Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

It was a with a massive sigh of relief that our 11+/13+ candidates finished their last exam today. Their papers are now winging their way to Wycombe Abbey, Downe House and Radley College. They worked hard and their results should demonstrate this to their chosen schools. And as for us at Brandon.. we wish them well and turn our thoughts to the Summer candidates! If your child is preparing for 11+/13+/IGCSE here are some tips to help them to succeed: 1: Talk to teachers now to flag any areas of concern 2: Start thinking about the remaining time and how you are going to manage revision. At Brandon we have intensive 11+/13+ revision classes during the Easter holidays but there is no reason why you can't replicate a tutorial school at home! 3: Start to gather your materials now. Do you have text books, past papers, school notes? Don't rely on your child to bring them home. As we all know, the school bag can be a black hole! Most importantly... try not to create an atmosph

Tonight is the Brandon Learning Centre Annual Charity Show. We have more than ninety students performing in both English and French. Last minute advice: Make sure that you know where the venue is so you aren't rushing. It is the Duke of Windsor Social Services Building at 15 Hennessy Road. Doors open at 6.45 pm. Wear something which is comfortable for you! Warm up your voice. Take three deep breaths. On the fourth breath, say "ah" as you exhale. Repeat for "ee" and "oh" Look over your words again. Have fun! This is a wonderful opportunity for you to speak in public in front of a crowd of admiring parents and to raise money for Helping Hand's elderly. See you at the show!

I enjoy limericks enormously; the potential for lunacy within a tightly defined format is a challenge and a delight. I was looking at a poem suitable for Thanksgiving but found the following instead. To make a tenuous link, I am thankful because it reminds me of a fabulous trip to Martha's Vineyard when I was 17, my Grandfather who had a weakness for dreadful puns and, most importantly, that I am neither Nan or her father! Without further ado... There Once was a Man from Nantucket - Anonymous There once was a man from Nantucket, Who kept all his cash in a bucket, But his daughter, named Nan, Ran away with a man, And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

The Kapuso Foundation does incredible on the ground work in the Philippines and have been highly praised by people we have met in Hong Kong who are from Leyte. They are embarking on a massive fundraising appeal in the wake of Super Hurricane Yolanda. Kapuso Foundation's Operation Bayanihan | GMANetwork.com - Foundation - Multimedia

Aston Martin Owners Club Hong Kong Centenary Celebrations - LifestyleAsia Hong Kong

The closer we get to Remembrance Day, the more I reflect on the sacrifice made by so many people to guard our freedoms. The following is a glorious poem describing the exhilaration of flying. Unmentioned is the incredible danger these young pilots placed them in. Their bravery is summed up in Churchill's epigram following the Battle of Britain: "never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" High Flight  Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth  And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;  Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth  of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things  You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung  High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,  I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung  My eager craft through footless halls of air....  Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue  I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.  Where never lark, or even eagle flew —  An

Brandon Learning Centre specialises in speech and the HKSMSA speech festival is one of the high points of our year. When preparing a poem for a speech festival, it is tempting to skip the first step which is to understanding the meaning of every word. Poets choose their words carefully and it is impossible to convey the real meaning of your verses without understanding them! For some of our students, this might mean sitting down with a dictionary and then discussing possible meanings with others. One idea is to ask your child to retell the story of the poem to you. If they can't do this, you might want to discuss the piece together. Once you have understanding, you can add expression and convey the meaning of the poet's words to your appreciative audience!