Celebrating Saudi National Day The KAUST School’s Arabic Department pulled out all the stops once again this year, with a week-long activities program for both the students and staff at TKS. As we celebrated the lead up to the 89th National Day of our host country, a huge variety of activities were enjoyed by all in TKS - including guest speakers, musical performances, traditional foods, the opportunity to explore musical instruments and photo booths in traditional Arabic tents. This was a week of cultural enrichment as well as fun, with wonderful performances including a demonstration of the Riyadh Traditional Folk Dance on Monday, September 16, and a dance performance traditional to the western region of Saudi Arabia at the assembly on Thursday, September 19 - the perfect way to end a week of celebration here at TKS.
More photos on pg 4&5 - a special thank you to those who helped photograph all of the Saudi National Day events; Reece Lennon, Naomi Nason, Kylie Johansen, Serdar Mutlu, Marketa Flachsova and Leona Kelly
September, 2019
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From the Director Dear Community Members, Parents, and Students: We have had a wonderful start to the 2019-20 school year. I want to thank all of the parents who came to the Back to School Nights at each division to meet the teachers and gain a better understanding of the learning programs at TKS. I also want to give a huge thank you to the TKS faculty for their dedication and professionalism to start the year. We have just finished up a wonderful week of celebrations across all divisions for Saudi National Day as well as multiple parent presentations including Out of Kingdom Trips, College Counseling, and the IB Diploma Program for grade 11 students, just to mention a few. We have many more informational sessions ahead, so keep up to date on what’s available by viewing the calendar on the TKS website and checking your email regularly. This year is a big one for TKS as we finalize our current strategic plan and begin the process of writing the next chapter for our future. The first step in this process is the Mission Summit held on Sept. 26 and 28. From there we will further develop our guiding statements, strategic plan, and curriculum documents. This will serve as an integral part of our accreditation process which is a primary focus for our school this year. It will also lay the foundation from which we will continue to grow and improve the TKS experience for all students. I look forward to seeing you all at The KAUST School 10th Anniversary Celebration on October 3 and Partners for Learning on October 14. Kind regards Michelle Remington Director
Content 03 | PAC Summaries 06 | From Kindergarten 09 | From Elementary 13 | From Secondary - Sports & News 14 | Counselors Corner 2
KG
Meet your PAC
GES
From left to right: Jessica Dalton (Associate Principal), Ying Wu, Hind Aljohani, Rebecca Buttigieg, Anna Solarska-Combe, Tiffany Hill (Principal)
GSS
From left to right: Ahmed Kadoura, Subram Maniam Sarathy, Chye De Ryckel (Associate Principal), Anna Rautek, Andreia Farinha, Jeff Woodcock (Principal), Ana Margarida Costa (Missing: Faisal Wali and Meriem Laleg)
From left to right: Amr Atiah, Hadeel Alsulaimany, Brian Ross, David Tigchelaarl (Principal), Hussain Hoteit, Cherine Fayad, Melissa Fotea, Vishanu Bhoja (Associate Principal), AbdulAziz Alfaraj
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Saudi National Day at TKS
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from Tiffany Hill, KG Principal
Dear Parents, The first two months in Kindergarten were filled with opportunities to build relationships, learn new things, and celebrate each other. The Drop-in Sessions were very successful in setting students up for success on the first day of school. The KG Back to School Night was an exciting opportunity for us to begin developing our commitment to school/home partnership. This past week we celebrated Saudi National Day, building an understanding and appreciation of our host country, Saudi Arabia. In the coming month, we will celebrate The KAUST School’s 10th anniversary. We will also engage in Parent-Teacher Conferences during the week of October 6th - 10th. Parent-Teacher Conferences are an opportunity for you to connect individually with your child’s teacher to dialogue about transitions into the new school year and develop the next steps for learning. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the warm welcome to TKS, the KAUST community, and Saudi Arabia. If we haven’t had the chance to meet face to face, please don’t hesitate to visit us in the Kindergarten or reach out via email. I look forward to the year ahead as we grow together. Warmest, Tiffany Hill, Kindergarten Principal
Welcoming some new members of staff to KG Tiffany Hill - KG Principal Gitta Bakonyi – K1 Homeroom Teacher Charis Fack – K1 Homeroom Teacher Anasuya Chakraborty – K2 Homeroom Teacher Ana Ferrufino-Mejia – K1 Homeroom Teacher Jessica Milne – K3 Homeroom Teacher Naomi Scarrott – K1 Homeroom Teacher Dina Maddah – K1 Arabic Teacher Sara Alasani – TDP Lama Khaloufa - TDP
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KG’s First Day Back to School!
The first day back at school is always one full of emotions - excitement, happiness, excitement...and maybe even a little uncertainty too. The first day of school this year was one of the largest that TKS has ever seen, with a record 1591 pupils, and a large K1 cohort of 164 pupils. It was wonderful to watch all the children in Kindergarten on their first day, as they settled into their new classrooms, forged new friendships and became accustomed to their new chapter. We eagerly look forward to the year ahead to see how the children grow and develop and feel privileged to be sharing this special time with them.
