TH TH deserves to be”. WEEKLYDavid BULLETIN Thornburg – 11 -15 APRIL 2016 ´ “April is a promise that May is bound to keep”. Hal Borland

Dear Parents,

I begin with my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Joana Liz who died during the Easter holidays after a long, valiant battle with cancer. The mother of two school pupils, Matilde (F6) and Manuel (F4) she was a wonderful mother, a wonderful supporter of the school in so many ways and a wonderful lady. I had the pleasure of working with her on the design of school publications such as our prospectus and Yearbook and she was a person full of optimism, creativity and hope. We are looking at ways of acknowledging her contribution to the school and I welcome feedback from you on how we can pay fitting tribute to this beautiful soul.

Over the Easter break there was plenty going on in school. First of all we installed a new sound system in Teage Hall that will enhance assemblies, school celebrations and other gatherings. We also purchased a mobile sound system for use for events outside Teage Hall. These purchases and installations were made possible by the generosity of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) who funded this project. I thank them for their support of the school and may their donation bring much joy to our creative pupils.

In addition, we have rolled out a comprehensive wireless system across the campus that is now more reliable, faster and with the capacity to host multiple users simultaneously. There are log-ins for pupils and staff as well as a facility for visitors to the site. I look forward to this facility enhancing the quality of teaching & learning across the school and enabling the use of portable devices in teaching. Finally our operations team has constructed a large storage area at the back of the sports hall corridor where we can keep large display blocks for school art exhibitions and presentations.

On Wednesday and Thursday our four F12 IB Art students, Sam, Beatriz, Filipa and Jenny, staged their exhibition in the Sports Hall and it was a pleasure to speak to them about their work, creativity and inventiveness. My thanks to Miss Castro for curating this exhibition. More details are contained later. Our F11 CAS trip is underway in India and we are looking forward to hearing of their many adventures and achievements. In addition we have had pupils away at the Sports Tournaments and had pupils involved in a Chess tournament in Efanor.

We finished Term 2 with our Council of International Schools CIS Accreditation visit and we are now awaiting the formal report from the visiting team. This takes a number of weeks as it needs to be presented and approved by the CIS governing body. However the feedback from the visiting team was very positive. We will receive a number of commendations as well as recommendations and these will be incorporated into our new School Development plan.

I would like to wish Peter and Adi Jones and their three children all the very best as they leave in September to begin a new chapter in their lives in Thailand. Dr Jones has been a great colleague and support to me and he has made a very positive contribution to our secondary school over the last three years presiding over record academic results. We are pleased to announce that Mr. Robert Hewett has been appointed Head of Secondary from Sept 2016 and he will visit the school in May to prepare for a smooth transition. Tom McGrath, Headmaster WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 2

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SECONDARY Dear Parents and OBS Community, This term will be my last as Head of Secondary at OBS. I have had a tremendous time in supporting and leading the Secondary Section over the last three years. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions and I do have some regrets about leaving. Nevertheless, I look back at my time with great fondness and a certain degree of pride; professionally I have learnt much from the superb students and staff of OBS, and personally my family and I have fallen in love with and . Over the last three years the Secondary Section has grown from strength to strength. The newly appointed Head of Secondary, Mr. Hewitt, and the staff and students at OBS have a strong foundation to build upon. In particular, over the last three years I have ensured:  Excellent results at IBDP and IGCSE; the best in Porto (and probably Portugal) and way above world averages  An ethos of continual learning and international mindedness that is promoted through and beyond our curriculum  Curriculum developments with Cambridge Secondary and the introduction of a broader curriculum with a greater variety of sports, more time for music lessons, the introduction of drama and computing  Good teaching and learning across all curriculum areas with a greater emphasis on skills linked to the IB Learner profile including thinking skills and team work  Effective assessment for learning has been promoted throughout the curriculum to ensure that all pupils are clear about their next steps in learning are  Reporting and recording is regular, clear and formative  Well-being has been promoted through a greater emphasis on tutoring and mentoring  Co-curricular activities have been expanded upon and the student voice listened to  Relationships within and through the community have been built upon through events, trips, CAS and sports.  Monitoring, evaluation and performance management have been improved upon to ensure that the Section continues to strive towards excellence Many of these achievements were also recognized in our recent CIS visit and I am sure will be highlighted in the final CIS report that will be published within the next two months. None of this would have been possible without the dedication and professionalism of my teachers. This week is yet another excellent example of teachers going beyond the call of duty and beyond the classroom in ensuring children in order for them to gain a balanced education. As you will read in this bulletin and on http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/ , pupils have been involved in revision sessions, CAS work in India, sports tournaments in Lisbon, a volleyball competition and exhibiting some amazing art. Although I may be leaving at the end of the term I am still aiming to develop a number of other key areas and will not relax until a week after our final IBDP 2016 results come through. Along with ensuring our F10 &12 students get the final support they may need for their final examinations, key areas we will be developing in the Secondary Section include:  A development focus on collaboration and challenge  A pilot ICT project in using iPads for teaching and learning with a view to developing a ‘bring your own device’ to school project next year  A pilot of online homework schedule and support for student and parents We also look ahead to more events later in the term. We will have students taking part in an MUN conference, a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, live lounge, recitals, cultural visits, the IB Ball, Speech Day and not to forget BUGSY MALONE at the end of this month. I therefore look back and reflect on my time as Head of Secondary in a very positive light and very much look forward to another fantastic last term at OBS. Yours sincerely, Dr P Jones, Head of Secondary WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 3

