INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA
OFFICIAL SCHOOL MAGAZINE
Issue 009 | January-February 2022
Project TO BE ME DAY
2022
ISSEA
VISION
EMPOWERING students to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.
Editorial Team Pamela Pappas Rita Thakura
Design & Layout Voomantics Kenya
Copyright © 2022 ISK. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Trademarks: The Pride, ISK and their associated logos are trademarks of the International School of Kenya. All other names, logos, and trademarks of other companies shown in this publication are the property of their respective owners.
4 Director’s Note 6 Board News 8 Elementary School Report 12 Middle School Report 20 High School Report 28 Athletics 32 Advancement Office 38 Health 40 PTO
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Director's Note Michael Callan Director
Our Vision Empowering students to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. Our Mission ISK inspires and nurtures passion, creativity, and ambition in pursuit of a better world. Most great schools have a Mission and/or Vision Statement. A Vision Statement describes what the future looks like if we are successful and a Mission describes how we will make our Vision a reality. So how do we know if we are on track to realize our vision and if the approach in our Mission is working? We must unpack both our Vision and Mission and look at the data. Focusing on key verbs and nouns will help us identify the data we must collect. I spend my days observing and looking for evidence for these verbs and nouns and what I see makes me smile. Empowering is a courageous and foundational word with strong commitment. It guarantees a high level of student agency, student voice, and student choice. It purposefully strays from the traditional approach of the teacher as the “sage on the stage” and shares the process and responsibility of learning with students. Students are given the freedom to question and explore. Dedicated blocks of learning suddenly spread over days and there is a selfdirected momentum to the learning process. In our vision, we link ‘empowering’ with ‘create solutions’, therefore our students must be engaged in problem identification and problem-solving. Our Mission requires us to inspire and nurture passion, creativity, and ambition. Where is the evidence for this
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approach and this result? While there are high profile and award-winning examples of this such as Plastiki Rafiki that I have written about in previous posts, there are many smaller examples of how we are embedding our student empowerment to create solutions throughout our school. Day 8 in Elementary is an example of embedding agency and problem-solving at a young age. Last Friday, students arrived at school with an extra skip in their step. Dozens of Elementary students proclaimed that this was going to be the best day ever as it was Friday AND Day 8!
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I worried that if it was also one of their birthdays, their little hearts would not be able to handle the trifecta! I spent time on Friday speaking to students about their Day 8 activities and while the levels of problem-solving varied, the levels of joy and empowerment were high. Day 8 is a relatively new feature in our Elementary School. Students are empowered to pursue their passions, creatively problem solve, and ambitiously take action. What a beautiful marriage of our Vision and Mission. Passion, creativity, ambition, and student empowerment were alive and well during Middle School’s Proud to Be Me Day. Working closely together, teachers empowered students to create workshops on powerful topics such as neurodiversity; gender identity; sexual identity; racial identity; and religion and culture. Their peers rotated through each workshop engaging in conversations, debate,
and deep learning. Student-planned and student-led workshops such as these have a very powerful impact and truly embody our Vision and Mission. By nurturing and inspiring our students’ passion, creativity and ambition, we know that our Vision will be realized. Embedding this approach in the culture of our school is critical and it is happening. Whether it is on Day 8, Proud to Be Me Day, Service Learning projects and clubs, or in everyday classroom activities, we empower our students to create solutions for tomorrow’s (and today’s) challenges.
Michael Callan Director
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Board News Erin Gerba
Board of Directors Member
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he Board of Directors kicked off 2022 with its first meeting of the year on January 25th and most recently had another meeting on February 22nd. In January, Greg James walked the Board through ISK’s October 2021 MAP test results. Due to Covid, ISK had last conducted MAP testing in August 2019. Our 2021-22 school year MAP results were reassuring. Despite the educational disruptions due to the global pandemic, ISK’s mean was above both national and international school means in reading and mathematics across all grade levels.
Do you ever wonder what the ISK Board of Directors does or have an interest in joining the Board? The role of the Board is to develop the School’s Mission, Vision, and Values. The Board sets policies and provides strategic planning for the financial health of the school. The Board also has the pleasure of partnering with the ISK Director and the Board of Governors. This year there are two parent-elect positions to fill, which are both for two-year terms. Nomination forms for these positions are due by March 14th and can be found here: https://www.isk. ac.ke/our-school/board-governance. Advance electronic voting will open on April 13th, with the Annual General Meeting being held on April 27th. At that meeting, candidates will give a brief presentation, and you can also vote at the meeting. Please mark your calendars with these important dates!
In February, Mike Callan presented an update on the school recruitment process and how the leadership team has developed a candidate profile for the skill set of teachers and leaders they hope to attract to ISK. At this time, the vast majority of positions are filled, and we are excited for the new faces that will be joining our community next year. Dr. Alexa Schmid also presented to the Board about the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) work that has been taking place among leadership, faculty, and staff. In keeping with the Mission, Vision, and Values of ISK, this group has outlined a multi-faceted and comprehensive plan to tackle the associated complexity of DEIJ. Additionally, the Board approved updates to Sections 1 and 2 of the ISK Policy Manual to ensure the manual remains relevant and current to the needs of ISK. Finally, the Board met with the Board of Governors on February 24th. The Board was pleased that the recommended annual budget for the 202223 school year was approved by the Board of Governors. Please join us for the next Board meeting on March 29th at 4:00 p.m. Kind Regards,
Erin Gerba
Board of Directors Member
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Elementary School Report
Matthew Woodward
Elementary School Principal
Ryan Hopkins-Wilcox
Elementary School Assistant Principal
Dear Elementary School Families,
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his month, we hope you enjoy the Pride with guest authors featuring our very own students. Below is a sampling of learning experiences from our Pride Helpers. We loved hearing about learning at ISK from their perspective and hope you do too.
