Sharks Take Silver
This year, the U14 girls were privileged to be able to participate in the SAIKAC tournament; it was a privilege for my team and me. As a team, we competed and fought for our place in the games played, to then be able to make it to the finals. We made the finals and we were really proud of all of our work and progress through the season, everyone was proud and happy to take home either gold or silver, we weren’t going to lose, we told ourselves. But after a hard battle and a constant fight with the other team, we were able to bring home the silver. Everyone was extremely proud of the team and each other, I couldn’t be any prouder of anyone including myself. By: Nora Gutierrez Avello, Grade 7 Student The team and I would like to thank Mr. Vlad and the housekeeping team for their work before, during, and after the U’14 SAIKAC tournament, Mr. Davies and Mr. Gatenby for organising our trainings, uniforms and the tournaments we attended, our parents for supporting us through the season, and all our teachers and friends who supported us and cheered us during the SAIKAC tournament. Biggest thank you to Mrs. Olson and Varshini (student coach) who helped and coached these girls for the season! They learnt so much and appreciate your time and effort making them into the players they are today! See you next year girls! By: Coach Teddy November, 2019
Contents
3 6 9 14
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C5OTb60TlarYZtlg0MRyVuk91EgqnAXw4P2TeU--W2I/htmlview
Director’s Letter KG Elementary Secondary
Coherence 1. the quality of being logical and consistent. 2. the quality of forming a unified whole.
This year, our theme has been “We are one school.” Under this guiding theme, we have worked to identify areas where greater coherence could benefit student learning. As a learning leadership team, we are reading the book Coherence by Michael Fullan and Joanne Quinn. Fullan is a well-known researcher in the area of education where he has identified the “Right Drivers” in educational improvement. These drivers are: . Focused direction to build collective purpose . Cultivating collaborative cultures while clarifying individual and team roles . Deepening learning to accelerate improvement and foster innovation . Securing accountability from the inside out The leadership team will be keeping these drivers in mind as we work on continuous school improvement.
Coherence starts with a common Mission Statement and this impacts all areas of the school. This year we are primarily focused on improving the coherence of our curriculum. Last week we were happy to welcome Michelle Kuhns, a well-known international curriculum consultant to guide us in work related to gaining greater coherence in our learning program. We made a great deal of progress with a curriculum architecture and applying that structure to mathematics across the school K1-12. Another area where coherence can greatly impact learning is in the physical environment. In the month of December, we look forward to engaging with Fielding Nair International (FNI) a leader in education planning and architectural design. Teachers, students, and parents will all be involved in giving feedback during this discovery visit with FNI. They will be advising us on the new secondary building that we look to begin in the second semester as well as remodeling that can be done to create more 21st-century learning spaces for our students. Continuous school improvement work is challenging and energizing at the same time. We have been reaching out through surveys to gain feedback on our IB program and we will continue to reach out to gather feedback from our parent community. This information along with educational research, audits of our programs, the accreditation process, expert advice from consultants, and leveraging the capacity of our faculty and staff will lead to deep and positive change for our students. I look forward to the rest of the year as we take the necessary steps to continue to build on our strengths and address the opportunities for improvement. Michelle Remington, Director of The KAUST School
In a nutshell: Summaries of November’s PAC meetings Kindergarten PAC:
GES PAC Summary The PAC discussed the following issues: •
Discussed the concerns regarding air quality and TKS’s plan moving forward
1.
Administration discussed the partnership and support of the KAUST Air Quality Task Force
2.
TKS has now operationalized a plan for addressing air quality
3.
Options were considered for alternatives when the air quality keeps children inside
•
Reviewed possible mathematics curriculum standards and benchmarks
1.
Reviewed alternative curriculum that is being considered
2.
Discussion regarding comparison to current mathematics curriculum and reasons for considering changes now
•
Expanding GES Library Hours
1.
