March Events Calendar

SCHOOL EVENTS CALENDAR:  CLICK HERE for upcoming school events.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES:

Yrs. 2 -13 Breakdance and Hip Hop After-School Classes 2nd March - 27th May. CLICK HERE for more information.

Acorn Toddler Play Group - 3rd March, 8:45 a.m. Multi-Purpose Room

Used Uniform Sale: 24th March,  8:45 a.m.

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UPCOMING PARENT MEETINGS:

Year 5 and 6 Parent Meeting with Jo Saunders to discuss ways of supporting writing development - 2nd March (details though Class Reps) 

Year 1 and 2 Parent Meeting with Jo Saunders to discuss ways of supporting writing development (re-scheduled date due to school closure)- 9th March (details through Class Reps)

Food Committee Meeting- 11th March, 8:45 a.m., Top Floor Conference Room, Rm 221

Whole School Class Rep Meeting - 12th March, 8:45 a.m. Multi-Purpose Room. There will be no separate primary/secondary rep meetings prior to this date. Watch for updates from Chirs and Sophia.

Updated Family Contact Information Directories Available Soon - The class reps will be sending out e-versions to you shortly, and thanks to Katherine Wilson, Admissions Officer, for updating them for us.  Please notify Chris Butler at CJWButler@aol.com if you have difficulty opening the file, and we will make sure you get an alternate format. Class lists will be available shortly through the reps as well.

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PARENT EDUCATION RESOURCES

Internet Safety Workshop - 24th February Lecture Notes

Internet Safety Presentation 1

Internet Safety Presentation 2

When Mom or Dad Asks to Be a Facebook 'Friend'

Internet Safety Pledge for Children

Classroom Lessons with Jo Saunders, Primary Leader for Learning

Supporting Writing Development in Nursery and Reception

Supporting Writing Development in Year 3 & 4

Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers, and Punctuation Pyramid (VCOP)

An Evening with Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D, World- Renown Adolescent Psychologist and New York Times Best-selling Author, Tonight, 1st March

Topic: The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Find Success in School and Life
Location: St. Anselm's Abbey School at 4501 South Dakota Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20017. Time: 7:00 p.m.   Admission: $10.00

A Focus on Effective Learning

Peter Harding, School Director, Welcomes Learning Review Visitors this Week

During the week of March 1st- 5th, BSW will be hosting a team of four educational specialists working under the umbrella of Fieldwork Education.

They will be carrying out an "external" review of the level and quality of learning at our school and creating a report which will highlight areas of strengths and underline some areas for improvement or change. 

To do this, they will visit classes, talk to teachers, talk to parents, review the responses to the parental survey, and consult the senior leadership and managment teams. 

We welcome these leading educators as they review our school and we will share their report with you when we recieve it.

A Focus on Learning in Years 12 & 13

What is the Required IB Extended Essay All About Anyway?  Scott Hussey, IB Coordinator explains....

The IB is a not a collection of subjects that students diligently study in isolation, it is a programme which allows students to develop as individuals capable of exploring different sides of a situation. 

In addition to the IB programme's six areas of study, there are three extra requirements that must be met in order to being awarded an IB Diploma -  the Theory of Knowledge Course, CAS (Community, Action, and Service) and the Extended Essay. This week, I will focus on the Extended Essay requirement.

Starting at the end of the summer term of year 12 and having a submission deadline of the end of the autumn term of year 13,  the extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic, normally from one of the student’s six chosen subjects for the IB Diploma. It is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity. It provides students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor (a teacher in the school).

This leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing of 4,000 words, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner, appropriate to the subject chosen. It is recommended that completion of the written essay is followed by a short, concluding interview, or viva voce, with the supervisor.

Once completed, our students extended essays are sent to random destinations around the world to be critiqued by distant examiners. A few examples of essays produced this year are listed below:

• “Has human performance been sacrificed for aesthetic reasons in the working envelope of the “tacker” on a 35ft Hunter Boat?” – Tom S.
• “The Kimono as a cultural art form -is it still relevant to the modern world?” – Sophia D.
• “Does Angela Carter's use of language in her portrayal of violence in the Bloody Chamber reflect a feminist or anti-feminist Perspective” - Nora AF
• “To what extent was airpower the most important element in the allied victory of WW2?” – Dinant DB

Copies of extended essays from our Alumni are in the Secondary Library and are used by our students when initially considering their own research projects.

A Focus on Learning in the Classroom - Year 13

IB Students Report on their Study of the Impact of Video Games on the Lives of Young People- Joe, Dinant, and Darius Y 13 Report

We did a Theory of Knowledge presentation several weeks ago on the impact of video games on the life of young people. First we gave a few facts and statistics. For example, 45% of heavy video game players and nearly a third of avid gamers are in the 6 to 17 year old age group (NPD Group Inc., 2006). 49% have video game systems in their bedrooms. Many are playing online games without discrimination.

A study revealed that children who play, for example, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) report more hours spent playing, worse health, worse sleep quality, and greater interference in “real-life socializing” and academic work versus those playing other types of video games (Smyth, 2007).

Video games are extremely addictive and many hours are wasting trying to get a 100% score on a game that doesn’t provide any knowledge and deprives children from important sleeping or studying time. However some video games are educational and can be used efficiently to increase people’s knowledge. Some teach human sciences, history, or even cooking. Military use video games for training,

Our conclusion is that it is the parents’ responsibility to monitor the time their children use the games, and check what games they are using.

A Focus on Teachers

Getting to Know Joanne O'Grady, Nursery Liverpool Class and Nursery Coordinator

After being brought up in Manchester, I moved to York to study Music and Education at York St. John University where I graduated wtih a BA in Music with a Teaching Credential (OTS).

After I graduated, I returned to Manchester for three years to teach in an inner city school teaching Year 1 pupils and was responsible for co-ordinating ICT and Modern Foreign Languages.

In April 2008, I was excited to accept the post at the British School of Washington to work in a different country and travel around the United States.

Having spent a year teaching Reception, I took the post as Nursery Co-ordinator this year which I am thoroughly enjoying and look forward to continuing.

A Focus on Community Links

Diogenes Club Hosts Two Engaging Community Speakers During the Month of February

Diogenes Club: 3 February "Energy, Islam, and the Pursuit of Happiness" Year 12 Students James L-S & Duncan F report

Mr. Charles W. Freeman, U.S Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1989-1992, Translator for Nixon during his monumental 1972 China visit and Deputy Chief of Mission to China, is a man with a remarkable career and a thorough understanding Middle Eastern Affairs. It was a pleasure on Wed. 3 February to hear him speak about Saudi Arabia’s culture, politics and importance to America.......

Diogenes Club: 1 February  "Is There Any Good News about Terrorism?" Year 10 Students Will L & Matt L report

Since 9/11 terrorists have succeeded in installing fear in much of the West by having an ever present appearance. It is easy to get paranoid over these matters but when Dr. Cronin, a leading academic expert on terrorism, came to speak at Diogenes Club on the 1st of February,  she reassured the audience that all terrorist groups have to end eventually........

CLICK HERE to read more about these two interesting sessions.

A Focus on Drama Support

Baby Pram Needed URGENTLY for Secondary Musical

We are in need of  a babies’ pram for only the week of March 15th (preferably like the one in the picture). If you have one that you could share, it would be most appreciated. It will be well taken care of and be used in only one scene. Please contact Katie Gough if you can help, at kgough@britishschool.org