Enjoy!
Hi, I am Ella W. in 4D
Human Rights Studies in Grade 5
Welcome to ISK, new students- we hope you have an amazing time at ISK and enjoy it. I joined ISK this year, and I got super welcomed. First, I got a buddy in the morning. He was nice and showed me around the campus. After that, the morning recess ended. My teacher introduced me to the class and asked me if I wanted to come up so that the class could ask me ten questions. That was kind of fun. Then we did the work we needed to do. At the next recess, I got a new buddy. She asked me where I wanted to go and play, but I hurt my knee in the morning of that day, so I could not do much, so we just talked. At lunch, my knee got worse, so they took me to the health office and helped me to feel better. At the end of the day, they asked if I wanted to be their friend. Then one of my teachers took me to the bus. That was basically my first day at ISK!
Hi! My name is Chaeyoung. We are learning about Human Rights and Children’s Rights. I’m going to investigate the Right to Education. The reason why I’m investigating Right to Education is that I was surprised that many people didn’t get any chance to have an education, and I thought that “If I was the one who didn’t get the education, what would I do?” But when I saw someone not getting a good education, I felt really bad, and I thought I wanted to learn more about it. I was really curious why many people are not getting an education. We have had many parents come to speak to us about the work they do for Human Rights. I learned a lot, and I think I had a chance to know more about history too. By Chaeyoung C.
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Art in Elementary School
ES Day 8 Highlights
In fifth grade, we are learning about human rights art projects. We all pick a right to research, then we find symbolization for the right. The right I am researching is The Right to an Identity, and I know a lot about it.
ES day eight is one of the funnest days. One of the reasons is because you get to do what you are passionate about. Whatever you name, they will make it happen. I am a new student, and for me, I was so confused about day eight at first. I was confused because I was like, what am I supposed to do? Then I asked my teacher, and she told me all about it. This is what she said, “a day eight project is something that you are passionate about,” so I said, “thank you for helping me.”
So in art we have to draw our rights in some ways, for example, I am drawing kids from around the world with passports, documents, etc. My friend Ria is working on The Right to Children With Disabilities; she is drawing different symbols of disabilities in a school. My other friend Elsa is working on The Right to Food- she is drawing a honeycomb with foods inside it.
By Keza R. - Grade 5
There are all these awesome drawings of rights! I think it’s a very cool subject to study. My whole class is painting their amazing drawings, and some are already almost done! All our works of art are turning out great, and I’m very proud of myself. I think we are all ready to show our parents in the conferences! I’m very excited to show my parents my incredible work! Thank you for reading this article! By Aven R.
Human Rights Studies This year in 5th grade, instead of capstone projects, we are learning about human rights. We are all choosing a right to research and eventually writing a booklet that we will share with some of the younger students. We learned how to cite resources, how to take better notes, and so much more. Hi, I’m Naomi, and I am a student in 5D, and I’m going to write a booklet on the right to a fair trial. You may ask, why did I choose this specific right? Well, to that, I say it is a very important thing and is actually violated a lot. Another thing that is happening is that we have speakers coming in to teach us about human rights. The people that we have listened to are Ms. Merhazion, The High School GSIA Club, and Dr. Suri. We also had some parents come to talk about their work. By Naomi Y. - Grade 5
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PE / Sports Highlights The Athletics Department is one of the many departments in ISK. They offer a variety of sports and activities, including hockey, basketball, football, swimming, volleyball, tennis, golf, rugby, track and field, dodgeball, baseball, kickball, cricket, and many more. There is also a gym and other locations where you can do different sports. In PE right now, in 5th grade, we are playing and creating our own invasive games. It is really fun because you get to work in a group with your friends. We’ve learned how to play more games in PE. By Amina V. and Naia F.
5th Grade Music So in music, we play instruments and have fun! We are learning how to play some wind instruments, including saxophone, clarinet, trombone, trumpet, and flute. I am playing the trombone, and I think that the progress is going well. I can play the Star Wars Imperial March. I hope to play When the Saints go Marching in. Maybe even play for 30 minutes straight! By Nolan M. - Grade 5
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Human Rights Hi, my name is Danielle, and I am in 5D. In 5th grade, we are currently learning about human rights and responsibilities. These are basic legal principles and freedom that belong to everyone until birth to death, and this applies regardless of wherever you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your own life. I chose to investigate ‘The Right to a Fair Trial’ because I want to be a Prosecutor when I grow up, and I am interested in a law or trial-related course, which is why I chose ‘The Right to a Fair Trial’. There were several speakers who spoke to us about their stories- Ms. Merhazion (5C Teacher) The LGBTQ+ Community (The High School GSIA club) Dr. Suri (UN-Habitat), and many more. When the speakers were telling us about their stories or subject, we learned some surprising facts- like Ms. Merhazion’s parents were activists who fought against a dictator, that some people were being imprisoned just because they were homeless, that there are 1 billion people in the world who do not have a safe shelter to rest AND that 350 million of these are children. By Seung Y. (Danielle) - Grade 5
A little bit about our old students. Hi, I am Leyla, and I’ve been in I.S.K. For six years with my brother. My sister came in Pre-K, and she’s only been here for three years. I tried to make her feel as welcome as possible. I hope someone may be able to do the same for each and every new student. By Leyla M.
