Clap out for the
CLASS OF 2018
Photo by: Eshan Wells
On Thursday April 19, GSS students and teachers lined the corridor to ‘clap-out’ the G12’s on their last day of school before preparing for final exams. An annual tradition at TKS, this is always an emotionally charged moment!
April 26, 2018 1
From the Director All three IB programs help our students to understand that ‘Every day is Earth Day’ but this month we celebrated international Earth Day in a special way in each of the divisions: KG share their Earth pledges (p5). GES celebrated Earth Day at their assembly (p7). GSS were delighted to welcome visiting author Matt Dickinson to share his experiences of climbing one of the earths greatest mountains. (p14). The school teamed up with Thuwal Schools and KAUST clubs to celebrate Earth Day in very practical ways. (p15) Next week is Arts Week so please feel free to visit during Arts All Around (p11) in the Garden Secondary School. You can find a link to the schedule for Arts All Around here also. I would also encourage you to read helpful hints from our Counselling team about ‘positive discipline’ (p4) and how best to ‘navigate your child’s digital landscape (13). Finally, we honored our G12 students in the TKS traditional way by ‘clapping them out’ on their last day of school (p1), and the whole school wishes them well in their DP exams over the coming weeks – we know they will make us proud!
Contents PAC Summaries
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Counselors Corner
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From Kindergarten
From Elementary
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From Secondary
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In a nutshell: Summaries of March’s PAC meetings Kindergarten PAC: • Positive feedback received regarding Student Led Conference. The possibility of a mid year parent teacher conference was discussed. • The impact of Ramadan on the KG schedule was shared. There will be no impact other than potential changes to bus drop off times due to a need to free buses up for GES. • KG is currently exploring best options for the format of portfolio’s. A committee is currently looking into this and a decision will be made by the end of the year. • Discussed ways to increase parent engagement in the KG.
Secondary PAC: • Evaluated the Student Led Conference Day: Overall, the PAC are happy with the SLC format. Parents find the conferences beneficial and engaging but a request was made for an additional 3-way conference day in Semester 2 and a reminder email before the SLCs.
ElementaryCaring PAC:
• The school also shared ideas that are considered for next year: - modifying the format of the day, including more practical work in subject classes, in which parents and children would engage in a collaborative task - scheduling the SLC day in the late afternoon with regular classes in the morning - including information sessions for Gr 10 parents about the e-assessment and Gr 12 parents about DP exams.
• Feedback regarding addition of Parent-Teacher Conference for next school year • Feedback regarding suggested Report Card Template for next school year • Ramadan planning update specifically regarding additional activities, transportation and support for fasting students • Discussion of PYP Science scope and sequence and the upcoming evaluation of science curriculum in the next school year
• Ramadan arrangements: The school looked forward to the effects that Ramadan will have on the programme for the years coming up. We will try to reduce assessments during Ramadan but sometimes it is unavoidable that students write exams and summatives during Ramadan.
IMPORTANT TKS DATES:
In addition, the GSS PAC also supports the following Ramadan arrangements: • For fasting students PE is optional. • For fasting students, the school will provide designated areas for rest during break times.
TKS Graduation: Wed, May 23, 2018 (evening) Last day of School for Students: Thur, June 7, 2018 Faculty Closure Day: Thur, June 14, 2018 3
from Justin Somerville, KG Principal Dear Parents, As I wandered around classrooms this week, I have been reflecting on one of our guiding statements ‘Children learn through relationships with other people’. We know that children socially construct their knowledge and understanding of the world by interacting with other people and the surrounding environment. I observed children who were actively engaged in collaborative learning activities involving not only dialogue but in some instances conflict and negotiation. I was so impressed with the children's development in this respect. They have come such a long way since the beginning of the year, where conflict and negotiation was a challenge for some. It was wonderful to see children being able to recognizing their own feelings and the feelings of others and to respond appropriately.
What’s Positive About Discipline? Positive Discipline and Positive Parenting is a researched-based philosophy that empowers teachers and parents with skills to build a child’s sense of community, prepare them for successful living, and increase academic achievement.
