The Balkan and Eastern European Society hosted our first official charity fundraising event on Monday 25th November that brought together students and staff, raising over £130!

Our dedicated team members not only organised the event, but also got involved at home to prepare all of the homemade desserts and popular traditional dishes from our cultures. We want to thank everyone for their support - every purchase has a huge impact! It was amazing to see how well-received our efforts were, and the enthusiasm with which people were willing to try something new.

“The bake sale was genuinely excellent for discovering different traditions, because I’d never even heard of half of the things they were selling, but it was surprisingly good.”
Lou Annarumma

“I liked that there were lots of cakes that I wouldn’t normally have tried, but the honey cake I did have was very nice. There was a good selection of things to choose from.”
Mr Whittaker

“The B.E.E.S. events are definitely ones that inspire ACS. Their exponential growth having just started this year is commendable, and every society should take a note out of the BEES book”  
Ify, ACS Co-President

“Being able to share traditional desserts from my Bulgarian culture was an amazing opportunity, and I’m so glad everyone enjoyed all the delicious food all the B.E.E.S. members supplied!”
Deya Dimitrova

As well as this, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved for providing an amazing representation of our diverse cultures and backgrounds, allowing us to offer a taste of the rich history and significance behind our recipes, particularly from Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.

We are currently working with Rubikus, a charity committed to providing aid to Ukraine in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the war. Their motivated team of volunteers directly helps to evacuate and situate refugees most affected by the conflict into newer, safer homes. The money we have raised has gone towards covering transportation costs and lodgings needed for an evacuation, offering a lifeline to someone who is suffering. Rubikus’ purpose and dedication is inspiring for us all, and we are honoured to be able to assist them in their mission. If you would like to read more about their cause, find their website here https://helpua.rubikus.de/en/#survey, and they are welcoming any donations through paypal - https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=RX494MS6H29Q2

Every donation helps towards making a massive difference in the course of someone’s life.

For any questions about future events or getting involved, please feel free to email us at bees.bgs@gmail.com!

Victoria Karasimova, President and Founder (B.E.E.S.)

The Balkan And Eastern European Society (B.E.E.S) is proud to announce our entrance into the BGS community!

We aim to raise awareness about our traditions, sharing our culture with the school community. It has been amazing to see how many students have interacted with our Balkan and Eastern European cultures, and learnt more about our countries! We are a team of dedicated Ambassadors, Creative Directors, including a Social Media Director, Finance Manager, President and Vice President, from a wide range of countries, such as Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Russia, Moldova, Serbia, Croatia, etc. 

I’d just like to say a big thank you to Victoria Karasimova for organising and forming the society and Ms Zotova for being our teacher representative!

As well as this, we aim to fundraise for many Balkan and Eastern European charities with our events. This includes our Bake Sale on the 25th of November. It will be a special opportunity to try our homemade Balkan and Eastern European desserts. We can’t wait to share this part of our culture with you. Make sure to look out for the posters and posts on our Social Media pages! @bees.bgs 

On the 14th October, we hosted a traditional dance session and learnt Bulgarian and Albanian dances. It was so great to see many people taking part in this and stepping out of their comfort zones. It was such a fun experience and a successful first B.E.E.S event! See the pictures below of this event. 

We hope to see you at the B.E.E.S Bake Sale, where all our proceeds are going to charity! For any further questions or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out at @bees.bgs on Instagram or email bees.bgs@gmail.com! 

Deya Dimitrova, Social Media Manager (B.E.E.S)

Our recent school trip to the stunning island of Sardinia was an incredible adventure, packed with unforgettable experiences that left a lasting impression on all of us.

We stayed with an Italian family in Ms Contini’s home town of Isili, which was perhaps the most memorable part of our trip. Their warm hospitality and delicious home-made meals made us feel right at home.

We began in Cagliari, Sardinia's vibrant capital, where we soaked up the lively atmosphere of the city and learnt about its history. Before we met our families, we went to one of the three breathtaking beaches we were due to visit, called Poetto, and although the water was cold, the memorable experience with friends made all other worries disappear.

On the second day, we stayed in Isili and visited the museum of textiles and copper, which offered us a fascinating glimpse into Isili’s rich traditions and craft skills, deepening our appreciation for the island's cultural heritage. We didn't just stick to the land; a canoeing excursion gave us a chance to see the San Sebastián Church from a different perspective and learn about the many legends that took place there. Paddling through the waters was both thrilling and tranquil.

A particularly heart-warming visit was to Centro Cetacei marine animal rescue centre in Nora. Seeing the dedication of the volunteers and the recovery of the animals touched us deeply. Eating a home-made lunch by Nora beach enlightened us, and we enjoyed the hot weather and clear waters.

History came alive as we explored the ancient Nora archaeological site, a window into the city’s past.

The adventure continued as we ventured deep into the Zuddas Cave, where we marvelled at the formations of stalactites and stalagmites and the deep history behind the cave.

 

The last beach, Porto Pino, was by far the best in my opinion: the waters were clear, the sand pristine and the weather hot. That day was also the day of Sant’ Antonio, who is a Saint celebrated in Isili. Therefore, we spent the night dancing with the families and with each other.

On the last day, the natural beauty of Sardinia was on full display during our visit to Giara National Park, where we were surrounded by lush landscapes, stunning vistas and the largest population of wild horses in Europe.

As we bid farewell to Sardinia, our hearts were heavy as we were leaving; however, we were thankful for the incredible experiences and the warm hospitality we encountered. Sardinia has left a mark on our hearts, and we carry the spirit of the island with us as we return home, forever enriched by the memories we've made.