Matt Woodward Elementary School Principal
Ryan Hopkins-Wilcox
Assistant Elementary School Principal
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Middle School Report
Alexa Schmid, EdD Middle School Principal
Drew Gregor
Middle School Assistant Principal
Welcome New Students In January, we had over 15 new students join our Middle School Community. Thank you to our counselors, student ambassadors, and all in our community who have helped to extend a very big, warm, ISK welcome to our new students & families!
Parent Workshop: SLCs, PTBMD, PLPs We have been working to expand opportunities to invite parents onto the ISK campus for the last few months. On February 23rd, we had another great parent workshop, with many parents in attendance. This event included an overview of our philosophy related to upcoming Student-Led Conferences (SLCs), an overview of Proud To Be Me Day (PTBMD), and a synopsis of the Personal Learning Profiles (PLPs) students are creating through our advisory program. Goodness, we love our acronyms at ISK! Missed it? You can see the presentation slides here: SLCs, PTBM, PLPs Presentation
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International Week International Day at ISK is one of the highlights of the year for students, parents, faculty, and staff. It is a day for us to celebrate our wonderful cultural diversity, our individuality, and our commonalities. Each day of International Week, we unveiled awesome submissions shared by students, staff and parents on the ISK Community Portal. (Click here to watch a quick video tutorial about how to access the portal.) Tuesday, February 15:
Identity
Wednesday, February 16: Community Thursday, February 17:
Equity, Justice and Inclusion
Friday, February 18:
Celebrate
To access the ISK Community Portal- kindly see below instructions for parents and students:
ISK Parents: Your username is the email address the school has on file for you. To create a first time login OR if you have forgotten your password oo Click the link "forgot username or password" oo Enter the email address the school has on file for you oo Check your email and follow the instructions to set a new password (be sure to check your spam folder if you do not see the email in your inbox) oo Return to the portal login page oo Enter your username, click Next oo Enter your password oo Save your password in a secure place. You will manage this password. If you have forgotten your username: oo Contact the school to confirm the email address they have on file oo Return to login and enter your username / password combination *Note: If you are an ISK Parent and Employee, follow the instructions in the Employees section for login.
ISK Students: Login to the ISK portal with your Google username and password. *Hint: your username is your school email address. If your username / password combination is not working please contact the ISK helpdesk. We ended the week with a Parade of Nations on Friday afternoon. This year, we had a variation of a parade, where homerooms and advisories walked together, dressed in a way that represents their cultural or national identity. You can enjoy the parade recording here.
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Proud To Be Me Day On Friday February 18th, we suspended our normal schedule in the Middle School to celebrate our 4th Annual Proud To Be Me Day in the Middle School. What an incredible opportunity of leaning into our values related to community, equity, justice and inclusion at ISK. We saw students leading workshops they had planned collaboratively with a committed group of teachers, and engaging our community in important conversations related to gender identity, sexual identity, religion/culture, neurodiversity and racial identity/racism. Our goal: how to use our privilege to be an ally, to open our hearts and increase acceptance, and to consider our social responsibility to bring about change.
Congratulations and thank you to: oo Student planners: Daniya, Girish, Zaara, Joanna, Maya, Kaylee, Emily H, Alizeh, Nadia, Mariam, Krishi, Madi, Greyson, Emma G, Kirin, Hafsa, Peter, Sammara, Lisa G oo Teacher supporters: Mr. Hart, Ms. Hughes, Ms. Khalil, Mr. Hussain, Ms. Sally, Ms. Liv, Mr. Murphy, Ms. Krista, Ms. D, Ms. Heather, Ms. Jenny, Mr. Rose, Ms. Willis, Mr. Gregor, Ms. Laws The purpose of this day is: oo To raise awareness about different aspects of identity and how it contributes to our community’s diversity oo To nurture an open mind and heart to expand our inclusive community oo To increase awareness, acceptance, and a sense of belonging oo To increase sensitivity about the impact of our actions and words We laid the foundation for these important conversations in advisory, discussing privilege and oppression (check out this great, short video that makes those concepts super accessible), how to be an active listener, and the importance of being an ally. On Friday, all MS students rotated through 5 sessions related to identity with the goal to deepen our understanding, expand our acceptance and inclusion, and learn to become allies to those who might be more marginalized in our community.
