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News from Bellerbys Oxford
Students Put on Shakespeare Play
The Oxford drama group performed 'Much Ado About Nothing' on the 12th and 13th March, after almost six weeks of rehearsals.
The student common room was turned into a theatre for two evenings, and around 70 students and teachers came to watch and enjoy a glass of wine before the show.
'Much Ado About Nothing' is a romantic comedy by Shakespeare, so there were lots of
laughs from the audience (especially the teachers, who understood all the jokes!)
The students on the drama group had a fantastic time. They had worked so hard on their fluency and pronunciation, with amazing results. Now they are really confident
about speaking English, too!
Dancing Dasha
A Level student Dasha Pluzhnyk, 18 (pictured) from the Ukraine is our very own dance superstar in the making. With her dance partner Simon Douglas, 23, from Southampton, she is a devoted and active member of the Oxford University Dance Team and this photo shows her in their latest competition. She also competes all over the UK and this gives her a good chance to see a good deal of the country as well.
Dasha started dancing at the tender age of five, in Ballroom and Latin styles. By the age of nine she was already competing in Ukraine at a national level. She arrived in the UK in 2006 and was without a dance partner for some time. However, her connections with an Oxford Salsa group soon paired her up with Simon and they haven’t looked back.
Her favourite dance style is Latin, and she practices every day in the university colleges. Her ambition is to win the IVarsityDA competition in Blackpool in March 2008, and according to her she has a good chance – we wish her well.
Where does she get those all so important dance clothes from? Ukraine of course. ‘Dancing is my passion. It helps my studies. It helps to give me energy. The social life surrounding it is good, and I get to meet lots of people, many of whom are older”.
Dance on Dasha!
A Trip to See Manchester United
Jafar Naghiyev (pictured) from Azerbaijan, studing Business Foundation, was amongst students from Oxford who recently made a gruelling mid-week 8-hour round-trip to see their footballing heros Manchester United play Portsmouth at Old Trafford. The team who are famous the world over call themselves ‘The World’s Most Popular Football Team’ and didn’t disappoint their Oxford visitors. They beat their rivals 2-0 in a display of superiority that made their victory seem a foregone conclusion.
Manchester United are currently commemorating the disaster which struck their team in the air crash in Munich in 1958 when they lost 11 of their top players. 50 years on and the footballing world has changed significantly, but the team have fought their way back to the top. Their website is even posted in Japanese, Chinese and Korean to inform their millions of fans in Asia.
So, what was it like to finally see this much admired team? “Well, I’m glad I went because it’s a rare opportunity to see such a famous team, and it’s an impressive stadium and they’re good players, but I was so tired the next day. It’s too far away from Oxford!”.
Oxford Students Exhibit Work at Museum of Modern Art
The Oxford Open at the Museum of Modern Art (until 17th February 2008) features the art of two of Bellerbys Oxford luminaries, Sarvin Shams and Bijan Hazrat. Sarvin from Iran is studying Art & Design Foundation following an ELP course. Bijan, also from Iran, is studying A Levels at the college.
The exhibition is not determined by a single curator or by a selection panel. The idea was to see what happens when you open the doors and seek to invite everyone. The result is more than 500 paintings, drawings, sculptures and lens-based works being installed. The entry criteria was being able to show something that would fit into the allotted size and space. Bellerbys Oxford is very proud that two of our own students have been bold and talented enough to exhibit their work in a much respected gallery. We recently caught up with them to ask them a few questions about art and how they got involved.
How did you come to have your art exhibited at MOMA?
Sarvin: I was informed by Emma (a Bellerbys teacher, and her husband, who works at the museum) to provide a photo which was related to Global Warming. I realised that it could a perfect opportunity for me to have my work exhibited.
Bijan: Well, my art teacher found out about it from Emma (the Accounting Teacher). Then we put it as a goal to reach.
What does it mean to you to have you art exhibited there?
