There has certainly been a common theme running through the children’s learning over the past couple of weeks—spacecrafts, aliens, eruptions, halogens and reactions, space rovers, twilight zones, and even Batman! The creativity and curiosity shown by our students have been truly inspiring, and it’s been wonderful to see such enthusiasm across all year groups.
Alongside this exciting learning, we’ve also been focusing on wellbeing, with a fantastic range of activities taking place throughout the school and in collaboration with our friends at JIS. A huge thank you to the parents who supported us during the week by helping to organise and lead a variety of activities, including our Parent Information Session on Food and Nutrition. Your involvement makes a real difference and helps strengthen our shared commitment to wellbeing.
We have also seen two successful school trips recently—Years 1 and 2 enjoyed their visit to Fratini’s as part of their exit point for WeAre What We Eat, andYear 8 had a great learning experience at the Biodiversity Centre.
Aparticularly pleasing aspect of this term has been the growing number of opportunities for children to take on leadership roles and contribute to our community. In the last edition, we celebrated our Rampayoh Student Council, and this week we recognise our Teraja and Melilas Student Councils, along with our House Leaders, Playtime Buddies, Little Librarians, and Eco Committee. Thank you to all the children who have volunteered their time, energy, and ideas to make our school—and the world—a better place.
The past two weeks have been a wonderful reflection of this first term as a whole: children embracing challenges, engaging deeply in learning, and supporting one another with kindness and positivity.
As we head into the break, I wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday. Please do refer to the published Term Dates for 2026/27 at the end of this edition and on our website if you are already planning holidays for next year.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday, 27th October.
Best Wishes, Brian, SLTand all of our staff.
Y4-Y8: Chess Competition Begins
Year 5:Trip to Mosque and Museum
TERM BREAK
Year 6: Entry PointExisting, Endangered, Extinct
2:30pm:Year 8Transition to JIS Presentation Day
Y6: Brunei Junior School STEM
11am: MelilasInitial trip meeting for students and parents.
Outdoor Learning in Mendaram
Caring
Whenever there is a chance to take learning outdoors… we grab it!
In Year 1 French, our young explorers have been learning the names of Borneo jungle animals in French. After practising the words in class, we set off on a wild animal track outside. Hidden along the path were some of Borneo’s coolest creatures — hornbills pangolins, macaques, and even a snake!
Every time we discovered an animal, the students showed its special gesture and said its colour in French.
“Pangolin!”
➝ Everyone rolled up into a ball!
The track was full of action — climbing, crawling, and slithering like snakes. And best of all, by learning outside, we also grow our love for nature and learn to care for the world around us.
Blast Off! Entry Point
Reception followed mysterious footprints and discovered a crashed spacecraft and aliens that needed our help. We used photos and maps to reveal that one alien was missing. We are thinking of ways to track him down and reunite him with his family.Keepyoureyespeeled!
We are learning more about our solar system and our alien visitors.
A Delicious Learning Experience: Year 1 and Year 2’s Pizza-Making Adventure
As part of our IPC learning theme, “We Are What We Eat!”, Year 1 and Year 2 students recently had a fantastic trip to Fratini’s Restaurant to learn about the art of pizza-making. The experience was not only fun, but also an opportunity for the children to make healthy choices while designing their own pizzas, carefully selecting different toppings.
Throughout the trip, the children discovered that many of the ingredients used in pizza-making travel long distances to reach Brunei. They were fascinated to learn that, although pizza originated in Italy, it has become a beloved dish enjoyed by people all around the world. It was a tasty and educational experience that helped deepen our understanding of global food cultures and the journey food makes before it reaches our plates.
A Delicious Learning Experience: Year
1 and Year 2’s Pizza-Making Adventure
Meet Rampayoh’s Playtime Buddies
Janki Djwij Fatima David
Fayo Dharini Mia Vivaan
Kriday Lizzie
Hamid Nityaa Ibby Ephraim
Aidan Frieda Elyssa Nolan
Here to Help!
I’ll take you to the nurse.
I’ll help to find you some friends to play with.
I’ll encourage everyone to tidy up.