GES to consider the possibility of extending library hours to serve students and families after 3pm
As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the GES PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings:
• Discussed the recent Kindergarten Parent Breakfasts and collected feedback. • Analyzed results from the recent Kindergarten PYP Parent Survey • Reviewed current structures of Kindergarten parent communication As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the KG PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings: - Ying Wu - Ying.Wu@kaust.edu.sa - Hind Aljohani - Hind.johani@kaust.edu.sa - Rebecca Buttigieg - rebeccabuttigieg@icloud.com - Anna Solarska-Combe - annascombe@gmail.com
Secondary PAC: The PAC welcomed Christine Rueping to the GSS PAC. Christine was invited as a replacement for Mel Fotea who has recently accepted the role as a GSS Counselor. The PAC discussed the following issues:
- Anna Rautek - anna.rautek@kaust.edu.sa - Ahmad Kadoura - ahmad.kadoura@kaust.edu.sa - Mani Sarathy - mani.sarathy@kaust.edu.sa - Andreia Farinha - andreia.farinha@kaust.edu.sa - Ana Margarida Costa - anamargarida.costa@kaust. edu.sa - Faisal Wali - faisal.wali@kaust.edu.sa - Meriem Laleg - taousmeriem.laleg@kaust.edu.sa
•
Relations between TKS and the Ministry of Education, specifically the Noor software system
•
The first Quadorant and Tahsili test has been facilitated by the school. The school supports these tests and the feedback from parents and organisers was positive.
•
PAC were introduced to a proposal for a new schedule for the next academic year. In essence, the tentative schedule runs along an 8 day cycle. Lengthy discussion took place and further feedback will be sought from students, staff and PAC again
As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the GSS PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings:
Click Here
- Hadeel Alsulaimany - hadeel.sulaimany@kaust.edu.sa - Amr Atiah - amr.atiah@kaust.edu.sa - Brian Ross - brian.ross@kaust.edu.sa - Cherine Fayad - cherine.fayad@kaust.edu.sa - Hussein Hoteit - hussein.hoteit@kaust.edu.sa - Christine Rueping - christine.rueping@kaust.edu.sa - Abdulaziz Alfaraj - Abdulaziz.alfaraj@kaust.edu.sa
1
Counselors Corner By: Steve Otten & Jennifer de la Montana, GES Counselors Don’t look now, but Winter Break is quickly approaching! Changes in routine and schedule often accompany prolonged breaks from school. The transition from these changes back to the school routine can be challenging for students. Below are a few tips to help your child adjust smoothly back into the school routine. 1) Re-establish bedtime and mealtime routines. Ideally, put these back in place a few days or a week before coming back to school if there was a change to normal schedule due to travel, staying up late, etc. 2) Keep children busy and active. Screen time consumption often increases with the extra free time children have apart from school. Keeping them busy with other activities can minimize the children’s screen time. 3) If allowing children to sleep in or stay up late, take the last few days or last week of break to have children wake up and go to sleep at the normal time they would on a school day. This can help your child’s body clock get back in line if their sleep schedule has changed.
7
from Tiany Hill, KG Principal
Dear Parents, It was wonderful to welcome families in for the KG Parent-Child Breakfast this month. Parent-School partnerships are a critical part of children’s success, and we appreciate that parents were able to spend this special time with their children at school. Events such as this significantly contribute to our positive school culture and sense of community in the Kindergarten. Seeing the joy of families eating together alongside staff, other families, and friends was a heartwarming start to the morning! We are looking forward to a few things coming up in the Kindergarten this month. First up is Book Week, December 1st -5th. We are excited to host visiting children’s book author & illustrator, Zachariah OHora. Later in the month, we will also host Field Days for K2 and K3.