S: First of all, it was a worthwhile experience to feel the real atmosphere of an art exhibition. Apart from that, I can have my work presented amongst other artists work, which provides me with a deeper insight into an exhibition.
B: It was always my dream and actually seeing my work up on the wall of a gallery is like living that dream.
What ambition do you have for your art?
S: My ambition is to become a fine artist and achieve my own style, by which I can express my feelings in order to contribute to the world of art. This would not only raise my self-confidence about my abilities, but also inspire others of my age to become ‘illuminated’.
B: I would say taking my art and my ideas one step further and be an inventor in my own style.
What’s your impression of the exhibition in general?
S: I am amazed by the enthusiasm of those who did some work for the exhibition. It is worth saying that not all the contenders were academically qualified for the work they had done. Therefore, I can compare my work with others and get fresh ideas.
B: Well, its any artists dream to be exhibited and for viewers and mostly art students to attend these exhibitions. That’s how it has been working since the beginning of art. That is how artists get inspired and influenced.
Have you ever before shown your art publicly?
S: There have been some occasions where I have participated in exhibitions. I participated in my art school exhibition and also in the Kharazmi National Festival and I attained the second place in Tehran.
B: No, this is my first time.
Can you tell us something about studying art at Bellerbys Oxford?
S: It is quite interesting because Oxford is a nice city and it has a lot of artistic places which you can get inspiration. Also, when I came to Bellerbys they helped me to improve my abilities and put them in the right direction. Now I enjoy being creative and I view art as a natural way for me to express myself.
B: Well I started studying art at Bellerbys College in my AS. For me it is useful and educational but if we had a bigger department that would be even better!
Who is your artistic hero?
S: My artistic hero is Van Gogh who could express his feelings by using colours and marks.
B: I would say Francis Bacon.
Top IGCSE Results for Oxford Student
Chan Chi Long (Norman) of Bellerbys Oxford is currently celebrating following the news of his excellent IGCSE exam results. Norman, 16, from Macau, studying at Bellerbys since September 2006, is our star pupil and an inspiration to others on the same course. He recently learnt that he obtained 2As and 2A*s amongst his Science, Maths and ICT results, and as such, goes to the top of our class.
Academic Director at Oxford, Jo Hoddinott had this to say on his success - “We are very proud of Norman's achievement. He always has a ready smile, but his face really lit up when he saw those As and A*s!”
Norman, whose favourite subjects were Chemistry and Biology, is well liked by his teachers also. His teacher, Felix Kulchen, observed that Norman has been a pleasure to teach. “I am very glad that his natural curiosity and interest together with his aptitude and hard work have seen him achieve this thoroughly deserved success. Peter Madams, his ICT teacher added “I have rarely seen such a dedicated and good natured student with a natural ability to pick up a new topic. He was a pleasure to teach.”
Praise all round then, it seems, but what was his reaction to his success? “I’m really happy about it, thank you to my teachers, and sorry to my English teacher (only got a C – I will get better). I was shocked – I didn’t expect it. All credit to the encouragement and teaching I received at Bellerbys. It’s given me a strong start to my A levels,” Norman said.
We hope Norman continues his success and gains his desired place at Bath or Bristol University.
Warm Winter Welcome at Oxford
On January 10th, a cold and wet winter's evening, Oxford attempted to provide a warm welcome at a party for approximately 55 new students arriving from various parts of the world. The new students had a chance to meet staff and find out about extra-curricular activities that they could join in with, and enjoy a slice of lovely pizza too.
The Debating Society was present to give advance warning of hot topics to discuss this term, and the Music Society also had a small presentation to lure in any budding musos. Being involved in activities like this adds a lot to a student’s overall experience and we try to encourage it.
Oxford supports the Rozalina Zaidan School in Codo Nova, Brazil through a charity called Plan International, and students were able to find out a little bit about this at a stall which presented information on what we’re doing and how they could get involved.
It can be daunting being away from home surrounded by strangers in a new college, but events like this help to break the ice and before long, new lasting friendships are made.
