University Fair at TKS
Photo by: Afreen Banu, G9
Seventeen university admission representatives from the United States visited KAUST to speak with interested students and parents from The KAUST School on Wednesday, October 17. The Linden University Fair is organized by the TKS Counseling Department and included the following visiting institutions : • Babson College • Hollins University • Manhattan College • SUNY New Paltz • University of California-Santa Barbara • University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• Creighton University • Hult International Business School • Marist College • Susquehanna University • University of Connecticut • The University of New Haven
• Duke University Kunshan • Illinois Institute of Technology • Middle Tennessee State • University of California-Berkeley • University of Illinois-Chicago
Admission Representatives offered insider insights on the application process to the USA, particularly in regards to the do’s and don’ts of essay writing. TKS students and parents also had the opportunity to ask one on one questions with each university representative in a college fair style environment immediately following the information session. By Lamin Kamara, School Counselor G9-12
October 25, 2018
From the Director It has been an eventful month at TKS and I’d like to take this opportunity to share a few highlights. Last night over 100 parents joined us for our 13th Partners for Learning evening. We know from research that parent engagement with schools has a direct impact on children’s success. Studies clearly show that when parents engage, children perform better and have higher social and interpersonal skills. These evenings also benefit parents themselves who become better informed partners for learning, and they provide an opportunity for educators to gain insights from the collaboration with parents. Thirty-two of our G10 students had the opportunity to share Personal Projects midway with the community, teachers and parents at Discovery Square on Thursday October 18. I am always proud of the research students put into these projects and how articulately they engage with the community. Finally, I’d like to mention that we had our first Board of Education meeting for the year on October 2. One agenda item for the board was to review the latest Demographics and Numbers. Numbers have remained steady in terms of growth and results over the past two years and I amhttps://issuu.com/thekaustschool/docs/demographics_2018-19_for_web?e=23587344/65292788 pleased to be able to share these with you here. I wish you an enjoyable mid-semester break next week and safe travels for those not staying at home. I look forward to seeing you all back at school on Sunday November 4. Leny de Ruijter
Contents BoE Message
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PAC Summaries
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From Elementary From Kindergarten
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From Secondary
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From the TKS Board of Education On October 2, the Board of Education met for the first time of the 2018/19 academic year. This was my first board meeting as the Board Chair and I also had the opportunity to welcome the following new members: • Dr John Tannaci, Chief of Staff, Office of the President, • Mr Chris Sealey, Vice President Community Life, • Hadeel Al Sulaimany, AR and Revenue Lead (Parent representative). • Emad Abdulghani, joined as Secretary to the Board. The October Board meeting is focused on the accomplishments of the previous school year and objectives for the current year. Congratulations to all of the students, staff, and parents for all you achieved last year and welcome to a new academic year. A special congratulations to the seniors who graduated in May. We wish them every success in the future and hope to see them back at KAUST often. I wanted to share the following updates with you from the October Board Meeting: • The School is midway through its journey to become a Beacon School. Director Leny De Ruijter reported on progress toward that goal and on the implementation of the Strategic Plan. • Piotr Olczak presented on the school profile and several data driven initiatives, and the Principals shared divisional highlights for the upcoming year. • Leny reported on the Individualized Learning Plan. • The Board endorsed the School Calendar for 2019-2020. • Finally, Leny reported on her objectives for the year which include hiring for key leadership positions and ensuring a successful transition for the Director’s role. On the last point, Leny and Chris Sealey have been working closely with Michelle Remington (who joins us as Director in August 2019) to ensure she is appropriately updated on initiatives and developments that will carry into the coming years. Finally, on behalf of us all on the BoE, best wishes for a successful 2018-2019 year and thank you for all you are doing as students, parents, staff, and community members in support of our journey toward becoming a Beacon School. Brian Moran The Board of Education on October 2, 2018 Front row (L-R) Mr. Chris Sealey, Prof. Brian Moran, Ms. Hadeel Al Sulaimany, Ms. Leny de Ruijter, Mr. Iain Stirling Back row (L-R) Mr. Henk Kriek, Dr. John Tannaci, Dr. Samir Hamdan, Dr. Brian Matthews Not present Dr. Najah Ashry 3
IB Exam Results - TKS makes history!
