Secondary Newsletter – 30/01/2025
To our valued parents and ISBe community members,
The past two weeks have been marked by strong community spirit, student leadership, and academic focus.
Spirit Week was a clear success and was very well organised by the Student Council. Each day brought a different theme, encouraging creativity and participation across the Secondary School. The week began with a Smart Casual Day, allowing students to dress formally for school photos. This was followed by Mismatched Day, a light-hearted opportunity for students to express individuality. Pastel Colours Day coincided with R U OK? Day, promoting wellbeing and care within our community. The week continued with Pyjama Day and concluded with Twin Day, which was particularly popular among students.
R U OK? Day was a meaningful event, organised through a joint effort of the Student Council and the Houses. It encouraged open conversations, kindness, and support. Teachers and students appreciated the opportunity to write thoughtful messages to one another, strengthening relationships across the school. Staff also enjoyed the snacks provided, which added to the warm and positive atmosphere.
ART CLASS 5:
Art with Class 5 has been full of imagination, exploration and making this term. We travelled through the galaxy, explored emotions through expressive portraits inspired by Marlene Dumas, and discovered the flowing lines and nature-inspired designs of the Art Nouveau period. In our current project, Making Materials, the class has been travelling the world and its history through art. Pupils explored textiles and weaving inspired by Anni Albers and Aboriginal traditions, and looked at artists such as Sheila Hicks, Giuseppe Penone and William Kentridge, discovering how artists use natural, recycled and unexpected materials to tell stories. In today’s lesson, everyone worked together on a large-scale landscape using tools they had made themselves. Inspired by Anselm Kiefer, pupils experimented with texture, layers and bold mark-making to create a dramatic shared artwork. Class 5 has shown fantastic curiosity, teamwork and creativity, learning that art is not just about the final result, but about experimenting, discovering and enjoying the process.
In addition, House Pride Day further reinforced community identity. Students dressed in black and whiteand added house-specific accessories, creating a strong sense of unity and pride.
Alongside these events, the academic focus of the term has remained strong. Mock examinations have now begun, and the first week of IGCSE and IBDP mocks has been successfully completed. Students have approached this period with focus and maturity, supported closely by their teachers.
Finally, Class 10 and Class 8 parents will receive Zoom links for the upcoming IGCSE and IBDP information meetings. These sessions will provide important guidance and allow families to better understand expectations and next steps.
Looking ahead, the ski trip for Classes 6 to 8 will take place from the 7th till the 13thof February. Students who are not participating in the ski trip will not have school in that week.
Finally, the Parents’ Forum took place yesterday with Mr. Black. This meeting provided an opportunity for open dialogue and collaboration between parents and the school. Any parents interested in joining the forum are warmly encouraged to contact me directly or email Mr. Black for further information.
We thank students, staff, and families for their continued support and engagement during this busy and productive period.
Warm regards,
Tala Issa
Head of Secondary
+32 (0)3 271 09 43