The BISC Newsletter 6th February 2025
Pupil Leadership Conference
BSME Pupil Leadership Conference at BISC: Empowering Young Leaders for a Sustainable Future
The BSME Pupil Leadership Conference brought together over 200 pupil leaders from leading British International Schools across Egypt, including British School Alexandria, GEMS-The British International School, GEMS School Madinaty, Repton, Uppingham, Maadi British School, British School Egypt and Cairo English School.
This year’s conference centered around the theme of sustainability, encouraging young leaders to explore their role in creating a more sustainable future. Through engaging workshops and inspiring talks, students gained valuable insights into how leadership and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
The conference featured two distinguished guest speakers who shared their expertise on leadership, innovation and sustainability:
Sarah El Battouty – A globally recognized architect, environmental expert and sustainability advocate, Sarah is the founder of ECOnsult, an award-winning firm specializing in sustainable design and green building solutions. With her extensive experience as a climate advisor to the Egyptian government, she spoke passionately about the power of leadership in driving sustainability initiatives. She urged students to adopt innovative, eco-conscious thinking and emphasized that true leadership involves making decisions that benefit both people and the planet.
Karima Al Hakim – A business strategist and leadership mentor, Karima has a strong background in entrepreneurship, communication and self-development. Her session focused on how young leaders can create meaningful change through effective decision-making and strategic thinking. She encouraged students to develop resilience, adaptability and a long-term vision; essential qualities for those striving to lead sustainable initiatives.
In alignment with the sustainability theme, students participated in hands-on workshops designed to enhance their leadership skills while emphasizing responsibility and collaboration. These workshops focused on four key areas:
Communication – Helping students articulate ideas effectively, particularly when advocating for sustainability and positive change.
Presentation Skills – Equipping participants with the confidence to deliver compelling speeches and presentations on leadership and environmental responsibility.
Problem-Solving – Encouraging critical thinking to tackle real-world sustainability challenges and develop innovative solutions.
Team-Building – Promoting collaboration and effective leadership within group settings to drive collective action for sustainable initiatives.
A special thank you goes to Ms Wellington, Ms Miah, Ms Hardy and Mr Banton, whose dedication and expertise played a crucial role in facilitating the workshops. Their guidance and support provided students with valuable skills and knowledge; ensuring that the sessions were engaging, insightful, and impactful.
The BSME Pupil Leadership Conference at BISC was a remarkable success, inspiring students to become leaders of a sustainable future. Through powerful discussions, hands-on learning and networking opportunities, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and responsibility. The event reinforced the idea that leadership is not just about influence but about making a lasting impact—on communities, industries and the environment. Ms Navida Bukhari
Pupil Perspective
I had a lot of fun today. All the games and activities were good and I got to meet new friends from different schools.
One day, I'd like to be a student leader, but I'm worried that I'm a bit shy! Miroslava, Year 4 attendee.
Senior School News
Under 13 BSME Games Review
What a phenomenal performance from our U13 superstars at the BSME Games!
In one of our most successful BSME Games ever, we finished an incredible 3rd place overall, coming joint 2nd and only missing out on silver by the smallest of margins in the Olympic medal count!
Outstanding Team Achievements
- Boys Volleyball - Silver medal, with congratulations to Yassein for being named tournament MVP!
- Girls Football - Silver medal!
- Boys Football - Amazing 5th place finish
- Girls Netball - Fantastic 7th place
Athletics Superstars
Our track and field heroes also brought home an incredible silver medal in athletics, with congratulations to:
- Naya - GOLD in Javelin
- Habeeba - GOLD in Triple Jump
- Zakaria - BRONZE in 800m (with an incredible PB!)
- Tia - BRONZE in Javelin
- Mohamed - BRONZE in Javelin
- Yousef - BRONZE in Triple Jump
- Nahla - BRONZE in 200mSpecial Shoutout
We could not be prouder of our amazing athletes who showed outstanding sportsmanship, determination and team spirit throughout the competition! Congratulations to all our incredible athletes! Enjoy the photos and official highlights video below.
