Parent Portal
UPCOMING EVENTS & KEY INFORMATION
SPRING TERM KEY DATES:
Mon 3rd Feb - FUNdraising Feb & Black History Month Begin
Mon 17th - Fri 21st - School Closed for President's Break
Mon 24th - Fri 28th Feb - Year 12 & 13 Mock Week
Sun 2nd March - Book Fair Brunch - Register Interest Here
Mon 3rd - Tues 4th - Book Fair Sale in school
Tues 11th March - Year 12 & 13 Parent Conferences 2
Mon 31st March - School Closed for Eid
Fri 4th & Sat 5th Apr - Middle School Show - Matilda
Tues 8th Apr - Upper School Arts Showcase
Wed 9th Apr - Last Day of School - 12:30pm Finish
Book Week Brunch - Sunday, March 2nd
To kick off Book Week, the Parents' Association welcomes you to join us for brunch on Sunday, March 2nd. More details will follow soon, but please let us know via the form here if you are interested in attending by Monday, February 24th.
For any questions, please contact the PA at bisnypa@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!
PA Meeting Recording
Thank you to those for joined this term's Parent Association meeting! For anyone unable to attend, please find the recording below:
Passcode: K!fx9PJ6
FUNdraising February
Monday marks the beginning of FUNdraising February, one of our many fun House events throughout the school year.
As always we encourage the students to try to tick off as many of the acts if kindness bingo activities as possible over the month to spread kindness and House spirit. Two of the core values of BISNY!
They are slightly different for PYP and MYP, so please select the correct linke below if you want to know more:
Check out some of the other key events happening over the month belpw:
Newsletter Archive - Click the arrow
Autumn Term
Wednesday, September 4th
First Day of SchoolThursday September 12th
Curriculum EveningSeptember 10th - 24th
UN General Assembly - Beware the awful traffic across the city!Thursday, October 3rd - Friday, October 4th
School Closed for Autumn BreakMonday, October 14th
School Closed for Indigenous Peoples DayMonday, 25th & Tuesday, November 26th
Parent Teacher Conferences (no lessons)Wednesday, 27th - Friday 29th November
School Closed for ThanksgivingFriday, December 20th
Last Day of Autumn Term (half day, dismissal at 12:30pm)
Winter Term
Monday, January 6th
First Day of Winter TermMonday, January 20th
School Closed for MLK Jr. DayMonday, February 17th - Friday, February 21st
School Closed for February BreakMonday, March 31st
School Closed for EidWednesday, April 9th
Last Day of Winter Term (half day, dismissal at 12:30pm)
Spring Term
Tuesday, April 22nd
First Day of Spring TermFriday, May 23rd
School Closed for Teacher Inset (no lessons)Monday, May 26th
School Closed for Memorial DayTuesday, June 17th
Last Day of School (half day, dismissal at 12:30pm)
Have a wonderful summer!
***** School Evaluations Feedback & Beacon School Status *****
Click on the arrow to read more about the feedback from last year's school evaluations...
As many of you will probably remember we had external accreditation visits last school year by both the International Baccalaureate and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). We received very positive reports from both organizations and it was so pleasing to see many common areas of strength singled out by both evaluation processes- the quality of relationships and community in the school, the quality of learning and teaching, the attitudes and engagement of students, and the inclusive, outward looking approach of the school.
We received the final report from COBIS over the summer and I am pleased to share that the school was deemed to be meeting all 18 standards and received a Commendation for 10 of the 18, including for all three Ethos & Values Standards. The school was awarded Beacon School Status for how 'the school has an outward-looking perspective promoting its values via a wide curriculum and through opportunities to develop awareness of other cultures and global issues.'
As part of the COBIS evaluation process, Beacon School Status is for schools which "have demonstrated excellence in specific aspects of, or the whole of a particular standard, and are committed to sharing their best practice with other schools around the world." BIS-NY is one of only 4 schools worldwide to hold Beacon School Status for Ethos & Values, so we are all incredibly proud of this accomplishment which is a reflection on the efforts, open minded approach and commitment of our whole community- students, staff and families.
I also include below the summary section of the report from COBIS and hope you will enjoy reading this as much as we did and share in the sense of accomplishment for the very special community you have worked with us and our students to build at BIS-NY. It is also a wonderful foundation on which to build and only adds to the anticipation and appreciation of potential as we embark on the new school year.
COBIS- OVERALL OBSERVATIONS
"The British International School of New York, located in Waterside Plaza, was founded in 2006. It strives to offer a superior education by blending creativity, comprehensive study, and academic rigour with an inquiry-based learning methodology through the International Baccalaureate and the English National Curriculum. The school is dedicated to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment that prepares students for future success.
The school is committed to providing a well-rounded education that meets the intellectual, physical, social, creative, and emotional needs of each child, ensuring a fulfilling and enjoyable educational experience. Consequently, the school environment is characterised by warmth and friendliness. This is a happy school.