Hamza Mohammed receives his TKS diploma from Leny de Ruijter at our 2017/18 Graduation
Our school encourages all students to register for the full IB diploma exams or register for course certificates. Last year, eighteen students achieved the full IB diploma. Fourteen students obtained one or more course certificates. The students who registered for course certificates all obtained a four (out of seven) or higher for their certificates. The results of the IB exams showed student performance consistent with previous years. Last year, one of our students, Hamza Mohammed scored 43 out of 45 points. This is the highest score obtained in the history of TKS. Very few students in IB schools around the world obtain such a high score. Hamza is the second TKS student admitted to UCLA Berkeley since the foundation of the school. His family reports that Hamza has transitioned well and is enjoying his studies. By David Tigchelaar, Secondary Principal
For more information see our latest https://issuu.com/thekaustschool/docs/demographics_2018-19_for_web?e=23587344/65292788 Demographics and Numbers here
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In a nutshell: Summaries of October’s PAC meetings
Kindergarten PAC: • Feedback and discussion on duration, organization and communication of the BOY Parent Teacher Conferences. • Communication to go out before Mid Term Break about KG Parent Breakfast to be held Wednesday 7th November East and Thursday 8th November West. • PAC members were asked to attend and promote attendance among parent community to the Partners for Learning program held on Wednesday 24th October.
Secondary PAC:
• Discussion and suggestions for review of systems and for supervision of children at school with the goal of improving children's safety at school
• Discussed the results, release and publication schedule of the IB exams, the MYP E-assessment and the MAP tests, from release and until publication on our website late in the year. • The PAC sought information on trends and correlations between results and how long students have been at the school, between MYP and DP results, and MYP and MAP results.
Elementary PAC: • Sharing and feedback regarding items to be discussed this year in PAC meetings
• Discussion and feedback on draft of a seasonal overview of all the co-curricular activities, soon be finalised and published to all parents.
• Feedback and suggestions for Parent Information Sessions to be held this year
Follow TKS on Facebook, justhttps://www.facebook.com/TheKAUSTSchool/ click here; then “Like” our Page.
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from Justin Somerville, KG Principal Dear Parents, Last week we had the pleasure of hosting Gill Connell, an early years educational consultant, who specializes in the connection between movement and learning. Gill has written a fabulous book titled ‘A Moving Child is a Learning Child - How the Body Teaches the Brain to Think’. Kindergarten staff were engaged in a range of Professional Learning and Development opportunities during Gill’s visit. As you can see from the images below, it was physical engagement just as much as cognitive. Thank you to everyone who took the opportunity to attend one of Gill Connell’s parent information sessions. We received very positive feedback about the messages that were shared. Have a wonderful Mid Semester Break with your friends and family. Kind regards Justin Somerville KG Principal
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Promoting Social and Emotional Learning in K3 The KG Counselors have been visiting K3 classrooms on a weekly basis to promote social and emotional learning. When children are taught specific strategies for recognising and responding to emotions, thinking through challenging situations and communicating effectively, they are less likely to act out frustrations at school and elsewhere. Classroom teaching of social and emotional skills allows teachers and students to share a common understanding. More importantly, social and emotional teaching and learning builds practical skills that children can apply across a range of situations at school, at home and in the broader community. Classroom teaching which is offered regularly will maximise these benefits. Throughout the year, children will be learning skills in following areas:
1. Skills for learning: Students learn skills to help them learn. Listening, Focusing attention, and Self Talk.
2. Relationship Building: Students learn how to establish and maintain friendships
3. Feelings and Empathy: Students learn to identify and under stand their own and others’ feelings. Students also learn how to take other’s perspectives and how to show compassion.
4. Emotion Management: Students learn specific skills for
calming down when experiencing strong feelings, such as anxiety or anger.
5. Problem Solving: Students learn a process for solving problems with others in a positive, respectful way.
6. Personal Safety: Students learn about personal space and how to keep themselves safe and comfortable around familiar and unfamiliar people.
7. Teamwork and Responsibility: Students learn about fair
ways to play and cooperate as well as how to positively resolve conflict. Students also learn how to take responsibility for their actions and understand that the choices they make have consequences.
