Slideshow: World Book Day, 2013

While there is an always-present academic aspect to World Book Day which largely revolves around reading and literacy, there is also an undeniably fun element as well: dressing up as your favorite person (or animal or thing) from a book. Staff and students alike tend to relish this aspect of World Book Day, and it really shows in everyone’s committment to character (if you’ll forgive the pun). From the morning assembly through the end of the day, being able to see the creativity in costumes to the fun it engendered in the learning process, it’s really no wonder why this is always one of our favorite days of the year.

We have managed to trim our photo slideshow from World Book Day down to 73 pictures. Enjoy!

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Winners of the BSB Julie’s Fund Poster Contest

he Julie’s Fund Poster Competition winners have been announced! This year we had over 23 posters entered into the contest, ranging from hand-drawn designs to designs that were digitally produced. Our judges have selected the top three posters that they feel best capture the spirit of the event while advertising its key points. and you can see all three below.

Thank you to all participants for your efforts in putting together a fantastic collection of posters, and congratulations to our top three!

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

 

Slideshow: British School of Boston Community Chronicle of Winter Storm Nemo

It doesn’t matter where you come from: if you see two feet of snow fall in 24 hours, that’s an incredible amount. During Winter Storm Nemo the Boston area received that amount seemingly overnight, with snowfall and high speed winds creating one of the biggest blizzards in the the great city of Boston’s history. Schools across the city were shut on Friday and road travel was actually illegal after 4:00pm. We all hunkered down, hoped the power would stay on, and stayed warm.

And shoveled. A lot.

Below is a photo slideshow, chronicaling our community’s trek through what might be 2013’s greatest blizzard. There are a few taken during Nemo, but understandably many of them are of the aftermath and of the fun that was had with two feet of new snow.

Thank you to everyone for sending in so many great pictures! I’ve narrowed the list to roughly 60, and we’ll be sure to include a handful in the 2012-2013 Yearbook as well. Enjoy the slideshow!

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Related articles

• Amazing Time-Lapse Video of Winter Storm Nemo Smothering Southie in 2 Feet of Snow Overnight (bostinno.com)

In Review: Dr. Ron Clavier’s “Understanding the Teenage Brain” Visit

“I can think of no better three-word description of learning than: Changing Your Mind.”
– Dr. Ron Clavier

Neuroscientist, author and international lecturer Dr. Ron Clavier spent nearly 14 hours at the British School of Boston yesterday, speaking to students across the school as well as staff and parents. His presentation “Understanding the Teenage Brain” touched on a number of topics, from the biology and physiology of the brain to how the brain’s perspective changes as we age. During the school day he spoke with Middle School and High School students separately, spent time with staff after school, and then finished his day by speaking and answering questions in front of a full house of BSB families as well as other parents from the greater Boston community.

Dr. Clavier was relateable to all year groups through his anecdotes of case studies, examples, and ability to communicate with each group on their own level. Thank you to Dr. Clavier for visiting BSB yesterday!

Below are a few photos from the day’s numerous presentations. We hope to see even more of you at the next presentation of this Speaker Series at the British School of Boston.

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Dr. Ron Clavier Presents “Understanding the Teenage Brain” at British School of Boston

Teen Expert, Dr. Ron Clavier, to speak at the British School of Boston
Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Time: 7:00pm
Location: British School of Boston, 416 Pond Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

On January 29^th, BSB will welcome Neuroscientist and Author of Teen Brain, Teen Mind, Dr. Ron Clavier, for the first in an exciting program of expert speakers.

Dr. Clavier’s insightful and illuminating lecture, Understanding the Teenage Brain, demonstrates that an understanding of the teenage brain is the key to unlocking the mysteries of why teens think and act the way they do. His own deep understanding of human brain development allows him to show how neurological changes in a young person’s developing brain underlie many behaviors and emotions.

Illustrating his ideas with examples and observations, he provides coping tips and strategies for young people and their families, easing tensions and improving communications to make the adolescent years healthier and more productive.

Dr. Clavier is skilled in making connections between science and society, and making scientific concepts easy to understand. An experienced and dynamic speaker, he is honest, funny and down-to-earth. His talks have been enjoyed by teenagers, parents and educators all over the world.

This presentation is for parents and students, and admission is free. For more information, please visit the BSB website. To reserve your seats, email events@britishschoolofboston.org.

British School of Boston Student Creates Language Out of Binary Over Half Term Break

Half term break can mean any number of things to different people. To parents it might mean seeing a little more of their children. To teachers it probably means a day or two away before sitting in school for hours and getting ahead or catching up on planning or marking.

For one of our students, it meant applying a number of lessons learned in order to create something. In this case, one student took binary (most commonly known as a computer language of 0s and 1s) and found away to create a language out of it.

Have a look. Now that is inspirational!

How Does the British School of Boston Encourage Reluctant Writers?

On Monday morning, TES Connect took to Twitter to ask the question: What are your tips for getting reluctant pupils writing? Here’s our answer, with a follow-up by TES.

Ours was an abbreviated answer, restricted by the 140 character limit on Twitter. But to answer TES Connect’s follow-up in that same frame wouldn’t have done ourselves, or the question, justice. With the 140-character limit removed, let’s answer these questions again. How does the British School of Boston encourage reluctant writers? Here are suggestions from some of our teachers.

