BPS Newsletter
Issue 25 - 13th March 2020
A busy week in the British Primary Section
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As seems to be the consistent message, it is incredible when we reflect that as of Monday, we will be rolling into the middle of March....where has the time gone!
Walking around the school has been a pleasure this week, the campus has been a buzz of learning in all areas. It is always an uplifting feeling hearing singinging from the music department, creativity in the classroom, and the hive of activity which occurs at break and lunch times. I would like to thank the Tribe Council for continuing to support these times, ensuring that the playground spaces are a fun, stimulating and pleasurable place for all.....and for supporting the teachers who are on duty! Further, I would like to thank the Tribe for announcing the Junk Fashion Modelling Competition which will be taking place this month, not only does this promote creativity, but further reinforces our commitment to the importance of recycling!
It has been great seeing the ECA's back in action, and I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed helping the PE department with the FOBISIA Football club on Wednesday afternoon. I could see first hand that we have many skillful students, most importantly enjoying the program, whilst improving fitness.
Finally, I would like to thank all parents and guardians with your commitment in ensuring that we keep the campus as safe as possible, particularly during this period. I am referring in particular to the way in which strict measures around campus access has been supported, both at the beginning and end of the school day. This is greatly appreciated by all at the British Primary Section, and a further indication that we are all lucky to work with such supportive families!
Best wishes
Luke Chaeter
Fitness Tracking - by Mr Peter Poulton
Physical activity among children has proven health benefits, such as decreasing the risk of chronic diseases later in life and improving memory and academic performance. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that children should incorporate in their daily activities at least 60 minutes of exercise and crucially, part of this should involve vigorous activity whereby the children are out of breath and sweating.
Daily physical activity can include free play, games, sports, and of course physical education. It is recommended that throughout the day children should experience the following types of physical activity:
Vigorous-intensity activities make children sweat and feel “out of breath,” so that they can only speak a few words between breaths. These can include activities like running and swimming fast or for a long time.
Moderate-intensity activities also make children sweat more and breathe a little harder but they can still talk while they move their bodies such as fast walking or a bike ride.
Activities that strengthen muscles and bones can include jumping rope and running, or sports like tennis and basketball.
Clearly, being fit and healthy is crucial for children’s holistic development, with benefits in physical, mental and emotional development. It is for this reason that the PE department aims to track the physical activity of all students in KS2 to promote the importance of staying active and to provide an important learning opportunity.
To achieve this we have purchased a set of MOKI bands. Moki is a smart wristband that measures physical activity and provides reports with data on individual progress. We will start with a limited trial, but intend to launch this technology across all of KS2 as a way to measure and motivate physical activity across the entire school.
The first step will be measuring selected staff members and using the data collected from their activity to introduce MOKI to the students. Once the concept has been explained and the students have a better understanding of how and why we track activity, a selected group of student will trial the MOKI bands.
It is often said that a healthy child is a happy child and we hope to raise health and fitness throughout TES.
Play-based learning in Reception at BPS - By Reception Team (Ms Karen Rowe, Mr John Preston, Ms Jenny Chien, Mrs Jess Gosling, Ms Lucille Gerber and Ms Sarah Beddoes)
When you walk into a Reception class, you will see children busily engaged in a variety of play activities that they are creating and leading or with an adult interacting.
Children are naturally motivated to play. A play-based curriculum with resources which reflect the EYFS three prime and four specific areas builds on this motivation, using play as a context for learning. In this context, children can explore, experiment, discover and solve problems in imaginative and playful ways.
A play-based approach focuses on learning, which involves both child-initiated and teacher-supported opportunities. Play can be in the form of free play (an activity that is spontaneous and directed by the child), and guided play (also child-directed, but the teacher is involved in the activity as a co-player) with intentional teaching. The Reception team encourages children’s learning and inquiry through interactions that aim to stretch their thinking to higher levels. For example, while children are playing with blocks, an adult can pose questions that encourage problem-solving, prediction and hypothesising. The adult can also guide the child’s awareness and understanding towards mathematics, science and literacy concepts. Therefore, allowing them to engage with such concepts through hands-on learning.