I’ll help to make games fair.
It’s Erupting in Year 4!
During our lava experiment, the children found out that they could blow only one big bubble in thick lava, but in thin lava, they made lots of bubbles! It was messy, fun, and full of discoveries!
Liquid Race!
The children explored which liquids flow fastest. They poured liquid detergent, oil, dishwasher liquid, ketchup and honey down a ramp and timed them. Guess what? Thick liquids like honey and ketchup flowed slowly, and thin liquids like water raced to the bottom! A fun way to see science in action!
Shaping the Earth : Year 4’s Volcano Project where creativity meets Science.
Year 8 Trip to the Tropical Biodiversity Centre
The Year 8 children visited the Tropical Biodiversity Centre this week as part of their rainforest topic in geography. The visit began with a talk from a local expert about the flora and fauna of Brunei and an overview of some of the causes and consequences of deforestation. Following that, the children spent some time in the exhibition room and had the opportunity to view a range of animal specimens on display. The highlight of the trip was a guided walk through the rainforest, where the children were able to observe the diversity of various plants and trees first hand.
If you would like to visit the centre, it is open to the public from Monday toThursday and on Saturdays. Further information about the Tropical Biodiversity Centre can be obtained by phoning the centre (875 7442).
Art in Teraja.
Y3
Year 3 have been learning how to express themselves through colour with the Emotion Rainbow.As well as being creative they have been learning colour mixing, careful cutting and tying yarn.
Art in teraja.
Year 6 have been NASAspace engineers in theADTroom.They have designed Mars space rovers, identifying problems the rover might face and designing features to overcome these problems.
Year 7 thinking like scientists to investigate changes of state in water and stearic acid.
Year 8 chemists discovering patterns in reactivity of the Halogens by carrying out displacement reactions.
A huge round of applause to our brand-new House Captains and Vice-Captains! These incredible students have been chosen for their energy, teamwork, and dedication to leading their houses with pride. With their enthusiasm and leadership, ournewCaptainsandVice-Captainsarereadytomakethisyearunforgettable! They will be the voices and heart of each house - planning fun events, cheering their teammateson,andkeepingeveryone’shousespiritshiningbright!Getreadytowork together, cheer loud, and show off your house pride, because this year it’s all about teamwork,kindness,andmakingmemoriesthatwilllastalifetime.
Harshitha Aria
Alisher Mila Y5 Y4
Lewis Emma
William Hareem
Y6
MeetOurNewStudentCouncillors!
Our Student Council plays a very special part in helping to make our school the best it can be. The councillors represent all pupils by sharing ideas, giving feedback, and helping teachers to understand what children think about school life. They also help to plan exciting events, organise fundraising activities, and come up with creative ideas for making our school a happy and welcoming place for everyone.
This year, ourTeraja Student Councillors are:
● Alisher and Mila in Year Four
● Lewis and Emma in Year Five
● William and Hareem inYear Six
Our new councillors are already full of great ideas and are eager to get started. They will be working together to make sure every pupil has a voice and that everyone’s ideas are heard and valued. Over the term, they will be helping to plan new ways to make our school even better, from fun activities to projects that support our community.
If you have a suggestion for improving our school, planning a fun event, or raising money for a good cause, please speak to one of the Student Councillors. They will share your ideas during our Student Council meetings, which take place every other Monday.
MeetYour New Leaders!
Introducing the 2025-2026 Melilas Student Council!
Over the past few weeks, tutor time has been full of election excitement. We saw many dedicated students step up to apply for positions on the Student Council, working hard on their applications to connect with their peers. A huge well done to every single student who put themselves forward – your courage and passion are truly commendable.
Leading the charge is our new President, Ire, who is eager to "raise money and help people who need it." He is supported by Vice President, Suzi, whose focus is "to positively impact the school." Keeping the council organised are Secretary, Samyok, who is already "hoping to have a garden soon," and Treasurer, Harini, who looks forward to bringing more "fun games at school [and] more competitions" to everyone.
