BIC Sa Porrassa Secondary and Sixth Form Weekly News 15

Dear families,

Last week we celebrated and showcased all the excellent outside learning that went on during Outdoor Classroom Day. So inspired were our staff and children that we are going to continue this as often as possible! We have long held lessons outside whenever we can here at BIC, making use of our extensive space and the warm weather, but we are now formalising this with "Fresh Air Friday", when each week we will endeavour, weather permitting, to teach outside for much of the day. As Ms Hodgson wrote so powerfully about last week, research supports how learning outside not only provides wonderful opportunities for learning across many subjects, but also, "supports children's holistic development. Outdoor learning is used in various formats to support children's personal, social and emotional development." As outdoor learning environments are less structured and formal than classroom environments, it allows, "more physical activity and it has been shown to impact children's educational attainment positively." Talking of the outside, our wonderful pool should be ready for use any time now and we intend to celebrate its opening! Secondary students are now also eating their lunch outside, a move that went down extremely well with our young people. Let's hope all this talk of the outside doesn't tempt fate and bring rain!

As we approach the end of the school year, inevitably some colleagues may move on. We will be sad to say farewell to Mr Cunningham, who has decided after 5 years at BIC to take on a new challenge in a school that is closer to home - the imminent arrival of his first child has aided this decision. As babies are unpredictable, we wanted to bid him a fond farewell sooner rather than later, as he could be dashing off any day to start his paternity leave! However, I am delighted to tell you that we have managed to make two outstanding appointments to fill his dual sets of shoes. The reputation of the school and the calibre of our staff meant that I had a lot of extremely strong applicants for the history and politics role we advertised. Gilli Hawksworth who you can read about further down comes with an outstanding CV and experience, teaching in one of the UK's best performing schools. In addition, to continue the teaching for students for whom English is an additional language, I am absolutely delighted that Lucy Cruttenden will be joining the teaching team full time next year. Lucy is a fantastic teacher, whose versatility and skills have been much appreciated over this year, and who, like Ms Hawksworth, has an outstanding record in teaching in prestigious schools in the UK.

Wishing you a happy weekend,

Alison Colwell

Principal

Last week was Mental Health Awareness week in the UK, the theme this year for which was nature.

Research shows that over 45% of people in a UK survey said that being in an open green space had helped them to get through the pandemic. Just by being on a beach, next to the sea, on a mountain surrounded by trees can relieve stress and enhance calm. Moreover, actively noticing nature - the birds singing, the colour of a plant, touching the bark of trees, feeling sand or soil through our fingers - enhances our wellbeing. Pausing to do these things lowers anxiety levels and decreases depression and appreciating beauty makes you cleverer! Furthermore, having access to “High quality” natural spaces, (those with higher biodiversity and free from litter), are better for us and our wellbeing.

Our Awareness Afternoon this half term will focus on mindfulness, breathing techniques and meditation as ways of improving mental health. How wonderful then, that the grounds of our school are so plentiful and green, surrounded by mountains, trees and animals offering ´quality´ nature which enhance these activities.

As our pastoral programme develops further, listed below are some useful websites for parents and students to support mental health in young people:

• https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-self-harm/
• https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/youth-mental-health/
• https://www.youngpeopleshealth.org.uk/
• https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/self-care/
• https://www.mind.org.uk/
• https://cypmhc.org.uk/

Alexandra Tomlinson

Head of Secondary

As I have said before, at BIC we are constantly looking to increase the quality of learning outcomes so that our Sixth Form students are properly equipped to compete in applications for the most in-demand course and universities, as well as meeting the requirements of discriminating employers. We also want the students to enjoy their learning and to challenge themselves to achieve more than they thought possible.

The foundation of this is our excellent range of A Level subjects, supported by the Cambridge international Project Qualification. Our students can take a range of pathways: Sciences and Maths to take them on to courses such as medicine or engineering; social sciences and humanities to take students on to routes to business, international relations and behavioural sciences; arts subjects to allow students to develop their expressive sides. They can also mix and match. Our teachers are of the highest quality and able to draw out the best in each individual, readying them for university and the world of work. Whilst a key focus will be on preparation for exams, we also work hard to develop the personal and interpersonal skills of our students, making lessons interesting, challenging and fun

We also look to offer our students a range of experiences such as taking roles of Head Boy or Girl, House Captains, Sports Captains or Library Co-ordinators. Application routes generally match those in the real-world giving our students the chance to participate in writing letters of application, and doing interviews or public speaking; through this they gain useful experience and feedback that will inform future applications. Our Duke of Edinburgh Award activities reward the development of personal and inter-personal skills, as do the range of charity activities that our Sixth Formers get involved in.