House Games
On Wednesday 5th February, the Senior School and Sixth Form joined a House game show, with various challenges and activities to spark friendly rivalry. Well done to everyone who participated and represented their Houses. More photos here.
House Games - Student Perspective
The Student Leadership Team hosted an exciting game show that had the whole school buzzing with energy. Teachers and students came up on stage to bravely represent their Houses, in events that included a push-up round, a pop culture quiz, a “guess the song” challenge, sit-ups and an intense memory game that brought everyone together for a final team effort. The crowd roared in that last game, screaming items like “kettle!” and “chopsticks!" out loud. Air and Fire took first place, with Water securing third, and Earth in fourth. The event was a blast, filled with laughter, cheers and team spirit from start to finish! Al-Sharifa-Aisha, Year 12
Year 7 Spanish
Mrs Diamond’s Year 7 Spanish class has been learning the vocabulary to describe different areas of the school. The students have been encouraged to extend their sentences, adding clauses to give extra details. Last week, they spent a lesson filming around the school, writing their own scripts in Spanish to describe the facilities BISC has. It is great to see the pupils work with their friends, and of course, to hear their wonderful Spanish accents!
Student Perspective
Our Year 7 class split into groups and toured the school to each create a short but entertaining video showcasing the different areas of our school. All of the speech in this video was said in Spanish to show our descriptive language in Spanish. Although it took a lot of effort and tries to create our videos, it was all worth it and in the end we all got wonderful results. Karima M, Year 7
Year 11 PE
While the boys practiced their High Jump, the Year 11 girls were able to try Kin-ball, a team sport that originated in Quebec, Canada, created by a PE professor.
Year 11 Parent Workshop
Thank you to all parents that attended the Student and Parent Workshop. We hope the strategies shared will support all students as they continue to work towards their iGCSE exams this summer.
U16 CISSA Basketball
Well done to our basketball teams, who performed brilliantly last weekend.
Our Girls' team fought their way to a silver medal, showing incredible determination even while playing with fewer players!
Our Boys' team powered through to an excellent 4th place finish!
The PE and Sports Department are proud of both teams for showing incredible spirit, teamwork and determination throughout the tournament.
Stars of the Week
- Year 7 - Farida EG
- Year 8 - Adham EA
- Year 9 - Sereen B
- Year 10 - Abdallah E
- Year 11 - Layan AM
Junior School News
Storytelling Week
Storytelling Week was a wonderful celebration of the magic of storytelling! Pupils across the school enjoyed sharing books with their buddy classes and reading in the classroom, outdoors and in the library. They loved being read to, reading independently, and actively engaging in a variety of stories. It was a joyful week filled with imagination, adventure and a shared love of stories! Enjoy the photos and video montage below.
Art Therapy in School
The School Counsellors are excited to announce the launch of Art Therapy sessions, starting every Tuesday during the second break (11:55-12:35) in the Arts Room. These workshops are designed for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6, with a focus on helping them express their emotions through creativity and promoting social connection. Our goal is to provide an alternative form of self-expression through art, particularly for those who may find it challenging to express themselves verbally. If your child is interested in joining the group please ask them to speak to your Class Teacher.
Year 1 Drum Class
This week, Year 1 had a chance to play on the big drums. While having fun, they learned how to maintain a steady beat and to play different rhythm patterns. Well done class, Ms Lina is very proud of you!
زيارة طلاب الصف السادس لبانوراما حرب أكتوبر
من ضمن أنشطة برنامج مصر والشرق الأوسط،، قام طلاب الصف السادس بزيارة لبانوراما حرب أكتوبر، التي توثق حرب أكتوبر ١٩٧٣ وتعرض بطولات الشعب المصري في الانتصار الذي تحقق سنة ١٩٧٣. شاهد طلابنا هذه الملحمة من خلال عرض تفاعلي باستخدام التقنيات الحديثة، في ساحة مكشوفة يطل عليها المبنى الرئيسي للبانوراما الدائرية. هدفت الزيارة إلى تعزيز فهم الطلاب للأحداث التاريخية المهمة من خلال أكثر من وسيلة تعليمية، وتنمية وعيهم الوطني.