ROBERT HEWETT: HEAD OF SECONDARY DESIGNATE SEPTEMBER 2016 It is a great privilege and responsibility to have been appointed Head of Secondary at OBS from Sept 2016 and I am very much looking forward to this new opportunity and challenge. I am currently working as the Head of Secondary School at IBSB, in , a co-education day school for 250 students. My professional career has spanned both industry, army and education. I started my career making solar cells for British Petroleum, before deciding on a career in the Army. I spent a year at Sandhurst before receiving my commission and then a further three years commanding troops with the Royal Engineers in the UK, Germany, Bosnia and Canada, reaching the dizzy heights of Captain before the end of my commission. I have also been a Civil Engineer, a Project Manager and a Scientist, but in 1998 I decided to become an educator. I started my teaching career in a large private school in Sao Paulo, Brazil after which I moved back to UK and taught at Gordonstoun School, a busy boarding college in the north of Scotland. This gave me a unique experience and understanding of how important caring and developing the child can be for their personal welfare and future success. Following this I took my first Headship at the British School of Beijing after which, I moved to my current position. I have had the opportunity to take on many roles in education primarily as a Science Teacher, but I have diversified into Outdoor Education and Trips Coordination, Head of House, Health and Safety Officer, Head of Pastoral Care, Head of the Sixth Form and now Head of Secondary. I also enjoy many outdoor sports including cycling, swimming, biking, canoeing, climbing and mountaineering. Many of these I have acquired professional qualifications in order to take students and adults on expeditions and adventurous journeys. I fully support a diverse and broad curriculum that includes extracurricular activities and learning outside the classroom. I have developed a number of programmes in experiential learning, expeditions and service projects which I believe help students develop into astute and caring young adults. But ultimately I believe education should be fun and that students should be exposed to a wide range of experiences and challenges that prepare them for uncertain future as well as instil a sense of service and contributing to the community. My wife Maria Silvia has been teaching in international schools for 20 years and is a UK qualified Primary Teacher, currently teaching Year 5. She is also qualified as a physical education teacher both in primary and secondary. Silvia worked at Gordonstoun as a Housemistress for three and a half years, during that time she cared for sixty girls from 13 to 18 years old, managed seven Tutors and other auxiliary staff and also taught PE, citizenship, ICT and took part in the expedition programme. Yours sincerely, Mr. Hewett, Head of Secondary Designate

WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 4

BUGSY MALONE -28TH & 29TH APRIL – NEVOGILDE THEATRE Please keep the date in your diaries for what promises to be an excellent performance by our Secondary pupils. Tickets are on sale from 4th April. Friends and family members are more than welcome to come along! This is suitable for all age groups.

Shana Patterson, Head of Music WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 5

SPRING SPORTS FESTIVAL (April 7-9) The first set of Football/ results are out:

Thursday, 07th April D5 Basket WWL D4 Basket LWL D3 Basket LW

D5 Football LWL D4 Football DWL D3 Football DLL Mr. Homewood, Head of PE & Games

OBS PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION The Photography Competition is open to students, staff and parents. Please send your entries in to Mr Harrison by 17th April.

