2019 U19 Girls Basketball Champions (from left to right). Back Row: Head Coach Laney Rweyemamu, Amy Tulley (G10), Faiza AlBader (G12), Ruba Gari (G10), Lana Fairaq (G12), Assistant Coach Caitlin McQuaid. Front Row: Aliya AlUariachi (G12), Zoe Somerville (G12), Lama Fairaq (G12), Franchesca Cadiz (G11)
GOLD!
Back-to-Back Champions
Basketball is far more than a sport with the aim of getting a ball through a hoop - it’s about teamwork, sacrifice and digging in deep when you feel like you’ve got absolutely nothing left to give. This sums up the TKS U19 Girl’s Basketball SAIKAC tournament experience held at the American International School of Riyadh on the 14th and 15th of March. With pressure to defend last year’s championship, the small team of just eight girls, five of which were returning players, rose to the occasion and peaked at just the right time to hail themselves the victors! March, 2019
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From the Director This is a very busy time for our students as their learning becomes visible and in some cases the year’s work comes to fruition. In this edition we see many fine examples across the divisions, to mention a few: • In GES 100 children performed in the musical “Freddy the Frog and the Jungle Jazz” after many weeks of practice and preparation (p9) • Our DP art students curated their final art exhibition project in the University Library (p21) • Several Basketball tournaments took place with the U19 Girls bringing home the Gold (front page) No March edition of The Wave would be complete without acknowledging the great success of another Parade of Nations. Special thanks goes to the TKS students and staff who helped with the organization. With over 70 country tables and over 1000 people marching in the parade, this wonderful event celebrates so much of what we appreciate about KAUST: Our People
Place Pride!
With school closed for Spring Break, I’d like to wish all those who are travelling a safe journey. These breaks are vital for students to recharge and be ready for the last few months of the school year. It will be a very busy time for all with many culminating events taking place across the school.
Content 03 | PAC Summaries 05 | From Kindergarten 10 | From Elementary 15 | Counselors Corner 16 | From Secondary - Sports & News 2
In a nutshell: Summaries of March’s PAC meetings Secondary PAC: • Two PAC members recently visited the cafeteria on Tuesday (Hamburger Day) to get an impression of the food. They will come back on another day to get a more realistic impression of the food offered.
Kindergarten PAC:
• Parents expressed concern about opportunities for students on campus outside school hours. School will support surveys researching what interests the students have.
• A KG teacher appreciation event will take place on April 9th. A ‘heads up’ to parents will be sent out before Spring Break
Discussion about DP: • Concerns about workload in the DP (this is a worldwide concern and the IB is doing a longitudinal study on this topic) • The practice of finding and using tutors. • Importance of participating in 3-way conferences with teachers • Comparison with AP As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the GSS PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings: - Marleen Stuyck - stuyckmarleen@gmail.com - Amr Atiah - amr.atiah@kaust.edu.sa
• Parents shared positive feedback about the International Week and all of the wonderful activities that took place in the KG • Discussed transition from Grade to Grade and in particular - K3 to Grade 1 and what is in place to support a smooth transition. As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the KG PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings: - Sagar P. Parajuli - sagar.parajuli@kaust.edu.sa - Hind Aljohani - Hind.johani@kaust.edu.sa - Shan Yang - Shan.yang@kaust.edu.sa - Shuyu Sun - shuyu.sun@kaust.edu.sa - S. Mani Sarathy - mani.sarathy@kaust.edu.sa
- Ming-Ming Chou - mingming.chou@kaust.edu.sa
GES PAC Summary
- Cherine Fayad - cherine.fayad@kaust.edu.sa
• Administration shared possible next steps for improving the transition to G1
- Alexandra Aguiar Gomes Alexandra.Gomes@kaust.edu.sa - Niveen Khashab - niveen.khashab@kaust.edu.sa - Brian Ross - brian.ross@kaust.edu.sa
• Feedback sought from PAC members on additional recommendations for the transition • Discussed history of additional programming offered during Ramadan as it relates to a shortened school day • Feedback sought on possible approaches this year to Ramadan programming
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• Finalized plans for annual Teacher Appreciation Lunch on April 9th. As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the GES PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings: - Anna Rautek - anna.rautek@kaust.edu.sa - Caroline Knowles - caroline.knowles@kaust.edu.sa - Kathy Farrell - kathy.farrell@kaust.edu.sa - Claire Manchon - claire.manchon@kaust.edu.sa - Hadeel Al-Sulaimany - hadeel.sulaimany@kaust. edu.sa
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from Justin Somerville, KG Principal Dear Parents, International Week was a major highlight for the Kindergarten this month. It provided us with an opportunity to celebrate the many countries and cultures that make up our Kindergarten community. Throughout International Week, the children were so excited to share in many ways, where they come from and what it means to them. From traditional foods to clothing and much more! This reminds us all, that we are so lucky to live in such a diverse community. We also had a wonderful assembly with performances from various cultural groups within the community. The children enjoyed watching and were a fantastic audience. Justin Somerville KG Principal
