BSG Newsletter - 2nd December

The Under-9 Girls Basketball Team travelled a short distance to Utahloy on Thursday for the final competition of their season, and what an incredible day it was! With four games ahead of us and 10 determined players ready to give their all, the Rhinos showed outstanding teamwork, resilience, and spirit.

We opened the tournament with a strong win against the Tianhe girls, finishing 10–2. Our second game against the home team was another well-fought match, resulting in a victory by ten points. The momentum continued as we faced ISA Science City, where our team soared to a remarkable 26–0 win! In the final match against the Canadian School, the Rhinos stayed composed, never trailed, and secured a solid 14–5 victory.

There were tears of joy, gold medals all around, and an unforgettable bus ride home as we celebrated taking home the championship trophy!  I am incredibly proud of this team—every player was tough, focused, and truly coachable.

A huge shoutout to our amazing parents for cheering us on and supporting the girlst hroughout the season!

Our nursery students engage in rich activities across maths, English, cross curricular learning and a range of specialist classes. Over the last few weeks our cross curricular focus has been on technology.

We began by exploring light and dark: turning lights on and off, experimenting with our classroom torches and observing shadows. Children shone lights on story books and inside the small world houses they built, developing vocabulary and early scientific thinking as they noticed cause and effect and described what they observed.

This week the children made moveable puppets. Each child designed and drew a character (some chose figures from our core text, others created original characters). They then cut out their figure and attached it to a bottle top with minor support when needed. Using play dough to adjust balance, they explored where to place the playdough weight so the puppet would move from side to side. This hands on task promoted problem solving, trial and error, cause and effect, creativity and fine motor control. Many children showed great persistence and pride when their puppets moved successfully. Excellent job!

Last week in Year One, we spent time exploring our core text The Queen’s Hat in greater depth. Our learning focused on developing inference skills by using thought bubbles to consider what the characters might be thinking as they chase the Queen’shat across the famous landmarks of London. The children enjoyed discussing why the hat kept moving, how the characters might be feeling at different points in the story, and how the setting influenced their ideas.

We also looked closely at how sentences in the story were structured, with a particular focus on verbs and prepositions. Together, we identified how the author used these features to show movement and location, and the children then practised using similar sentence structures in their own retellings of the story.

Some of the examples we generated as a class included:

• “The Queen’s hat floated around the London Eye.”

• “Then the Queen’s hat whooshed along the London Underground.”

The children showed great enthusiasm throughout the week and demonstrated growing confidence in discussing texts, identifying language features, and applying them in their writing. This has helped deepen their understanding of both the story and the skills needed to become thoughtful, expressive young writers.

It is with immense pride that we share the outstanding achievements of our students, Andy (Y10), Kenan (Y9), and Alan (Y9), at the recent Greater Bay Area International Schools (GBAIS) Honor Band 2025, held in Nansha, Guangzhou.

Selected for their exceptional musical talent, Andy, Kenan, and Alan participated in this prestigious event last weekend, representing our school with distinction. The program commenced with two intensive days of rehearsals on Friday and Saturday, where our students dedicated themselves to full-day practices alongside the most accomplished young musicians from across the region.

Their hard work and commitment culminated in a highly successful concert on Saturday evening. The performance was a testament to their talent and the collaborative spirit ofthe entire honor band. While the demanding schedule was undoubtedly exhausting, it was inspiring to see a profound sense of fulfillment and accomplishment in our students—a true reflection of having given their absolute best.

Beyond the rehearsal room and concert hall, the festival provided a valuable opportunity for cultural exchange and connection. During shared meals and breaks, our students actively engaged with peers from other schools, building new friendships and discussing their shared passion for music. It was remarkable to witness their enthusiasm and deep engagement throughout the entire experience.

The talent and dedication of every participant shone brilliantly in the final performance.The joy and pride visible on our students' faces afterward spoke volumes about their positive and growth-oriented experience.

The GBAIS Honor Band was a truly extraordinary opportunity for musical growth, learning, and international connection. We could not be prouder of how Andy, Kenan,and Alan represented themselves, their talents, and our school community on this regional stage.

The BSG Rhinos footballers returned from the prestigious BISP Soccer 7s Tournament in Phuket with pride, momentum, and experiences that will last a lifetime. Competing against high-calibre international schools from across Asia, our BSG Rhinos demonstrated teamwork, resilience, and outstanding sporting spirit throughout the weekend.

The U13 boys, propelled by the 12 goals of Eddy Sargent, won the bowl competition as they clinically dispatched The British International School of Moscow 3-0 in the final.

Our U13 Girls also showcased impressive growth and determination, finishing as Bowl Runners-Up after a competitive run to the final. Their performances highlighte demerging talent and real promise for future seasons. Raya Cox led the line and finished with an impressive 8 goals!

Our U19 Boys produced some of the tournament’s most intense fixtures, ultimately reaching the Bowl quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten on penalties after a hard-fought match. Although the results did not go their way, the team’s leadership, character, and unity were standout qualities. Special mention must go to Year 10 student Ian, who dominated games in midfield against students 2 and 3 yearshis senior.

Overall, this tournament was an invaluable experience for all teams, offering both competitive success and lasting memories.

Go Rhinos!

We were delighted to welcome a representative from King’s College London (KCL) for an admissions talk on Thursday. Students in Years 11 to 13 engaged actively as the speaker outlined King’s degree programmes, entry requirements, student life in central London, and career development support.

For families exploring UK options, a few highlights about King’s: founded in 1829 and a member of the Russell Group, KCL is one of the UK’s leading research universities with five campuses in the heart of London.

King’s has a proud record of research excellence and impact, and its community includes 14 Nobel laureates among former staff and students.

In the latest QS rankings, King’s is placed 31st in the world (and 5th in the UK), with Nursing ranked No. 1 globally. It also has internationally recognised strengths across medicine, psychology, neuroscience, law, business and the humanities.

Our thanks to King’s for an informative session and to our students for their thoughtful questions. If you would like to know more about the university, please contact the Career’s office.