Covid has restricted our social activities but we are hoping that we can re-introduce these, in school and after-school which enable our young people to develop confidence in a range of situations they are likely to face in the future, as well as giving them the opportunity to make life-long friends.

A student who joined BIC for the start of Year 12 says: So far, I enjoyed the relationships with the teachers. As we get older teachers treat us with more maturity and freedom which allows better understanding and more fun and enjoyable lessons. (CHM, Y12)

Another student, who has been here since Year 6, says: The best thing about Year 12 has been discovering who I am, and who I aspire to become. Having a closer working relationship with teachers has been amazing; as we are able to discuss a subject that we both share a passion for, in further detail; which makes every day that extra little more exciting and enjoyable. Over this past year I have been able to understand myself and grow as an individual. Year 12 isn't an easy journey, there have definitely been some challenges; but getting through the tough times is what has helped me grow as a student and as a person. I am confident in saying that Year 12 has been one of the best school years of my life. (JG, Y12)

John Barter

Head of Sixth Form

john.barter@balearesint.ney

Ramping up the challenge this coming weekend are our intrepid award participants, starting earlier and walking further than ever before at La Trapa, St Elm. Our students are learning about personal equipment, pace, temperature and provisions as well as developing our navigation and teamwork skills. We have a long way to go to earn our award, but the students are relishing every hurdle and growing as people and citizens to be proud of.

All participants are reminded to keep adding to their online record book for their chosen activities.

And thank you to those initial donations of camping/outdoor supplies. These are much appreciated and we welcome anything else that anybody may have unused that needs a good home.

This week the Head of House and the Sports Director have been working hard to make the final arrangements for Sports Day. It is going to be a fantastic fun filled day for all. Next week the Head of House will meet with their teams to complete the sign up sheets for the different events.

Our Year 12 students are doing fantastic progress and we are delighted to share with you some of the pieces our students are working on.

A level biology is a fascinating course which covers a wide range of topics including human and plant physiology, genetics, biochemistry and ecology. Many of our A level students plan to study related courses at university such as medicine, forensic science or environmental sciences. However, this is not always the case. The course develops transferable skills such as data analysis and critically evaluating evidence, which are useful in other subject areas such as law.

Personally, I love teaching A level biology and it has been a pleasure to teach Niklas and Theo this year in Year 12, and Masha, Anna, Nico and Nacho for the past two years in Year 13. The progress they have made has been fantastic as has their dedication. Classes are always productive and fun!

When I joined BIC in September 2018 the Humanities Department consisted of four subjects, business studies, geography, history and politics. In the past three years it has doubled and now includes global citizenship, psychology, sociology and travel and tourism. Humanities subjects have been extremely popular amongst 6th formers and this trend looks set to continue next year. Many of our current Year 13s have opted for undergraduate study in subjects linked to humanities. Karla has accepted a place at King's College London to study International Relations and Julia is also pursuing studies in a humanities subject in the Netherlands.

Beth Coutts

Head of Humanities

It has been a real honour to teach history A-Level over the past two years. Current Year 13 have shown dedication to their studies. The picture below shows them studying hard just before their final exam last week. I have been very impressed by the work ethic and diligence of these students.

Year 12 have studied Russia since 1917 and Britain in the 20th Century. The course started last summer when students were able to attend school for the first time after lockdown eased and it was so lovely to see the new 6th formers in the classroom. The four history students have been diligent right from the start of the course and I wish them luck in their AS exams. Towards the end of term they will start Year 13 topics which include ‘the civil rights movement’ and the Cold War in Asia.

An economist at Cambridge University (Professor Ha-Joon Chang) rightly states that 95% of economics is just common sense, although it takes students a little time to appreciate that fact when they are required to explain how individual firms determine how much of their product they should produce and what price to sell it for.

As in a lot of economics, constructing graphs make such predictions for firms in different types of market much easier to visualize, interpret and understand. The current A Level economics students, as part of their revision programme, drew several graphs to compare the price and output decisions of firms in the ideal of a perfectly competitive market, and a more realistic, everyday market structure called monopolistic competition – in both the short-run and in the longer-term.

Perfectly constructed, accurately explained and neatly presented; a great job and team effort – well done!