Students take pride in being part of the school community, exhibiting politeness and respect in both classroom and informal settings. They show exemplary behaviour, confidence, enthusiasm for learning, and a dedicated pursuit of their goals. This supports the holistic development of every student.
The school radiates a welcoming and familial atmosphere, where the staff is committed to both the academic success and the overall well-being of the students. A distinctive feature of the school is its inclusive environment, which excels in supporting and implementing interventions for students with additional learning needs. Additionally, the school provides an extraordinary range of trips and extracurricular activities to enrich the students' experiences further.
Parents deeply appreciate the school's dedication, feeling assured that their children receive comprehensive care in all facets of their school life. This approach has encouraged a strong sense of community and belonging among students and families alike.
The Headteacher is inspirational, and along with his leadership team, provides a clear vision and direction, actively engaging with the compliance process to drive the
school's progress. As the school carries out its development plans, it is set to not only uphold its high standards but also to achieve continual improvements. This proactive approach ensures the institution remains at the forefront of educational excellence.
The school benefits from the backing of a dedicated and professional board of governors who have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities. The collaboration between the governors and the leadership team will be pivotal in developing a culture of continuous growth and innovation in future."
KEY CONTACTS AND WHO'S WHO AT BIS-NY
We recommend your child's class teacher (Nursery - Y6) or mentor (Years 7-13) as the first point of contact for parents with a question about their child.
Click on the down arrow for their email addresses, along with some other useful contact details:
Full list of Class Teachers and Mentors:
Class Teachers and Mentors Email
Head of School
Mr. Jason Morrow
Mr. Morrow can be contacted via email on headsoffice@bis-ny.org.
To set up a meeting please contact headspa@bis-ny.org.
Deputy Heads
Mr. Wavell Blades - Deputy Head of Student Wellbeing & Co-curriculum
w.blades@bis-ny.org
Ms. Alicia Gibson - Deputy Head of Curriculum & Staff Development
a.gibson@bis-ny.org
Divisional Heads
Ms. Stewart-Pond - Lower School (Nursery - Year 4) - a.stewart-pond@bis-ny.org
Mr. Bernard - Middle School (Year 5 - Year 9) - a.bernard@bis-ny.org
Ms. Rees - Upper School (Year 10 - Year 13) - r.rees@bis-ny.org
Front Desk
For issues relating to the day-to-day logistics including pick-up and afterschool, Ms. Sita can be contacted on frontdesk@bis-ny.org.
School Nurse
For questions with the medical forms and to report student absence due to illness, please contact Nurse Maureen on nurse@bis-ny.org.
School & College Counsellor
Our School & College Counselor Ms. Weiss (p.weiss@bis-ny.org) is also available to help support the wellbeing of students, and works with A-Level Students (Years 12 & 13) in the college admissions process.
Inclusion & Learning Support Coordinators
For students requiring additional academic support, our Learning Support Coordinators Ms. Southall (a.southall@bis-ny.org) and Ms. Keenan (s.keenan@bis-ny.org) are available to work with families on ensuring their children have access to the resources and accommodations they need to succeed.
Uniforms & Dress Code
Uniform is required for students in Nursery through Year 9. Link below:
USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
Get ready for the year...
Please click on the link below to acknowledge your receipt of the Parent Handbook:
Staffing Updates
ROLE CHANGES
Abigail Greystoke will be responsible for overall operations, working in alignment with the Affinitas Board. Sybil Swain will be moving into a new role as Director of Finance and we welcome Karlisha Belmar who joins as our HR Manager.
Oliver Goldstein moves across to having wider whole school responsibilities as the Assistant Head responsible for Digital Learning, Examinations and Communications.
We have a new team of Divisional Heads for the new school year:
Alex Stewart-Pond for the Lower School
Adam Bernard for the Middle School
Rhiannon Rees for the Upper School.
Annette Ottley and Kevin Jack-Reeves will be working on the Admissions Team alongside their continuing role as teachers.
Georgia Rubinstein is the new Head of Mathematics.
Colince Tamoka and Mickella Marshall are the new World Languages Co-ordinators.
Josie Kielstra is our new Community Outreach Co-ordinator
Stewart Lawson is the new Citizenship Award Co-ordinator
Gus Donnelly takes over as the Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator
Midori Larsen joins the EAL team alongside her work in Year 2
NEW STAFF
Justin Welham - Head of Computing and Design
Sonya Payne - Head of Art
Molly Beeby - Science (Primarily Chemistry)
Sarmad Khan - Business and I&S
Jonathan Lorrimer - Economics, Business and I&S
Will Walker - Geography and I&S as a
Alisha Hobbs - French and Spanish
Carlos Robles Morales - Spanish and French
Jennifer Nguyen - PE
Kole Kolinski - PE