Research has shown the long-term benefits of high-quality play-based Early Years programs, where children are exposed to learning and problem solving through self-initiated activities and teacher guidance, providing a strong basis for later success at school. Play supports the development of socially competent learners, able to face challenges and create solutions.
Sounds like some great science! by Mr Peter Groom
As part of our Tribal Tunes topic, we have been investigating the link between vibrations and sound. Through a carousel of activities, the children explored sound in a range of different ways, introducing them to the concept of vibrations. These short investigations lead us towards questioning whether vibrations were affected by the distance or volume of the sound source.
Following a scientific process, the children investigated whether there was a link between the distance of the sound source and the vibrations it created. We found out that the further the sound source was away from an object, the less likely the vibrations were to reach it. Our results from the first investigation, lead us onto asking whether the volume of the sound influences the strength of the vibrations. We realised that if we turned the volume higher, the strength of the vibrations increased.
It has been really exciting to investigate sound in such a practical way and we can't wait to learn more!
Tribe Council Updates by Annabel Yang B6.4, Tribe Council Secretary
On Tuesday 10th March, we had our weekly tribe council meeting. We discussed the current Coronavirus situation and Mr. C encouraged us to remind our classes to follow the school’s strict guidelines for personal hygiene during this time. Unfortunately, we still can’t hold assemblies at school so it is very important for the tribe councilors to communicate this information back to their classes.
The Junk Modeling Fashion Show tribe competition will continue but will be slightly modified due to the no-assembly regulations. It will now be an in-class competition. It will take place on Tuesday 24th March for Year 5 & Year 6 and Wednesday 25th March for Year 3 & Year 4. All children from Year 3 to Year 6 are informed about this competition and we look forward to taking part in the competition.
Additionally, teachers will be wearing their new Tribe Shirts on Friday 13th March. I can’t wait to see all the teachers in their colourful tribe colours! They will be wearing them for PE lessons and for school trips.
Working Towards Outstanding Writing Provision at BPS - by Mr Michael Norris
As part of a school’s good practice, review and reflection processes are essential in ensuring that we deliver the very best learning experiences to our children. To this end, The BPS regularly reviews specific curriculum areas. This year, writing provision forms the focus of this review process.
We would like to provide an update as to where we are with our writing review. The quality and outcome of any review process is very much dependent on consulting significant stakeholders. This includes experts in the field, our teachers, our parents and very importantly, our children. We are in the process of collecting invaluable information from all these important groups of people. All aspects of the writing process at the BPS have been probed in meetings with various stakeholders. An example of this was a very productive get-together with members of our PTA and PTC (Parent Teacher Council). We are very thankful and appreciative of the wonderful feedback received during this meeting and the very sensible suggestions for moving forward. Next week, our student voice will be heard around our writing provision. A number of children across Key Stage 1 and 2 will be interviewed to gather their valuable insights.
The outcome of our writing review will be known towards the end of May. This will include recommendations for roll-out in the 2020/2021 academic. In any event, the aim is to sharpen our writing provision in order that our children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning in this area.
Important Reminder by Mr Luke Chaeter
Covid-19 Protocols
As you are aware, the Covid-19 situation is continuing to evolve on a daily basis. Taiwan's response has been applauded throughout the world in relation to this.
To continue to support this, as a school we are asking:
1. Families continue to keep us updated of travel plans
2. All families who travel off island will require to follow self health management, which includes that children must wear a mask for 14 days
3. Any person who has travelled within the household and returned will mean that their children must wear a mask for 14 days.
These measures are irrespective of Level 1 and Level 2 countries and includes transit.
