From The Arts & Crafts Club
The Arts & Crafts club was launched at the beginning of the year and has proven to be very popular with the students in KS2. We have 2 groups meeting on a Tuesday afternoon. The Year 3 & 4’s with Mrs Goch and the Year 5 & 6’s with Frau Pani.
The students have learnt that art is not instant and takes some planning and many hours to complete. It is a process that takes time and some practice too.
Some of the different medias we have discovered this year include:
– Paper- We have made sunset collages, paper flowers for the collaborative Art Auction display and simple origami frogs that can jump.
– Sketching- simple line art and sketching beautiful and expressive owls.
– Coffee granules and water- to paint a picture with a difference.
– Charcoal- for most students this was a new medium and we first explored ways to use the charcoal and then we created striking landscapes.
– Acrylic: Painting is a firm favourite with the students. Having fun with butterflies and making their own creations.
– Salt dough: Making hedgehogs and painting them. The Year 5 & 6 students particularly enjoyed making the salt dough themselves with the 3 ingredients.
Here is the recipe to try at home: Mix all together and knead well to make a smooth and soft dough.
125ml(½ a cup) Flour
60ml Salt
30ml Water
Some comments from the students:
“My favourite was making the paper jumping frogs.” Antonia Year 3
“I like art club because we get to do fun things and I can practise my art and learn more art.” Tyler Year 4
“I love art club because you are able to be creative and have fun.” Layla Year 5
“I like that we paint and do fun activities.” Isabel Year 6
“My favourite was the salt dough hedgehogs.” Nuraan Year 6
‘I like that we do painting and make things.” Neo Year 6
“I loved sketching with the charcoal.” Siyana Year 6
Looking forward to many more creative and fun Tuesday afternoons.
Frau K. Pani
Primary School – Arts & Crafts Club Coordinator
For inspiration see photos & collages in Google photos:
Sunset Collages
Sketching- owls
Coffee art
Art Auction collaboration
Line art
Charcoal
Acrylic butterflies
Paper art – Frogs
Salt dough creations-Hedgehogs
Read More
More About Music
We believe that music tuition in our school not only contributes to the establishment of a healthy balance between the physical, academic and aesthetic aspects of the development of our students, but that the disciplines associated with it (intellectual, physical, educational and creative), can also play a positive role in other spheres of their education and later, their adult life.
In the past two terms, the music department has grown from strength to strength. We are increasing in numbers for individual instrument tuition. We have also re-introduced recorder classes in Year 2 as part of our class music programme. It gives the students the opportunity to discover if playing an instrument is something they would like to invest time and effort in.
Our High School band is well established and they are performing every end of the month during break time. We are also looking at more ensemble opportunities in the near future.
Last week, we had our BIS Eisteddfod for the second year running and it was a huge success. We had a lot of interest and it was lovely to have the parents’ support for poetry and music. Our judges was very impressed with our students and our school. We would like to congratulate our category winners of this year.
KS1 Poetry: Nathaniel Dhewa
KS1 Music: Vaishnav Rajesh
KS2 Poetry: Mansoor Daniels
KS2 Music: Indiphile Jentile
High school Music: Gabriella Davids and Faith Chivaka
We are working hard in class music to introduce new activities, instrument play, movement and songs which all the students seem to enjoy!
Beverley du Plessis
Music Teacher and BIS Eisteddfod Coordinator
WATCH: Ms La Bercensie collaborating with one of her music students, Ileana Dias in Year 5.
Read More
Library Etiquette
Do you still remember the majesty of the Public Libraries that we had to frequent in our youth? The days before internet was a quick fix search. Dewey decimal systems and the smells of old and new books. The librarian peeking at you over her reading glasses as you quietly and carefully walked past her massive counter. The feeling of excitement when you held your first library card. The library was an ocean of possibilities, peacefully beckoning you to crack the spine of a hardcover adventure. Hours were spent finding corners to read in, and making sure you returned your books on time to avoid that dreaded R2 fine. If you were lucky, you didn’t have to take notes by hand, but could make copies of those precious pages before using them for your school projects.