Warmest, Tiffany Hill, KG Principal
KG East Breakfast
18
from Jeffrey Woodcock, Elementary Principal On November 6, 2019, GES welcomed approximately 70 parents across two sessions to learn more about the MAP Test. The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment is taken by students at TKS in grades 3-10 twice a year, in the fall and spring. For grade three students and their parents, this fall’s test would have been their first experience with the assessment. The purpose of the information sessions was to explain why the school uses this test, how the assessment is organized and give parents a chance to see what the assessment looks like from a student’s perspective. TKS has been using the MAP Test for the past ten years and while the test has changed slightly over the years, it remains one of the most widely used standardized tests for international schools. As part of the information session parents learned about the adaptive nature of the assessment and participated in taking the practice test, likely bringing back memories for them of test-taking from their childhood. One relatively new feature we explored were the tools MAP has introduced to support different student needs. These tools ensure that all children are given their best opportunity to succeed. A significant component of the session was focused on explaining how GES uses the data to inform instruction for students. The MAP test provides just one piece of the assessment picture for each student, combining with all the other assessments teachers conduct throughout the year as well as the daily observations and anecdotal notes teachers record on an ongoing basis. Teachers use these pieces of data to triangulate in order to find each student’s next steps. The school also uses this data to inform strategy, professional development and areas of focus for instruction at a divisional and whole-school level. The session culminated with tips for parents on how they can use the parent report to support their children at home. If you missed the presentation you can view slides here.
10
Girls Football and Netball in Jeddah
On Thursday November 7th, thirty-nine girls from Grades 3, 4, and 5 hit the road to participate in a football and netball tournament with the British International School of Jeddah. Along with coaches and parent supporters, fun was had by all as the TKS teams, KAUST 1, KAUST 2, and KAUST 3, played against 3 BISJ teams in a round-robin format. KAUST 1, with Haya Abugosh as top-scorer with 2 goals, finished second in the football tournament, while KAUST 2, with Elodie Hoffman scoring 4 goals, finished third. KAUST 2 finished second in both netball and the overall standings, while KAUST 1 and 3 were equal 4th overall. It was a positive event with plenty of good sportsmanship, and plans are already being made to host BISJ for a reciprocal tournament in the new year. Big thanks to the coaches and parents: Betsy Ryan, Hayley Campbell, Melissa McQuaid, Shani Laulua, and Jason and Katie Hoffman; and an extra big thank you to our GES Activities Coordinator Evan Bryceland for making it all possible. Game on!
By Andrew Wright, GES Learning Support Teacher Photos by Betsy Ryan, GES Homeroom Teacher
19
Taking Action During Bike Week On November 13th students from Rebecca Johnson’s grade 5 class, and Oscar and Siram from Mr. Kelly’s class went on a field trip by bicycle to discovery square to present to the KAUST leaders. We went to discovery square to present because we were doing a project on having more bikes in the KAUST community. We tried to accomplish this by coming up with ideas we settled on building more bike paths, having bike rentals in popular areas such as the Harbor and the Island, and having more bike parking areas.. We also cycled to Discovery Square to show that we are really serious about us wanting to make changes, and all of us were good cyclers. When we were presenting most of us took turns and talked about a specific slide. Some of our parents came and all of the people who were presenting did a fantastic job. Some people weren’t presenting so instead, in the end, they had a chance to share their ideas for the community. Once we were finished the leaders had thought the of ideas we had come up with could actually do an impact on the community and the world. Overall our presentation was successful because the leaders of KAUST were interested in our ideas. When we came back everyone was safe and enjoyed the trip. By: Adel Sougrat and Paidi Ward, Grade 5 Students
22
December 1st - 5th is Book Week and we have been planning a fun week of activities based around the theme of ‘Reading Connects Us’. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our visiting author, Canadian/British cartoonist, Matt Smith. Matt is known for his humorous comics and he will be joining us for the whole week to run workshops with each class. There will also be an opportunity to purchase Matt’s books during the week. Books can be purchased and signed by Matt during the following times, in the Elementary School Library: Sunday - 11:55 - 12:20 Monday - 11:55 - 12:20 Wednesday - 11:30 - 11:55 Thursday 11:30 - 11:55 Please note: there are limited copies of these books and they will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. Also during Book Week, as we celebrate a love of reading, students will participate in a variety of activities such as ‘read the book, then watch the movie’, ‘share your favourite book with a buddy’ and daily ‘drop everything and read’. To end the week we will gather for the Vocabulary Parade on Thursday 5th at 8am on the outdoor basketball courts, where all parents are welcome to join us. If you have any questions about Book Week or Matt Smith’s visit, please contact
susan.bryceland@kaust.edu.sa.