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K1 Art Show On March 12th the K1 students, the youngest at TKS, held their opening night for the annual Large Canvas Art Show at the Island Recreation Center. All K1 classes worked collaboratively to create ten student-led, very unique artworks on large canvases. This was done as part of the ‘How We Express Ourselves’ unit of inquiry. Students had to take risks, work as a team and problem-solve in order to create their class masterpiece. During the show, children proudly shared their art works with friends and family. They described the various techniques that they incorporated and learned about throughout the unit. The exhibit is a celebration of these young students’ hard work, knowledge and communication skills. By Olga Oreamuno, Kindergarten Teacher
K1 Fun Art Day Lastly, we had the opportunity to create a clay piece as a class. Overall, it was a busy morning but a great way to celebrate nearing the end of How We Express Ourselves. By Emily Cunniff, KG K1 Teacher.
K1 had three workshops with artists from the community who came to work with the children for our How We Express Ourselves unit. First, we worked on some larger Palescandolo paintings. Next, we used taped canvas to create paintings where each of us had a section to paint anyway we wanted. We’ll hang these up in the classroom as they are bright and colorful!
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K2 Takes Action
Whilst exploring our community during our How We Organise Ourselves unit of inquiry, K2 children visited many playgrounds in KAUST. They were motivated to take action after visiting the new Realm Park. Children were too hot because there was no shade and several of the water fountains weren’t working. Children wanted someone to help fix this problem so their teachers helped them to think about what they could do to take action. A meeting was organised with Mr Omar Al-Omar, Director of Community services and engagement.
Children met Mr. Omar at the Community Hub in Discovery Square where they raised their concerns and asked him to help. Mr Omar took the time to speak to each child and listen to what they had to say. Everybody had also drawn a picture of how they felt at the playground. Children explained that they loved the playground but not the hot sun. Mr. Omar reassured the children that the water fountains would be fixed and that he would speak to people about creating shade. Our K2 children were delighted to feel like they had made a real difference in our community. Kielly Arbuthnot & Claire Devey, K2 Teachers
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K3 International Week
During the international week, the children had many opportunities to expand their knowledge and understanding of various cultural practices and international mindedness. They enjoyed dressing in their national costumes, listening to greetings from different languages and watching performances from different nationalities. They are beginning to understand that the international week is not only about celebrating where we come and from but where we currently live as a global community. Being caring and open-minded are some of the good qualities we develop as global-minded citizens of the world. By Gayani Newns K3 Teacher.
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Monday Morning Jam To start the KG students day in a fun way, KG Principal Justin roamed with his guitar around the school playing and singing with the children. Many students decided to join him; they sang and danced to his tunes. Afterward, they returned to their classes feeling happy and content. By Safanah Kadi, TKS Communications Officer. Photo by Megan Read, K2 Teacher.
Chick Update Last week we noticed that the chicks were getting bigger and their wings grow feathers. They like to fly when we had a chance to take them one by one out of the tub. They need a bigger space to stretch. We watched a video about habitat below that sparked their thought that the chicks now is needing a bigger space to fly and play. Some teachers from K3 together with Ms. Mel, Ms. Katie, Ms. Jessica, Ms. Alison, and Mr. Justin worked together to fix the chicken coop to be ready for the chicks. From Sunday to Tuesday, the children also helped as a team helping to finish the coop.
On Tuesday, we needed to separate the male chicks, baby roosters, and transferred them to other farm and kept the baby hens at school.
Fluffy
As a class, we watched a video about how to find out if a chick is a male or female. Then, they observed and found out that we have three males: Mudlee, Snow Hearts, and Speedy, while Smarty Pants and Fluffy are females because they don’t have a combe and wattles. By Rinanti Susbandayani, K3 Teacher. Smarty Pants
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from Jeff Woodcock, Elementary School Principal
Last year, Gardens Elementary School offered our division’s first ever musical. This was brought together by a group of dedicated and passionate educators: Katie Hoffman, Shani Laulua, Scott Ferrare and Kristin Anson. Our first musical, titled “Swamped”, was a huge success and proved to be a great opportunity for students to have their first exposure to participating in a musical performance. It was clear that a tradition had been started.
two shows for the school community on March 12th and 13th. The show was great for audiences of all ages with plenty of fun and lively songs performed. The show included nearly fifty students from our elementary school choir, plus another thirty students as members of the cast, and twenty students who helped with set design. All told, nearly one-sixth of the student body played a role in the musical, presenting a great opportunity for so many students.
