We have been so impressed with our teachers for the way they continue to keep learning alive and motivate our students to be the best they can be in each and every lesson. There is no doubt that they have embraced the challenge of upskilling as they continue to find creative ways to capture the imaginations of their students.
In the Primary phases we have worked hard to ensure that the Virtual School Experience (VSE) contains as many elements of a ‘normal’ school day as possible, so as to provide our students with the fullest experience possible, and so continuing to hold some of the events and celebrations that the students would typically experience if they were learning on campus has had an important role to play.
Theme Days
Creating opportunities to bring the curriculum to life through fun, thematic days at the end of topics throughout the year, where students and teachers are encouraged to dress up and take part in exciting activities, has provided not only some great memories but also the chance for students to apply what it is they have been learning.
In the Lower Phase, students in Reception enjoyed their ‘Wild Things’ theme day, dressing up as their favourite animal and getting into character to complete fun learning activities. As part of their ‘Zoom’ topic students in Year 1 dressed up as astronauts and applied what they have been learning through reading Alexis Deacon’s Beegu, whilst Year 2 students had a very special visit from Samuel Pepys during their topic on ‘The Great Fire of London.’
In the Junior Phase, our Year 3 students enjoyed bringing their ‘Ancient Egyptians’ topic by dressing in traditional dress or as Howard Carter, the famous archaeologist who discovered many of the precious tombs and artefacts for which the Ancient Egyptians are renowned. Meanwhile our Year 4 students dressed as Romans to celebrate all they had learned in Term 2 about this fascinating period of history and in Year 5 our students went back in time to the school days of the Victorians and quickly learned how lucky they are to be taught by such kind and exciting teachers at BSK. It was certainly very different in Victorian school!
Eco Week
We feel passionate about growing responsible citizens at BSK and so this year we’ve taken our eco-conscious efforts online. During Eco Week, students learned and reflected on how they can rethink, reuse, recycle and reduce their waste to have a positive impact on the environment. They studied the impact of household waste on the environment and about how we can make positive changes to create more sustainable energy sources to safeguard our planet. Students also took part in many exciting projects, with the most recent being ‘Plastic Fantastic,’ where students were challenged to make innovative garments out of plastic.
STEM Week
During our STEM Week in Year 1, students developed skills in the four areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In partnership with our Design Technology Team students were presented with challenges from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which provided them with fun, immersive activities in which they could not only apply their learning from their class topic but also have the creative freedom to problem-solve, work collaboratively with their peers and develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and issues they are engaging with.
Book Week
Early reading undoubtedly has a huge impact on our young learners and at BSK, we aim to inspire a passion for reading. World Book Week is just one of many opportunities in which students voice their personal love for reading and share their favourite book with their class and teacher. In Lower Phase, students were invited to dress up as their favourite book character during World Book Day, uniting them on an international platform with other students across the world. Reception students also had the opportunity to role-play in character and listen and read their favourite books and in Years 1 and 2, students took part in exciting activities which linked to developing comprehension skills and reading to an audience. In Years 3 to 5, students were surprised when members of the Junior Phase Team jumped into their lessons to sound a siren for ‘Stop, Drop and Read’. Students had to stop what they were doing and pick up a book to read for five minutes. Junior Phase Students also completed the March Reading Challenge by completing a different fun activity every day that month, cultivating their love of reading.
International Day
With over 70 nationalities of students at BSK we are proud to recognise and celebrate the diversity and different backgrounds which make our community so unique. International Day is a fun annual event where students learn about the many different cultures of their peers and teachers where everyone was invited to wear their traditional clothes. During the day, class teachers planned exciting activities and students had opportunities to share customs and traditions with their peers.
Kuwait National Day
This year, we had to think a little differently about how to celebrate Kuwait’s National and Liberation Day. On this special occasion there was plenty to celebrate at BSK as it promised students and parents a full and exciting programme that was delivered virtually. The event was streamed live for all of our parents and students to watch and enjoy, with students and families dressed in National Day themed attire enjoying proceedings from the comfort of their homes. Thanks to the magic of animation, we were able to transform a regular show into a magical adventure and tour around Kuwait, and so if you haven’t yet had the chance to see the celebration we would really encourage you to watch the event on our BSK Facebook Page.
Thank you
There are many more online events planned for the remainder of this academic year to continue to keep enrichment alive as we continue online. Here at BSK we continue to lead the way in innovating and adapting to challenging situations to ensure our students have a fantastic school experience. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all members of our community for their tremendous efforts and support with our Virtual School Experience - these have been testing times in terms of our ability to remain resilient to the challenges we have faced but, by working together, we continue to adapt and improve our approach to offer our students the very best.