Secondary School Updates (28 October 2022)

Secondary School Updates (28 October 2022) After several years of suspension due to COVID-19, we will once again be resuming our residential trip program in November.

Key Dates | NAE Tanzania Expedition | Secondary Learning Showcase

Weekly update from Head of Secondary

Dear Parents,

After several years of suspension due to COVID-19, we will once again be resuming our residential trip program in November. I’m excited to say that we have a group of sporting students attending the FOBISIA games in Thailand, as well as the first International Award expedition heading out a week later. 

Shortly Year 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 parents will receive notification about residential trips running in January. These are year-level trips designed to bond and challenge students, and they are required of all students. Information will be coming soon with full details, packing lists, and pricing, along with an invitation to a parent information evening in December.

Kind regards, 

Chris Newman 

Head of Secondary

Key Dates

• Friday 11 November: Remembrance Service Cua Bac Church

• Sunday 13th - Thursday 17th November: U15 FOBISIA Sport Trip 

• Friday 18th - Sunday 20th November: International Award Bronze/Silver  

• Thursday 24th November: Year 11 Parents' Evening  

•  Friday 25th November: University Guidance 11-13- Parent Coffee morning 

• Tuesday 1st December: Year 13 Parents' Evening  

• Monday 7th - Tuesday 8th December: Chicago Production 

• Wednesday 14th December: Winter Concert 

Tanzania Expedition - February 2023 

There are only days left to secure your child's place on the Nord Anglia Tanzania Expedition in February 2023! The trip is open to anyone 13 years old and above.  

This expedition is a life changing experience and an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the local communities and villages around Maji ya Chai, in the Arusha region of Tanzania.   

The eight days our students will spend in Tanzania will see them travel around the Arusha region, participating in a highly rewarding programme of community service, learning about sustainable development and exploring the Tarangire National Park where they will discover the diverse range of Tanzanian flora and fauna.   

The initial payment needs to be received by Monday 7th November 2022. 

For a letter with more information, including payment details, please contact Ms Embling at victoria.embling@bishanoi.com 

Secondary Learning Showcase

Live Lunch | English | MFL

Live Lunch

This Wednesday lunchtime saw the return of our informal ‘Live Lunch’ concert series, with this edition featuring our older Key Stage 4 and 5 students.  This is a lunchtime performance opportunity that is open to different ages and groups within the school each term, with the aim of giving students a platform to share their musical development in an informal setting amongst their peers. On this occasion, a wide range of styles and genres were on display, with a programme ranging from classical piano to vocal duets and pop bands. For several of our students, this was their first opportunity to perform in the series, and all involved raised the bar through the musical quality and confident delivery of their pieces. 

The performance also gave students from our Year 10-13 IGCSE and IB Music classes the opportunity to explore potential pieces of coursework in a welcoming and supportive showcase in preparation for their upcoming recording sessions. Thank you to all the students who came to support their peers and also to the members of our community who took the time to watch the live stream on the school’s Facebook page.

Look out for information about our upcoming Staff and Parents Live Lunch, along with our Whole-School Winter Edition.

English

Last term, Year 7 students studied Greek mythology stories. They explored these stories by: creating their own beasts; analysing the different conventions of the genre; and by reading and reimagining these stories—bringing them to life.

This term marks the start of their next exciting adventure, where they will become researchers, teachers, and storytellers. with the goal of picking a different myth or legend from a culture of their choice, which they will research and present to their peers.

This project will develop important skills that will improve their research and oracy skills, which will better prepare them for their future careers and education. Additionally, students have been encouraged to look at a variety of stories from various cultures (from African folklore to Chinese legends) to ensure that they are becoming globally aware citizens.

Above are some examples of Mrs. Sands' class, with some eager researchers beginning their projects. This was after being introduced to the concept of "good" research, presentations, and referencing.

Mrs. Amy Sands

English Teacher

MFL

This week saw the first French and Spanish House Competitions of the year – the inaugural Year 7 Spelling Bee! Students had 100 words to learn over the course of several weeks, culminating in the Final Spelling Bee on Tuesday 25th October.

During the final, the top speller from each house (as decided in the semi-finals), had to stand on the stage and translate and then spell the word on their mini whiteboard. The Languages teachers were so impressed with the effort that the students put into learning the spellings—even with all of the correct accents and punctuation.

As our finalists were competing, the rest of the students competed with them via Kahoot. It was wonderful to see our French and Spanish students helping each other and using their translanguaging skills to help them.  

Enhorabuena/Félicitations to the house of Hue—who won both the French and Spanish competitions (well done to Iori and Chloe). And a big well done to all of our Year 7 students who put in so much effort to learn their vocabulary, which will undoubtedly help their language learning in the future! 

Ms. Georgina Dorr 

Head of MFL