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Are you 13 or under and dreaming of becoming a true artist? Now you can create your own artwork and showcase it to the whole KAUST community. The next Artists of KAUST Junior exhibition will be held at the Harbor Library from November 17 to December 1, 2019 and is waiting for you to participate! If you wish to take part in the exhibit, please follow these three simple steps: STEP 1 – register for the exhibition Registrations are open from Sunday, September 29 to Thursday, October 17. You can register as an individual, group or family group: • Individual – a junior artist aged 13 and under living in KAUST • Group – a group activity held outside TKS • Family Group – a family group activity held outside TKS Painting, photography, textile, jewelry, sculpture, installations and ceramics can all be submitted as artwork, you can only submit one piece of artwork for the competition. Artworks must have been created outside of the school curriculum, must not be part of a school project, and must not have been previously displayed as part of the Artists of KAUST Jr. exhibition or any other community or school exhibit - please read the full guidelines before registering. STEP 2 – submit your artwork Once you have registered to take part in the exhibition, your artwork must be delivered to the Harbor Library between November 3 and November 10, 2019, 4.00 P.M. – 6.00 P.M STEP 3 – come along and enjoy the exhibition! The opening ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 4.30 P.M. and the exhibition will be open at the 8 Harbor Library from November 17 to December 1, 2019. Winners will be announced on Sunday, December 1 at 4.30 P.M.
from Jeff Woodcock, Elementary School Principal
During the week of September 15-19, Gardens Elementary School celebrated Saudi National Day with a series of festivities. The annual activities in GES have developed over the years from a one-day celebration to a weeklong program of activities designed to celebrate our host country and also educate our students and staff about local culture and traditions. A team of teachers developed a wide array of activities that have made the week full of excitement for our students. The week began with all students receiving a small gift inspired by Saudi Arabia, our Bedouin tent has been up in the front foyer inviting classes in for story time, students dressed up on Monday in their green and white, and on Wednesday both students and teachers had the opportunity for a traditional Saudi meal through Tamimi. Additionally, each class could participate in creating art and crafts with palm leaves and on Thursday we wrapped up the week with a whole assembly that
included dance performances and a Saudi band. A big thank you to our team of staff members who put together an outstanding lineup of events celebrating Saudi National Day.
Coming up... • Tuesday September 24 – Season 1 of After-School Activities and Enrichment begins • Thursday October 3rd – Celebrating 10 Years of TKS – Building 20 Auditorium • October 24-20 – GES Parent-Teacher Conferences
Welcoming some new members of staff to GES Dawn Burks - Grade 2 Teacher
Mike Paterson - Grade 3 Teacher
Ben Tan - Grade 3 Teacher
Hannah Thrailkill - Grade 3 Teacher
Kirra Tan - Grade 2 Teacher
Tony Orbell - Grade 3 Teacher
Adam Llevo - PE Teacher
Michael Reid - Grade 4 Teacher
Jen Chan - Student Support
Andrew Milne - Grade 4 Teacher
Pamela Garz - Learning Support Andrew Shuttleworth - Art Teacher Reham Al-Dubayyan - Arabic Teacher Gyorgy Horvath - Grade 1 Teacher Penny Orbell - Grade 1 Teacher Toluwalogo Daramola - Grade 1 Teacher Minaal Amin - Grade 3 Teacher 9
Saudi National day at GES
Each year Saudi Arabia celebrates its national day with pride and honor. In TKS, we celebrate our great country for a whole week and not just one day. Saudi National team in GES celebrated this event with different activities for students and teachers. Every day, we had a hospitality table for teachers including gifts, food, and Arabic coffee. We also had a big lunch for staff on Wednesday where teachers experienced tasting Saudi traditional food and Saudi floor seating. Students at GES had big opportunities this year celebrating and enjoying the event. Each class had a workshop with a Saudi lady about making art and craft using palm leaves. Students also got a chance to read informational books and stories about the culture of Saudi Arabia inside a cozy Arabic tent at GES reception. Each class in GES had a chance to take group and individual pictures with huge displays of King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman. Moreover, students experienced Saudi traditional lunch at the cafeteria on Wed. On Thursday, Sep 19, GES first assembly was about Saudi National day. Students enjoyed watching a Saudi band performing Traditional performance. They also learned about respecting old people as a part of the Saudi culture by watching a life skit acted by elementary students and a video about helping others in needs. Another piece at the assembly was watching a slideshow about the beauty of Saudi Arabic and great nature to explore. Wjdan Qari, Elementary Teacher
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Optimistically starting the year in the Islamic Department In the Islamic classes, every student has the chance to learn in a delightful, creative, and active way. This year, we decided as a team to start our students with some active routines with the support of our PEDCO, Ms. Laura. We added a game during our lessons called Cooperative Juggling form a book titled Positive Discipline. This addition to our class had its effect on the students from the first few days in the semester. We witnessed the happiness in their eyes, the harmony between all the peers, and the delivery of learning objectives which took place due to the multi teaching aids incorporated within this game. We played soccer, which focuses on teamwork, building trust, and collaboration between all members so we can all succeed as a team. Exactly like our religion, Islam, which has at its heart the importance of group work as Allah has his hand with the united community. As teachers, we often find it hard to find an activity that suits all levels, but this activity met all the teaching requirements for all elementary grades. The teachers at the Islamic Department felt the successof this initiative, and the year ahead of us should be much happier Rawdhah Radwan, Islamic Studies Teacher
Coming up...