Krishal Patel, Year 10

Staying with my host family in Sardinia was an amazing experience. They were very welcoming and friendly. One cultural difference I noticed was how they enjoy long, leisurely meals together, which made me feel very much at home.

One of my favourite visits was to the city of Cagliari. The historical buildings and beautiful views of the sea were breathtaking. It was fascinating to learn about the city's rich history.

I loved all the Italian meals we had, but my favourite was the home-made lasagne my host family made. The flavours were incredible, and it was so fresh and delicious!

Our time in the hall with all the families was fantastic. It was fun to see everyone together, sharing stories and enjoying each other's company. It made the trip even more special.

Overall, my trip to Sardinia was unforgettable, filled with wonderful people, delicious food, and beautiful places.

Anagha Pai, Year 10

After having been to Sardinia, I can easily say that it has a special place in my heart. The locals were caring and kind and the food was tantalising as well. We will never have pasta like that in England. The weather was pleasant, and our host families were courteous.

During our holiday, we explored many parts of the wonderful island of Sardinia and learnt all about its history and culture, ranging from the Nuraghi, the city walls in Cagliari and archaeological ruins and buildings. Furthermore, we went to three unique, golden beaches. Although the waters were transparent, they were very salty and didn’t taste very nice.

One of the highlights of my holiday was meeting my host family. Although it was daunting at first, she welcomed me with open arms, improved my Italian and taught me all about her culture. I didn’t know that it was normal to eat rabbits in Italy. She was like a second mother to me and I will never forget her. Another highlight of my trip was being able to venture around the island by ourselves. I feel that buying food at shops has not only improved my Italian vocabulary, but has made me more confident in what I say in Italian.

Overall, this trip has been an amazing experience and I would recommend anybody who is thinking about travelling to Sardinia to go.

Braiden Dolan, Year 10

Click on the link here to view the Sardinia Photo Gallery.

On Wednesday, the MFL department at BGS hosted a language debate with the prompt, ‘AI is a dangerous new tool in education’. The debate was hugely successful with 4 schools attending, and 19 teams competing in 6 different languages; German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese. Over the past few weeks, we have had a number of sessions rehearsing our arguments, both for and against, practising debating techniques and preparing to go head-to-head with Beths, Dartford and Trinity.

We met with the other schools and began our debates by flipping a coin, determining who was ‘for’ and who was ‘against’. The atmosphere was very supportive, with audience members of friends and teachers, yet tense as the debates sometimes got incredibly heated.

Speaking for all those at BGS who participated, the experience was incredibly helpful to real world experiences, talking about current issues with native speakers and others who are in the same boat as us, learning languages. I found my Spanish improved immensely, just through the few weeks I spent preparing it, and it has given me a new drive to improve to a new level of its native speakers.

The event ran smoothly, and everyone was so supportive of each other, with students from different schools and languages talking and getting to know each other. I am super proud of our school for hosting the event and hope for years to come students participate in language events like this, not only to help with confidence for learners but also to deepen connections with other schools and other speakers.

Ella Curl, Year 12

On May 29th, a group of German learning students headed out to Hamburg to spend just under a week practising our German with our exchange partners and exploring the beautiful city of Hamburg.

Our first day started off with a relaxing boat ride along the river Elbe, from where we could see many landmarks of Hamburg and its wonderfully green banks. We then resided on a sandy bank where we ate lunch. Afterwards, we wandered to St. Michael’s church, a staple of Hamburg, where we climbed up a copious number of stairs in order to see a wonderful view of Hamburg from above. We were then able to spend the afternoon with our exchange partners going around Hamburg.

The second day started with school, in which we were able to see the learning environments of our exchange partners and how they differed from our school environment. We were first greeted by their Headteacher, followed by 3 double periods of lessons, including any from English (where they are studying Romeo and Juliet), PE, Drama, Chemistry and/or Art. Afterwards, we had lunch with our partners and then promptly gathered outside Schoko Versum, a chocolate factory, where we received a tour on how chocolate was made, starting in the rainforest, ending up seeing the different machines used in the process and trying how chocolate tasted at each stage.

Our third day was spent in Lübeck, an old city slightly north of Hamburg. We went on a tour of the city including Museum Holstentor, the gate that was the main entrance to the city, built in 1464 and is still standing (though leans slightly due to the lack of foundation under the connecting wall between the two towers), the narrow streets built when the population of Lübeck was very high and housing was needed, but there was a lack of space, seeing a bus that drove on both land and in the water, and other buildings like St. Peter's church, all built with red bricks as Lübeck does not have natural stone to build with. We then got a few hours to go round in our own groups and see more of Lübeck, like the marzipan museum and shop, as Marzipan originated from Lübeck and became very popular for its use as table decoration due to its ability to be coloured and moulded into different shapes.

On Sunday we had the whole day to go round Hamburg with our exchange partners to see more sights. For example, going to Elbphilharmonie, a concert hall in Hamburg, and also another great opportunity to see Hamburg from above, Planten un Blomen, which is a beautiful flower park and a wonderful water show, or viewing parts of the Ironman, a massive triathlon event which happened to land on the same Sunday we were in Hamburg.

We are all so grateful to Dr Symons for being able to rearrange this trip for us after last year’s mishap with the flight being cancelled and this only being established once we had arrived at the airport. It was a wonderful experience from which many of us plan to revisit our exchange partners in Hamburg. In addition, many thanks to Frau Knebler for hosting us and helping organise the trip. And finally, thank you to Mr Adams for accompanying us.

Charlie Furlong, Year 10