Head of Primary Message Week 12

As we come to the end of another full and vibrant week at ISB, I want to take a moment to celebrate the extraordinary dedication of our staff and the thriving learning community they help to create every single day.

Across the school, we are fortunate to have a team of professionals who are not only experts in their fields but who consistently go above and beyond to provide the very best for our students. Much of this work happens quietly and without fanfare, yet it is the heartbeat of our school, and this week feels like the perfect time to shine a light on it. 👏

A Spotlight on Year 5

Our Year 5 team has just returned from an incredible three-day jungle residential in Temburong. These trips are rich in learning and adventure for the students, but they also require remarkable commitment from staff. For three days, they were away from their own families, working almost around the clock to keep children safe, cared for, and supported, from supervising river activities and tending to cuts and scrapes, to comforting tired campers and managing 4am wake-up calls with a smile.

The children, meanwhile, had the time of their lives: cooking bamboo chicken over a fire, spotting wildlife during night walks, playing in the river, and creating memories that will stay with them for many years. A huge well done to the students, and an equally huge thank you to the staff who made it all possible.

Celebrating Our Staff

Across the school, staff are constantly going above and beyond. They run enrichment and extracurricular activities long after the timetable ends. They organise trips, source resources, and create opportunities that take learning far beyond the classroom. They host workshops to strengthen the partnership between home and school. They provide exceptional pastoral care through the daily check-ins, the quiet conversations, and the thoughtful adjustments that help every child thrive. They give up evenings and weekends for sporting fixtures, community events, residentials and sleepovers. And they plan, prepare and promote experiences, even the ones that may not ultimately run, because their mindset is always the same: to offer the very best for your children. We are a very lucky community, and a heartfelt thank you is truly deserved.

Learning Across the School

It’s also been a wonderful week of learning across every year group. Pre Kindy and Kindy have been out on bikes and exploration walks, even hosting some very wild visitors. Reception have been building big and small, investigating local wildlife, and experimenting with paint, colour and light. Year 1 have been crafting complex sentences and finding new ways to build bigger numbers. Year 2 have been writing brilliant biographies of Zaha Hadid. Year 3 have been preparing sarcophagi for their mummified tomatoes (yes, really). Year 4 are getting ready for a very special visit to an official government building. Year 5 are still shaking the jungle mud out of their shoes. And Year 6 have been busy testing conductors and insulators through hands-on science.

Sports Days, Talent Shows & Barvember

Our Sports Days are coming up soon, and we will be sharing specific timings and details for each year group shortly, including information for parents who would like to spectate or participate (get stretching for the parent race). We have also received some amazing entries for the upcoming House Talent Show. A reminder that entries must be submitted via the special activity in the Seesaw House Folder and are open to all students from Year 1 to Year 6. And finally, a huge well done to all students (and families) who have been taking part in the Barvember Maths challenges. We have been blown away by the number of participants again this year, truly fantastic problem solving all round.

If you have any questions about any aspect of school life, please do not hesitate to message in Seesaw.

Mr Michael Everett | Head of Primary

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🗓️ Friday 21st November - Reception, Yr1 & Yr2 Sports Day 🏃

🗓️ Tuesday 25th November - House Games (TBC)

🗓️ Friday 28th November - Sports Day Yr3, Yr4, Yr5 & Yr6 🏃‍♀️

🗓️ Friday 5th December - Final Day of Term 1

ℹ️ In addition to the events listed above, individual Year Groups will share specific details about trips and activities relevant to their cohort. Please stay up to date by checking the Year Group Notices thread in Seesaw Messages.