Our new council is already proving to be a proactive force for good. They were hard at work supporting the various activities during our recent Wellbeing Week, helping to make it a great success. Looking ahead, one of their first priorities after the half-term break will be to evaluate the current resources for break times and see how they can be better managed for everyone to enjoy.
We are very much looking forward to seeing the positive contributions these students will make throughout the academic year.
Badminton Buzz Builds Character on the Court in Melilas
There’s a sound dominating break times at Melilas: the unmistakable thwack of badminton! Year 7 and 8 students have embraced the fast-paced sport, filling the courts with energy and friendly competition.
While the aim is to get the shuttlecock over the net, students are learning so much more. Every game is an exercise in our school's core qualities. We see cooperation and clear communication in every doubles team. We see the resilience to fight for the next point after a loss, and the integrity to make fair calls. Students show respect for their opponents and the adaptability to change their tactics mid-rally.
It's fantastic to see friendships growing and our school community strengthening with every match. The badminton craze is more than just a game—it’s helping our students become well-rounded, thoughtful individuals.
Nigerian Independence Day Assembly
Good People, Great Nation!
Celebrating Nigerian Independence Day!
Watch the never-before-seen footage of the FOBISIA DRAMA FESTIVAL 2025!
Want to go in 2026? Click here for the Indication of Interest form
Year 7 students are experimenting with circuits using a Makey Makey.They will then link it to a piece of music that they coded in Sonic Pi.
KS2 taking on year group performances this week!
Year 4 taking on African Polyrhythms, Year 5 performing the Batman theme tune and year 6 performing the Lion Sleeps tonight
Year 8 are exploring The Twilight Zone to inspire their upcoming speculative fiction performance. They're analyzing themes, characters, and twists to help create their own original adaptations. We can’t wait to see the results on a stage near you soon!
YEAR 8 DRAMA
Y7 English Extras
MYSTERY
SURPRISE RELATIONSHIP DILEMMA TASK
Luca's face turned red, eyes opening. He felt his face wrinkle, his muscles tense. Luca’s food was taking a long timetocometoLuca'stable.He sees a new customer get his food first. Luca’s feet taps the floor rapidly like "click, clunk, clack, clop thud" as he tries to hold his anger. He feels like he is about to lose it. He here's people collimating the food. He dashes at the waiter and asks why his food is taking a long timetocome.Hesmellscooked fish. The water tells security to kick him out. Luca is not going to give up he thinks if he disguisehewillgetbackin.
Whenthebirdscaredinthesky Sam knew something was wrong but he was too lazy to get up but then he heard the sound of trees falling down he wasscared becausehisfriends was an bird as he jumped up and bloated outside to get his ferined.
Sawyer was getting chased by theBobcatInthesnow.Sawyer felt his heartbeat from his head to his toes. He is in the wide open where the Bobcat could see him. Sawyer can hear the growling of the bobcat and the crunching of the snow getting louderandlouder.Thenhesees a tree and there's a crack. He runs as fast as he can to the tree he made it into the crack nowhe'ssafefornow.
Suddenly, Bob heard a beep from the distance and then he saw a little green guy with a big headstaringathim.Hestartedto shake. His breathing started to get short and fast. His muscles were tense, his heart was pounding like thunder and suddenly his heart froze. The alientookoutagun.Bobstarted runningforhislifethealienclose behindhim.
Some of our Year 7s have been experiencing real tension with Mr. Benandhavechanneled it into some exciting examples of creative writing.
ReadandEnjoy!
Jammelwalkedtotheparkwith his cat and saw a sign saying that no cats are allowed. His facestartedtoglowred,andhis hands were gripping together as hard as they could. HIs eyebrowswerestrikingdownas he stomped, his mouth is open as he saw his cat meowing at the green gates. In the night time,hesneakedinwithhiscat to the park. He tiptoed as though he is walking is broken icequietly.
Celebrating culture, language and gratitude during Wellbeing Week!
During Wellbeing Week, students engaged in hands-on activities that connected language learning with cultural appreciation and personalreflection.
In Mandarin class, they created panda crafts while learning vocabulary related to feelings, and gratitude. They practiced using the phrase 感恩 (gǎn ēn), deepening both their languageskillsandunderstandingofChinese values.
