BPS Newsletter
Issue 36 - 5th June 2020
Movin' On Up...
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Much has been happening within the British Primary Section this week, full steam ahead, as we creep toward the finish line of what has been a successful, yet challenging year.
Whilst I was walking around the campus, I had the pleasure to try some fruit in the Y1 classes. They are currently working hard on utilising all the skills that they have developed over the course of the year in the development of producing and marketing a New Smoothie. I was very fortunate to taste mango, orange and other flavours, and logged my favourite combination. I was very impressed in seeing how they created and interpreted the information from the survey, and look forward to trying out the finished products and viewing their marketing campaigns. This entrepreneurial aspect to learning will further be developed next year, providing an opportunity for all to be creative and problem-solvers, a key attribute to being successful in the ever demanding workplace.
Following on from this, I was invited into Mr Myerscough's Y6 class to see an outstanding presentation by a group of Y6 children who researched school data around electricity usage and how we can become more efficient, in terms of environmental impact and energy spend. Again, it was pleasing to see the confidence that they had in public speaking, and the conviction they harnessed to promote the ideology that looking after the environment is not just ethically the right thing to do, but practically the right thing to do!
On Wednesday, the BPS conducted its transition assembly, formally notifying our students of the classes next year, introducing new teachers, and sharing the news in relation to those who are leaving, and will be greatly missed. All were very excited at the prospect of finding out who they will be working alongside next academic year, and further showcases the ethos that we want to develop an environment where children can develop skills of collaboration, make friends and embrace change, key attributes in the preparation for a successful future. I would like to thank all staff for making this a successful event.
Finally, I would like to wish all a fantastic weekend, and look forward to seeing you all refreshed on Monday,
Best wishes
Luke Chaeter
Fond Farewells and Good Luck! - by Mr Luke Chaeter
As we do every year, we will be saying farewell to a number of our school staff. This year we say goodbye and good luck to:
如同往年,我們將有一些老師將會離開。讓我們跟這些老師道別並祝福他們:
Dean Kirt who is moving to Ras Al Khaimah Academy in the United Arab Emirates to teach Key Stage 2.
Tom Newman who is moving to London, England and taking up an Assistant Head role.
Adam and Suzanne Lovrincevic who are moving to Singapore.
Ann Liufalani who will be moving back to New Zealand.
Dipak Mondal who is moving to Markham College in Peru to take up the position of Digital Learning Coordinator
Lize and Colin Dawes who are moving to Ras Al Khaimah Academy in the United Arab Emirates
Mojdeh Khubor who is staying in Taiwan but will be retiring from full-time education
I am sure you will join me in thanking each of them for their hard work and commitment to the learning of our children. We wish them all well as they take the next steps in their careers, and for some, a happy and well deserved retirement.
Saturday Opening for Parents - June 20th - by Ms Emma C
Dear parents,
The EPC Library will be open on Saturday 20th of June from 8am - 3.30pm to allow families to borrow books for the summer.
You must register in advance. Anyone who is not on the register will not be allowed to enter the EPC campus.
We cannot save books in advance of your arrival. We will be working on a first come first serve basis.
You will be able to borrow 20 items on your Family Account. Each Junior student can borrow 10, and each Infant student can borrow 4. Students may have already borrowed books in the last week of school so please be aware of this.
If you still have outstanding loans or lost book payments that need to be made, these issues must be dealt with in advance of your visit. We cannot take money on the day. Please contact the library if you want to check your family account or children's accounts before the end of term.
There is a limit of 100 people at a time who can be in the library. Should we get that many people at once, you may need to wait a short time for some people to leave before you can come in.
To sign up please go to this link and fill out the form. The sign up closes on Tuesday 16th of June at 4pm.
If you have any questions, please contact library@tes.tp.edu.tw.
Best,
Ms. Emma
Primary Librarian
Parent Teacher Council Representatives - We want you!
We are currently looking for parent representatives to join our Parent Teacher Council for next academic year. This is an excellent opportunity to support the school and be a critical friend in the continuing voyage for excellence. If you are interested, please send an email to Diana (diana.doo@tes.tp.edu.tw) with a brief explanation of your experience and why you believe you would be an excellent asset to the council.
我們現正積極招募明年「家長教師聯合會」成員的家長代表。參加「家長教師聯合會」是個很好的機會,這能讓學校聽到家長們的意見與心聲,幫助學校永續發展。若您有興趣成為家長代表,請以電郵的方式,將自薦、經驗和您將如何勝任這份工作的想法一同寄給Diana(diana.doo@tes.tp.edu.tw)。
Transition to new teachers - by Mr Aidan Stallwood
Tribe Council update - by Mr Corné Coetzee
On Tuesday morning, the Tribe Council got together for the last time this year. What a great year it has been! I would like to thank each and every member of the Tribe Council for their hard work throughout the year. Mr. Chaeter joined us for some cakes and drinks and he talked to the children about their contribution to making the school a better and safer environment. Mr. Myerscough joined us as well, as he will be taking over the responsibility of leading the Tribe Council from next year.
