News, Blog - Page 11 - News Search

The Flowers of War is one of the books that aligns with the syllabus for IB Chinese A Paper 2 that we study. The story is based on the Nanjing Massacre, so last week, we took an educational trip to Nanjing. During the trip, we visited The Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, which provided us with a deeper insight into the book's descriptions. This experience greatly enhanced our understanding of the book and facilitated the analytical process. Additionally, we visited Wuyi Lane, a location referenced in the book.

Over the past weeks our Year 12 students have embarked on the next stage of their educational journey with us at BISS Puxi as IB learners. On Thursday 14 September, we held our annual ‘Welcome to the IB Academy: Succeeding at the IBDP’ evening. The purpose of this event is to provide our students and their parents with an overview of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) at BISS Puxi and offer practical advice on how best to approach the programme to maximise their potential for success.

Assessment in Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is conducted through a TOK Exhibition and a 1600-word TOK essay. The TOK exhibition is an internal assessment component that is marked by the teacher and moderated by the IB. It is an excellent opportunity for students to explore what knowledge is and what impacts how we know things.

Parents were welcomed to the school on Monday 18 September to take part in our first Film and Media Workshop.

On Tuesday 19 September, the Shanghai Dutch School celebrated Prinsjesdag 2023. This is an annual Dutch event that always takes place on the third Tuesday of September. On this day, the Dutch government reveals their plans for the new political year. The day is filled with tradition and ceremonial rituals. After the royal carriage has been escorted to the Ridderzaal, the King reads his throne speech. The next important moment is the presentation of the new plans in the Tweede Kamer, where all ministers are present, and the minister of finance brings in the annual budget in a famous briefcase, ready to be discussed. 

From Monday 11 to Friday 15 September, our Year 12 students organised a variety of activities to raise awareness of charity groups supported by BISS such as The Huaxin Rehabilitation Centre, Water Aid, UNICEF, Shanghai Roots and Shoots, More than Aware, The Starfish Foundation and Heart to Heart.

On Monday 18 September, it was with great pleasure that we welcomed our parents to the Primary Native Mandarin Parent Workshop.

Find your way around today's event!

On the evening of Thursday 7 September, an engaging and informative session took place at BISS Puxi, with the participation of more than 60 enthusiastic attendees. This session was specifically tailored to our IBDP Korean students and their parents, providing valuable insights into the intricate landscape of Korean university admissions.

In order to support Secondary parents with our new Firefly system, Mr. Robertson, our Assistant Head of Teaching and Learning, has provided this handy video tutorial to guide you through.

On Wednesday 17 May, Pre-Nursery students participated in their Pre-Nursery Sports Day event. Unfortunately, the weather was too wet to go outside, and the event took place in the Gymnastics Room. However, the weather did not dampen the spirits of the students. It was a fantastic event, with the pupils performing brilliantly. They displayed determination, perseverance and a great amount of effort.

We are thrilled to share with you the details of our Year 12 Biology students' recent visit to the DNA Learning Centre in Suzhou, affiliated with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This world-renowned research and education institution has been contributing to the field of biomedical research since 1890 and is home to eight Nobel Prize winners, employing over 1,000 people, including scientists, students, and technicians. The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's education arm includes a graduate school, academic publishing house, and programmes for students and teachers at all levels, from middle school to undergraduate.

The Primary Mandarin Speech Show is one of the most popular language events among the students. Students from Year 3 to Year 6, no matter whether they are from a native Chinese class or non-native Chinese, take the leading role to design their own script; to create their presentation; to host their own show by combining what they have learnt in the language classes and then, use this event as a platform to showcase their language skills in front of an audience.

Wednesday 19 April was a day to remember for our Years 9 and 10 students of Spanish and French (who also invited two very keen Year 12 French students)… not only were both trips excellently planned and orchestrated, with the minutest attention given to detail, but the students showed they were in their element on the day, enjoying the fun and culture that makes learning these languages so relevant and so special.

Thank you to those parents and Key Stage 3 students who attended the ‘Getting Exam Ready’ event this week; there was a very strong turnout. It was a pleasure to present information which we hope is of help to you as parents/guardians and your children, to support their academic success through the upcoming weeks, and as students prepare to sit their internal Key Stage 3 examinations from 18-24 May. For you and your children, we aim to strengthen your understanding of the Key Stage 3 exam process and provide guidance on how your children can be successful.

As part of the Key Stage 3 pastoral programme, each pupil was tasked to prepare a speech on a topic they were passionate about. This activity took place during form time within the first term. Pupils chose a diverse array of topics ranging from sports and hobbies to global hot topics such as ‘Misconceptions’, ‘The value of life’, ‘Equality’ and ‘Cancel culture’.

‘Conflict: Healing the scars of the past’. This was the bold theme underpinning debates in the three committees running at the Wellington MUN on 24 and 25 March. The committees: Security Council; Human Rights Council and the General Assembly for beginners constituted of delegates from five international schools in Shanghai. Eighteen delegates and two chairs representing BISS Puxi were all raring to go as the excitement of socialising and collaborating with other like-minded delegates reached fever-pitch.

We often describe the learning journey of a student as being when they are in the midst of being at school. Recent research suggests that the learning begins whilst in the womb. The foetus is exposed to a range of sensory experiences, such as sound, light, and touch, which can influence their development. For example, research has shown that babies can recognise their mother's voice and respond to certain sounds in the environment while still in the womb.

In English lessons on Tuesday, students were celebrating World Poetry Day by crafting and performing their own compositions, in addition to testing their literary knowledge through participating in a fun poetry quiz.

The Year 3 children have been engaging in the exciting ‘Talk for Writing’ genre of non-chronological report writing. The text titled ‘How do people survive in the desert?’ was the starting point to sharpen and develop the children’s writing skills of the non-chronological report.