BPS Newsletter
Issue 13 - 22nd November 2019
Student Voice - by Mr Luke Chaeter
It has been an absolute pleasure during this term to see the development of the Tribe Council. Not only are they a committed student group, determined to make a difference, but they are already supporting the school as a whole, and making a positive impact to the daily lives of the students. This cannot be further exemplified by atmosphere on the playground during break and lunchtimes. It is a pleasure to see students accessing the various activities, and playing games which have ensured that these times have become more inclusive, enjoyable, and most importantly fun.
Having 'downtime' within the busy day of school is important, something which is advocated by neurological and developmental research, which will be further reiterated by Ms Gillian Smith later within this newsletter.
Currently, Mr Poulton, with the tremendous support of Miss McAdams is embarking on a mission to 'boldly swim, where no BPS student has swam before.' Interest has been high, and currently over 20 swimmers are qualifying to make the entrance time to be involved in an elite FOBISIA Swim Meet in South Korea - I wish them all the very best!
Finally, I would like to wish you all a restful weekend, and look forward to seeing you all on Monday....it feels like the Christmas Countdown is now truly on!
Best wishes,
Luke Chaeter
Parent Teacher Meetings
Dear parents and carers of EAL children,
Kindly note the slight change to the times regarding when EAL teachers will be available for the Parent-Teacher meeting to be held on Tuesday, 10th December. (Times remain unchanged for the Friday, 6th December parent-teacher meeting as previously communicated to you). Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Rest Well, be well - by Ms Gillian Smith
Sleep and rest are an essential part of everyone’s routine and an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that children who regularly get an adequate amount of rest have improved attention, behaviour, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health.
But is there more to it than this?
As we know, children are constantly growing and developing, but there is more happening than we think! Throughout childhood, children experience cognitive leaps, think of them as a growth spurt for the brain. These leaps are not seen by the eye but are a time when your child is working on a new skill under the surface, in the depths of the brain.
So what happens during a cognitive leap?
During a cognitive leap, the brain is chaotic and is busy trying to find equilibrium by adding new connections between brain fibers, growing and strengthening them and trimming unused ones. During these times your child will often practice these new skills over and over again, and during this time the brain demands a lot of energy.
When we say a lot of energy we mean it - At age 4 the brain uses 43% of the body’s total energy expenditure! So, your usually regulated and balanced child is getting less quality sleep, needs more fuel for the body and brain, is more sensitive to their surroundings (hence easily overstimulated), and more emotional.
What can you do to help:
Ensure your child has a well-balanced diet - a growing brain is a hungry brain. Ensure your child gets adequate (and sometimes additional) rest and sleep.
"Sleep is the power source that keeps your mind alert and calm. Every night and at every nap, sleep recharges the brain's battery. Sleeping well increases brainpower just as weight-lifting builds stronger muscles, because sleeping well increases your attention span and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time. Then you are at your personal best." Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Marc Weissbluth
Universal Children's Day 2019 By Ms Jeni Wong
Established by the United Nations in 1954, this day is celebrated on 20th November each year. It aims to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide and improve children's welfare as well as celebrate children's rights.
For PSHE this week, across the school older classes have been meeting with their buddy classes (Year 5 meeting with Year 2) to teach them about Universal Children's Day. This has provided opportunities for Year 5 to act as Role Models (their current PSHE topic) and Year 6 to use their leadership skills. As a whole school outcome, each child has been asked to create a blue handprint and write their wishes for all children around the world.
This was a great event to encourage all our school values: Participation, Respect, Creativity, Responsibility and Perseverance as well share our Learner Profile area for Global Citizenship.
An Udder-ly Lovely Trip to Pushin Farm! - By Mrs Aysha Monks
On Monday, Year 1 donned their wellies and raincoats in preparation for a very wet trip to Pushin Farm. Luckily, the weather was kind and we only had to contend with a few light showers. Despite it not being ideal outdoor weather, the mood of the Year 1s was not dampened. As soon as we arrived, the children were eager to get stuck in and try the range of activities. We started the day by feeding some very friendly but extremely greedy sheep. Next, we watched a pig race. We cheered on as five little pigs trotted their way around a race track and to the finish line. After all that excitement, we went off in our classes to explore the rest of the farm. We were given grass and carrots to feed the horses, alpacas, cows and rabbits. As well as feeding the animals, the children also had an opportunity to milk a cow. The adults were so impressed with how many children were willing to give such a new and different experience a go. This trip provided the children with so many hands-on experiences and really brought what we have been learning in class to life. Well done to our budding little farmers and thank you to our wonderful parent helpers for all their support.
Year 6 Art Trip to the Juming Museum by Mr Alexander Massey
A special Mention- by Mr Luke Chaeter
An Adventurous Lesson with Ms Bugs - by TES Marketing Office
Recently, we had the pleasure of inviting Ms Bugs, Wu Qin Jie, who is an entomologist, TV presenter and an author to share with us her knowledge on all sorts of fantastic insects. The event was organised by the TES library and the Chinese Culture Department to celebrate World Science Day. Not only it was a fun day for the children as they were able to have close contact with stick-bugs, giant elephant beetles, a leopard gecko, a corn snake etc. but it was also a great opportunity to educate children about the importance of ecological balance and to appreciate and respect all living creatures.
Swimming Lessons by Mr Peter Poulton
As you are aware, we have started our swimming unit with year 3 & 4 and will continue next week also. This condensed swimming unit enables all children to develop their swimming techniques no matter their individual ability. We have six qualified and experienced swimming coaches that differentiate the levels between groups allowing the children to progress at a rate appropriate to their needs.
Our swimming programme aims to raise proficiency in all core strokes - Freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly - as well as develop key water safety skills such as treading water, sculling, buoyancy and swimming underwater with confidence and control.
We have some talented swimmers at TES and I’d like to provide opportunities for these students to compete in swimming competitions. We will enter local swimming meets through TISSA in April and May, but will also try and attend the annual FOBISIA Swimming Invitational competitions. This year’s it is in Seoul and we aim to enter a team if possible.
Once the swimming unit has finished, we will send out an update with some pictures to display how the children have progressed across the two weeks.
Important Reminder by Mr Luke Chaeter
Safeguarding
FRIDAY MUSIC CORNER - LET'S ENJOY THE MUSIC!
Taipei European School British Primary Section
Website: https://taipeieuropeanschool.com/index.php?id=120
Location: No. 99, Fuguo Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, 111
Phone: +886-2-8145-9007
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/British-Primary-Section-Taipei-European-School-1781787432102978/