Year 6 Trip to the October Panorama
As part of the Egypt & the Middle East Programme activities, Year 6 pupils visited the October War Panorama Museum, which documents the October War, showcasing the resilience of Egyptians in defending their land. The museum also highlights the heroism of Egyptians during the war.
Our students observed this historical event through an interactive display using modern technology, set in an open area overlooking the main circular panorama building.
The visit aimed to develop the pupils' understanding of the significant Egyptian historical junctures through diverse educational approaches.
Pupil Perspective
On Tuesday, Year 6 pupils went on an exciting trip to the 6th of October Panorama to learn more about the October 6th war. When we arrived, the first thing we saw was the outdoor display of real military tanks, aircraft and artillery used in the 1973 war. Walking among these massive machines was incredible, it was hard to believe they had once been used in battle.
After exploring the outdoor exhibits, we went inside the museum, where we saw different displays explaining the key events of the war. One of the highlights was the 4D documentary, which didn’t just tell the story - it made us feel like we were in it! With water spraying, wind blowing and even smoke clouding around us, it was as if we had stepped right onto the battlefield. Another incredible part of the trip was the giant rotating panorama. Overall, the trip was both educational and very exciting. It was an unforgettable experience that brought history to life in a way that books never could! Musa, 6F
A Pupil Perspective, with beautiful handwriting, from Mansour in Year 6
التصفيات الداخلية لمسابقة القراءة - المرحلة الابتدائية
في إطار تعزيز حب القراءة وتنمية مهارات الفهم والاستيعاب لدى الطلاب، عقدت المدرسة التصفيات الداخلية لمسابقة القراءة بين طلاب الصفين الخامس والسادس. تميزت التصفيات بأجواء من التنافس الإيجابي، حيث قدم الطلاب عروضًا عن الكتب التي قاموا بقراءتها بداية من شهر أكتوبر الماضي.
تشكلت لجنة التحكيم من المدرس المسؤول عن المسابقة في المرحلة الابتدائية، ومنسق اللغة العربية بالمرحلة الثانوية، والكاتبة رانيا حسين أمين، المتخصصة في أدب الأطفال واليافعين والحاصلة على جوائز هامة في هذا المجال.
نهنئ جميع الطلاب على مشاركتهم المتميزة، ونتطلع إلى أداء قوي في المرحلة النهائية من المسابقة، والتي ستعقد بتاريخ ٢٠ فبراير.
Junior School Arabic Reading Competition
As part of our efforts to foster a love for reading and reinforce pupils' comprehension and analytical skills, the school held the internal qualification for the Reading Competition among Year 5 and 6 pupils. The qualification was marked by a spirit of positive competition, with students delivering presentations about the books they have been reading since October.
The panel of judges consisted of the Arabic teacher leading the competition in the Junior School, the Arabic language Coordinator in the Senior School and Ms Rania Hussein Amin, the Author specialising in children's and young adults' literature, who has obtained prestigious awards in this field.
We congratulate all pupils on their participation and look forward to the final stage of the competition, which will be held on 20th February.
U9 & U11 Athletics Competition
Last weekend saw an incredible display of athletic talent and sportsmanship at the U9/U11 Athletics Meet. Our young athletes gave their absolute best across all events.
Special congratulations to BISC for securing the overall 1st place with 559 points, with both boys and girls clinching 1st place in their respective categories.
A big thanks to all participating schools for their tremendous effort and competitive spirit; every athlete contributed to making this event truly memorable.
Safer Internet Day - Tuesday 11th February
Safer Internet Day is the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety. Each year, an online issue or theme that speaks to the things young people are seeing and experiencing online is covered. Created in consultation with young people, this year Safer Internet Day focuses on the theme ‘Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online‘.