It has been a pleasure to teach our current Year 13 geography cohort, most of whom I also taught at IGCSE. Across the course we have studied a mixture of human and physical geography exploring topics as wide ranging as global atmospheric circulation and the development gap in urban areas. Many of the A Level geography students also study one or more other humanities subjects and this has given them a broader understanding of how our world works.

We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of geographers to Year 12 next year. As Jimmy Buffett said: ‘Without geography you’re nowhere!’

In A Level Politics the students have looked at issues like democracy, rights, freedoms, and protections and to understand philosophies like conservatism, socialism and feminism. They also have learnt how the UK Parliament works. The Year 13 students have looked at global politics and the institutions that support it.

In psychology this year students have looked at a range of topics from biopsychology and cognitive psychology on the ‘science’ end of the subject and psychoanalysis and learning theories on the personal end of the subject. Important topics are serial killers, how people are influenced by others and issues like how we control phobias, focussing on fear of flying. Students have had to design their own research studies to try out four research methods: experiments, questionnaires, observations and correlations.

Like psychology, sociology looks to explain why people behave as they do. Whereas psychology can look to biology for answers, sociology looks at the people around us. Through debates, presentations and discussion the students have looked at issues like masculinity, sexism, resistance through music and political protest, as well as the experience of family life for different people (the good, the bad and the ugly).

Travel and Tourism is essentially an applied business studies course. Our students have been learning about business administration, market research, marketing, finance and customer service, and how to apply that to the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. This included, for Year 12 students, designing and carrying out their own trip for IGCSE students to Es Baluard gallery in Palma. The practical elements of this course, working in a team, working with adults who the students may not have met before, and working with younger students, means that our Travel and Tourism students not only learn a lot about business and travel and tourism but they also learn a lot about themselves.

Studying languages at A Level is exciting, personalised, and provides essential academic and professional knowledge for the future.

Our aims in Modern Languages are to fully develop students’ understanding of the spoken and written forms of the languages taught. We want to enhance student confidence in using languages, and to develop a genuine appreciation for the culture of the language being studied. This could be through the study of history, literature, film, and knowledge of current affairs.

Through the study of a foreign language students understand and appreciate different countries, cultures, people and communities. They also learn about the main structures of language, having their listening, reading and memory skills improve, and their speaking and writing become more accurate. The development of these skills, together with the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the structures of language, lay the foundations for future study of other languages.

These are some examples of tasks our students carry out, from reading articles, making videos and recordings to preparing powerpoint presentations which require research and show the ability to analyse aspects of the cultural context and the skill in manipulating language accurately.

Silvia Reyero

Head of Modern Languages

In German we are learning about different aspects of the German speaking society: culture and education as well as German history and political studies.

Working with literature is another important part of the two years course. On our lists you find plays such as “Der Besuch der alten Dame” from F. Dürrenmatt, or “Andorra” from Max Frisch but also works from Franz Kafka or Bernhard Schlink.

Trips and visits complete our lessons outside school, whilst project work, presentations and group work create a versatile spectrum of learning styles in a familiar and friendly German classroom environment.

Film and literary analysis is part of the programme for this subject. Students learn film and literary criticism through the acclaimed artwork of the filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar and the lyrical work of Federico García Lorca. The studies are centred in the film Volver and the playwright Bodas de Sangre.

This is a cultural journey taking students to artistic avant-garde movements (expressionism, surrealism, cubism, Generación del 27, art-pop, abstract art) through art, literature and history. Year 13 students ended this adventure with certificates issued by Lorca Foundation in Granada.

• Master Degree. Ignacio
• Certificate. Santos
• Certificate. Julia
• The skin I live in. Padlet (Ignacio)
• Research on ¨The Skin I live in¨ by Julia
• Volver. Padlet (Santos)
• A song inspired by a character of Volver (Eli)
• PechaKucha- Eli

Our Year 13 students have been studying the living conditions of different groups during the Franco regime and analysing how they affected the Spanish people. They have also looked at the impact of restrictions and censorship during that period in Spain.

As part of their independent approach to this political section of the course, students have prepared a presentation on the Valle de los Caídos, the death of Federico García Lorca and the bombing of Guernica.

CONGRATULATIONS!

This year our student Julia in Year 12 was announced a finalist in the 7th edition of the school literary contest "letter to a Spanish soldier." The theme of this contest was the importance of scientific research in the Armed Forces aimed to the development of numerous advances, both future and past, from which we all benefit. The participants had to write a letter to an anonymous military man highlighting the relevant role of said investigation.