Dr Jamal is a Big Hit in the Philippines
Bellerbys Oxford Head of Science, Dr Jamal Ibrahim, recently visited the Philippines to promote Bellerbys College courses. He delivered a presentation called 'Teaching Science with a Purpose' to 150 teachers in Manila which was extremely well received.
He then travelled south for a two-day educational fair in Tagaytay set in the mountains (pictured right, with volcano in the distance); here he made contact with many students from the northern area. He describes the visit as "All in all a very good trip for me and the college". The rest of staff at Bellerbys Oxford enjoyed the delicious langsone fruits which he brought back from his travels.
Students Sample New Dishes at International Food Night
Staff and students had a chance recently to sample the delights of a variety of cuisines from around the globe at our 'International Food Night'.
Peking Duck, The British 'Banger', Russian Salad, Polish Beetroot Soup and Dumplings, Limey Pumpkin Soup amongst many others - all made a very welcome appearance, amongst many other delicious dishes, and all were home made. There were three hungry judges who awarded first prize to an Iranian vegetable, rice and nuts dish, and the Libyan Humous ran off with the prize for presentation. For those who were not already sweet enough, sugar fixes came in the form of Apple Crumble and a Chocolate Pudding, with lashings of sauce and cream that had grown ladies keeling over with delight.
Entertainment for the evening came in the form of house band 'Radio East' who worked through their ever growing 'Rock Classics' set list. A raffle closed the evening and proceeds £380.12 went to the Bellerbys 'Building Futures' charity, which builds and equips schools in the world's poorest countries. Everyone went home with a full tummy, and probably very content.
Students Celebrate Halloween with a Party
On October 31st this year, students from both Bellerbys and sister school Embassy CES, held a Halloween party at the college.
There were some very imaginative costumes (see photograph, right, for evidence!), food, drink, good music and impressive decorations.
Everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and no spooky nightmares were reported after the event!
Russian A Level Student Success
Once again the Bellerbys Oxford Russian teacher, Ludmilla Checkley, has guided her Russian-speaking students to great success. All of them gained high A grades in their recent A Level examinations.
Ukrainian student, Anton Romantyeyev was singled out for distinction by the Edexcel examination board as he gained 100% in each of the six A Level modules, a rare achievement even for a native speaker.
Jerry Jarvis, Edexcel's managing director said "This is a remarkable achievement and testament to the hard work students put into preparing for their examinations. We send our congratulations to Anton."
Students Visit Warwick University Open Day
In September, second year A Level students attended an Open Day at Warwick University
with their programme manager, Yasmin Hurrell.
It was an interesting day because it is a modern campus university, very different from Oxford. Warwick University is always a popular choice and we already have several Oxford Bellerbys graduates happily studying there
The students attended presentations on Mathematics, Economics, Law, Science and Engineering courses. They were also given lunch and a tour of the campus which included the prestigious Arts Centre and student accommodation.
Another Oxford Student Secures a Scholarship!
Hang Qiao Bai from China, known to everyone at Bellerbys Oxford as Doris, finished her A level course this summer with impressive grades - ABBB. She has just started a degree in Mathematics and Finance at the University of Southampton and we're delighted to anounce that she has been awarded a scholarship by the university to cover most of her fees. Congratulations Doris!
Read more about the A Level course
Oxford Students Win University Scholarships
Two Foundation students at Bellerbys Oxford are celebrating after securing scholarships to study at British universities.
Ekaterina Demidova from Russia, pictured right, achieved an outstanding final grade of 90% on her Business Foundation course. She has now been offered a scholarship to study Business Administration at the University of Bath.
Sachiko Wada, from Japan, also achieved a Distinction on her Humanities Foundation and has won a scholarship to study International Tourism Management at Oxford Brookes University.
Read more about Ekaterina and Sachiko.
Oxford ELP Student Runs 10K Race For Charity
Many congratulations to Bellerbys Oxford student, Artem Kolyev, who who completed The British 10K London Run on July 1st!