from David Tigchelaar, GSS Principal In the last month we engaged in the following events: • 10 - 14 November: Bike Week and Spirit Week • 12 November 6:15: Arts Night in GSS Auditorium • 18 November 5:30 - 6:30 Student and Parent Info session on Gr 10/11 Course Selection • 21 November: Parent Info Lunch Social Media ; SCA Night School We look forward to the following events in November and December: • 25 - 28 November: CIS / MSA Preliminary visit • 26 November 5:30 - 6:30: Student and Parent Info session on Gr 8-9 Course Selection • 28 November - 2 December; YMGE / MUN trip to Lisbon • 1 - 5 December: Visit of the College Counseling Consultant David Shubair 4,5 and 7 December: The annual GSS Musical • 9 December 3:30 - 4:30: TKS Sci-cafe from • 16 December 3:15- 4:00: Viva Voce (public interviews with students about their Extended Essay) • 16 December 4:15 - 5:15: Variety Show
It is often said that Arts is an umbrella term that encompasses various disciplines, including but not limited to; Art, Music and Drama (Theatre). What these subjects have in common is the creative process involved in the production of student’s work, often associated with a sense of satisfaction and achievement once the process leads to a final product. The KAUST Gardens Secondary School had the pleasure of hosting its first annual Arts Night on Monday the 11th of November, where students from Grade 6 to 12 had an opportunity to celebrate their artistic learning by showcasing work which they have been producing in their Arts classes in the first term. The evening showcased work from three creative art disciplines offered to students in the school: Music, Drama and Art. This evening was filled with presentations of high-quality artwork ranging from paintings and drawings, captivating drama performances including monologues, scripted scenes and storytelling and entertaining music performances that incorporated various instruments such as drums, keyboard, guitars, ukulele etc. The performances and presentations were well received by the audience; which comprised of parents, teachers and TKS students. The artists were genuinely proud of their achievements and felt honored to have been given the opportunity to share their creativity with the community. As the Arts continue to develop within the school, we are looking forward to showcasing more of the students work in our next Arts evening early next year.
KAUST Gardens Secondary School Arts Night.
By Phumelele Ngcobo (TKS Drama Teacher)
Arts Teachers: Art: Jecton Were, Sondus Khoja. Music: Isabel Norwood, Emmalee Johnson. Drama: David Webb, Phumelele Ngcobo.
Arts Students: G6: Visual Art: Tallon Smith, Shaden Melebari, Alana Pietruszka. Drama: Yomna Nadeem, Rumaysah Iffah, Maire Hogan. Music: Ruby Mullens, Maggie Ryan, Abhi Katuri.
G7:
Visual Art: Ines Acevedo-Rey, Hala Rashad Badroun, Hala Ma’an Amad. Drama: Hashem AlSaihati, Aisha Ejaz, Selena Fayad, Alaa Ghaffour, Muhammed Jamil, Harris Khan, Jumana Mahfouz, Omari Oliver, Isabella Palescandolo, Ella Powell, Emilia Salvador. Music: Jenna AbdelAal, Nora Albarakati, Kirsten Bindoy, Taymaa Mezayen, Ream AlHusainan, Rital AlAli, Nora Gutierrez Avello, AC Mayordomo, Lucy Ryan, Zunaynah Iffah.
G8: Drama: Bayan Kharbatia, Elise Paterson, Visual Art: Amira Atiah, Layan AlSuwailem
G9: Drama: Mariam Hoteit, Yousef Abdelaal, Visual Art: Lina Ghaffour, Hannan Mohiuddin.