The awards ceremony was held on September 29th on the occasion of the "Day of the Defense Delegation in the Balearic Islands" at the Institute of Military Culture and History where Julia received her award.

The Ministry of Defense and the Sub-Directorate General for Recruitment and Labor Orientation also awarded Baleares International College in recognition of its contribution and participation in said literary contest.

We congratulate Julia for this well-deserved achievement!

BREAKING NEWS!

Our students in Year 10 are excited at the amazing opportunity to collaborate with students of Spanish from the other side of the world. These students study in Roncalli College in New Zealand and have decided to choose Mallorca as their project, which they will present to their whole class. Our students will assist them with a presentation on different aspects of the island and its traditions and culture.

We look forward to developing more international relations with other schools like Roncalli College in New Zealand.

Studying English for A Level is challenging and rewarding. It deepens students’ knowledge of English literature while developing skills of language analysis and essay-writing, preparing students for further study of analytical and essay-based subjects beyond A Level. Additionally, English study develops critical thinking skills as well as our empathy and understanding as we explore different perspectives across different types of texts.

At AS Level, Olivia and Nico have been studying English Literature. This year they have studied plays, poetry and a novel, namely Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus; a range of excellent, thought-provoking poetry from the poetry anthology, Poems of the Decade; Death of a Salesman, a play by Arthur Miller; and Aravind Adiga’s White Tiger.

You can see the film adaptation of Adiga’s novel on Netflix to get a sense of the story and the author’s portrayal of India.

Olivia and Nico’s effort and determination over the past year has been admirable, as they have shown appreciation of poetry and impressively developed their skills of language analysis. We wish you all the best, Nico, as you begin your next adventure. Olivia: we look forward to seeing how you further polish your skills in Year 13!

Vivien and Malinee in Year 13 have been studying English Language and Literature for A level. This involves reading literary texts, but also studying a variety of text types and linguistic structures. They have studied The History Boys by Alan Bennett and an anthology of examples of different genres such as interviews, speeches and articles. They have also completed two pieces of original writing themselves, and written a detailed commentary on the process of their writing. The students have also studied The Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun as part of Varieties in Language and Literature, which has enabled them to explore the differences in life in America in the 20’s and 50’s.

This course is particularly challenging for non-native English speakers, but Vivien and Malinee have proven themselves to be up to the task; their knowledge of the structures of the English language is probably better now than most native speakers! We wish them good luck in the upcoming exams; we hope the outcomes will demonstrate solid evidence of their abilities in English in any international setting in the future.

Year 7 students are currently studying poetry. They have been experimenting with a variety of poetic forms.

Here are some examples of outstanding poetry by our talented 7B students:

Year 9 has been studying poetry from around the world. This week's task was to write a poem about their country. The main focus was on the landscape.

Here are a few examples of some superb poems:

Year 10 students have been studying a variety of different poems from the Edexcel Poetry Anthology in preparation for the IGCSE English Literature exam next year.

Here are some examples of fantastic annotations:

During Year 7 German option lessons, we have been focussing recently on German food and culture.

Students have worked really hard and have shown such enthusiasm for this topic so we have included a culinary experience to support their learning by making and tasting waffles in class. We all had a funny time.

Das war echt lecker, Klasse 7!

Year 7 students have been reviewing everything they have learnt this year as they seek to understand the different religions in terms of similarities and differences in our world.

The students in Year 11, 12 and 13 are all hard at work during their exams. From all of the science team, we would like to thank our children, they make us very proud!

We would like to draw your attention to a science colour therapy programme that intends to simultaneously develop our students in terms of academics and wellbeing. Take a look here. ColorMePhD is a free all-ages colouring book series for students, educators, scientists, and members of the community to engage with current PhD level research in science and engineering. You can explore the free colouring pages to learn about real research projects by fabulous scientists and engineers! Stay tuned as we have more announcements to follow regarding this!

Students in Year 8 couldn’t believe their luck when they thought they had stumbled on an emerald mine here at BIC! Take a look at our movie here showing how they used their maths skills to investigate whether the stones were genuine!

Thank you to the parents in Year 8 who have equipped their children with bottles of juice for our mocktail making class on Friday. We will share the photos with you next week after the students have calculated density in order to make the best layered cocktails.

Thank you to Year 9 who worked hard to make some excellent thermometers.