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oo Racial Identity/Racism: The group started with this foundation video - The Science of Racism, and created a shared definition and criteria to understand racism. Students then interacted with various scenarios to discuss whether or not they were racist. The scenarios included touching black hair, using the ‘N’ word, teasing East Asian names, etc. Students ended with tips on how to be anti-racist, and this video - What kind of Asian are you? oo Sexual Identity: The group started with this video - What is sexual orientation? from Amaze (a great resource for puberty, relationships, our changing bodies and sex education). Students engaged in a fun Kahoot, and then interacted with various scenarios (being bullied for ‘coming out’, using homophobic slurs and more) and discussed how to be an ally. oo Religion & Culture: In this session, students started by surfacing their prior knowledge about religion, and interacting in a word association activity. Students watched a video created by our student planners, and explored assumptions, commonalities, and discrimination related to religion. Students engaged with various scenarios to consider how we recognize, respect, and celebrate the different cultures and religions in our ISK community.
oo Gender Identity: Students started with an ‘Agree or Disagree’ activity, and then watched this Bill Nye Gender video. Students then discussed the definitions of gender, sexism, toxic masculinity, and the fact that gender is a social construct. Students explored gender stereotypes, pronouns, and learned about the gender spectrum through a Gender Unicorn activity and this video - Range of Gender Identities from Amaze. This session ended with tips about how to be an ally, and where to get support. oo Neurodiversity: In this session, students started by being split into 3 groups, where 1 was asked to wait in the hallway while the other 2 groups learned a dance. The third group then entered the room and tried to learn it without any verbal support. The exercise was intended to develop empathy for how learners feel when we exclude them. They watched this video - Human Neurodiversity Should Be Celebrated, and further learned about Autism, Dyslexia, Downs Syndrome, and ADHD, including strategies to be more inclusive of people with these diagnoses. The ultimate goal: to create an environment that is inclusive, accepting, and nonjudgmental. We hope these conversations can continue at home!
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Alexa Schmid, EdD Middle School Principal
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Drew Gregor
Assistant Middle School Principal
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High School Report
Robert Blanchard, EdD High School Principal
Jarrod Dale High School Assistant Principal
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am excited to introduce this month’s High School Pride, so proud of our ISK students who continue to engage in meaningful teamwork and take active steps to tackle inequality. This month, you will enjoy a celebratory message about the grade 9 Aberdares trip, including reflections about the importance of a positive mindset, teamwork, and friendship - all key in the face of adversity and in support of personal growth. You will also hear from several student groups committed to tackling adversity with a particular focus on addressing and proactively supporting the UN Sustainability Goal for Quality Education. I hope that you will be inspired by the words and work of our High School students, who remain committed to meaningful work and are so clearly undeterred in the face of circumstances around the pandemic.
Robert Blanchard, EdD High School Principal
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Jarrod Dale
High School Assistant Principal
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“With Instagram-worthy scenery comes great perseverance.” Last week, most of Grade Nine, alongside a handful of teachers, hiked in the Aberdare National Park for three days. As someone who rarely, if ever, hiked, I found this trip delightful, even though it came at the cost of an estimated 12-15 kilometer trek. Seeing as to how there is such a thing as nature and how rain is a part of nature, the rain was inevitable, or so we thought. Yes, there were puddles from previous days, but luckily it didn’t rain on us when hiking. A few of us slipped in the puddles and mud, but these were all learning experiences. Adding on to a learning experience, a skill most of us developed was endurance. The challenge of this hike grew the lifelong skill of endurance. To help aid the endurance was having a positive attitude and mindset. Thinking with a negative mindset can hinder your performance as well as your willingness to keep pushing yourself to reach the top and snap that picture-perfect photo.
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Another learning experience was to keep watch and follow as a group. In other words, teamwork. On the hike at the Aberdares, teamwork does make the dream work. For our safety, the camp guides provided us with a series of codes: red meaning stop, yellow meaning slow down, and green meaning go. These indicated the pace we needed to go and keep us safe from any wild animals. I’d like to appreciate the guides and guards who safely led us to the campsite. Without our experienced guides, we might have been lost at the start of the hike. In addition, I’d like to thank the chefs at the camp for providing us with three meals a day plus snacks and making sure no one would hike hungry.
The mountain views and the waterfalls were breathtaking, literally and figuratively, especially at the break of dawn and at sunset. Wrapping up a long and tiring day with dinner around the campfire sparked conversations with people you wouldn’t talk to daily. New friendships were made, and trust was built among one another. At the end of the trip, I valued all of these, and I hope we all did too. What a journey we had, and a journey I shall never forget.
It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves” Sir Edmund Hillary.
Cecille B. - Grade 9 Student
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REPORT ON INTERACT’S BOOK DRIVE HELD IN OCTOBER 2021 The Interact club is a rotary club that runs projects in and out of school in order to benefit the underprivileged members of the Kenyan society. We believe that through our projects, we will have the ability to tackle some of the major issues within our community. Last semester, we identified a primary school with insufficient reading materials for its students. Acknowledging that we as the Interact Club and ISK community have the power to come together and try and address the school's desperate situation, we decided to hold a book drive. With a lot of planning and advertising, we finally had a book drive in the Elementary School and High School in the last week of October. Our book drive helped raise more than 700 books for the primary school and helped ameliorate the lack of reading material
for the students. The school we helped was able to distribute the books to the students. Amongst other goals, Interact Club addresses Goal 4 of 17 The Sustainable Development Goals - Quality Education. Through such fundraisers, we hope to continue to improve literacy levels by availing age appropriate books of different genres to local schools. Ultimately, this also spills over to goal number 10 - Reduced Inequality - as it helps close the gap of education in Kenyan between the rich and the poor. But most importantly, our project gave new inspiration to the students and expanded their minds through the power of the stories they are reading. As a club, we look forward to running more projects within ISK that will help inspire and tackle major inequalities within our community.
