School developments
We are delighted to announce that Dr Jacques Rogge has agreed to have BSB’s new Sports Centre named after him. Dr Rogge was President of the International Olympic Committee for 12 years and is himself an Olympic sailor and former Belgian national rugby player. In his letter to BSB he said: “I feel honoured by your proposal which I accept humbly. I congratulate you for all the activities in favour of sport that you have developed and remember with pleasure the rugby matches I played against your team some 40 years ago."
Grand opening autumn 2016
Project 3-2-1 is still on track and the official grand opening will be held in autumn 2016. You can visit the special area of our website at www.britishschool.be for progress on the Sports Centre and swimming pool including the very latest photographs. Please encourage any BSB alumni that you might know to sign up for Swoosh so we can invite them nearer the time to our official opening. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn too.
‘Topping Out’ Ceremony October 2015
BSB staff recently joined with representatives from contractors Vanhout, Van Roey and Licence to Build for a 'Topping out' celebration. This is a builder's tradition, popular in Belgium, which celebrates the placement of the final beam on a structure. Guests enjoyed the opportunity to explore our future Sports Centre from inside and, in particular, see the magnificent glulam beams covering the swimming pool. (Pictured below).
Outline of the swimming pool with moveable floor!
Cavell House official opening
Indirectly part of the Project 3-2-1 development, the official opening of Cavell House (Edith Cavell was a British nurse during WW1) was held on 16 October and it was opened by HE Ambassador Alison Rose with members of the Board of Trustees, Board of Governors and Friends of BSB Committee members. We were delighted that Katie Cavell, descendant of Edith Cavell, was also present for the opening. Cavell House is at the entrance of BSB’s main gates and is run by parent volunteers for parents to enjoy a coffee or just a quiet place to sit. A few days earlier our Senior Choir and Flute Ensemble performed to a Royal audience in the Senate at the commemoration of Edith Cavell.
 
Alumni Antonia Kerridge and James Collins returned to BSB
It felt slightly surreal but very familiar to be back in Tervuren and in particular BSB during our recent trip to Belgium. Although there is a lot of development going on, we both remembered the core layout of the school and neither of us could forget the unique BSB character. Peeping into different rooms brought back a lot of memories - from concerts in the auditorium (it looks so much smaller now!), to singing songs in French classes and sipping Ice Tea by the field as our Dads played badminton. It was very special to be back and even though we were so young, it's fair to say we have both been shaped by our time at the BSB. And, of course, we owe the school a LOT as it is where our families met and in turn how (many years on) our relationship developed! We are very lucky to have the shared memories of our time in Tervuren, so thank you for helping to bring some of those alive again. Antonia Kerridge (Y1&Y2, 1997-1999) & James Collins (Y4-Y7, 1997-2001) pictured below.
 
 First-class honours for BSB alumni
Many BSB alumni were awarded first-class honours degrees in 2015 and we congratulate them all. We are proud that so many of our students go on to achieve academic success in a wide range of disciplines. In particular, we would like to recognise the outstanding academic achievements of the following alumni who were all awarded first-class honours degrees this year (photographs below in this order): Katie Shaw, Drama, University of Birmingham, Alex Weighill, Maths with Management, University of Northumbria, Bobby Lamb, Product Design with Technology, University of Northumbria, Phil Newbold, History, University of York, Jordan Burnside, PPE, University of York (photo unavailable) and Sagar Shah, Masters in Engineering, Economics and Management, University of Oxford.
Alumna Johanna Fox writes for Swoosh
Hard to bel ieve it's been 40 years since I was a student at BSB! Even more amazing to find myself walking the grounds in 2015 with my BSB Form 2 (1973) and Form 3 (1974) teacher, Jenny Bartley (Hulme). That my relationship with Jenny has continued throughout the years, despite my family's emigration to Australia, is a delight that reflects the positive impact those two years had on my life. I remember them with a deep gratitude for the experience. They inspired my love of learning and set standards I desired to achieve in my own role as a teacher. Thank you Jenny, for organising my visit to BSB. And thank you to the staff for your welcome. I will seriously consider your invitation to return in autumn 2016 for the official opening of the new Sports Centre and swimming pool.
Alumna Laura Dowsett is now a professional rugby player for Saracens
Laura was previously captain of our rugby team and her brother Craig is a pro rugby player too. She is pictured below with her teammates. (Front row in the centre.)
Judith Waters came back to collect her artwork… 36 years later!
The picture depicts the Tower of Babel and the World Trade Centre - an analogy of the building of Mammon and its destruction. Judith was the winner of the Art Competition to celebrate the 10th anniversary of BSB. ‘Paint a picture that you think Breugel might have painted today’.
Alumna Eve Baker featured in our final video series …
The final video in our series features BSB alumna and young entrepreneur Eve Baker on the topic of 'Success'. Click here to watch Eve's video. The series is built around BSB's tagline, 'Learning together, inspiring success', and refers to the key guiding statements of the school. All four videos are available to watch on BSB's YouTube playlist. In the first video, Daniel, a Year 6 student, describes 'Learning' at BSB. In the second video, Juliette and Alessandro, from a Year 2 Bilingual class, talk about learning 'Together'. The third video features Year 13 students Anna and Jash who discuss how BSB is 'Inspiring' success.
School magazine Tapestry 2015 is out!
The latest edition of Tapestry features news and reviews from in and around the campus. Find out about our highlights from the 2014-2015 school year, including trips, performances, productions and updates about our new Sports Centre. Interviews with our students, alumni, teachers and parents are found throughout. With topics as diverse as Special Olympics Belgium and the Battle of Waterloo, there is something for everyone! Read Tapestry online.
Any anecdotes to share?
Wishing all of our readers a very happy festive season!
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