Advancement Office

Pamela Pappas

Director of Community Relations & Advancement

International Schools Award Circuit- ISK Shining bright!

In 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.

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!

My Freedom Day

ISK 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:

• 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. • Click here for a video produced by Middle School students, whereby they shed light on modern-day slavery. • 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. • We will launch a “Freedom Zone” - a creative writing and art exhibit exploring freedom and barriers to it.

• The MS/HS band and choir will put on performances featuring songs of freedom. • Our library has put out a display of books related to the topic.

International Week

International 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

Open 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!

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! ISK is more than a work place. My colleagues are family now. 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 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. 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 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.

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!

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.

Completing the 1st school year and witnessing my class move up to the next grade level. Kenya is a beautiful place to work with amazing people!

Best Regards Pamela Pappas

Director of Community Relations & Advancement