Nathan O. Grade 11 - Interact Club Leader
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Koh-Ed
Koh-Ed is a science club led by enthusiastic High School students who teach Elementary students science concepts in a fun and interactive way. In January, we made an operation game (like the board game) using a cardboard box, aluminum foil, LED light, and tweezers to explore the concept of electricity and to learn about series circuits. This week, we had a construction challenge where the team with the bridge that can sustain the most weight wins. The students were able to learn different geometry support systems and understand the structural integrity of large architectures. For the next five weeks, we will be learning new topics in a hands-on manner that engages the students and cultivates their love for science. Koh-Ed is beneficial for the elementary students and is also for us, for we can learn a lot by teaching and interacting with younger students. Our goal is to address the United Nations’ sustainable development goal
of providing quality education to everyone. We are starting by sharing our passion for science with younger ISK students, then expanding to local schools in Nairobi once the Covid regulations ease. If you are interested in our club, check out our website: https://www.koh-ed.org/
By Yohan K. & Keifer T. -
Grade 11 Science Enthusiasts
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PROJECT IMAGINE
PROJECT IMAGINE’S FUNDRAISING REPORT
1) Brief background In August 2015, Project Imagine was founded to end period poverty in Kenya. By creating reliable access to sanitary pads, offering menstrual health and hygiene education, and facilitating peer mentorship programs, Project Imagine has supported over 1300 vulnerable girls to stay in school and work towards the dreams that they imagine. Our aim is to help every girl receive a proper education, which is the mission further set by our Project Imagine Presidents, Makda and Keifer!
2) Overview of the fundraiser Luckily, becoming an ISK club has also allowed us to reach and eclipse our goal of dispersing 250,000 pads! We have now collected and distributed over 255,713 pads since 2015 and are still counting!!!! This was achieved by our launch of a fundraising drive to accumulate period pads. The campaign initially aimed to gather 18,975 pads by the end of a five-day school period, but amazingly collected over 24,688 pads. The campaign consisted of a
week full of carefully planned and advertised activities. Monday was the day for decorating masks, where multiple peers contributed to a covid cautious exercise of coloring and personalizing their own PI merch masks. Tuesday followed with a “wear red day” for raising period poverty awareness. Wednesday was the day of our highest donations, paired with plenty of PI stickers to match. Even now, these stickers can be seen throughout the school! Placed in lockers, on computers, on phone cases, on walls, and on clothing!! Thursday was yet again another high donation day, with chocolate, candy, and facts about periods handed out to every pad donor. The last day ended on a sublimely positive note, with our goal achieved and our spirits soaring from the happy challenge of the day’s task- “write a letter to a woman in your life!” Overall, we are so grateful to our terrific peers, parents, and sponsors for helping us achieve such a huge milestone. We could not have done this effort of all, present and past Project Imagine participants, leaders, partners, and stakeholders, including beneficiaries. On the threshold of a new year, we hope to see even more enthusiasm in the future, as support for Project Imagine at ISK continues to grow.
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3) Which SDG(s) does our club address?
Project Imagine aligns with the fourth and fifth sustainable development goals, which are Quality Education and Gender Equality. This initiative is in accordance with these goals within the targets 4.5, 4.1, and 5.1. Target 4.1 states that, “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes”. Target 4.5 speaks of the elimination of gender disparities in education and ensuring equal access to all levels of education. In this regard, our club’s goal is to end ‘Period Poverty’ by providing sanitary towels to local girls in need and helping educate them about menstrual health. Period poverty is a critical concern in Kenya and alludes to the inability to work or attend school due to a lack of funding for sanitary products. Our distribution of pads and fundraising initiatives solidifies Project Imagine's impact in regards to sustainable goal number 4. Furthermore, due to the negative connotations surrounding periods, women are not offered an equal chance towards education due to the inaccessibility of sanitary pads.
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As we assess goal number 5, it is crucial to acknowledge that period negativity contributes to the overall educational and vocational success of women because when a bodily function is condemned through the penalization of women, not only does it affect education but overall equity in the eyes of the public. Target 5.1 highlights the ending of all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. As a club that explicitly addresses period poverty, it is critical to note that the stigma associated with periods operates as a form of discrimination when education is jeopardized- attributable to societal conformity and expectations.
To conclude, Project Imagine and our team utilize education as a vehicle for equity in terms of women's access to higher education. Since its inception Project Imagine has: o o o o o
Distributed to Swani primary school for 15 terms (5 school years) Distributed to Mt. Olive primary school for 9 terms (3 school years) Conducted a biweekly mentorship program at Salama school for 3 years Developed a boys' program and curriculum Partnered with Zana Africa foundation- a leading menstrual health advocacy group
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4) Plans for the future? Moving forward, we hope to continue our fundraising efforts throughout the second semester. Since March 8th is International Women’s Day (and March is considered women’s month), we plan to organize further initiatives throughout that month. Stay tuned to learn more about these plans in the coming weeks/ months! You can follow us on social media @project.imagine, or visit our website https://www. projectimagine.net/ to learn more!