Working together with the KG3 Teachers, the KG Counselors are excited to develop socially competent K3 students ready for Grade 1! Yasmeen Ghunaim, Aisha B. Oliver, School Counselors
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Counselors Corner
from Chye de Ryckel, GES Associate Principal 3-Way Conferences Last week we hosted three-way conferences. These conferences provided an opportunity for parents and their children to sit with the classroom teacher and discuss the year ahead. Conferences focused on progress to date and initial goals developed by students and their teachers based on early observations, reflections and assessments. The three-way conferences gave parents an opportunity to understand their children’s progress and goals and provide input into what they believe their children need to have a successful year at school. Feedback from the conferences has been overwhelmingly positive. One parent commented, “It’s wonderful to see my daughter’s awareness of her own strengths and weaknesses in her learning journey. The older she gets, the more reflective she’s becoming. I was really impressed.” Chye de Ryckel Associate Principal
Welcome new GSS staff members Rebecca Kent, one of our K3 teachers, wrote and illustrated the book "Champions of the Mangroves” in collaboration with KAUST Health, Safety and Environment. The idea behind this book highlights the school’s commitment to educating the next generation in our community about the Mangroves and its unique and diverse habitat. The book also highlights the importance of teaching the children how to be better environmentalists. On October 20, a happy book reading took place in Discovery Cinema on followed by a book signing for the children. The feedback and reviews were positive. Congratulations Rebecca! By Safanah Kadi Communications Assistant
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G3-5 Girls Competitive Sports
On a Friday morning, our G5 teacher Ms. Caitlin McQuaid took time to run a weekend activity with a group of grade 3, 4, and 5 girls. With the help of coaches Andy Wright, Philip Silich, Bill Kelly, Jennifer de la Montana, and our associate principal Chye de Ryckel, we were well supported by volunteers. The 33 girls were split into 4 teams, the Tiger Sharks, the Lemon Sharks, the Rainbow Sharks and the Green Giants, and we competed against each other. We played soccer and netball (both as friendly games) and it was a win-win for all of the groups. This took place in our GES gym and on the school soccer ďŹ eld. This went on in a Friday morning so we could enjoy the rest of our weekend and feel good about ourselves and know what we could actually do in our mornings. Our breaks were very short but we still had the energy to continue and learn a few tips on how to play soccer and netball. We think Ms. McQuaid created this event to make the girls get to do something to inspire them in the morning other than stay on technology. It was very hot and sunny, but it was a great experience for all of us and we wish we could do this again. Who knows? Maybe we will... By: Juwana Almoazen, G5CM and Arwa Alsabe, G5TS Chye de Ryckel, Associate Principal 9
Presents
Building 20 Sat, November 10 @ 4 PM Sun, November 11 @ 6 PM Mon, November 12 @ 6 PM
Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast is coming! The Garden Secondary School is excited to announce that its production of Beauty and the Beast is coming to town! Watch this vibrant storybook come to life! This enchanting performance will feature all of the iconic music and characters from the Disney classic. An uplifting production suitable for all ages. Dates and times as above.
Running Time: Approximately one hour, no intermission. 10
from David Tigchelaar, GSS Principal
The Personal Project midpoint exhibition in Discovery square In the month of October the following events took place: • Book Fest started with a new formula with students choosing their own books. • MAP testing took place from 30 September to 4 October. • TKS hosted the MUN conference from 3 - 5 October. • The MYP Certificate Ceremony took place on 9 October. • The Personal Project midpoint exhibition in Discovery square took place on 18 October. • The Parent Information Session on MYP and DP results and Digital Platforms took place during lunchtime on 18 October at the University. • 3-way conferences took place on 22 October and 23 October. We look forward to the following events in November: • The annual Musical will this year take place earlier: on 10,11 and 12 November. • Arts Night, a celebration of student work produced in the Arts classes, will take place on 19 November from 5:30 to 6:30 in the GSS Auditorium. • A group of our MUN students will participate in the YMGE conference in Budapest from 21 - 25 November. • Spirit Days will be celebrated from 25 November to 6 December. • The Grade 9 course selection evening for Gr 8 parents will take place on 27 November from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. • The Grade 11 course selection evening for Gr 10 parents will take place on 28 November from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. 11
The Wave Robots!
