Secondary Newsletter 15/3/2024
To our valued parents and ISBe community members,
As educators, we have the privilege of witnessing the growth and development of our students in diverse and dynamic ways. Recently, I had the honor of attending a workshop focused on Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS), an integral part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum at ISbe. The workshop underscored the importance of nurturing holistic growth in students, encompassing not just academic excellence but also fostering creativity, encouraging action, and instilling a sense of service to others. It was inspiring to see educators from various disciplines come together to explore innovative approaches to integrate CAS into our teaching practices.
Speech Competition Ignites Passion for Expression:
Two weeks ago, our journey commenced with the electrifying atmosphere of the speech competition, where students eagerly took the stage to articulate their thoughts and beliefs with remarkable poise and conviction. Witnessing their confidence and eloquence served as a compelling testament to the power of self-expression cultivated within our vibrant school community.
Dragons Event and Pottery Workshop:
Following the speech competition, our students immersed themselves in a Dragons event that ignited their imagination and challenged them to think creatively. Additionally, the pottery workshop provided a hands-on experience where students could explore artistic expression and cultivate their talents.
R U Okay Day:
Mental health awareness is a priority at ISBe, and initiatives like R U Okay Day, led by Class 7, demonstrate our commitment to fostering a supportive environment where every individual feels valued and supported.
Celebrating Literacy Week:
Literacy Week served as a platform to celebrate the power of words and storytelling. From engaging discussions to captivating readings, students and educators alike participated in a myriad of activities that underscored the importance of literacy in our lives.
Literacy Week: Celebrating Readers, Texts, and Writers
During the week of March 4, ISBe Secondary Students celebrated Literacy Week by engaging in a variety of activities ranging from collaborative story writing across the secondary school to unscrambling words and genre transformation. Classroom doors boasted quotes pulled out from either teachers’ favorite books or those in current reading, delicious words plucked from an assortment of writers ranging from Erich Maria Remarque to Jack Keruac.
The highlight of the week was its culmination. Students gathered in the theatre with a task inspiring their critical thinking and creative energies. Broken into smaller groups within their year groups, students worked to transform a text they read in class into a different genre. By the end of the hour long session, we heard Orwell’s Animal Story worked out into a rhymed poem; Tim O’Brien’s metafictional account of the US soldier’s experience in Vietnam, The Things They Carried, transformed into an emotionally raw free verse poem; and Shakespeare’s Othello become a short story focalized through a first person narrative by no other than everyone’s favorite villain, Iago.
Warm regards,
Tala Issa
Head of Secondary
+32 (0)3 271 09 43