Annabel O. - Grade 10 -
Project Imagine Media Leader T PAS N PAIG M CA ERS T S PO
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Athletics Report Will Moore Athletics Director
Virtual ISSEA Drama
@ A ISJ/IST 2 02 1
Our ISK Drama team took part in the two-day ISSEA Virtual Drama event on February 25 - 26. They enjoyed a full program of workshops and creativity. It was a great success, well done teams, and thank you to Mrs. Hire!
ISK Drama Team: Grade 11 Anne | Grade 10 - Raquel, Mandisa, Josie, Kati, Corinne, Leti, Isabel, Aan, Even
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Varsity Girls Football and ISSEA 2021-2022 This year's road to ISSEA has definitely been a complicated and crazy one. From not thinking it was happening in December to some lastminute tragedies, our team has overcome many adversities. The ISK girls football team has been incredibly committed and dedicated this whole season in the eventual lead-up to ISSEA, with practice 4 days a week, and multiple inter-school matches. Starting off the season, we all had hopes of an ISSEA, but there was of course some doubt surrounding the whole idea of international travel with the current pandemic. To our great surprise, we were able to play local games against schools such as Rosslyn Academy and West Nairobi School, which were honestly more than we expected for the entire season. To then receive the news that we would in fact have an ISSEA and that it would be in South Africa was incredible to hear! We immediately began training to the best of our abilities, focusing on positioning, skills and tactics, and ball handling.
When arriving in South Africa, the whole team was both excited and overwhelmed. We started off strong on day one. With both the boys and girls winning both their matches we were ecstatic. On day two, we were filled with a mix of emotions, losing against AISJ 2-0, and then overcoming that loss and playing Uganda, winning 4-0. The last day was definitely difficult, with some dicey calls and unlucky shots costing us both games. Although we definitely were the more dominant team and put up a great fight, we lost really tragically in extra time for both games, placing fourth overall in the ISSEA tournament. Throughout the course of the tournament, we became closer as a team, through both exciting wins and tragic losses. We are all leaving this tournament with new and strong connections with our own team and all the participating schools. As captains, we are so happy that we were able to have this experience and are incredibly grateful for our coaches- Mr. Otieno and Mr. Kay, Mr. Moore, Ms. Laws, and the supporting parents and students who watched us and pushed us along the way. We wish the girls luck next year! Report by Team Captains: Louisiana, Jodie, Neve
The Team: Girls: Grade 12 - Jodie, Luci, Neve, Ciara, Remi | Grade 11 - Alessandra, Isobella, Vera | Grade 10 - Erika, Anika | Grade 9 - Zoe Including: Medina, Ameya, Reem, Helina - for local matches
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ISSEA Boys Football 2022 - Reflection: On the 24th of February, the ISK team arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. Although we were mostly tired after a long flight, we were impressed by the OR Tambo airport and left for the buses. During the bus ride, we were all amazed by the South African grasslands and the overall design of the city. Throughout the span of this trip, we were grateful for being under the care of considerate people; ranging from hotel staff, drivers, AISJ volunteers, and notably our very own community of coaches and organizers, that made sure we had what we needed. Additionally, the AISJ community was welcoming and kind- notably their cheers for the lions, student volunteers, and their ability to troubleshoot issues. Great performances on the field, coupled with incredible memories off the field allowed for this ISSEA experience to be classified as unforgettable. In the context of ISK’s overall performance in ISSEA, including both boys and girls, I would say that the overall position doesn't justify the performances. Although both boys and girls placed fourth, a final for both teams was easily in reach. With luck against our side, unfortunately, the final was taken away from us. But, over the past 3 days, we have seen every person leave their absolute most on the field.
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Throughout the tournament, we experienced a range of emotions. As boys, we started the first day off incredibly well, leaving us top of the group. We saw ourselves come back from one goal down to end up winning by one goal in the timeframe of about five minutes. This truly displayed the character of each individual on the team and foreshadowed the type of mindset we would have approaching the rest of the games. A mentality that saw us draw one, but win 3 consecutive games. However, our first game on the final day was difficult, against a team we had already faced. In this instance, we were reminded of the cruelty of competition as instances of lapses of focus, took us further away from the final. However, to speak towards the unity of this group, we
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were quick to pick each other up and focus on the next game. Unfortunately, a loss in this next game saw us come in fourth in this ISSEA tournament. Truthfully frustrated, but cognizant, our group felt the shock of losing a semi-final, and the loss of the ability to participate in a final. As captains, we’ve learned the importance of leading by example and of inclusion. Although ISSEA is a competition, we were reminded of the importance of sportsmanship and discipline; both ISK teams made it a point to cheer on the other group. This group spirit helped us represent ISK as it should be represented; with respect, passion, servitude towards others, and winning mentalities.