Counselors Corner
When we hear the word discipline it often resonates negative thoughts and beliefs. The word “discipline” originates from the Latin word disciplina which means “instruction” and derives from the root discere which means “to learn.” Hence, Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults (including parents, teachers, childcare providers/helpers, and others). The KG Counselors recently attended a workshop on “Positive Discipline” in the Classroom and would like to share the following tools and concepts with Wave readers:
The tools and concepts of Positive Discipline include: • Show mutual respect. Parents can model firmness by respecting themselves and the needs of the situation, and kindness by respecting the needs of the child. • Understanding the belief behind the behavior - recognizing the reasons why your children do what they do and working to change those beliefs rather than only attempting to change the behaviour. • Help your children to have effective communication and problem-solving skills. • Support your children to focus on solutions instead of punishment. • Encouragement (instead of praise). Encouraging effort and improvement, not just success. This builds your child’s long-term self-esteem and sense of empowerment. By: Aisha Oliver & Yasmeen Ghunaim, KG Counselors
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Celebrating our Earth in the Kindergarten From 17-19 April, children in the Kindergarten learned about various ways they can help our Earth. Children connected their learning between home and school by bringing in slightly used clothing for donations, and Earth Day pictures they made at home with their parents. In class, children engaged in a variety of experiences such as recycling paper, separating rubbish, potting plants, making pledges, and celebrating Earth!
Here are a few pledges from students: Hayden: “I promise to not let garbage into the water. I will throw trash in the recycling center." Ghina: “I will not waste water. I will only use what I needed.” Aljoory: “I will not waste any flowers. I will not pull them out of the tree.” Firas: “I will use how much soap I need. When we go to Tamimi, we use our home bags.” Saad: “I will not waste paper. I will just use one paper. If I make a mistake, I will use the other side.” Luisa: “I will not waste electricity. I will not watch too much TV and turn it off. I can play a game with my friends or parents.” Sofia: “I promise not to waste. I will reduce, reuse and recycle! Save the planet Earth”. By Candace Taylor-Weber, KG Librarian
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Kindness Rocks K2 students created kindness rocks and placed them all around KAUST for the community to find and keep. Kindness rocks are decorated rocks with inspirational messages. The children strongly believe that one message, just at the right moment, can change someone's entire day, “...and we hope for that someone to be you.” The children are learning about random acts of kindness and the value of bringing joy to others. An online post about this has also been placed in the community’s Facebook group. Community members are encouraged to share back details and photos if they find any of the rocks. “Where did you find the rock? How it made you feel?” Such feedback will be used in the classroom to help these young learners feel a sense of joy and value. By Virpi Abouzeid, K2 Teacher
Exploring our Senses
During our “Who We Are” unit, the students are exploring how human bodies sense and respond to information. The children have had such fun using their senses through mystery investigations, cooking, and ….! Becky Kent, K3 Teacher 6
from Je Woodcock, GES Principal GES Teacher Appreciation Lunch
On Tuesday April 17th, Gardens Elementary School celebrated the 9th Annual Teacher Appreciation Lunch. The event began in 2009 as an initiative of the Parent Advisory Council to show gratitude to the teachers of our school. This year’s event was once again organized by the PAC and families were encouraged to contribute a dish that was a specialty or treat from their home country to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of our TKS Elementary team. This year the PAC also provided an additional suggestion, offering simple ideas for how the students themselves could show their teachers gratitude. It is fair to say that teachers were left with a deep sense of appreciation thanks to this event. There were delicious dishes prepared representing cultures from all over the world. On behalf of the Gardens Elementary School teachers, I pass on our sincere thanks to the parent community for an outstanding Teacher Appreciation Lunch.