G12:
Visual Art: Saad AlDeraan, Judy Hejazi, Matthew Westbrook, Ilanka Cook, Esraa Othman
Photographer: Arnab Chakraborty
The Gr. 11 Extended Essay Trip to the University Library
On November 4th, 2019, the Grade 11 students visited the University Library to participate in a workshop that aimed to teach us about research skills and the wide range of resources available in the library. More specifically, gaining an understanding of the essential elements of the academic research process, the importance of peer review, and how to best receive feedback. We also learned how to most efficiently search for resources within the library using the online databases whilst learning about the use of keywords within a database search. This information was extremely valuable to me and the cohort as we are beginning the research process of our diploma Extended Essay. This trip not only taught us valuable research and review skills but was also an opportunity to be exposed to the privilege that is the large range of valuable information available to us through the University Library. We would like to thank the University Library and the presenter, Ms.Nevena Tomic, for this valuable opportunity. By: Amy Tulley, Grade 11 Student
21
Connecting Fractions, Food, and People in Grade 6 Maths Food plays a major role in human connections. Think of the many memories throughout your life and chances are, food has been present. Perhaps you remember a family recipe, a favorite restaurant, or a holiday favorite. Regardless, food creates shared experiences and memories to last a lifetime, specifically for this year’s Grade 6 students! In Grade 6 Mathematics students are exploring how fractions and food influence our families, our friendships, and our communities. This exploration led us straight into the TKS kitchen for an afternoon of cooking - baking muffins to be exact! Students measured toppings and fillings to customize their muffins working from a basic recipe for up to 12 people. In groups of 2 or 3, they used fraction skills to scale the recipe up or down making an assigned quantity. They encountered tough problems such as how to measure 1/2 of an egg or 2/3 of a pinch of salt! Students reasoned through how to measure 1/6 of a cup of butter when the only measuring tool available holds 1/3 of a cup. This allowed them to conclude that 1/2 of 1/3 cup equals 1/6 of a cup (Hint: 1/2 x 1/3 = 1/6)! With guidance from Tamimi foods, a brief talk from Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), and many parents with cooking supplies, the task was a success yielding several dozens of hard-earned muffins! Students gained experience in the kitchen, solidified their understanding of operations with fractions, and reflected on the impact of accuracy in measurement all while connecting with others through a shared experience with food.
By: Steven Hubbard, Mathematics Teacher 13
Toys for Refugees The Grade 6 students had the fantastic opportunity to interview three high school students from Angola in conjunction with their current unit in Design – Toys for Refugees. The high school students had created a product as part of a Design unit that was then produced on a larger scale and delivered to an Angolan refugee camp. The interview connected very well with the Grade 6 students as they are learning about refugees and how they can leverage 3D printing to support people with limited resources. Using Google Hangouts made it possible for our students to connect with other students who have worked directly with NGOs as well as inside refugee camps. This experience has helped our students realize how complex real-world problems are even when all you want to do is help. By Bryan Johnson, GSS Design Teacher Photos by Reece Lennon
Grade 6 Sumobot Robot Wrestling This year the Grade 6 Students did a unit about building a type of Lego Robot called a SumoBot. It was so much fun to construct and then battle other SumoBots within our classes. The winners from each class had a final battle in an assembly in front of all the grades 6, 7 and 8’s. The winning SumoBot, Killer Cara won their class competition and then went to the finals in the assembly. And then guess what‌ Killer Cara won the championships! By: Yomna Nadeem, Grade 6 Student
11
GRADE 6 ENGAGE WITH VIRTUAL REALITY
As teachers we are usually telling students to ‘put your phones away’ so when we asked any student with a phone in class to take it out, it was done with some apprehension. The students downloaded an app. Called ‘Google Expeditions’ and Ms Azra, our Ed. Tech Coach, stepped the classes through how to access virtual tours. The library was buzzing with kids traveling down The Nile River, Walking the Great Wall of China and even in the middle of Ancient Roman battle. The Grade 6 students are preparing to create an ‘Ancients Museum’ as part of our current unit. Integrating technology will be an integral part of creating the artefacts and displays. Using Google Expeditions certainly sparked curiosity and ideas in the children of how this might be achieved and how they can showcase their learning. Keep an eye out for more information and come visit our museum when it opens in January.