Artem, from Ukraine, is studying currently English Language Preparation and will join the GCSE programme in September. He ran the race in aid of Helen & Douglas House, a local hospice in Oxford providing care for children and young people.
The London Run has some fantastic sights along the way including Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and St Paul's Cathedral. Artem had never run that kind of race before but he knew how important it was to train up to the level required to undertake such a big task! The school is very proud of his achievement.
Bellerbys Music Society by Bijan Pasban Hazrat, Radio East drummer
Bijan Pasban Hazrat, from Iran, is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford and is the drummer of the college band, Radio East. Here he tells us a little about the Bellerbys Oxford Music Society.
"The Music Society of Bellerbys College consists of Dr. Jamal Ibrahim (Head of Science) as
the General Advisor and the guest guitarist on some of the songs, Yeung Yan Chung as the President and the lead guitar player, Sergey Badikov as the Music Director and the bass player, myself on the drums, Steven as the second guitar player and Karina as the lead singer.
The musical tastes of the members vary, but we play music which can be appreciated by all students and staff. For example, I like melodic death metal and Sergey likes funk music which is closer to the popular or pop music which is acceptable to all the students who have different likes and dislikes.
One of the main benefits of having members from different countries, is that they bring their cultural and traditional music backgrounds as well as their own experiences. For example, some of the members already have experience of playing in a band and taking responsibilities during sessions but some of them have not, so they learned how to deal with problems in different situations.
“Radio East” is the name that we have chosen for the band. RADIO as the metaphor of music and EAST as the metaphor of East part of the world because most of the members are from that region.
Our first concert was at the International Student Party. Students were looking forward to seeing us and hearing good music. The Party was a great success and students began to support us. After that event the band played at the Host Family party and finally we played the Summer Ball. We knew that playing one or two songs would not be enough for the Summer Ball so we prepared eight songs from Red Hot Chilli Peppers, System Of A Down, U2 and Green Day. It was another great success. At the moment most of the members are on holiday but the band will start its sessions again as soon as possible."
See Radio East videos on YouTube!
Bellerbys Oxford Student Wins Richard Ryde Scholarship
We are pleased to announce that the Richard Ryde Scholarship for 2007 is being awarded to Umi Nursheila Nur Ibrahim Masilamani (Sheila) from Malaysia, who is studying at Bellerbys Oxford.
The Scholarship board, consisting of the Principals of all Bellerbys Colleges along
with the UK Managing Director, James Pitman, were unanimous in awarding her the 2007 scholarship. The prize comprises of tuition for her second year of A level study at Bellerbys Oxford to the value of £14,000.
About Sheila - by Yasmin Hurrell, A Level Programme Manager
Sheila started the A level course at Bellerbys College Oxford in January 2007 after completing her SPM examinations in Malaysia. For these exams she was awarded
11 A1 grades and one A2 grade. From the start it was clear to us all that she is a student of exceptional academic ability as well as a delightful young person. She is taking A Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and will take up AS Psychology from September. Her predicted grades are straight As and so far all her mock exam grades have been in the high A band. Sheila is hoping to study Medicine at university and making plans to do a summer internship back home over the summer.
Sheila’s teachers are unanimous in their praise:
The science teachers say that she is an unusually bright and engaged student, who is a pleasure to have in the class. The level of effort that goes into both her class work and homework consistently exceeds expectations and her work is always thoughtful, insightful and immaculately presented. She has a very flexible mind, quickly grasping new concepts and asking perceptive questions.
She has the makings of an outstanding scientist - her ability to extrapolate facts and ideas to solve unknown problems is impressive and she enjoys this style of learning, often commenting that is more fun than the rote learning she has sometimes experienced in the past. As a consequence, Sheila is often able to progress beyond the AS level syllabus. She particularly enjoys the human aspects of Biology, which bodes well for her ambition to become a doctor. Her practical science skills are excellent and she is interested in exploring the wider impact of the science subjects, particularly looking at recent advances in medicine and their ethical implications.