As mystical as the library was, it was also a character forming experience. We all knew the rules, almost as sure as muscle memory. From the moment we walked through those heavy doors, we understood that this was a place of resolute respect and consideration, quietly whispering to one another as we discovered other universes hidden in the pages of classic novels.
I have asked our students during the course of this week if they have visited the local library and not surprisingly, most of them have not. We all know that with the hustle and bustle of this day and age, we rarely have the time for simple pleasures, like visiting our local library. If you do ever find that you have a free morning with your child, then I would like to recommend Milnerton Library to you. The facilities are very well kept, and the staff are knowledgeable and kind. This would be a wonderful introduction to the vast community of libraries that our city has to offer. Proper library use is a vital skill, especially when it comes to the later years of education. Why not set our children up for success sooner rather than later. University and high school notoriously consists of ample amounts of research, and knowing how to effectively utilize the available facilities would be extremely beneficial to our children.
In our very own school library, we have discussed library etiquette this week during our lessons. It almost feels like a lost art and is certainly a worthwhile topic.
We discussed a few of the items below:
- What is the function of a library? We established that the library is one of the few places in society that is completely free. You don’t need to spend money to visit and enjoy the facilities. Being afforded the use of the facilities does come with some responsibility though. The resources are loaned to you in good faith, which makes you accountable for how it is treated and returned. Everyone is welcome in a library as it is a public space, cementing in our minds that education should be fully inclusive and knowledge freely available to all. Libraries can be used to study, do research, read, create awareness and so much more. However, the primary function is the loan and return of books.
- Where do we get our books? The students showed a great sense of understanding that the school library mainly grows through your kind donations, this includes the Birthday Book Programme as well as books that you would like to donate when you are no longer using them. We also discussed the purchasing of resources like our readers; and why we should look after the resources in the library. Some classes even delved into publishing, which is a very interesting topic in its own right.
- General Manners: We explored the rules of libraries and especially our school library. Students were reminded that we enter a library quietly; how to look for books and keep the shelves neat; and, where to return the books and how to check out new books for the week. Our conduct in a library is also extremely important: remembering that one must remain kind, caring and encouraging. If we conduct ourselves with consideration to our fellow library users, everyone will enjoy their experience and continue to benefit from the facilities.
- Returns: We discussed books not being returned and why we should always return our books. We should all have access to the knowledge in the library and if we fail to return our loaned books, the next student will not have access to the material. At this stage there are so many books outstanding at our library, that I would like to ask parents to please check if there are any school library books still at home. Your assistance with this will be greatly appreciated.
It has been such a privilege and a pleasure the last few weeks, getting to know the students even better, sharing stories, reading and brainstorming. I simply can’t wait to see what the future holds for our school library.
Trindade Camara
School Librarian
Read More
Coding!
It is safe to say that coding is one of the most constructive hobbies for your child to adopt, especially since it can help them develop persistence, communication, creativity, and higher-order thinking.
Yes, learning to code also sets your child up for potentially lucrative career opportunities, but it also offers children so much more than that. A modern parent cannot go wrong by encouraging their child to program.
At BIS, we have coding and robotics lessons every day during the week – Monday to Friday. The students enjoy their coding lessons and it is rewarding to see them grasp the concepts and solve problems by themselves. Here are reasons why coding is so important for children:
1. Coding Boosts Problem-Solving Skills
Coding is, without a doubt, one of the most straightforward ways for children to boost their problem-solving skills.
In a programming context, coders are constantly challenged and asked to problem-solve. The practice all but requires them to break issues down into more manageable sub-problems, then progress through an iterative process of identifying, prioritising, and implementing solutions. Thus, children start honing their problem-solving skills as soon as they take on their first coding challenge.
