World Mental Health Day
Lead Article by Joe Berwick
Every year on the 10th of October the UN recognises World Mental Health day.
‘The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health.’
As a school, Royal School in Transylvania understands the impact of mental health on everyone in our community. This isn’t just about how our students feel, it is also about parents, teachers, carers and friends. It is about how we as a school can work to try and support anyone in our building struggling with their mental health, and supporting students with positive strategies designed to help them through their learning years.
International Schools have the luxury of allowing young people to experience and learn from as many different people as possible. These connections form the core components of what can make for a positive and healthy life. However, we also know that things can sometimes be tough, and we are delighted to have 3 counsellors on our team, as well as a dedicated counselling room which can be used when sometimes more help is needed.
We are proud to support World Mental Health Day, working together to create a world free of stigma surrounding mental health, and always looking at ways to improve our support for this vital part of life
COBIS Poetry Competition
Our beloved annual contest is back!
Once again, our students in Key Stages 1 through 5 are invited to tap into the wellspring of their creativity and test their artistic abilities by writing a poem along the theme of “Magical Moments.” Other than that, there are no rules, let your imagination fly free!
Send your poems to kitty.keresztes@royalschool.ro by October 18th.
Happy writing!
Horse Riding Is Cool!
Trips: Year 7/Year 6 (Via Transilvanica)
Two weeks ago me and my class had a really interesting trip. We went to a big ranch surrounded by fields. The drive with the bus was long, but I think everyone thinks that it was worth it. Once at the ranch, we were told some rules we had to follow, had to introduce ourselves and then the activities began. We started with feeding the horses, then we went horse riding. Riding a horse is actually very fun and even if done slowly, we had lots of gear in case we fell off. It was very peaceful.
After everyone had their turn, we did a team activity, and after that we were free to play. Some of us played football, some others volleyball. Anyways, after that, we had lunch, then we went to a spring to get some water. We went back to the ranch and after a brief pause we went back into the bus and went back to school.
And that’s everything that happened on the trip. Well, almost everything …
The Lost Via Transilvanica Cat
By Vlad Pop, Ibrahim Gabi, Ana Rusu – Year 6
On the 19th of September, Royal School students travelled from Cluj Napoca to Alba county to clean up the area. Along the way, they found a cute kitten. The cat followed the group of kids for about 2 kilometres, receiving plenty of suffocating hugs.
The teachers fed the kitten some packed sandwiches, and the cat seemed grateful. Most students enjoyed having the kitten around and expressed a desire to take it home and adopt it. When they reached their destination, the group had a picnic-style lunch.
The school provided a bus for the trip, which took about five hours in total, including the return journey. When they arrived back, some of the kids exclaimed, “I want to go back and get the cat!” But it was too late…
Debate Competition
by Ana Moldovan
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the U15 debate competition in Bucharest, organised by IBSB, alongside my teammates Lisa, Sofia, Ana and Cristina.
On Friday, the day of the competition, we began with a prepared debate, which we tied. Then we moved on to three other unprepared debates (speeches are written in 30 minutes).
In one of them, we were all mixed with other people from different schools to form a team and debate together. This was a unique opportunity to learn how debaters from different schools approach the competition and how, despite our various styles, we work together to form a strong group.
Mid way through the day, at the time the scores were calculated, we were told that in the next session, we would be competing for 3rd place! When we heard the news, all of us felt beyond thrilled. In our last debate, we worked to give our absolute best in every aspect and when it was announced that we had won the debate, thus ensuring 3rd place for our team, everyone was overjoyed that our hard work and dedication payed off.
Personally, I am very proud of all of the commitment and effort we put into our speeches, especially since everyone in my team, including myself, has improved immensely from our last competition. No matter what spot we might have got in the end, be it first or last, I would have been equally thankful for our experience in this competition.
In The Music Room
Y3 singing and performing the Elevator Song.
The Mystery of The Dark Shadow
Creative Writing by Year 6 Students
Once upon a time, there was a plant named Althaea Officinalis, which was found and used in northern Egypt to make the sweetest and most delicious marshmallows in the world. Every evening, all the kids wanted to eat them with cookies on top of a new invention—s’mores. Everyone enjoyed the sweet, rich flavour of s’mores.
One day, as a group of children were enjoying their marshmallows, a dark figure appeared in the woods. The children didn’t notice it at first, but as they kept eating, the figure got closer and closer. Eventually, the figure spotted a book lying on a rock—the book that held the marshmallow recipe.
Soon, the children realised the book was gone and panicked. They searched around the camp and then spotted the figure. They froze. Hearing a strange noise, they all ran away, but the shadowy figure followed them. They heard a sound coming from an old cabin and decided to investigate. When they reached the cabin, they peered through a cracked window and saw the dark figure inside. The girls suggested that the boys go in, as they didn’t want to ruin their nails. So, the boys entered and opened the door, only to find the figure holding the book.
The figure offered the boys a deal: if they sacrificed the girls, he would return the book. Without hesitation, the boys agreed. But the figure didn’t know one thing—the boys had already planned with the girls to trick him. While the figure turned toward the girls, they stole the book and ran out the back door of the cabin. Together, the group of kids fled back to the village.
The cops soon arrested the figure, who turned out to be none other than the Muffin Man. The Muffin Man?? Yes, the Muffin Man! He ended up in jail, doomed to rot for the rest of his life, and the children lived happily, enjoying marshmallows ever after.
THE END