This year the GES musical was back with “Freddy the Frog and the Jungle Jazz”. The effort was spearheaded again by the same group of enthusiastic educators plus the support of activities coordinator, Bill Kelly, and several other staff from GES. The students began rehearsing in January for the performance, which culminated with
As I noted to the audience following the final show, the musical was a culmination of a lot of hard work from students and teachers alike, and is clearly a wonderful addition to our annual activities program.
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Colors of Nations
The Kaust Elementary Schools celebrated the International Week. The week was full of fun enriching activities like fashion, colors, flags, music, and food from all over the globe. All nations represented by the GES community were in harmony and felt like one big family. There were a lot of clothes to try on and so many tasty foods to taste. Also, we were introduced to authentic dances and culture by staff and students. The host country, Saudi Arabia, celebrated the International Week by presenting the most popular foods, dances, and fashion from all parts of the kingdom. Then a short live play was projected to show the developments of the Saudi nation from the very early days until the present. All the gratitude to Ms. Alanud Alfaqir and Ms. Lamyaa Aladwani who took part in helping me prepare and execute all the Parade of Nations preparations and also contributed by holding the Saudi flag, proudly forever.
Finally, May God keep this land safe and guarded by all those residing on its soil in a way to reach the 2030 Vision safe and sound by feeling and acting upon the verse from the Holy Quran: Surat Al-Hujurat 13 اس إِنَّا َخلَ ْق َناكُم ِّمن َذكَ ٍر َوأُنث َٰى َو َج َعلْ َناكُ ْم شُ ُعوبًا َوقَبَائِ َل لِتَ َعا َرفُوا ۚ إِ َّن أَكْ َر َم ُك ْم ِعن َد اللَّ ِه أَتْقَاكُ ْم ۚ إِ َّن اللَّ َه َعلِي ٌم َخ ِب ٌري ُ يَا أَيُّ َها ال َّن “Mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted”. Rawdhah Radwan, GES Islamic Studies TeacherPhotos by Janetta Heinicke. Grade 1 Teacher, GES 10
G1 Week in Pictures
Grade 1 week in pictures; graphing, letter writing, investigating, surveying and a visit to the ambulance!
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Visiting Artists In the spirit of starting a new unit of How to Express Yourself, Grade 2 attended a show of visiting artists who performed and presented different types of art. The students were introduced to the artists and learned what inspires and motivates them and what helps them to be creative in their art forms. What an exciting and fun way to learn. By Safanah Kadi , TKS Communications Officer Photos by Alanoud Jammal, GES G2 Teacher
Mouthwatering Mouths In the International Week, morning recess, the children enjoyed getting the chance to taste foods from some parts of the world they don’t usually sample. Yum yum! Many thanks to all the hardworking chefs and shoppers for our delicious selection of foods from around the world today.
By Ben Mullens, GES G3 Teacher.
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Celebrating International Week
Grade 5 as a class have been busy celebrating the international week. People have worn different clothes from different countries. They have eaten snacks from all over the world, and the whole class have shared different poems and shown which sports teams they support. They also had guest speakers and performances. By Michael Parkin, GES G5 Teacher.
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from David Tigchelaar, GSS Principal
Looking Back
Looking Forward
• International Week took place from 3 - 7 March, with an assembly, students and staff dressed in national costumes, international finger food and the Parade of Nations.
• 1 - 4 April - Stephen Davies, a well-published author, will visit us to work with students
• We enjoyed creative expressions in a Variety Show in the GSS Auditorium on 4 March
• 15 April - Student Led Conferences 2.00-4.00 pm and at 4:00 Designapalooza
• GSS hosted its first ever Saudi University fair on 6 March.
• 16 April - Grade 11 parent info session 4: 15 - 5:15; Gr 12 parent info session 5:30 - 6:30
• A group of Grade 6 - 8 students participated in the ISTA (International Schools Theatre Association) festival from 6 - 8 March in Abu Dhabi.