This year is the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and we will be marking the event by having our very own BIC Olympics. It will take place during the week commencing 14th June and all of our students across school from the very smallest to our very oldest will have the opportunity to take part.

Throughout the week there will be an opportunity for students to compete in their Houses across a range of sports. Each event will gain House points to decide which House is the overall BIC Olympic champion. The marquee event of the week will be the athletics which will take place on the school track on Thursday for key stage 1, and throughout the day on Friday for key stages 2, 3 and 4.

Students are encouraged to come to school on the day of their event wearing their normal PE kit but with a t-shirt in the colour of their House.

We are looking forward to showing you all of the brilliant work done by our students during the week in the newsletter on Friday 18th June.

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO SHARE DETAILS OF AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR SON/DAUGHTER TO TAKE PART IN KIDS RACE, HALF MARATHON MAGALUF 2021.

ON FRIDAY 25th OF JUNE, STARTING AT 6.30PM ON ATHLETICS TRACK IN MAGALUF

Online free registrations to the race until 24th of June 11 pm. https://sportmaniacs.com/es/services/inscription/kids-run-hmm-2021

• Day: 25th of June
• Place: Athletics track Magaluf

Schedules:

• 6.30pm Collective warm-up

• 7pm Race starts

Distances:

Online free registrations to the race until 24th of June 11 pm here: https://sportmaniacs.com/es/services/inscription/kids-run-hmm-2021 .

ATENTION: On-site registration can be done 1 hour before the start of the races, as long as the registrations are not sold out.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE KIDS RUN HALF MARATHON MAGALUF

A fun race that aims to promote the practice of physical activity among children in the municipality of Calvià and the surrounding area. Sport allows us to promote values such as effort, social integration, solidarity, collaboration, fair play, respect, among others, without forgetting the intrinsic social component it has.

It should be noted that this race is part of the Half Marathon Magaluf 2021 event.

FEATURES:

Gifts and prizes for all the participants

All the athletes will have race insurance.

Athletes up to 6 years old must be accompanied by their parents.

To enter this fantastic creative project we are asking you to use your creativity and produce a unique piece of art that reflects the natural world. This could be drawing, painting, sculpture, craft. If what you produce is not possible to bring to school. No Problem! Simply bring in some photos of your finished piece! The closing date for entries is the 9th June, when all entries must be brought to school. Winners will be chosen from EY and KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4 and KS5.

Good Luck!

Gilli Hawksworth - Teacher of Humanities

I am incredibly excited to be joining the team and international community at BIC in September.

Currently living in Switzerland, I graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a BA (Hons) in Human Geography and a PGCE in Secondary Education from the University of Sheffield. I have spent most of my career teaching in Devon and was a well established History teacher at Torquay Girls’ Grammar School. I am passionate about the role humanities subjects play in the school curriculum, enabling students to understand their local and global communities and equipping them with the skills to become active and responsible citizens. I can’t wait to meet the students at BIC next term and discover what inspires them to be great learners.

I will be moving to Mallorca with my family and our German Pointer. We look forward to being part of a diverse international community and making the most of all the island has to offer. Having lived in Devon for many years, I am a keen paddle boarder and love being near the sea, although I’m looking forward to it being several degrees warmer!

I´m known to many students already at BIC as I´ve been teaching EAL, business and languages this year and I'm delighted to be continuing in a full-time role next year! I hold a BA(Hons) from Exeter University and a Maîtrise from Grenoble III. I have spent most of my career teaching in the UK, but have also worked in France and run my own business. Having moved to Mallorca last year, I'm fully aware of the challenges our EAL students face on a daily basis as I`m trying hard to make progress in learning Spanish! When I`m not in the classroom I love to spend time with my family making the most of the fantastic walks in the mountains or relaxing at the beach.

Dear parents and guardians,

It is with mixed feelings of sadness, and excitement for ‘pastures new’, that after my paternity leave in June, I will not be returning to BIC in September. It has been a real delight and honour to have been a part of the BIC community these past four and a half years, and I leave with many fond, lifelong memories of your children, yourselves, and my astounding, hard-working colleagues. It has been a pleasure, and a very humbling experience to know that I have helped your children grow as individuals; nurturing them, helping them, guiding them in this stage of their lives, in the knowledge that hopefully, they will one day be the change in the world, seizing the opportunities that lie ahead, in which myself and BIC have prepared them for. I truly do wish yourselves, your children, and the school all the best for the future and I leave you with my own school motto - Ad Vitam - to life.