By: Kate Muschamp, Grade 6 Teacher Ms Azra and Shirhan exploring Ancient Egypt
Ghaynna taking a guided tour through Roman ruins
12
Grade 6 – World Sports - Cricket CH The Grade 6 PHE students have been investigating how making decisions as part of a team and refining team strategies may help a team be successful when playing cricket. They enjoyed learning a new sport that is loved by 2.5 billion people worldwide. Students developed their cricket skills and created a collaboration skill goal to improve their team's performance. Grade 7 Kayak and Swim Grade 7 PHE students have been developing their skills and techniques while kayaking. In pairs, they have developed their practical and communication skills. They have learned to adapt the way they respond to environmental influences and looked at ways to be better communicators in changing environments. We are lucky to have the Red Sea at our doorstep to provide opportunities for students to experience outdoor activities. They have also worked to improve their freestyle & breaststroke swim stroke. Grade 8 – Badminton FO The grade 8 students have been involved with Badminton over a 7-week block. Developing skills and techniques to become more efficient and accurate in their play. They also had to use interpersonal skills with their partner to establish team strategies and movement concepts to become more successful in the tournament played. Grade 9 - Fitness TT During our Sportfit unit, the grade 9 students worked towards fitness aspects of a specific sport. After getting a baseline level of their fitness, they put together a plan to improve their muscular strength, endurance, agility, etc. From there, it’s implementing their plan, making adjustments and building upon the gains made through their efforts. Grade 10 Movement The grade 10 PHE students have been investigating the statement of inquiry ‘Different cultures express themselves through movement to illustrate their identity’. Students have collaborated with their group to choreograph and perform a movement sequence that expresses their culture and identity. Their sequence incorporates the use of movement concepts - flow, space, time, force, relationships, rotation, and balance, as well as cultural movement techniques and concepts.
It is an unknown fact that three days are enough to change people’s mindsets, and possibly their future. The 4th annual TKS MUN Conference held on the university campus had served as evidence for this; October 9th, 10th and 11th saw three active days of lobbying, debating, and solving some of the world’s most sustainability-threatening issues by passing resolutions. For nearly 300 students taking on different roles in these conflicts, with seven external schools coming to join the action, there were many opportunities to improve negotiation, research and communication skills to think outside the box for finding the best solutions within committees. This conference was made possible due to the leadership and collaboration of so many over several months of planning for its success: the five TKS MUN Directors - Ms. Halverson, Mr. Halverson, Ms. Hall, Ms. Greenfield and Mr. Thompson; the 35 student leaders known as the Secretariat; a number of staff members supporting during the conference; and the logistics efforts of the TKS Activities Office. Additionally, we had the honor of listening to several guest speakers who provided us with inspiration and insight to boost us throughout the conference and even throughout life. Professor Hussam Khonkar from King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology spoke about Saudi’s advancement in solar energy production for the world; Mr. Ed Sleiman, Head of Information Security at KAUST, spoke about the Dark Web; and Professor Niveen Kashab’s PhD student Ms. Somayah Qutub from the BioScience Department spoke about vaccines. To close the conference, Dr. Mani Sarathy, Associate Director of Clean Combustion Research Center, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineer and TKS PAC member, conveyed a life-lesson on progressing with all issues through honesty and diplomacy: “When you throw a small stone in a shallow puddle, it makes a big loud splash. But when you throw a huge rock in a deep lake, the surface quietly ripples. Be a lake, not a puddle.” By:https://issuu.com/thekaustschool/docs/demographics_2018-19_for_web?e=23587344/65292788 Hala AlShanteer, Grade 10 Student TKS MUN 2019 - video link
6