Research indicates that even if your child doesn’t want to go into coding as an adult, establishing a practice of coding early in life will nevertheless help them build highly-transferable cognitive skills. Is it any wonder why children should code?
2. Coding Improves Computational Thinking
Computational thinking is a branch of knowledge that involves expressing problems in a way that a computer would. Students who learn this model of thinking are encouraged to break down complex problems into smaller issues, thereby revealing underlying process patterns.
As researchers for an earlier study wrote on the matter, “We believe that children as young as ten can directly benefit from opportunities to engage in computational thinking […] Children can begin by solving puzzles on paper, continue on game boards, and ultimately complete their solutions on computers. Through this process, students can be guided through increasingly complex algorithmic thinking activities that are built from their tacit knowledge and excitement about game play.”
2. Coding Encourages Persistence
Computer science is one of the few professional disciplines where it’s entirely acceptable to be near-constantly failing. Not only is failure immediately recognisable — i.e. a program “breaks,” and doesn’t work as intended — but success literally cannot be achieved until all errors are handled. Even the most straightforward programs require a coder to understand a set of problems and solve them; otherwise, the code won’t run as intended.
However, with all this frustration and failure comes a real, lifelong character benefit: persistence.
When children begin programming, they come to learn that failure is transient, and doesn’t have to be frustrating or a progress-stopper. Even small successes can provide the encouragement kids need to push through issues in their programming. Over time, this perseverance can bolster a child’s grit — and serve as one of the most important indicators of their future educational and career success.
Coding can help your child develop a growth mindset: a philosophy wherein one’s ability to learn can be improved upon, adjusted as needed, and stand firm against demoralizing failures. What better mentality could a child adopt early in life?
3. Coding Improves Computational Thinking
Computational thinking is a branch of knowledge that involves expressing problems in a way that a computer would. Students who learn this model of thinking are encouraged to break down complex problems into smaller issues, thereby revealing underlying process patterns.
As researchers for an earlier study wrote on the matter, “We believe that children as young as ten can directly benefit from opportunities to engage in computational thinking […] Children can begin by solving puzzles on paper, continue on game boards, and ultimately complete their solutions on computers. Through this process, students can be guided through increasingly complex algorithmic thinking activities that are built from their tacit knowledge and excitement about game play.”
4. Coding Teaches Creativity
Creativity, creativity, creativity; it’s something every early educator and parent is wholly concerned with, and yet it’s not a quality prized by most working adults.
Creativity tends to decrease as we age. The adage is true — adults tend to be less creative than children. By the time we reach our sunset years, we have effectively “unlearned” one of the most important skills in life.
“Creative people have rapid and effective responses that help them to achieve their life goals and allow them to enjoy the journey… It is both a skill set and a unique and individual personality structure that’s developed throughout childhood and fine-tuned in adolescence,” Notre Dame researcher Doireann O’Connor once noted.
So, how do we preserve a child’s creative skills as they age?
Experts suggest that kids should learn to code. As a practice, coding positions developers as “creators” or “world-builders” within a programming environment — by definition, the discipline requires creative thinking and an experimental mindset.
With programming, kids are constantly prompted to experiment. Once they understand basic functionalities, they can continually ask themselves, What if I tried this? Would that work?
5. Coding is a Career-Building Skill
The importance of programming cannot be understated in our economy, which is now overwhelmingly driven by technology.
The biggest hurdle is just mastering that first programming language — but once they do, they will be well-positioned to learn different languages, frameworks, and technologies later on in life.
Sonia Terblache
ICT, Coding & Robotics Teacher
Read More
Primary School Music Programme
Watch our students perform click here…
Music builds a sense of belonging, discipline, confidence, creativity, movement skills, and cooperativeness.
BIS has a developmental music programme from Pre-Reception to Year 6. The music education programme offered is holistic, child focused and inclusive. All students have the opportunity to be actively involved in learning music through singing, playing and dancing. They have opportunities in the music classroom to compose, create and perform music while developing a repertoire of songs that target specific skills appropriate to their level of learning music.