Earth Day at GES
GES embraced Earth Day by having a week of discussions and awareness activites across all grades. One of the activities was asking students to do something nice for mother earth and photograph it. Lots of students did this, and they were proud to share the result. The week ended with an assembly to discuss what had happened in school during the week and it included some performances: from G3 reading poems, G1 trying to solve the plastic crisis and G5 sharing their compassion for turtles wounded in the sea. By Safanah Kadi, Communications Assistant 7
PYP G5 Exhibition The PYP Exhibition is an important milestone in an IB student’s education. This once in a lifetime event is what allows IB students all around the world to showcase all the years of learning in the Primary Years Program. GES 5th graders just finished their six week exhibition and celebrated their learning by sharing with the community last Tuesday night. Each of the six classes inquired into issues that not only impact our community, but the entire world. The students used all of their skills and knowledge gained over the years to become knowledgeable, investigate different perspectives, and take action. 5PS inquired into how food waste and water use contribute to climate change and global warming. 5MP inquired into how transportation choices impact people and their environments. 5HC learned about how choices can impact health and safety. 5TS looked at how humans impact the environment. 5CM students learned about the rights of students and responsibilities to meet their needs and protect their well-being. 5MH investigated how our choices impact our health. Exhibition can be a demanding time for a 5th grader, but we all agree that the level of engagement, and passion for learning can also make this a very rewarding experience. This year was no exception. The 2018 exhibition was an absolute success and we’re all very proud of the class of 2025. By: Philip Silich, G5 Team Lead
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Ramadan Around the World
Ramadan started at GES! Last week, GES held the ‘Ramadan Around the World’ assembly. It was a chance for students to get answers on their questions about Ramadan. A week before that, we encouraged the students to share their concerns and questions by posting them in the foyer of our school. We made sure to answer those questions raised by students and paved the way for the beginning of Ramadan in a simple yet engaging way. A song kicked off the assembly then a dialogue between students in a Question/Answer format, with all that they wanted to know. We ended the assembly with a touching story and we sang a couple of phrases that Muslims typically recite during Ramadan. With this, GES celebrated the beginning of the holy month. Happy Ramadan (Ramadan Mubarak) and God bless all of the people. Rawdhah Radwan, GES Teacher Photos by Safanah Kadi, Communcations Assistant
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from David Tigchelaar, GSS Principal During the month of April students, teachers and parents participated in these events: • Parent Information Sessions • Introduction to the DP for G10 parents on April 10 at 5:30 pm in GSS • Responsible Digital use at home (Social Media, Screen Time, Addiction) on April 17 • Candy-grams on April 15, organised by the Student Advisory Council • Earth Week from April 15 - 19 • Last day of School for G12 on April 19, including Clap Out • G12 Gala on April 20 • PAC Teacher Appreciation Lunch on April 22 We look forward to the following events in May: • Arts week from April 29 - May 3 • SCA Exco elections on May 2 • G11 Language and Literature trip to Greece from May 3 - 7 • Ramadan Presentation for G9 - 11 students on May 3 • Info session for G5 parents on transition from the PYP - MYP on May 9 • Ramadan Presentation for G6 - 8 students on May 10 • DP exams starting April 30 until May 18 • MYP E-assessments from May 8 - 18 • G8 collaborative production (Arts, Music, Drama) May 13-14 • G11 mock exams on May 13-15 and May 20-21 • G12 Commencement: May 23
Coming up in May - The Last Laugh Over the past few months, all of G8 has worked super hard to create the G8 collaborative production.
The Last Laugh is a play about Bobby
Bunting, a traveling salesman who sells jokes and prank objects. He accidentally finds himself in a country, ruled by the fearsome Gloria and Gilbert Grimm, where laughter is completely banned. Accused of being the Greatest Threat to Civilization, he encounters suspicious practices and shady secrets and teams up with the incredibly spoilt celebrity Princess Grizzelda, as he tries to avoid Soldiers One and Two and escape the country. Come and find out whether Bunting can make it out a free man! The Last Laugh will be performed in the GSS auditorium on
May 13th and May 14th at 5.30 p.m. Don’t miss the fun!
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Get ready: April is Arts month!
29 April - May 3 will be ARTS ALL AROUND at TKS! Exhibitions of Art, Music and Drama performances, and lots of participatory activities, all to celebrate the Arts. It’s sure to be a fantastic week full of creativity, expression and fun! Come and join us if and when you are able, to enjoy the talents of ourSchedule: budding https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j-OIOlm450rYlnbRPLyxksRyDI6D7oVkFtyNhDYdykI/edit young artists. Click here for the schedule.
