Head of Primary Message Week 17/18

Getting Out and About

This week, I want to focus on the immense value of our students getting out and about. We believe that learning is not confined to the four walls of a classroom, and providing our children with a range of educational experiences on and off campus is vital for their development. It allows them to connect their learning to the real world, engage with our local community, and build independence. Whether it is visits that have recently taken place or those we are eagerly anticipating over the coming weeks, our students have a wonderful array of experiences to enjoy. This includes our Pre Kindy students visiting Twinkle Cafe and Kindy exploring Rimba Garden Centre. Our Reception children having wonderful time at Funzania, while Year 1 engage with local culture at Brunei Arts and Handicrafts. Further up the school, Year 3 take to the water for a Brunei River Cruise, Year 4 visit are planning a visit to learn about the law, and our Year 6 students had a busy schedule with a farm visit to ‘I Am Food’ and a trip to the Malaysian High Commission for Batik art.

In addition to these external trips, we were also incredibly fortunate to have some visitors from Royal Brunei Airlines in school recently. It was a wonderful opportunity to bridge the gap between our curriculum and professionals. A particular highlight was their visit to the Reception shared area, which, by a brilliant coincidence, currently features a full airport setup. Seeing the children engage with 'real life' experts while navigating their own check-in desks, security scanners, passport control, and ticket desks was a perfect example of bringing learning to life at ISB.

Looking further ahead, we have even more to look forward to. Later in the year, our Year 6 students will be heading off on their international residential to Indonesia, and we also have various international sporting competitions on the horizon where our students will represent ISB on the world stage (some of them are currently away swimming).

Around the World in 80 Days 🌍

Preparations for our next whole-school production are now well underway, and the clock has officially started ticking as the first meeting of the cast took place this week. This year, we are bringing the classic story of Around the World in 80 Days to life. Just like Phileas Fogg, our talented cast is preparing to embark on an epic journey across continents. It was great to see the energy in the room during the first rehearsal; there is a real sense of adventure building as we begin to piece together this ambitious production, and we look forward to sharing more updates as our 'travels' progress.

Term 2 ECAs

Our Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) programme is also in full swing, and it is fantastic to see the campus buzzing with energy after the school day ends. With students of all ages participating in a huge variety of activities, there really is something for everyone. Our youngest learners in Pre Kindy and Kindy have been finding their feet in Ballet, while Reception students have been getting creative in Crafty Club and Lego. Further up the school, the variety continues to grow with Year 1 and 2 building masterpieces in Construction Club, and Year 3 to Year 6 honing their fine motor skills in Embroidery and Hama Ironing Beads. It is also great to see so many children staying active through Primary swimming, basketball, and the U11 FOBISIA training sessions. These activities are such an important part of school life, helping students to discover new passions and build friendships outside of their immediate year groups.

Parent Teacher Consultations

As we progress through the term, we are also looking forward to our upcoming Parent Teacher Consultations. These meetings are a vital part of our home-school partnership, providing a dedicated space to discuss your child’s progress, celebrate their achievements, and look at their next steps in learning. We will be opening up the sign-up process for booking your appointments very soon, so please do keep a close eye on Seesaw for the link and further instructions.

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Finally, looking ahead to February, we are very excited to share that we will be celebrating Chinese New Year in school on Friday 13th February. We will be hosting our regular and full programme of events, which is always a highlight of the school calendar. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together for cultural celebrations, including a variety of traditional activities. We invite all students to come to school wearing red to mark the occasion. It promises to be a vibrant and memorable day for everyone involved.

Thank you for your continued support in making these programmes such a success. 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