The class music programme selects songs that foster tuneful singing and aural development. Creative movement is also integrated encouraging spatial awareness. Students learn graphic and traditional notation in rhythm and melody from Year 1 onwards.
Through dancing and movement they learn a lot about rhythm and tempo and through singing they learn all about pitches and note names. We have a few percussion instruments, like bells, boomwackers, ukulele and glockenspiels that the children play to learn about pitches and rhythm.
We have two choirs in the Junior school and also a band, a small violin ensemble as well as a marimba band. We also have an extensive instrument programme and have tuition in the following instruments, flute, brass instruments, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, piano, singing, drums and violin.
In a multicultural school, music makes connections across cultures and aids those who do not yet have good English skills. It links students with the immensely rich history and diversity of cultures.
Beverley du Plessis
Music Teacher
Read More
Stop Motion Animation
Stop-motion has been around, in one-way or another, for pretty much all of the history of cinema. It has been responsible for everything from visual effect showpieces and fantastic creatures to full-length features. Even though it has never been the world’s most popular form of filmmaking, it has always had an audience and avid followers. Many of us are familiar with movies like Wallace and Gromit, The Corpse Bride, Shaun The Sheep, Chicken Run, and even The Lego Movie. These are all examples of Stop Motion Animation. Stop motion is a discipline that combines parts and pieces from many different sectors of filmmaking. During the first term, the Year 6s learnt about stop motion animation. This is a fun, creative and hands-on project. The Year 6s put hard work and dedication in for Term 1 to complete their very own animations and then present it to the class.
Stop motion is an animation technique in which a camera is repeatedly stopped and started, frame-by-frame, in order to give inanimate objects and figures the impression of movement.
This takes time and patience from the person creating a Stop Motion Animation.
Instead of taking individual photographs of drawings, one starts taking photographs of an inanimate object, for example a puppet, and makes slight adjustments to its positioning between each shot. In doing this, you can create the illusion that the object in question is moving. This is the essence of what we call stop-motion animation, an umbrella term that encompasses many subsets, like Claymation, Pixilation, and Puppet Animation. We start off by watching videos on Stop motion animation. This is when the students get very excited doing their very own animation. We throw around some ideas and listen to what others think they will be doing. Research and ideas are key when creating a project like this. We learn about how to film, staging the backgrounds, how to move your objects and take photos, the lighting, the stability of the camera and lots and lots of patience. We then learn about the App, Stop Motion Animations Studio. This is a free app, if you want to become a Stop Motion animation creator full time or want to make animations for a longer period of time, you can purchase the app to unlock different features.
When the students are familiar with the app, we film a mock video. This is to see if they understood all the elements we learnt above. They use anything on their desks to bring to life, from erasers to scissors to pencils and even books.
The storyboard is then introduced where the planning comes in. They ask themselves questions like, what their animation will be called and what objects they will be using (Lego usually is their favorite). The beginning, plot and ending of their animation is also important.
There are different types of stop motion animation:
- Object-Motion — moving or animating objects.
- Claymation — moving clay.
- Pixilation — moving or animating people.
- Cutout-Motion — moving paper/2D material.
- Puppet Animation — moving puppets.
- Silhouette Animation — backlighting cutouts.
Filming then starts. Discussions and research continues to the very end, sometimes the students get better ideas and their animations change.
Benefits of Stop Motion Animation
- Offers children ownership and autonomy in the filmmaking process.
- Teaches children how stop motion animation works.
- Debunks the mechanics of how movie making happens.
- The creative constraint of the medium encourages problem solving.
- Stop-motion animation can help children learn about, visualize, and explain a variety of math concepts. From addition and subtraction to algebra and graphing, having children use stop-motion animation to solve and explain math problems gives children additional math practice and supports differentiated instruction.