James Harrison

WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 6

PRIMARY NOTICES I hope you all had a restful Easter break because we have definitely ‘hit the ground running’ as we begin the final term of the year. We presently have many Form 5 pupils representing OBS at the Lisbon Sports festival – we will share results with you this coming week. OBS pupils are also taking part in a Chess tournament at Colegio Efanor today. The Pinewood Derby event will take place on Friday, 15th April in the Sports Hall between 3:30pm and 4:30pm. If you are part of the design and manufacturing team for your child’s car then please do come along to watch and support this event. Please do ensure that your child’s name is written on the bottom of the car; at last count, we had 110 pupils registered to race. Pupils should now all be wearing their summer uniform, the short sleeved polo shirt,in preparation for our glorious sunshine. However, on those unusual cooler days pupils can also continue to wear their jumpers. During this term we do tend to get many more jumpers turning up in lost property so please do check that your child’s name is still visible and we will endeavour to return clothing to them. You may have seen posters for the upcoming Middle School Play, Bugsy Malone, to be performed on 28th and 29th April at the Nevogilde Theatre. This should be another wonderful event so please do consider purchasing tickets for this even at the front office. We have many events taking place throughout this term so please do continue to check the calendar on the website, and in this bulletin, to ensure that you are aware of all important dates. Mark Evans, Head of Primary PRIMARY PASTORAL WEEKLY REPORT For the week ending 18th March the house point totals were: Windsor 946, Lancaster 777 and Bragança 895. The individual class winners are listed below. A display with this information can be found in the primary corridor. Class Pupil House LIONS Martin Symington Bragança TIGERS Sofia Fernandes Lancaster 2B Duarte Santos Bragança Maria Silva Windsor 3C Francisco Braga de Matos Bragança 3H Luisa Brandao Windsor Matilde Cardoso Windsor 4P Bruno Xu Bragança 4R Antonio Cunha Bragança 5L Tomás Paul Lancaster 5B Salvador Koehler Lancaster João Pedro Bastos Lancaster Class cup winners Form 5 Jonathan Bridges, Primary Pastoral Coordinator

WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 7

PRIMARY DATES FOR THE DIARY  11th April Extracurricular clubs start back  15th April Pinewood Derby Race  Form 5 play, 7th & 8th June

SECONDARY NOTICES

FORM 9-10 STARS OF THE WEEK FORM 6-8 STARS OF THE WEEK

Mercedes Alves 10W Yiting Cao 10Q Inês Abreu 8B Joana Sá 8B For achieving an A* For getting a strong A For writing an A grade For consistently good coursework portfolio for a practice piece of creative writing work in Physics

Language paper in English.

All our stars can be found at http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/stars

KEY NOTICES F6&9 PARENTS EVENING: WEDNESDAY, 13th APRIL 5.30 TO 7.30pm. You are now able to make the appointments with your child’s teachers directly on the online system, Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. If you have any problems accessing the system, please contact the Front Office, [email protected] We encourage pupils to attend the meetings with their parents so that all parties are clear about attainment, progress and future targets. Owing to time constraints, please focus your appointments by selecting teachers whom you consider it most important to see. It is not compulsory to make appointments to see every teacher; nevertheless, if you prefer to see everyone, please make appointments with the appropriate teachers, and we will try to accommodate you. We would also like to request that you try keep to the time slots provided to ensure that all parents receive a fair time to discuss their child’s learning with the teacher. Should we be unable to do so, please feel free to make an alternative appointment with any of the teachers via email or the Front Office. WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 8

FORM 8 AND 10 FINAL OPTION CHOICES 2016-18 Form 8 & 10 parents have been emailed a Final Options Form for their forthcoming IBDP or IGCSE programme. Please complete this by Tuesday the 19th April. If you would like any further information or have any questions then please contact Miss Marsden in relation to IBDP or Miss Corcoran for IGCSE queries. FORM 10 WORK EXPERIENCE 13-17 JUNE F10 pupils will be taking part in work experience from 13th-17th June. Information on this has been emailed home today. If you have any questions about this, please contact Profª Raquel Malheiro: [email protected]

IGCSE and IBDP EXAMS AND REVISION Please encourage your child to take advantage of the revision and booster sessions available to F10 and 12. A copy of the present schedule has been emailed. There may be more booster sessions during study leave time. Please do encourage your son/daughter to attend these sessions and be actively revising for at least 2-3 hours an evening. Exams and revision timetables and key dates: http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/key-dates . Please also see some final revision tips on the back page.