Lastly, I want to thank all the children that participated in the last tribe competition -’Being a beacon of hope’. I saw some amazing and imaginative posters that children made. I am sure they would have given hope to people in countries where the virus has affected so many people. Here are some of the Tribe Councilors thoughts of the 2019-2020 school year.
What Can I Do Now? - by Mrs Nicky Robinson
SAM Labs with Circuits - By Mr Thomas Myerscough
In Year 6, the children have been using their knowledge of circuits to create SAM Labs inventions.
Earlier this year, Mr Mondal taught a series of skill sessions to Year 6 on how to use SAM Labs. During our 'Light Up Your Life" unit, the Year 6 students completed a series of experiments based on electricity. Some of these experiments involved looking at parallel and series circuits, how shadows are formed and how light travels.
During the last couple of weeks, Year 6 created their own disco lights and circuit controlled cars. Felix said, "It was very fun using advanced technology and we're very lucky at the TES to have access to the SAM Labs equipment.".
Integrated Technology Roundup - by Mr Craig Gamble
As the BPS moves towards a STEAM approach and integrating the use of technology into daily classroom activities and lessons I would like to share with you a sample of what has been happening in this regard this week.
Whether it’s inspiring writers, extending coders or boosting children’s creativity, Purple Mash is a cloud based learning platform that allows teachers to deliver a unique Edtech experience and our learners and teachers are making excellent use of this resource.
Integrating technology purposefully in the Early Years Foundation Stage means having to ensure the technology is supporting the learning and does not become the learning itself. An example of this is Reception using QR codes to introduce new topics, create wonderings or questions about new concepts or learning. Recently the children used QR codes to access curated videos on sinking and floating and then went to play in the water tray and explored different objects that were sinking and floating. Our Nursery children recently enjoyed 2Paint from Purple Mash to express themselves using the interactive whiteboards as their canvas.
In Year 3 the children have used Purple Mash to support their independent projects. They have used newspaper templates and fact sheets to help support their learning. In addition to this, they have used the maths app 2Graph to present the data they have found.
The Year 4 children have been creating inventions and using Purple Mash as part of the ideas process. Using the '2 Connect' app, they have been able to record their invention ideas as a diagram.
Meanwhile, our eldest students in Year 6 have used a writing frame within the science tools of Purple Mash to aid their investigation into the relationship between the number of bulbs and their brightness when wired in a series circuit, as well as their SAM Labs experience.
Not to be left out our Year 5 classes have begun creating their Augmented Reality Museum , which is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information. This was the ideal opportunity to integrate technology via the Merge Cube and cospaces.edu, especially during a time where COVID19 has inhibited the face-to-face experiences for our community. Using the Greek artefacts that the children produced during their topic learning, Mr Cheung helped them prepare these for presentation in a virtual museum. First steps included planning how to present their work in a virtual space and using a 360 degree view of their artefact. Look out for your child's personal museum coming your way soon.
A New Eco-Committee Champions by Mr Aidan Stallwood
We had lots of applications across each of the roles available which was great to see. The year groups then worked together to select each child representative whilst the Senior Leadership Team came together to go through all applications for staff and parents. It was a tough choice, with so many passionate people looking to get involved. However, I am now happy to share that we have a full team from the British Primary Section for the new Eco Committee who will work alongside the French and German contingent.
They are:
Staff: Aidan Stallwood and Yaling Chou
Students: Year 2 Rachael, Year 3 Roger, Year 4 -Leila and Year 5 -Julian
Parent : Claire Parkinson
A big well done to all of them, but rest assured we will be working as a team and will no doubt look to involve others where possible. We look forward to working hard on engaging the youth of today to protect the planet of tomorrow through our curriculum - ensuring the environment is recognised as a critical element.
In the meantime should you have any recommendations or questions for this committee please feel free to email aidan.stallwood@tes.tp.edu.tw
BPS 1:1 Device Programme by Mr Craig Gamble
FRIDAY MUSIC CORNER - LET'S ENJOY THE MUSIC!
IMPORTANT REMINDER BY MR LUKE CHAETER
No Gift Policy
Having the opportunity of teaching your children and working closely with families is an absolute pleasure, and an incredible gift in itself.
We have a strict 'No Gift Policy' and as such, cannot accept gifts. Please do not be offended, we are grateful for your support, which is a gift in itself!
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/