2019冠狀病毒病 協議
相信你們也注意到2019新冠狀病毒的疫情,每天都持續不斷地有發展。而台灣針對疫情所做的因應政策,也備受全球肯定。
為了持續維護各位的健康安全,我們學校要求:
1. 所有家庭要持續向學校更新旅遊計畫
2. 所有的家庭如到至國外旅遊及出差 ,回來後需進行自主健康管理 ,孩子們也需要戴口罩14天
3. 家庭中的任何成員從國外回國 ,他們的孩子 們也需要戴口罩14天
以上規定適用於國際旅遊疫情警戒第一級及第二級的國家,包含轉機。
Student Temperatures - 37.5 threshold
學生體溫 - 37.5度或以上
學校對於孩子們的體温有嚴格的控管。如您的孩子因為發燒回家 ,他們必須拿到醫生證明已完全康復,才能回校上課。感謝大家的配合與體諒。
Lost Property
The show must go on!
We as parents know all too well the difficulty and tension of this extraordinary period. As a result of the Coronavirus, we worry about the health of the children on the one hand, and their progress and learning on the other.
TES has made tremendous efforts in the form of online learning, teachers’ feedback and interaction with children during school closure and, after school reopened, making sure that all of those at school stay healthy as well as educating our children about sanitisation and protection against the virus.
We are very grateful for the school’s effort in protecting our children and keeping them healthy. No one wants to give COVID-19 the opportunity to enter our campus, stopping children learning and interacting with their friends. Afterall, being able to learn together at school is one of the most wonderful things.
We respect the actions TES is taking in accordance to official advice from the CDC as students’ safety is school’s top priority. We are also grateful to parents for their transparency and honesty in filling out the travel self-declaration form. We appreciate that parents have made the effort to follow school protocols by making children wear face masks on campus etc, always keeping in mind the safety of the wider student community. In this challenging time we all want to protect our own children from harm, nevertheless may we remind everyone that bullying is also harmful. Keeping in mind the protocols, we must also respect families who are transparent and honest about their travel history. Let us respect one another, and say ‘no’ to bullying.
As you all know, the WHO has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. For your own safety and the wellbeing of our students, avoid unnecessary travel and events involving large crowds. For more advice from the school, please refer to the CEO’s newsletter from last week. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The BPPTA appreciates comments and thoughts from every parent of the school. Communication with you is one way we can help our school in their virus-prevention effort. Next Thursday, 19 March 2020, BPPTA core members will have our monthly meeting. After the meeting we shall share with all parents how we will manage Lost and Found and other issues.
Keep calm and stay healthy!
我們家長會深知這段時間,因為疫情,每位家長的繃緊心理,一方面是擔心孩子健康,一方面是操心學習的進度。
而學校盡了許多努力,在開學延後期間,老師們忙著發出線上作業,即時批改作業,在線上與孩子們互動。更在開學後做了最適切的校園健康把關,對學生們做好應有的衛教與關心。
我們感激學校的努力保護孩子們健康,我們都不想讓COVID-19趁虛而入,停止孩子們的學習和同儕們的互動,因為能夠一起在學校上課是件最棒的事。
我們尊重學校依據CDC公告而執行的COVID-19因應措施,學校永遠是以學生的健康安全無虞為第一考量。我們也感謝家長您們誠實填寫每份出入境資訊(self-declaration form),為了整體學生們的健康,您們更是盡力配合,提醒學生進入校園需要配戴口罩等要求。因為疫情,身為父母一定是盡力想保護自己的孩子們不受傷害,可是,言語霸凌也是傷害。我們家長會不希望因為疫情,而孤立了誠實填寫出入境資料的家庭,我們應該要彼此尊重,拒絕霸凌。
當然,WHO也已提出,COVID-19將在全球大流行。為了自身健康與校園安全,承如上週CEO newsletter 裡提及,以整體學校與學生健康為考量,疫情期間,請避免出國旅遊與群聚活動,我們感恩家長們能夠一起配合與諒解。
在此,家長會真誠地感謝各位家長的意見與想法,您們的溝通是我們能夠協助學校一起為校園防疫努力。下星期四(3/19),我們家長會主要成員將例行開家長會會議,會再與各年級分享lost and found將如何處理。
Keep calm and stay healthy!
BPPTA vice president,
Gloria Chou
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/