• 17 - 19 April - SAIKAC MS Music Festival@TKS
• TKS hosted the U16 Boys SAIKAC Basketball tournament on 7 & 8 March
• 21- 25 April - MAP Testing
• GSS students participated in the Track & Field tournament in Bahrain on 14 and 15 March
• 24 April - Arts Night
• Some other GSS students participated in a MUN conference at BISJ on the same dates
• 26 April - Grade 12 Gala
• The DP Art Exhibition opening took place on 18 March in the University Library • A group of GSS students went on a community service trip to South Africa
• 8 April - Grade 10 student + parent info session 5:15 - 6:30 (Maths, E-assessment, college counseling)
• 21 April - PAC Teacher Appreciation Lunch • 23 April - Grade 12 Parent Dinner • 25 April - Last Day for Grade 12, Earth Day Assembly • 28 April - Grade 5 & Grade 6 Parent Info Night - 5:30 - 6:30 • 30 April - Grade 8 production
Shake, Rattle and Roll Coming up: the Grade 8 annual collaborative production! Students from the whole grade level have been busy working together as actors, directors, musicians, set and costume designers, set builders and scene painters, lighting and sound operators and stage crew to produce a musical play. This year’s play is called “Shake, Ripple and Roll”, set in a 1950’s ice-cream parlour and told by Dirk Manley, private detective. It’s a peaceful day like any other, with Mr. Cone (yes, as in “ice-cream cone”!) the manager, Joey Nobody the icecream soda maker, four sassy waitresses and all their customers, when suddenly, superstar diva Deanna La Domme flounces in to announce her takeover of their favourite hangout…. Will Deanna get her way? Or will Joey and the ice-cream crew defeat her plans and win the day? Come and find out on April 30th and May 1st in the GSS auditorium! 14
The first Saudi University Visit to TKS On Wednesday 6 March, four of Saudi Arabia’s prestigious Universities and the National Centre of Assessment (Qiyas) visited The KAUST School. TKS high school students well attended the event along with their fellow Thuwal students and parents looking to acquire more information about undergraduate programs, the admission requirements, scholarships options and costs associated with universities.
Each university and Qiyas received individual queries and questions from students and parents after their formal address. All attendees had an informative time learning about the different options offered by the universities and the requirements of the Qiyas.
The event started with TKS Director welcoming all attendees and guests, then followed by a brief introduction by each university about what they can offer.
• Dar Al-Hekmah University
The National Centre of Assessment (Qiyas) had the opportunity to present about standardized assessments and the aptitude tests (Qudrat and Tahsilli).
Participating Organizations: • Jeddah University
• Effat University • Batterjee Medical College • National Centre of Assessment By Lamyaa Aladwani Student Support Office Coordinator TKS
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ISTA Trip to Abu Dhabi
On 6 March 2019, a group of grade 6-8 students set off with great excitement and anticipation to Abu Dhabi, to meet up with students from 7 other internationals schools from all over the world for the Middle School ISTA (International Schools Theatre Association) festival. The festival was held at the Cranleigh School from 7-9 March 2019.
Students played and explored alongside their new friends create wonderful final performances using the different skills and techniques they learnt throughout the process. They even got to go on a special tour to the LOUVRE museum! At first, they were a little nervous about the trip but made some amazing friends that they will stay in touch with and hope to see again at the next festival... The ISTA trip lived up to hopes and expectations in every way. ISTA 2020 - here we come!
Students were put into ensembles with people from all the other schools and each ensemble was led by a professional theatre artist. They engaged in a variety of drama activities to creatively investigate the theme of ‘BUILDING SKYLINES’. There were also workshops revolving around skills as diverse as set-building, musical theatre, dance and improvisation. 16
LEBMUN The trip was four days, and so one might think that it is only a very short period of time. What can one achieve in four days? These days were some of the most influential for the ten students and two teachers who set out to represent TKS MUN in Lebanon from Thursday the 21st to Sunday the 24th of February. Not only did we gain all the factual information that the conference had to offer, but we learnt many things conceptually, too. We were so inspired by the culture and history. We visited historical and religious sites that only influenced us to explore and left us wanting more, too. Fragments of the Romans, the Crusades, the Civil War and more stayed with us throughout the trip and since. We had the opportunity and the privilege of holding our conferences in the official United Nations building in Beirut, ESCWA. We debated and negotiated solutions to the problems of the world. Topics ranged from human rights to cyber terrorism to economic resilience. As the Co-Secretary General said in his speech in the opening ceremony, “Everyone in this conference has one common trait, and that is passion.� We fought for our ideas, passed resolutions, and connected in multiple ways. By Hala Alshanteer, Grade 9.