In Malay class, students made traditional ribbon lanterns and mats, using vocabulary tiedtocolors,shapes,andlocalheritage.The activity supported real-world language use whilehonoringBruneianculture.
These meaningful experiences helped students build language skills while fostering asenseofgratitudeandculturalawareness.
Our Growing Tree of Knowledge
As part of Wellbeing Week, our Year 7 and 8 french students brought creativity and language learning together by building a beautiful Tree of Knowledge on our classroom window! Students designed the branches and leaves, writing French and Spanish words they already know—and those they’re excited to learn—on eachleaf.
This colourful tree is now our cosy Reading Corner, where we’ll sit to enjoy stories and continue adding a new leaf every time someone learns a new French or Spanish word. It’s a fun, visual way to celebrate progress and keep our loveoflanguagelearninggrowingallyearround!
‘WellbeingWeek’2025wasawonderfulsuccess,withthe whole school engaging in activities that engaged the mind,bodyandspiritofourstudentsandstaff.Theweek began with Mindful Monday, where everyone explored calming techniques like mindful colouring, breath work, and body scans. On Try it Tuesday, students stepped out oftheircomfortzonesbytryingnewwaysoflearningand enjoying fun lunchtime activities such as Zumba and meditation. Wellness Wednesday highlighted the importance of staying active, while Thankful Thursday encouragedreflectionandgratitude.Theweekendedona highnotewith FeelGoodFriday,celebratingkindness,joy, and positivity across the school. Fostering a positive environment at Panaga School, not only supports students’ academic success but also boosts their confidence, autonomy, self-esteem, and ability to form healthy relationships with peers and adults. By emphasising wellbeing at Panaga School, we create a community where every student feels valued and connected. This is essential for the holistic development ofboththeirpresentandfuturelives.
Click to watch our smiles slideshow! Thank you to Silje Rachel and Katherine who ran the Parent information session. Here is the link to their slides if you missed the session.
Thank you also to Ciara, Karin, Isabela and Melissa who ran our morning workout sessions! We talked to the children about how important it is to recognise and talk about our feelings.
Our Year 5 students enjoyed a wonderful morning of wellbeing activities together with Year 5 students from Jerudong International School. The session was filled with positive energy and meaningful connections as everyone joined in singing, yoga workouts, and a sharing session to reflect onkindnessandself-care.
Students wrote uplifting messages for our Kindness Tree, spreading encouragement to others, and also created a Positivity Chain by writing kind words and affirmations about themselves on colourful paper strips. It was a heartwarming experience that reminded everyone of the importance ofgratitude,self-belief,andkindnesstoourselvesandtoothers.
Thankyoutoallstaffandstudentsforyour efforts and engagement with the activities throughout the week. A very special thanks to Korn Cocjin for your energised Zumba session, Adriana Ferrari for your peaceful Yoga class and Chris Orton, our School Counsellor, for running vibrant workshops with our students to help them understand how they can support their own mental healthandwellbeing. MartinHarvey,thank you so much for running the morning exercise sessions. As key contributors for the 2025 Wellbeing Week, your roles in promoting student wellbeing have been so valuable in helping us to nurture a supportivelearningenvironment.
Vol Avontuur!
NTC Cultuurtje kicks off with a bang!
The first NTC Cultuurtje of the year started with the theme “Vol Avontuur” — inspired by Dutch Reading Week. Students travelled around the world and took on fun challenges in six countries.
In France, they built spaghetti Eiffel Towers. In Brazil, they showed off their football dribbling skills. In China, they raced to pick up beans with chopsticks. In Japan, they launched paper airplanes. In the UK, they tried to stand still like royal guards. And in Spain, they ended with joyful Flamenco dancing.
The best part? Younger and older students worked together, helping and laughing as one big team. What an adventure it was!
Exploring Monet inArt & Languages
ASA
This half term, our students have dived into the world of Claude Monet! They learned about his life, admired his masterpieces,andevenrecreatedhisiconic WaterLilies through their own drawings. Alongside their artistic journey, they practiced French vocabulary inspired by Monet’s themes, blending creativity with language learning.Nextup:theboldandbrilliantPicasso!Wecan’t wait to see what masterpieces and new French words await.
