The yard is quiet – no excited chatter or the joyous yells of kids splashing in the swimming pool. A passer-by will have a hard time believing how the place was electrified with youthful excitement just a few days ago. It’s the week that marks the end of summer school at the British School of Sofia (BSS). It’s the Monday after the final Out and About adventure that took us all to a petting zoo, followed by lunch at the park and some time for outdoor games and laughter.
 
Like every year before, the 2024 summer school brought together children from various ages and from multiple cultural backgrounds. Together, they shared learning opportunities while building lasting friendships and exploring topics from math and science to theatre and nature preservation.

Summer school 2024 gave our students the chance to partake in a diversified curriculum and the numerous activities we had conceptualised as a part of our holistic educational approach.

Here’s what went down.

Our Summer School Concept

To give you a better idea about the summer school programme, we need to take a closer look at the way we’ve structured the activities and projects for our attendees.

Upon enrolling in our programme, kids pick one of three chosen directions – Young Engineers, Young Scientists, and Young Artists.

Each of the groups tailors the educational experience to the interests of the individual child and the academic field that it represents.

Summer school participants have the opportunity to switch between the different programmes on a weekly basis, benefiting from the most diversified experience.

To learn more about the curricula in each of the three programmes, please check out the following Young Engineers, Young Scientists, and Young Artists presentations.

The Power of Language Learning

An intense English language programme is an integral part of the summer school curriculum.

We dedicated our morning sessions to language learning. To make it fun and exciting, we gave children the opportunity to partake in various activities and games, aimed at helping them develop and strengthen communication skills.

One example of such an activity is a shop roleplay scenario that allowed children to speak, interact, and learn how language applies to real-world, everyday situations.

Meaningful Self-Expression Through Art

Cultivating creativity from a young age is essential. Children naturally and effortlessly communicate through art – a fact that inspired the creation of our Young Artists programme.

Each Monday, our young artists got the opportunity to explore a form of art – from painting to theatre and photography. Modern dance and the power of artistic movement also inspired our creative bunch to discover beauty and meaning.

Obviously, art is a highly visual field, which is why we’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Changing the World Through the Power of Math and Engineering

It’s still a common occurrence for children to stray away from STEM disciplines because these traditionally aren’t presented in an alluring way. Getting young minds curious and excited about engineering and math is one of our main priorities. Seeing how kids embrace these disciplines is the most rewarding experience our team could ever wish for.

As a part of the summer school adventure, our Young Engineers and mathematicians explored the power of exact sciences through diversified learning activities. From chess competitions to building complex structures from Lego blocks, children discovered the exciting, real-world applications of these challenging disciplines.

Colourful Experiments and Scientific Theories Put to the Test

Something as simple as combining different liquids to create colourful bubbles can give children a small glimpse into the immense range of applications that chemistry, physics, and biology have in our day-to-day existence.

The Young Scientists curriculum involved various hands-on learning initiatives meant to demonstrate core scientific principles. We checked out the properties of liquids and solids, we made slime and we used the school’s lab facilities to get a better understanding of textbook concepts that may be difficult to grasp otherwise.

Let's Get Moving

As important as academic disciplines are, a little bit more is needed to create the most wholesome summer school experience.

The British School of Sofia’s 2024 summer school programme put a lot of emphasis on sports and active outdoor playtime.

We combined healthy activities with lots of fun by giving kids the opportunity to splash in the pool (whenever the weather allowed for such activities). Apart from the swimming lessons, our sports programme also encompassed taekwondo sessions and team sports activities aimed at encouraging better fitness and collaborative team dynamics.

It's a Wonderful World to Explore: Out and About

We’ve saved the best for last. Each Friday, the young BSS summer school explorers headed out and discovered something fun in Sofia and its vicinities.

From interacting with the exhibits at Muzeiko children’s museum to playing games in the park and attending the cutest petting zoo in the world, our kids engaged in an array of different activities. Each one was carefully chosen to present children with a curious new opportunity and a possibility for learning extending beyond the doors of the classroom.

As we’re wrapping this summer school season up, we’re remembering the best moments and the fun. We’re looking forward to doing it all again next year, meeting new friends, and giving them the perfect chance to learn, interact, and broaden their horizons.