Robots are fun! Younes and Emil made a robot called A Complete Disaster, that competed in their class robot battle. They weren’t defeated once in the class but did have an intense battle with Lazerbeam the Black aka Ayman and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTmMFV3rIQE Ikhide. The link is here casting the battle. When we qualified for the big battle, we were speechless because of how many last modifications we made on our robot. We have a short story on our robot here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxXbmtNtFLk&feature=youtu.be
Inclusion - The TKS Way Some of the TKS Instructional Leadership Team recently attended the NESA Fall Leadership Conference. Robyn Collins and Jill Page presented a workshop to share best practice in inclusive education with leaders from regional International Schools. TKS is at the forefront in this field, in developing relational inclusive practice. This approach moves away from the notion of adding onto the classroom norm and trying to ‘fix’ the top and the bottom. Relational inclusion sees all students as part of the learning process in the classroom including the student with learning difficulties or high abilities. Looking for gaps in learning for all students is key. Student Support staff and classroom/subject teachers plan collaboratively and design tailor-made interventions to ensure that the gap is being closed. Explaining TKS’ own learning journey incorporating the use of data-driven methodologies, was of great interest to other Principals and School Leaders. Participants from the other schools were keen to seek ongoing advice and assistance as they continue to develop inclusive practice in their own respective school contexts. By Robyn Collins, Gifted and Talented Coordinator
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Postdocs in G12 Biology
The G12 Biology class were fortunate enough to have visiting scientists from Prof. Samir Hamdan's lab. They brought their equipment and expertise and showed the class how to make, run and read a DNA gel. This is a standard technique used for separating different sizes of DNA called gel electrophoresis. An understanding of this method is required for both SL and HL Biology. TKS students were able to get hands-on experience which will help to truly embed this part of the syllabus into their minds in readiness for their ďŹ nal exam in May 2019. By Emma Nason, Biology Teacher
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Students Get Moving in PHE G6 Movement The theme of the movement unit in G6 is ‘Peace and Conflict’. The students choreograph an interpretive movement sequence to communicate this theme. Throughout the unit, the movement concepts such as time, force and relationships are developed and assessed.
G7 Fitness The Statement of Inquiry for G7 students is ‘implementing and adapting a plan impacts our motivation’. During the fitness unit, students create and implement a 3-week fitness plan . At the completion of the plan, they compare their fitness levels, and reflect upon its impact on motivation and cardiovascular endurance.
G8 World Sports During the G8 World Sports unit, students learn how to apply different communication strategies during doubles badminton to improve their performance. Students also create a movement goal to develop their skills and techniques during gameplay.
G9 Movement G9’s have been exploring the gymnastic movement concepts and skills to design and perform a paired sequence. They used these concepts of space, flow, and formations in their designed plan to adapt/refine the weaknesses they identified in their formative performance.
G10 Fitness
During the G10 Fitness unit, students explore the role of a personal trainer and the different aspects of health. We challenge students to consider how people respond and adapt to their changing lifestyles. Students use all of the training methods and principles of training that they have learned throughout the MYP fitness units to design a training plan to improve their client’s health. 14
As Good as Gold
The U16 boys’ volleyball team enjoyed tremendous success at the 2018-19 SAIKAC tournament in Jeddah this month. The relatively inexperienced squad managed to go against all the odds and secure a silver at the tournament. Throughout the season we trained very hard to become a cohesive unit and experienced a great improvement in such a short time. I am very proud of this squad. Due to our diligence and enthusiasm, we were able to mount a comeback in the semi-final and win 25-21, even though we were down 20-10. We then won a commanding third set to reach the finals. I would like to thank my teammates for all of their hard work and dedication - everyone contributed to our success. Most importantly, I would like to give a huge thanks to our wonderful coaches Mr. Jorge Rodriguez and Mr. Clint Harris who managed to use the correct tactics to send us far in the tournament. GO SHARKS!!!! By: Youssef Elhagrasy 15
The Red Sea Sabres Help Bring Ice Hockey Back to The Kingdom
On Saudi National Day, the Red Sea Sabres received a special invitation from the resurgent Saudi National Ice Hockey team to play an exhibition game at Al Shallal ice rink in Jeddah. The Sabres, primarily made up of TKS teachers, were contacted the night before by Mohammad Bahamdin, the captain of the Saudi National Team. Bahamdin is working with representatives from the Saudi government to resurrect ice hockey in The Kingdom. The Saudi Team’s last overseas competition was in 2010 at the Gulf Cup in Kuwait, and since then ice hockey in the Kingdom has thawed, but a growing interest in the sport has caught the attention of the Saudi government and officials are working with Bahamdin and the Al Shallal ice rink in Jeddah to bring the fastest sport on ice back to the desert. Seven teachers, and three KAUST University employees, traveled to Jeddah for the scrimmage as part of a larger National Day celebration at Al Shallal. After a performance by traditional Saudi performers, the teams took the ice before a standing room only crowd. “I could never have imagined playing in front of a “packed house” two stories high! And that my first game would be on Saudi Arabia’s 88th National Day against the Saudi Arabian National team, “ said Wayne Bartelink, a first year teacher at TKS and the newest member of the Sabres. By Roger Gribbins, Tech Coach 16