School Houses
History and background of House System
The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the English-speaking schools originating in England. The school is divided into subunits called ‘Houses’ and each student is allocated to one House at the moment of enrollment. Each house will usually also be identified by its own symbol, logo and colour.
Aim of House System in BIS
The House System aims to facilitate more mixing between the different year groups, increase community spirit, peer mentoring, boost the existing rewards system, encourage more students to get involved in competitions, and develop leadership opportunities for students of all year groups.
Structure
Every student who attends Belvedere International School is assigned to a house and they remain in the same house until they leave BIS. The members of teaching staff are assigned to a specific House. We try to ensure that a child with older siblings joins the same House as their brothers and sisters were (or are) in. In both Prep and Senior, the allocation of new students to Houses ensures, as far as possible, equal House representation in each year group. Gender balance is also considered. In BIS, we have four Houses:
- Horses
- Eagles
- Falcons
- Leopards
Each House at BIS has a House Captain and Vice Captain. These students have responsibilities that include organising sports teams, ensuring new House members are settling in at school and other roles and responsibilities including academic and pastoral.
The criteria for which Merits and House Points are awarded:
- Academic Excellence
- An excellent piece of work showing effort
- Completing Classwork and homework on time
- Achieving good grades in assessments
- Showing good attendance in school and lesson on weekly base
- Participation in class projects etc..
- Pastoral/Social Values
- Being organised - Having the correct uniform regularly
- Being helpful - Volunteering to help tidy classroom, taking a message for or assisting the teacher.
- Being kind - Caring for someone when they are hurt, looking after new students, including others in games, sharing with and thinking of others.
- Being polite - Greeting people correctly, saying please and thank you, opening doors, allowing others to go first, smiling, being friendly, using names appropriately. ● Being a team player - Taking initiative and responsibility, cooperating, being supportive of others and respecting their ideas, offering compliments, being positive and encouraging.
- Being honest - Owning up to mistakes, telling the truth.
- House Rewards
- Throughout the whole academic year Prep and Senior School students receive a certificate when they have achieved 50, 75 and 100.