How Does the British School of Boston Use Technology In Learning?

“In the 21st Century we are not teachers of content, but teachers of context…If all we do is teach content then there is no meaning.”  – Ewan Macintosh

As the model of education continues to evolve, so do the tools that teachers and students use in the learning process. Expectations change with new technologies and resources. How those resources are used in lessons is one matter, but the changes that take place in learning can be an exceptionally exciting dynamic.

The Ruben R. Theory defines four ways in which technology can change the learning environment.

Substitution: Technology acts as a direct tool substitute, with no functional change. (Replacing a book for an ibook.)
Augmentation: Technology acts as a direct tool substitute, with functional improvement. (YouTube videos, spell check.)
Modification: Technology allows for significant task redesign. (Google street map.)
Redefinition: Technology allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable. (Wikis, chat rooms, blogs, video conferencing.)

How does the British School of Boston apply technology in the classroom? Below are excerpts from a few of our teachers, and their answers will cover the spectrum of the Ruben R. Theory.

“During this year’s ICT lessons at BSB we have been extending the curriculum beyond the development of databases, spreadsheets and publications; looking into game making, multimedia and much more advanced web design. Acquiring the use of Adobe Master Collection 5.5, a group of cutting edge software packages, has opened up advanced opportunities for students at BSB to use industrial standard software and extend the relevancy of their learning in the 21^st century. We are also excited about introducing the ‘making Apps’ module into the curriculum later this year.” – Mr. Jones

News and Events from BSB, January 9, 2012

Welcome back!

Last week was an exciting one here at BSB, as we all returned from some rest and relaxation to ramp up for spring term. While we said goodbye to Ann McPhee, we welcomed Paul Wiseman OBE as our new Head Teacher. We hope you’ll join us in welcoming him. Later today we’ll have more from our new Headmaster, right here at the BSB blog.

Trivia Night

Trivia Night is back! This year’s event  is on Thursday, January 12^th, from 7:30 to 9:30pm (previously listed as 7:15, be sure to note the time change). Bring your brains, bring your family, and of course bring your own beverage and picnic as we test ourselves against the Quizmaster, Mr. Dawson. The new Headmaster will be in attendance, so it will be a good opportunity to say hello!

Ice Skating Social

Years 6 to 13 have a chance to get together that night on an ice rink, at Lars Anderson. Lars Anderson is an outdoor rink, so students are encouraged to dress appropriately. More information will be forthcoming on this event, and many others, as we move closer to the event date.

Spring Term Clubs

Clubs start this week, but there is still room in many of them for your student! Call the BSB office to sign up or ask questions. You can also check Engage for a full list of club registrations – each day of the week will have every club listed, as well as how many spots are still available. First come, first serve!

PIN Meeting at BSB

PIN offers a number of educational and academic-related webinars, and on January 27th they’ll be here at BSB! They’ll be running a program called “Tips for the Whole Family to Enjoy the College Process”, so it will appeal to anyone who has someone heading off to university, anyone who has someone planning to go to university, and of course those who are just curious about the process. The event starts at 9:15am.

Open Houses

On January 18th BSB is hosting an internal Open House, from 8:30am to 10:00am. It’s open to all of our current parents who are curious about what’s happening in the school or, more specifically, where their children will be next year.

Our final scheduled public Open House will be Wednesday, January 25th from 9:30am to 11:00am. All are welcome to attend, appointments aren’t necessarry, and we always look forward to meeting anyone who is interested in gathering more information about our school. Bring your questions and have a cup of coffee (or three) with us.

Other Reminders and Events of Note

• This week is mock exams week here at BSB. All year groups involved have started by this point. If students need a quick sugar fix to keep them going, Admissions may have a cookie available…
• On Friday, January 13, Year 1 York class will be leading an assembly for Reception to Year 6. Parent coffee will follow.
• BSB will be closed on Monday, January 16 for Martin Luther King Day.
• We mentioned the Ice Skating Social above, but remember: permission slips are due by the 27th. Contact Mrs. Williams for questions, or to turn in your permission slip.
• On Tuesday, Januayer 31, there will be a whole school open assembly from 2:40 to 3:20pm.

We’ll be back with more later today, and we’ll resume our regular news and events schedule at the end of this week. Enjoy your week everyone, and be sure to follow us on Twitter!

Why the British School of Boston is embracing social media

One of the biggest challenges of education is learning as you continue to teach. Every year new pages are added to history, and that’s something you can take literally (another year in the books) and metaphorically (the things we took for granted as a standard have now been passed by). Over the last ten years, and especially over the last few, how we learn and the tools we use to teach have changed in exponential fashion.

Part of the challenge, as educators, is to balance our resources. What’s been found is that children engage online in a way that they don’t necessarily engage in a classroom. While it’s important to continue to encourage classroom interaction and to stress that importance on a daily basis, what’s been presented here is actually an opportunity. Students are using Facebook and Twitter and YouTube by the millions. And the most dynamic educators have found a way to capitalize on students’ affinity for these platforms.

To read more about the British School of Boston’s philosophy on social media, click on “continue reading”.