Additionally, we will have our
Spring Concert
on Wed, May 2nd at 5.30 pm in the GSS Auditorium. The performances will include dramatic and musical pieces as well as some of our visual artists showcasing and discussing their works. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the classroom curriculum come to life on the stage! Many exciting opportunities for artists and audiences alike - we look forward to seeing you there!! 11
DP Biology - Class of 2018
The DP Biology course involves at its heart a large and rigorous practical component. A crucial piece of the syllabus is the ability to learn how to complete ecological sampling in the field. For many schools, they are limited to the school pond, or a grassy bank. We, at The KAUST School had the unique opportunity to work with experts from the Red Sea Centre on the environmentally protected mangrove forest ‘Ibn Sina’ here at KAUST. The Class of 2018 were able to put their knowledge learned in the classroom into practice. The skills learned within a short afternoon were so valuable and will be far more easily remembered in the exam than anything taught on a whiteboard. What a gift we have to be able to partner with enthusiastic and dynamic staff at the university, and what benefits for our students at The KAUST School! Emma L Nason, DP Biology Teacher; Euan Riddell, ESS Teacher; Sue Rhodes , ESS Teacher and DP Coordinator 12
Navigating Your Child’s Digital Landscape On April 17th, the GSS Counsellors Andrew Zienchuk and Mahri Wooten in conjunction with GSS Educational Technology Coaches Roger Gribbins and Derek Halverson presented a lunchtime session entitled “Navigating Your Child’s Digital Landscape.” Discussed were some of the data related to TKS student use of and access to various technological devices and social media accounts, as well as ways in which parents can help their children navigate their increasingly technology-centered lives. Included in the session were resources to help parents and their children balance technology in their day to day lives: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children Family Media Plan Guide This tool helps parents to think about media and create goals and rules in line with their family’s values. It https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx#wizard includes an area that supports parents to open a dialogue with their children around media use and family guidelines around the questions of how, when, where and why of media use and consumption. Also included on the site is a Media Time Calculator that simplifies for families the planning of media use. It allows parents to quickly and easily create a chart calculating activities of importance such as family-time, outdoor-play, exercise, sleep, downtime, etc. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is a non-profit organization that is “dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.” The site is quite extensive and includes a rating system for all types of media movies, books, tv, games, apps and websites. It contains reviews of many popular media, family guides, links to the latest research on child development and parenting and much more.
Center for Humane Technology
This site, created by Tristan Harris, a former Design Ethicist at Google, discusses the issues surrounding the pervasive use of social media as well as the monetization of human attention. It has some suggestions of simple changes that will allow both parents and students to live more intentionally with their devices. Thanks to the many parents who took time out of their busy schedules to attend. Special thanks as well for the great discussion at the end of the session. As always, if you have any questions, concerns or want to meet to discuss issues surrounding these topics, please don’t hesitate to book an appointment with a Counselor or EdTech coach. By Derek Halverson, EdTech Coach
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Visiting Author: Matt Dickinson
Visiting author Matt Dickinson took the students on a journey up Mount Everest. He was an engaging storyteller, with the depth of his stories balanced by a warm and entertaining touch. The students were fully engaged by his impressive stories relating climbing many of the world’s tallest peaks. He had the students laughing along but also communicated some of the implications of climbing. Most of all, the visiting author encouraged the students to read. His single most signiďŹ cant piece of advice for students who have the ambition to climb Mount Everest was not to prepare for the physical challenge. Instead, he made it clear that gaining knowledge through reading any and all of the books available on the subject. By: Euan Riddell, Science Teacher 14
Earth Day at GSS Communities get together for Earth Day: TKS & Thuwal School Team Up with KAUST Groups We hope you were able to join in the Earth Day celebrations at the Harbor Sports Field recently. If you took part in the creation of the vertical garden or made a bag out of a recycled t-shirt then you were part of a collaboration between The KAUST School, Thuwal Schools, KAUST Gardening Club, Students’ Arts Group, Green Group and Social Responsibility. The activities were the culmination of lots of planning and preparatory work between all the groups involved, contributing to the overall Earth Day Celebrations co-ordinated by Averda. Students from TKS and Thuwal Schools visited each other’s schools for workshops. TKS students went to Thuwal to share their knowledge of recycling t-shirts into bags and Thuwal students made two trips to work with their peers at TKS to build, sand and paint the pallets for the vertical gardens. The students also gathered together a huge array of plastic bottles of different shapes and sizes, chopping them into various shapes and sizes so they could be transformed into plant pots. On the night, the students and teachers from TKS and Thuwal High School were excellent volunteers, joining with the Students Arts Group, Green Group Gardening Club and Social Responsibility in assisting on the stalls to demonstrate how to recycle a t-shirt into a bag and to guide people in painting the plant pots, filling them with earth and plants and then hooking them on the vertical garden. By: Virginia Sealey, Communications Social Responsibility
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