LUNCH PASSES F9-12 Please be reminded that if you wish to allow your son/daughter off-site for lunch, you need to sign the permission slip on the letter emailed out and return it to Alexandra Monteiro at the front-office. All students that are late or fail to meet the criteria stated in the letter will have their lunch pass withdrawn the following day.

GENERAL NEWS INDIA CAS TRIP

We are happy to say that the F11s got to Delhi safely and are at present working with local people and elephants on a sustainable wildlife project. http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/india-2016

UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA IN LISBON TO VISIT OBS: 11th APRIL On Monday 11th April we welcome Mr Nuno Rolo from Universidade Catòlica in Lisbon to OBS. Mr Rolo will be coming into school to inform our F9s and 11s about an exciting programme which is offered in Lisbon. The university is offering an Undergraduate programme in Economics and Management with the language of instruction being English. Business and Economics continues to be a popular subject with our students and one which many go on to study in universities throughout the world and so we are looking forward to hearing how the course will run a little closer to home. WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 9

A big thank you to board member Mr Miguel Basto for suggesting the visit. http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/ibdp1 Claire Marsden, IBDP Coordinator

IBDP ART EXHIBITION From the landscapes and natural beauty of Slovakian mountains to the hidden, incomplete architecture of down town Porto. From nostalgic photography captured on film to the personal experience portrayed through a pair of piercing eyes. This week we were wowed by the work of our four IB students who exhibited the fruits of their two years labour. Filipa Santos, Samuel Busovsky, Beatriz Ferreira and Jennifer Varanda produced some outstanding pieces which they skillfully discussed with the guests on Wednesday’s opening night. The future looks good for our art students as they are applying to Universities in the UK and Portugal to study Fine Art, Product Design and Film Studies. We would like to wish them all the best for the future and also thank Miss Castro for her support and guidance over the last two years. Claire Marsden, IB Co-ordinator

WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 10

Please visit http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/the-arts for more photos!

VOLLEYBALL COMPETITION AGAINST Well done OBS pupils on gaining the first of many wins to come! Photos can be found at http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/sports

LISBON SPORTS TOURNAMENT Good luck to all of our sports people participating in the games. The schedule can be found at http://secondaryobserver.weebly.com/sports Results from Thursday: D5 Basket WWL D4 Basket LWL D3 Basket LW D5 Football LWL D4 Football DWL D3 Football DLL Photos and other results will follow early next week! Our thanks to all staff, especially Mr Homewood, for their dedication, coaching and giving up their time to make this possible.

TERM 3 KEY DATES REPORTING AND RECORDING SCHEDULE 2015-2016 Term 3 Parents evening for 6 and 9 Wed 13th April Full written reports for 10 and 12 (include IA Mon 18th April progress) Current attainment grade, effort grade report for Tues 3rd May 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 Parents evening for 7, 8, 11 Wed 4th May Grades report 9&11 (Exam, TG, PG) Tues 14th June Full written report for 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 Wed 29h June

INTERNAL EXAMINATIONS  Form 6-7 English, Maths, Science and Portuguese Examinations: 23rd May – 3rd June  9 & 11 Summer Examinations: 23rd May – 3rd June

WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 11

TRIPS AND EVENTS: SUMMER TERM FORM GROUP VENUE DATE CAS trip 11 External Apr 1st – Apr 9th Spring Sports Festival 5 St Julian´s 7-9 Apr (Th-Sa) GBB BFB 6,7 St Julian´s 7-9 Apr (Th-Sa) 8,9 St Julian´s 7-9 Apr (Th-Sa) Universidad Catolica in Lisbon talk 11 Monday 11th April at 10:15/30. DofE qualifying expedition 9 External 16-17 Apr Form 12 study leave 20th Apr Form 11&12 ESS/Geo day trip 11&12 tbc Form 10 study leave 27th Apr Maths Challenge School play rehearsals 6,7,11 26th, 27th Apr MUN Carvalhos External 26th and 27th Apr School play Nevogilde Theatre 28th-29th April Cricket ODM vs St Julian´s 5-9 OLTCC May 2 Porto Schools Cross Country 5,6,7,8,9 French School – 6 May (Fr) Parque da Cidade Music Gamelan Trip 6D Casa da Música 11th May (P4, 5, 6) Music Gamelan Trip 6P Casa da Música 12th May (P4, 5, 6) OBS House Ultimate 4-12 OBS 14 May (Sa) Trinity Exams CLIP External May OBS Primary Sports Day EYFS / 1,2,34,5 OBS / OCLTC 27 May (Fr) Lisbon Athletics meet 5,6,7,8,9, ONS 3 Jun (Fr) 10,11,12 OBS House Cricket 6,7,8,9, OCLTC 8 Jun (We) 10,11,12 Work Experience Form 10 External Week of 13th June Escola Das Artes June 17, 20 and 21 IGCSE Geog Trip Form 9 External June 17th IB Ball 17th June Group IV Project 11 Internal Wed 15th June Thurs 16th June 23rd June UKU National Championships 5,6,7,8 Birmingham / 25-26 Jun (Sa-Su) Bristol From 5 to 6 transition day Form 5 June Short Film Competition: Final Form6-8 23rd June afternoon (periods 7 and 8) Form 9 IGCSE Maths Day Form 9 June WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 12