We will be focusing on the issue of scams online; and for young people, how to protect themselves and others, as well as what support is available to them. We will also consider the future of scams, answering questions such as:
- How is the changing technology, like generative AI, going to impact the approach of scammers?
- What role can the government and internet industry take to tackle this threat?
- And what changes would young people like to see to help protect themselves moving forward?
Across the Junior School, pupils will be partaking in various activities to address some of these issues.
We are committed to working with our community to ensure our pupils are safeguarded online too. This also includes gathering information from parents; therefore, we would like you to fill in this form: Parent Safer Internet Survey 2025
Book Week Coming Soon
Book Week starts on Sunday 23rd February, and this year’s theme is Reading Through Time, celebrating books from various decades. A letter will be sent out soon with full details of the exciting events, including joint activities with the Senior School, a Book Fair and a Costume Day. We look forward to a week filled with fun reading and writing opportunities for everyone!
Stars of the Week
Congratulations to the pupils who collected Star of the Week and Mathematician of the Week awards in assemblies last week.
Key Stage 1: Alexander (1E), Dana (1T), Ryan (1N), Anja (1H), Amina (2L), Adam (2F), Mohsen (2B) and Khaled (2S).
Key Stage 2: Reyansh (3O), Nelly (3M), Bodhi (3B), Sophia (3F), Taliyah (4D), Laila (4B), Laila (4W), Adem (4F), Sherifa (5S), Hanya (5C), Kayla (5B), Abbas (5D), Nadia (6F), John (6I) and Omar (6M).
Mathematicians of the Week:
Lara (Year 3), Fares (Year 4), Malika (Year 5) and Daniel (Year 6).
Pupil Achievements
Keriman (2F) took part in a roller skating competition this weekend. The judges were thoroughly impressed with her skills and she won an award.
Well done to Malak (2L), who won a gold medal in her gymnastic competition.
Najla in Year 2 also won a gold medal - her second this year!
Meanwhile, Alya and her team came in 3rd place in the Under 8 Egyptian Rhythmic Gymnastics Cup - bravo!
And last but not least, Elena, from FS2, celebrated her first gold medal win at a recent Egyptian gymnastics cup competition.
Upcoming Events
KS1 and KS2 Half Termly Assessment | Sunday 9th – Thursday 13th February |
Year 6 / Year 7 Entrance Exams | Sunday 9th and Monday 10th February |
Safer Internet Online Session | Sunday 9th February, at 13:00, on Zoom |
Year 5 Luxor Trip | Monday 10th – Thursday 13th February |
Class 1N and 3O Assembly | Thursday 13th February |
Half Term Holiday | Sunday 16th and Monday 17th February |
Parent Conference Meetings | Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th February |
Year 1 Fagnoon Trip | Thursday 20th February |
U11 BSME Games in Abu Dhabi | Friday 21st - Tuesday 25th February |
Book Week | Sunday 23rd – Thursday 27th February |
Foundation Stage News
Foundation Stage 2 Trip to the Pyramids
This week, BISC FS2 children visited the oldest of the ancient wonders of the world and the only surviving one in existence, the Pyramids of Giza.
It was a thrilling experience from the start; leaving school on a bus with friends, seeing the colours and sounds of the people and animals who populate the Giza plain - especially the camels - and finally experiencing the enormity of this spectacular structure known all over the world. What a fantastic day!
Pupil Perspective
I loved the trip to the Pyramids!
I liked seeing the camels and horses because they were gentle.
The singing on the bus was fun. I want to go back tomorrow! Sherifa F2S
Foundation Stage Quiz for Junior School Pupils
Q: Are there pyramids in any other countries?
If you can answer this question, please let an FS teacher know and you can come and tell the FS children where they are and show them some photographs.
Upcoming Events
Foundation Stage 1 Pyramids Trip | Tuesday 11h February |
Foundation Stage 1 and 2 Sports Day | Thursday 13th February, from 13:00 to 14:30 |
Foundation Stage Parent-Teacher Conferences | Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th February |