Each year, the Year 6 students produce amazing stop motion animations. We can see the hard work and dedication they put into their animation. Have a look at some of the animations done by our BIS students over the years.
It is fun and educational; even you can give it a try.
Sonia Terblanche
ICT, Programming and Robotics Teacher
Year 2 ICT Lesson Fun
“The mind, once enlightened, cannot again become dark.” – Thomas Paine
In ICT class, our Year 2 students have been having some fun learning about algorithms. In computer science, programming and mathematics, an algorithm is a sequence of instructions.
They received some instructions to follow on how to create a robot. Some of the instructions included drawing the head, face and body of a robot as well as creating a fun background and even more importantly – giving their robot a name!
The students learnt how they can use algorithms to describe ordinary activities in our everyday life. For example, we can consider a recipe as an algorithm for cooking a particular food. This will help them to understand how coding works when we code games and programs.
At this stage, the students are using the iPads to create some algorithms on Grok Learning by building their robot on the iPad.
Year 2 Teacher
Sensors In Computer Science
Term 4 has seen the return of most of our students to regular classes and the Year 9 Computer Science students began the term with a particularly interesting chapter in their syllabus, namely “Sensors”. Using various sensors, they were able to program and build models that react to certain environmental situations.
We focused on various problem-solving skills as the importance of students being able to interpret algorithms to discover what works and what doesn’t, is a valuable skill in all spheres of learning. The discovery of different solutions to various problems encourages and stimulates creativity in students.
Thinking about the 2020 pandemic, we realise how technology has progressed in leaps and bounds to connect us to our everyday tasks. We are mindful of the science involved to get us to this point.
Questions that lead to algorithms ultimately lead to new technological developments. If I look at what was achieved in such a short time span, I can only be excited about future developments.
Who knows, our next major development could be from one of our very own students.
WATCH: Blouberg International School students explain their work with sensors in Computer Science.
Gemayel Kroukamp
Computer Science Teacher
Robotics
Robots have always been a captivating piece of technology, programmable to move, make noise, light up, and follow instructions as directed. There is nothing quite as fun — and educational — as building one’s own robot and setting it through the paces of a race, an activity or a challenge.
In the school setting, robots encourage problem-solving, creative thinking, and a healthy sense of competition that drives innovation from students.
As robotics and computers become increasingly prevalent in students’ lives, understanding programming and programming concepts is becoming very important for students’ success. Robots are a fun, easy, and effective way to learn about computer programming. Programming a robot has tangible, observable effects.
Having to control a physical robot and seeing what goes wrong, students learn what robots can and cannot do. They also learn the need for precise instructions. Robotics helps address the growing demand for teaching science, technology, engineering and Maths in schools.
Robotics use the making of a prototype easier so it will help make the problem better. Students get the time, space and purpose to build robots and solve open-ended problems. Program building robots aims to help students develop logic building and critical thinking skills at a very young age.
Robotics is a branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer science. It deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing.
We would be amiss not to place immense value on incorporating Robotics into our children’s lives. As our future engineers, programmers, pilots and doctors, to name only a few, we have to empower them for them to be successful.
Sonia Terblanche
Robotics and Programming Teacher Junior School
ROBOT RACES
In class this week a few of our Year 6 Students designed and created robot cars. A debate on who they thought could build the fastest car erupted. Eventually we had to settle the debate with a robot race to prove who built the ultimate robot car. The rules were simple, programme your robot car to get from point A to point B as fast as possible and remember to have fun. Excitement and curiosity filled the room as they all got ready to race.
In the end it didn’t matter who won the races, all the students had learned to re-evaluate and improve their designs. Isn’t that the essence of technology? Learning to use your imagination and knowledge to create a better design. Perhaps one day a few of our students will look back at these robot races and say: “That was the moment I knew that I would build the best robot on the planet.”
Here is to the future.
Sonia Terblanche
Junior School ICT & Robotics