Her Mathematics teacher describes her as a very talented student who undoubtedly has the ability to take Further Maths but, unfortunately, was not able to join the class because of the January start. She is extremely hardworking, has a very enquiring mind and a real desire for success. She has a logical, very precise mind and all the qualities needed to excel in this subject.
She has reached a highly advanced level of English. She has just received her IELTS result which is 8.5 overall. Her English is very fluent and she can use language most imaginatively. She applies complex grammatical structures, advanced vocabulary and idiomatic phrases creatively and successfully at native competence. In discursive compositions, she always tackles and interprets the question well while constructing a well-balanced argument, conveying an intelligently argued assessment.
Sheila is a very engaging young person, highly intelligent but modest. She is kind to other students and her teachers. She has done voluntary work for Oxfam every Saturday since she arrived here and hopes to join a local drama group. She has joined the school Music Society, attends the students’ debates and hopes to take up badminton again.
At high school in Malaysia Sheila took a very active part in the theatre club and performed in many plays and musicals as well as appearing in two children’s games shows on TV. She led the parades for her house team before major school events and spent two months doing voluntary work in a shelter for abused women.
She is mature, articulate, and always polite and cheerful. Her attendance and punctuality are without fault. She has a great sense of humour and very wide-ranging interests. For a scientist her interest in the arts is unusual. We believe that she has a very bright future ahead of her and that she would be a credit to the highest ranking UK universities. For these reasons, we strongly recommended Sheila for a scholarship.
Find out more about the A Level course
Bellerbys Oxford Graduation Ceremony
On 7th June this year, Bellerbys Oxford held their annual graduation ceremony for the Foundation and A level students in the Old Library of St Mary’s Church in Oxford. It was a really lovely setting: an impressive and gracious room in the heart of the old city with big windows overlooking the Radcliffe Camera. In the past this room was used for University of Oxford graduation ceremonies.
The Principal, Julia Southby, spoke to the assembled students, congratulating them on their achievements and wishing them well for the future. The Foundation and A Level programme managers, Jackie Eadie and Yasmin Hurrell, then handed out awards for academic achievement and exceptional progress or effort to our prize winners who were all very excited as they did not know about the awards beforehand.
Erik Karabayez, pictured right, was awarded the Student of the Year Award. Erik from Kazakhstan studied English Language Preparation, followed by five-term A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford.
Special mention should be made of Nursheila Masilamani, a first year student from Malaysia, whose remarkable achievement of receiving this year’s Richard Ryde Scholarship was announced; this is an award which is given to the most promising first year A level student across all four of the Bellerbys colleges. Naturally we are all really proud of her!
After many photographs students and staff enjoyed strawberries and cream served with soft drinks or a glass of Pimms. It was a very happy and festive occasion which rounded off the students’ time at Bellerbys in suitable style. Good luck to the “class of 2007”, you will be missed!
Read more about the A Level and Foundation course
Oxford Spring Ball
This year’s Spring Ball was a sell-out event, held in the hall of a local hotel in Oxford. Over 150 people attended, mainly from Bellerbys College but with a small but welcome contingent from sister college Embassy CES too. Everyone made a real effort to look their best, with some students even winning an award!
After the formal dinner, three Bellerbys students performed a dance to showcase their skill (pictured right) ; it was a mixture of Latin dance moves and ballet and had the crowd shouting for more.
As well as a disco, the crowd was also entertained by the school band ‘Radio East’ playing a set including songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2 and Green Day. The band were amazing and impressed all the students and staff with their professionalism and their enthusiasm for their art.
To round off the whole evening, awards were given for the best dressed couple, the cheekiest boy, the best dancer, and more. The party finally ended at midnight and everyone agreed that it was a great night out.
See Radio East videos on YouTube! (including a special guest appearance on lead vocals by Dr Jamal Ibrahim, Head of Science!)