Activity Week All Week of 27th June Live Lounge All 29th June Speech Day All 1st July

WHOLE SCHOOL NOTICES

SCHOOL LUNCHES – THIS WEEK´S MENU Please book your child´s lunches via our website: http://obsvpn.dyndns.info:8085/FormLogin.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fdefault.aspx

OPORTO BRITISH SCHOOL

11 a 15 de abril 2016 11th-15th April 2016 segunda-feira Monday Sopa Feijão Verde Green Bean soup Peixe Salada Quente de Atum com Ovo e Macedonia Tuna & egg salad - Macedonian style Carne Croquetes de Carne Meat Croquettes Vegetariana Batata com Queijo em Papelote Baked potatoes with cheese Guarnição Batata / Arroz de Ervilhas Boiled Potatoes/ Peas & rice terça-feira Tuesday Sopa Macedónia Macedonian soup Peixe Tesourinhos de Pescada no Forno Fish Fingers/ Shapes Carne Cachorrão Hot Dogs Vegetariana Tarte de Cebola e Alho Françês Onion & Leek Omelette Guarnição Arroz de Tomate / Batata Frita Tomato rice / Fried Potatoes quarta-feira Wednesday Sopa Lombardo Cabbage Soup Peixe Filetes de Solha Sole Carne Penne c/cubos de peru grelhado e legumes Pasta with and vegetables Vegetariana Quiche de Espinafres Spinach quiche Guarnição Penne / arroz Pasta or rice quinta-feira Thursday Sopa Creme Ervilha Cream of Pea Soup Peixe Pescada Assada no Forno Oven baked Whiting Carne Feijoada á Portuguesa Feijoada à portuguesa (a traditional Portuguese dish with beans) Vegetariana Parrilhada de Legumes com Cogumelos Vegetables with mushrooms Guarnição Batata Salteada / Arroz Roast Potatoes / rice sexta-feira Friday Sopa Camponesa Vegetable Soup Peixe Bacalhau com Natas Codfish with potatoes, eggs and onion Carne Frango Assado Roast Chicken Vegetariana Tomate Recheado com Queijo Fresco Stuffed tomatoes with fresh cheese Guarnição Batata / Arroz Boiled potatoes / rice

Nota: Buffet de Saladas Variadas ao dispor para todos os pratos Note: A variety of salad is available with each meal

WEEKLY BULLETIN 11TH - 15TH APRIL 2016 PAGE 13

Date for your diary The Greatest Survival Story Ever Told Recreating the Lantern Slide Presentation of Shackleton’s 1914-1917 Expedition Special Charity Event organized by Porto Connect April 14th, 7pm, British Club - Rua do Campo Alegre, 532, Porto

We are honoured to welcome Geoff Selley (FRGS), who will be giving us a talk on Shackleton’s ill-fated 1914-1917 Antarctic Expedition. Some of the original photographs taken by the expedition photographer, Frank Hurley, will be on show.

The Club has agreed to put on a curry dinner for those attending the talk at the special price of 15 euros. We are also organizing a raffle, which will be drawn during the dinner.

Tickets for the talk cost 6 euros. All proceeds from the sale of tickets and the raffle will be donated to Acreditar (Associação de Pais e Amigos de Crianças com Cancro).

Places will be limited, so please book your tickets early at the British Club Reception (226052720) and pick them up before the event. Book your place for dinner at Reception, leaving your name and number of guests.