunities offered by their departments. Parents and students also had the chance to explore future pathways; discussing how various subjects align with career aspirations and further education.
We were thrilled with the turnout and engagement and we hope the evening inspired thoughtful decision-making. A huge thank you to our dedicated staff for their hard work organising the event, as well as to the parents and students for their enthusiastic participation.
If you missed the fair you can find the presentation here and the KS4 Options e-brochure here.
Stars of the Week
- Year 7 - Yusef S
- Year 8 - Dany R
- Year 9 - Lara I
- Year 10 - Kayla M
- Year 11 - Najla L
Library Books
A reminder for the new year that all completed library books must be returned to the library. Our library is a resource for everyone, and as such, everyone who uses it has a part to play in maintaining our top-quality selection of books. The library website is accessible via Google Classrooms; this website can be used to check personal library accounts. Please see Ms Ward if you need help.
برنامج مصر والشرق الأوسط
مسابقة القراءة
تُقام تصفيات مسابقة القراءة بين الفصول للمرحلة الابتدائية يوم الخميس 6 فبراير وللمرحلة الإعدادية يوم الثلاثاء 11 فبراير، على أن تُعقد التصفيات النهائية بين المدارس المشاركة يوم الخميس الموافق 20 فبراير، بحضور الأستاذة رانيا حسين أمين، كاتبة الأطفال واليافعين .
Arabic Reading Competition
The Arabic Reading Competition finals will take place on Thursday 6th February for Junior School pupils and on Tuesday 11th February for middle school students (Year 7 to Year 9), while the interschool finals are scheduled for Thursday 20th February, with the participation of Ms. Rania Hussein Amin, children and young adults' author. With our wishes for the best of luck for BISC students.
معرض القاهرة الدولي للكتاب
مع قرب افتتاح معرض القاهرة الدولي للكتاب (وهو أقدم ومن أكبر معارض الكتاب في العالم العربي)، والذي سيقام في الفترة ما بين الخميس 23 يناير والأربعاء 5 فبراير في مركز المعارض بالتجمع الخامس، يقوم مدرسو اللغة العربية بالمدرسة بتشجيع الطلاب على زيارة المعرض واقتناء الكتب، سواء باللغة العربية أو الانجليزية أو غيرهما. من المفيد أن يقوم أولياء الأمور وأفراد المجتمع المدرسي أيضاً بتشجيع الأطفال على زيارة هذا الحدث الهام، دعماً للقراءة والمعرفة.
Cairo International Book Fair
On the occasion that the Cairo International Book Fair (the oldest and largest of such fairs in the Arab World) is due to open its doors from Thursday 23rd January to Wednesday 5th February, Arabic teachers at BISC are encouraging the students to visit the fair and purchase books in Arabic, English or other languages. We also ask parents and the whole school community to support visiting the fair, to boost the students’ reading skills and expand their knowledge.
امتحانات اللغة العربية - الدراسات الاجتماعية - التربية الدينية
أتم طلاب الصفين الخامس والسادس امتحانات مواد الهوية القومية: اللغة العربية، والتربية الدينية، والدراسات الاجتماعية. وسوف يتلقون خلال الأسبوع القادم تقييمات وملاحظات عن أدائهم، وذلك بغرض دعم تعلمهم وتطوير مهاراتهم، بالإضافة إلى إتاحة المجال لوضع أهداف تعليمية فردية.
أما امتحانات طلاب الصف السابع، فسوف تُعقد في الفترة ما بين الأربعاء 5 فبراير والاثنين 10 فبراير.
Arabic Language, Social Studies and Religion Exams
Year 5 and Year 6 pupils have completed their National Identity exams (Arabic Language, Social Studies and Religion). Next week, they will receive feedback to support their learning, strengthen their skills and enable the planning of individual educational goals.
National Identity exams for Year 7 students are scheduled to take place between Wednesday 5th and Monday 10th February.
Junior School News
Pupil Leadership - Head Boy and Head Girl
We are delighted to announce the appointments of our new Head Boy and Head Girl for the Junior School. After a thoughtful selection process, Zane (6i) and Hannah (6M) have been chosen to take on these prestigious roles for the academic year. Both pupils have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, a strong sense of responsibility, and a commitment to upholding the values of our school community. We look forward to seeing them lead by example and contribute to making this a memorable and successful year for the Junior School. Congratulations to them both!
ASAs Return
After School Activities returned this week, and among the wide variety of options on offer, Junior School pupils have been enjoying Basketball, Cricket, Football, Musical Theatre and Construction Club!
Class 2S Assembly
Class 2S performed their class assembly this morning, about making good choices. The pupils were excited to present role-play scenarios and were confident when speaking their lines. Presenting the assembly has helped raise awareness of the independent choices the children make on a daily basis. Enjoy a replay on the video below.
Year 4 Entry Point: Deserts
Thank you to the parents who joined us for our Entry Point activity of the new unit on Deserts. Together, we explored the unit’s key question: What makes deserts unique environments, and how do plants, animals and people adapt to life in these harsh conditions? It was wonderful to see so many of you sharing this experience with the pupils.
Year 6 in the Library
These Year 6 students were deep in concentration during their weekly library lesson.
BSME U11 Football
We are delighted to attend the BSME U11 Football Tournament in Doha next week. Our teams have been training hard and we wish them every success.
Stars of the Week
Congratulations to the pupils who collected Star of the Week, Mathematician of the Week and House Awards in assemblies last week.
Key Stage 1: Liliana (1E), Mazhar (1T), Khaled (1H), Jannah (1N), Lyra (2L), Celine (2F), Omar (2B) and Lara (2S).
Key Stage 2: Laila S (3O), Sulayma M (3M), Ali E (3B), Samia A (3F), Nabil F (4D), Naguib H (4B), Tamar A (4W), Nour T (4F), Nicole (5S), Morad M (5C), Hana El M (5B), Talaat M (5D), Sofia H (6F), Khadija E (6I) and Hasan Razaq (6M).
Mathematicians of the Week:
Samia A (3F), Naguib H (4B), Ali E (5D) and Hamza N (6M).
Pupil Achievement
Well done to Sofia and Noor in Year 4, who have successfully completed their 4-star swimming certification, and are now officially members of the Egyptian Federation; able to participate in upcoming competitions.
Upcoming Events
BSME Football U11 Boys and Girls - Doha | Thursday 23rd - Sunday 26th January |
Year 2 Trip to the Grand Egyptian Museum | Wednesday 29th January |
Year 3 and 4 Maths Workshop | Wednesday 29th January, 13:00, in the Multipurpose Hall |
Class 2F Assembly | Thursday 30th January, 08:30, in the Theatre. |
Reports Issued | Thursday 30th January |
KS1 and KS2 Half Termly Assessment | Sunday 2nd – Thursday 6th February |
Y6 Egyptian History Trip to Panorama October | Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th February |
JS Pupil Leadership Conference | Thursday 6th February |
Foundation Stage News
Children in our Foundation Stage can let their imaginations run wild in their wonderful playgrounds! It was adorable to see pupils in FS1 learning through play in the Winter sun.
Children in FS1 were also busy on the computers this week:
Upcoming Events
Foundation Stage 2 Pyramids Trip (FS2S and FS2G) | Tuesday 4th February |
Foundation Stage 2 Pyramids Trip (FS2L and FS2J) | Wednesday 5th February |
Foundation Stage 1 Pyramids Trip | Thursday 6th February |
Foundation Stage 1 and 2 Sports Day | Thursday 13th February |
Foundation Stage Parent-Teacher Conferences | Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th February |