We would like to thank our coaches and organizers: Coach Franklin, Coach Otieno, Mrs. Laws, Mr. Moore, as well as those who were with us in spirit- Mr. Sucre and Mr. Kay. Beyond the instructions off the pitch, their help and mentorship formed our character. We now see all of us walking away more grateful, optimistic, and responsible. Encompassingly, we speak for all when we say that ISSEA was a motivating and positive experience. We plan to use all our experience to win it all next year. Go Lions! Report by Team Captains: Mouhamad & Aliyaz
Boys: Grade 12 - Aliyaz, Matias, Timo, Sebastian | Grade 11 - Reuben, Mouhamad, Brian, Keshav | Grade 10 - Daniel, Julien | Grade 9 - Yandel
Will Moore Athletics Director
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Advancement Office Pamela Pappas Director of Community Relations & Advancement
International Schools Award CircuitISK Shining bright!
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n January, Plastiki Rafiki gained international recognition for achievements towards its mission to clean up the environment by empowering communities to promote and monetize grassroots plastic recycling in a self-sustaining manner.
The International School Awards provide the opportunity for international schools to share best practices, creative endeavors, community participation, and innovation. Over 250 international schools apply every year, sharing truly inspiring initiatives. All applications are thoroughly assessed by a panel of independent judges - all experts in international education and based around the world.
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The award ceremony took place on January 18, 2022, in the United Kingdom and was virtually followed by hundreds of people from the international school community. The 2022 International School Awards recognized 12 categories focusing on important values and areas of development within the international schools market. 261 applications from international schools in 48 countries were submitted for the International School Awards 2022.
ISK's Plastiki Rafiki was shortlisted for two awards: Environment & Community Building! Grade 11 students Kurt and Anne presented Plastiki Rafiki to The International School Awards panel. Click here to watch their short presentations to the panel. We genuinely believe that their presentation to the panel secured our win! Hongera!! Click here to view the moment when ISK’s Stem Teacher and Plastiki Rafiki founder Maciej Sudra accepted the award for ISK!
Following ISK’s International School Awards win, ISK will compete alongside other international schools for the World's Best School Prizes. The five World's Best School Prize winners will be awarded $50,000. ISK’s Plastiki Rafiki initiative aligns most closely with the World's Best School Prize for the Environmental Action area. We are so proud of our lions!
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My Freedom Day
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SK is proud to be participating in this year’s My Freedom Day in collaboration with CNN! March 16 is #MyFreedomDay -- a day-long, student-driven event to raise awareness of modern slavery. To mark the day, students around the world are organizing events at their schools to call attention to modern slavery and celebrate freedom. This year, ISK faculty and students are participating by focusing on how we as consumers may play a role in the perpetuation of modern-day slavery, but also more importantly in the solutions. Students have been asked to study this concept through the lens of the following quote by Lilla Watson, Aboriginal elder, activist, and educator from Queensland, Australia:
If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” - Lilla Watson
Here are the ways ISK is participating in the My Freedom Day 2022:
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We recently launched the “ISK Freedom Wall” in front of the Advancement Office, where members of our community will have the opportunity to share what freedom means to them. You can also share what freedom means to you by filling in this form. We hope to have a full wall by March 16.
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Click here for a video produced by Middle School students, whereby they shed light on modern-day slavery.
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A group of High School students will be hosting a Freedom Day “Table Talk”, where they will be covering a wide array of topics dealing with human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
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We will launch a “Freedom Zone” - a creative writing and art exhibit exploring freedom and barriers to it.
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The MS/HS band and choir will put on performances featuring songs of freedom.
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Our library has put out a display of books related to the topic.
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International Week
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nternational Week 2022 was a successful collaboration between students, faculty/staff, and parents. The Advancement Office created fun community videos encouraging community members to visit the ISK Community Portal, where International Week submissions around identity, community, equity, justice, and inclusion were highlighted. It has been wonderful to promote the use of the ISK Community Portal as a go-to for everything happening ISK. Accessing the ISK Community Portal is easy! Click here to watch a quick video tutorial.
Open Day
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pen Days at ISK are an opportunity for us to welcome prospective families to our campus to come and learn more about our wonderful school. This year, we held an Open Day on Saturday, February 26, where we welcomed over 100 future lion parents and students- the largest attendance we have ever had at an Open Day! The day started off with tours of the campus led by our student ambassadors, a brief welcome from our director, followed by informational sessions led by the principals, and lastly learning more about other areas of ISK in the program stations. We appreciate your support in spreading the word about the passion, creativity, and ambition nurtured in our students here at ISK!
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A Special Twosday with ISK Faculty & Staff Tuesday, February 22, 2022, might have felt like any other day of the year, but it actually marked a special once-in-a-lifetime event, making “Twosday”, in numbers 22022022. On this occasion, we asked faculty and staff to share their special thoughts on what they love most about their job and their favorite memories at ISK! We had over a hundred responses -take a look at a few of the thoughtful responses shared by our fellow colleagues. It’s a warm reminder of the special community we have here at ISK.
One of my favorite parts of my job is greeting the students as they come in every morning! I love how they come in excited to start each day telling me stories and happy to be in school!
I love my students. They are the best. The honestly make every day just wonderful.