Boxtree Workshop
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Track and Field Meet
On the weekend of March 14-16th, twelve students from TKS traveled to Bahrain for a Track and Field meet to compete against four other schools, from ages 12-18. We had arrived at the school on the first day and after a good night’s sleep, we were prepared for a healthy start to the tournament the next day. The first day of the tournament started off with our qualifiers and a few finals. After cleaning up from the first day we had a chance to go to the Gravity indoor for a fun experience of indoor skydiving. Flying high and low allowed us to feel the full breeze experience jumping out of an airplane.
The success of the qualifiers from the first day allowed us to take part in more finals for the next day of competition. After a morning and afternoon of immense hard work, dedication, and patience we finally got the results we deserved in all the practices we had trained for. Winning an astonishing 53 medals in total, 25 gold, 13 silver, 15 bronzes and a number of personal bests we came back home with our proud achievements and many personal records. We were supported throughout by our coaches and a very vocal group of parents who traveled to cheer us on which was really appreciated. Richard Davies, Activities & Athletics Director 18
U16 Basketball Boys
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U19 Basketball Boys
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Grade 12 Art Exhibition Art at TKS inspires and nurtures students in all areas of creative endeavor. Students express themselves in unique and transformational ways, depending on their understanding of themselves and the world in which they live. The IB Diploma Programme visual arts course encourages students to challenge their own creative and cultural expectations and boundaries. It is a thought-provoking course in which students develop analytical skills in problem-solving and divergent thinking, while working towards technical proficiency and confidence as artmakers.
Variety Show On Monday 4 March, students and teachers gathered in the GSS Auditorium for a fine selection of performances by our talented musicians, singers and actors. The performers kept the audience captivated
This final exhibition is the culmination of the students IB visual arts experience. They present a selection of their best work in the form of a curated final show and defend and articulate their purpose and intention in a written rationale. By Jecton O. Were, GSS Art Teacher.
and entertained with beautiful solos, duets and ensemble songs from lyrical ballads to hard rock, instrumental classical music and stand up comedy. The atmosphere was one of support, encouragement and enthusiasm as the young artists took to the stage to showcase their many talents. 21
CAS and Service as Action: The CAS Project Every March, students in the final year of their Diploma must submit their Creativity, Activity, Service portfolio. This is a collection of evidence and reflections on the activities (known as ‘experiences’) students have undertaken over the past two years in the three strands, and is necessary to satisfy the requirements of this component of the Diploma Core. Forming part of every student’s CAS is the Project. The Project is studentinitiated, collaborative, and must last at least a month.
Eager Grade 11 students got an early start on their Projects this year. Diana held a “Bollywood Evening” in Discovery Square. “Planning an event to share Indian culture was an interesting experience. Organization and persevering made seeing the event come together exciting,” she said. Bethany, Hanna, and Hiran collaborated on “Concert for Kids”, an evening featuring the music young children enjoy in a forum in which they could make as much noise as they liked. Bethany remarked: “I never truly realized the need for a kids concert in the community until we held one. We taught them that playing music can be fun, and how different instruments can make different sounds!” Aya and Saad ran an after-school art workshop for kindergarteners, and noted: “Working with kids teaches you something new everyday.” Xarlasht organized a middle school choir. “It was a completely different experience to encourage creativity in someone else rather than myself,” she claimed. Still to come--the first edition of Alfia and Sajedah’s literary magazine, The Eastern View. The magazine “was born from a desire to see student art presented formally and appreciated by an audience. It was definitely a challenging endeavor; creating a cover, deciding on a theme, compiling work, and formatting, but it was also one of our most rewarding experiences”.
This year Grade 12 student Projects ranged from football clinics to cultural events, from Cub Scout badges to Yoga and Mindfulness clubs. Ibrahim and Zyad have just finished running a football clinic for boys from Grades 1 to 5. “It was a valuable experience for the boys to learn about friendly competition,” notes Zyad. “And parents said they were happy that their children had learned the importance of teamwork and expressed the wish that it would continue next year.” Earlier in the year, Rumaysa and Nadira held a “Coffee House” in which students and teachers showcased their creative talents, from printed The CAS Project challenges students to “show initiative, fabric and dance, to song and poetry. demonstrate perseverance, and develop skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and decisionmaking”. [IB Diploma Creativity, Activity, Service Guide] Along the way, these student enterprises encourage interactions that ultimately enrich our whole community. By Beth Lincoln, Language and Literature Subject Area Leader. 22
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