The students had an amazing time in ASA as they prepared couscous, pita bread, and delicious cheesecake. They carefully measured and gathered their ingredients, practicing essential cooking skills like chopping, mixing and timing. Working together, they learned not only howtofollowrecipesbutalsohowtocollaborateandstayorganisedina busy kitchen. The delicious smells and sense of accomplishment made theexperiencebothfunandrewarding!
Wildlife Warriors on a Plastic Mission!
This week, our amazing Wildlife Warriors put on their detective hats and went on a plastic audit around the school. Their mission? To search for single-use plastic lurking in classrooms, hallways… and even the staffroom!
The team carefully checked different areas, keeping an extra eye out for laminating (that sneaky kind of plastic we often forget about!). The good news? Most classrooms were doing brilliantly at keeping plastic use low. The Warriors were so happy that they decided to write personal thank-you letters to those teachers who are making a real difference.
But… dun dun dun… not everything was perfect. Our eco-heroes found a few plastic hot spots around the school. And the biggest culprit? The staffroom — full of single-use plastic containers!
Instead of frowning, the Warriors got creative. They’ve started designing colourful posters to gently remind everyone that every small change matters. Whether it’s swapping out a plastic container for a reusable one, or skipping unnecessary laminating — it all adds up to a cleaner planet.
Their message is simple but powerful: “Plastic lasts forever. Let’s use it wisely.”
One of the best parts of this mission has been seeing our younger students working alongside the older ones — learning, laughing, and taking action together. Their shared passion for protecting the environment shows that change can happen when we all work as one team. So next time you reach for something single-use… think like a Wildlife Warrior!
This year, we have started a brand-new after-school activity called Eco Creators, where we turn trash into treasure! Our focus is on transforming single-use plastic bags into beautiful and reusable tote bags — a fun and meaningful way to protect our planet.
Before getting creative, the students learned about plastic waste and the 5 Rs:
● Refuse – say no to unnecessary plastic.
● Reduce – use less and waste less.
● Reuse – find new ways to use old items.
● Repurpose – give something a new life or function.
● Recycle – turn materials into something new.
To get started, the Eco Creators designed colourful posters to collect plastic bags from the community. Fortunately—but also a little ironically—we are struggling to gather enough bags because people are becoming more plastic intelligent!
Last week, the students began crafting their tote bags. They layered plastic bags thoughtfully, experimenting with colours and patterns. With Miss Jen’s help, the layers were ironed together to form a stronger, thicker plastic sheet. The next step will be sewing these into stylish, eco-friendly tote bags.
What a genius way to make beautiful bags and care for our planet at the same time!
Eco Challenge #2: Plastic-Free Lunchbox!
This week’s challenge is all about your lunch!
Try to bring a plastic-free lunchbox to school — no cling film, no wrappers, no disposable bottles.
Tips:
● Use reusable containers
● Bring a refillable bottle
● Choose fruits or snacks without packaging
● Pour drinks into a flask
Eco Heroes of the Week!
A few of the most creative and sustainable lunchboxes will be showcased in our next edition — inspiring everyone to make simple changes that protect our planet! No plastic, fantastic!
Rise to the challenge!
Take part in this years FOBISIAart competition. Support available Monday lunchtimes 1220-1255.
If you have any storybooks,beginnerreaders,orpicture books in FRENCH, SPANISH, MANDARIN, MALAYthat you would like to donate please consider donating them to our school.Your donations will help us build a rich and diverse reading environment where students can explore new languages and cultures.
How to donate: please contact directly : Ms. Sondes, MFL Faculty Lead sondeskhelifi@panagaschool.net
Or Send books to school with your child to their class teachers. Thank you for helping us inspire a lifelong love of languages!
Run around Borneo!
The total distance all the way around Borneo is 4,971km!
Total Distance overall
Make sure you are in the Running Club WhatsApp group! We will post on here if Running Club is cancelled due to the weather etc!