During the Covid-19 pandemic,many organization closed down many people lost their jobs but ISK maintained its workers and not only that, but increased their salaries too.
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ISK is more than a work place. My colleagues are family now.
My favorite memory at ISK is my first year when we finally got off line and we were able to meet the students in person for the first time!
My first day at ISK, I met a new team of lovely humans from diverse cultural background.
I think my favorite memory would be the ES concerts. Seeing all the kids on stage, making music. (Pre Covid). Moments I will not take for granted in the future! :)
I get to be with a full bus of students everyday. So much curiosity and energy just makes my days.
I love the way students are being cared for and I always do my best to help students to achieve their academic goals here at ISK. In summary, ISK is so caring.
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It has been really fun to see students starting to play sports matches again. The atmosphere around the sports fields has been really great!
I love my team. They make me laugh and we work collaboratively everyday!
The student body working with confident socially conscious students who truly believe they can make a difference in this world.
Seeing those lovely smiles and feeling the warm embraces of students that appreciate the impact I have on them as an educator, this is what I love most about my job.
I loved being in Ms. Nelson is missing. It was such a collaborative production among all divisions. The whole community was involved and so many people came to watch!
Completing the 1st school year and witnessing my class move up to the next grade level.
My ISK favorite memory was International Day 2020 - my first. It was super fun to see all of the students and staff in traditional dress, carrying their flags and celebrating the ISK global community.
As a student it was the IC trips - as a teacher off campus trips and activities, curricular and extracurricular. Kenya is an amazing country - we have so much to learn and opportunities to give back to our community.
Kenya is a beautiful place to work with amazing people!
Best Regards
Pamela Pappas
Director of Community Relations & Advancement
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Health Office Dear ISK Community, Greetings, and I hope you are keeping safe! Two years ago, students had their world turned upside down. Schools closed their doors because of COVID-19, a dangerous new virus that spread quickly throughout communities worldwide. Since then, we have learned a lot. Kenya has come a long way, and so has ISK. Presently, Kenya’s positivity rate stands at 0.5%, while the proportion of fully vaccinated adults stands at 27.7%. ISK has endeavored to ensure that staff working with students are fully vaccinated in line with KMoH guidelines, further ensuring the health and safety of everyone at the workplace. At ISK, in The Mane- January 21 issue, following a booster drive, we were happy to announce that we are now up to 77% of ISK employees having had the boosters and 99% having received their full vaccines. Thanks to ISK’s vaccination drive efforts, community members and students took advantage of the vaccine clinics. This was also after Kenya opened up the vaccination
from ages 15-18. To this end, if your child is vaccinated, you should send a copy of their vaccination certificate to the Health Office at clinic@isk.ac.ke so that we can update our records. If anyone wishes to get vaccinated or get a booster, please note that these are readily available at all leading hospitals within Nairobi. We continue to remain hopeful that with the increasing COVID-19 donations to Kenya and uptake of the vaccine among children aged 15-18, the MoH will open this up again to children ages 15 and below. Fully vaccinated children don’t have to spend more time away from learning, friendships, sports, and other activities that are important to their physical and mental health. Please check out today’s Mane for more details on the Annual Vaccination day and vaccines on offer. In the meantime, with the opening up of sporting activities within schools, we encourage everyone to continue wearing masks, washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, and observing social distancing. Have a safe March!
Yours in Partnership,
Judy Mbithe and The Health Team 38
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PASSION | CREATIVITY | AMBTION
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PTO Rachel Radcliffe PTO Chair
The PTO extends an ENORMOUS THANK YOU to the ISK community for its phenomenal response to our annual fundraiser this year! We were overwhelmed and humbled by the extraordinary generosity and creativity you brought in response to our request for donated “baskets” for our Celebration of Nations silent auction. In the end, we had over 180 items to auction, including “baskets” from our community as well as various vouchers, raffle items, and guessing jars. We raised a total of Ksh. 742,200 – far exceeding our expectations! This puts us on a much stronger footing for next year to continue our community-building work, support for student service club initiatives, and other activities for our ISK community next year.
Cleaning Day!
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Aussie Delights
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We had truly interesting contributions from every corner of the globe including food, drink, experiences, collectibles, knick-knacks, self-care products, textiles, jewelry… you name it!
Denmark How to Hygge
USA Simply Cheesy
Latin America
Spicy Korea Eritrea_Ethiopia Come for Coffee
We thank ALL of you as well as the many businesses that supported us: The Bookworm, Amber Silva Photography, Shamba Cafe, Serenity Spa, Maji Magic Aquapark, Khan's Pakistani Kitchen, Sweet Street, La Casa di Nico, About Thyme, Toy Box, The Duck House, Marti Godden (Brown Belt Nia Instructor), ThaiSpoon, Kai Japanese Restaurant, Aftonia Fortunes Ltd, Azteca, Inti, Fonda, Happy Sewing Cafe, Marij van Bommel (Dutch language instructor), Maragi Farms, Taste of Spain, Non Solo Gelato, Rosa’s Delights and Simply Baked. Thanks for making our silent auction so much fun!
Weaves of India
Rachel Radcliffe PTO Chair
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Accredited fully by the Middle States Association of Schools in the United States and the Council of International Schools in Europe.
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