Dear BIS Families,

Welcome back, BIS families!

I hope everyone had a wonderful break and had the opportunity to slow down, spend time with family and friends, and recharge. It is always lovely to have our children back on campus and to see the energy return to our classrooms and hallways.

We held our very first BIS Good Citizen Workshop with our Year 7–9 students. Ms. San, Ms. Wency and I had the opportunity to spend time with the students talking about what it really means to be a good citizen and, more importantly, what each of us can do to help create an inclusive, caring and respectful school community.

I was proud of our students. They were engaged, thoughtful and willing to have some honest conversations. They worked together to develop their problem-solving skills and thought carefully about how their own choices and actions can affect others. They also made a commitment to help shape the kind of BIS community we all want to be part of.

Over the next few weeks, our Year 7–9 students will visit our Primary classrooms and teach younger students some of the same ideas and skills they have been learning. Being a mentor and role model for a younger student is such an important part of growing as a leader. It gives our secondary students an opportunity to take responsibility, practise leadership and, perhaps most importantly, understand that they have the power to make a positive difference to someone else.

This is the kind of student leadership and agency that we want to continue developing at BIS.  We encourage our students to make a positive impact in every way that they can.

Our secondary students also had a wonderful opportunity this week to visit our sister school for a University Preparation Conference. This was a valuable experience for our students as they begin thinking more seriously about their futures, university pathways and the many opportunities available to them beyond BIS. Experiences like this help our students connect what they are doing today with the goals and aspirations they have for tomorrow.

Our Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations were another wonderful reminder of what makes our school community so special. The children looked absolutely beautiful, and there was such a lovely atmosphere across the school as they took part in activities throughout the day. A huge thank you to our teachers and staff, our wonderful PTA members and, of course, our older students who helped our younger children throughout the celebrations.

Watching our older students helping, guiding and caring for our younger children was particularly heartwarming. These moments build the culture of a school.

One small action at a time, we make BIS better every day.

Welcome back, everyone. I am looking forward to another great week together!

Warm regards,

Michelle James
Head of School
Britannia International School