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Life Skills courses offered by Role Models Following the very successful Resilience workshop delivered by Role Models© in June this year, Community Life is delighted to offer further Role Models workshops from Sunday 27 October to Thursday 31 October inclusive: • Brilliant Me and My Confidence – for 6-7 year olds • Creative Problem Solving – for 8-11 and 12-15 year olds Role Models is an education provider that specializes in Life Skills Courses for children. The key skills taught ensure students are prepared not only for the challenges of life but are also proven to have a positive impact on academic attainment. The Role Models team believe that talking and thinking should be given as much weight as reading and writing in any child’s development and they run courses on a range of topics which are designed to support that belief. The courses are run by experienced professionals and delivered through active learning to challenge and empower the children. There are three courses offered in the “Brilliant Me” series (for 6-7 year olds) – Confidence, Mind and Feelings and four courses in the “Life Skills” series (for 8-15 year olds) – Collaboration, Leadership, Resilience and Creative Problem Solving. If you would like to find out more about Role Models and the workshops they will deliver at KAUST, you can join a Webinar on Tuesday October 1 at 5.00 pm. To access the Webinar, use the link below: October 1 – register in advance at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_q3XR8NrNRry1ULKAfbVQww After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing the information to join the Webinar. Timings, Price and Location of Workshops The workshops will run from Sunday October 27 to Thursday October 31, 2019 – from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm each day at The KAUST School (Elementary and Secondary). Community Life continue to subsidize these workshops and the price to parents is SAR1000 per child for the week-long program.
Registration We expect demand for these courses to be high, so book your place now by using the links below: Brilliant Me and My Confidence (6-7 year olds) https://rolemodels.me/events/private/kaust-brilliant-me-and-my-confidence-course-october-2019/
Creative Problem Solving (8-11 year olds) https://rolemodels.me/events/private/kaust-creative-problem-solving-course-october-2019-age-8-11/
Creative Problem Solving (12-15 year olds) https://rolemodels.me/events/private/kaust-creative-problem-solving-course-october-2019-age-12-15/
Community Life will also be offering the School Holiday Camp at Recreation.
Chris Sealey - Vice President, Community Life
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from David Tigchelaar, GSS Principal
This summer the students had a particularly long holiday. They were very pleased to be back to school and see their friends again. Parents also informed me that they were happy that the school opened again. GSS now has 453 students, a significant growth compared to last year. It was good to meet parents at the Gr 6 Parent Information meetings at the University, at the Back To School Night and at the Grade 11 and 12 Parent Information Session. We have had significant interest from parents in serving on the Parent Advisory Committee. We could regrettably only accept 7 applications. The first meeting took place on 18 September. We will summarise the discussion points every month in The WAVE. We believe that we can learn from student and parent feedback and look forward to continued collaboration with the PAC.
We look forward to the following events: • GSS Climate Action activities from 24 - 26 September, connecting to worldwide climate action • A Parent Information Session on Digital Platforms on 26 September from 12 - 1 in Room 5220 • MAP testing in GSS from 29 September to 3 October • The TKS-hosted MUN conference from 9 - 11 October • The MYP Certificate Ceremony in the GSS Auditorium on 8 October • The Personal Project midpoint exhibition on Discovery square on 17 October • The Parent Information Session on MYP and DP results on 17 October from 12 - 1 in Room 5220 • 3-way conferences on 21 October (Gr 11 and 12) and 22 October (Gr 6 - 10)
Welcoming some new members of staff to GSS Vishanu Bhoja - Associate Principal
Allison Ingrey - Student Support
Wejdan Khan - Islamic & Arabic Teacher
Jane Clarke - Student Support
Laura Yates - English/I&S Teacher
Lisa Selfridge - Student Support
AbdElghani Shadeed - Arabic Teacher
Abeer Alsaedi - TDP
Poonam Merchant - English/I&S Teacher
Shorooq Alhazmi - TDP
Evelise Vaoga - English Teacher
Raed AlGhamdi - TDP
Ana Joshi - French Teacher Aymeric Marty - French Teacher Jesse Remington - Design and Technology Teacher Phumelele Ngcobo - Drama Teacher Lucy Allsopp - Math Teacher Heather Rodriguez - Science Teacher 13
Welcome to Counselors’ Corner; the monthly counselling section in The Wave. As this is our first issue of the 2019-2020 academic year, we wanted to share a little about what we do as a team and give a chance for Mr Harris, our new Student Support Director, to introduce himself to you too. The KAUST School’s Counselling Department is a team of eight people: two counsellors at Kindergarten (Miss Aisha and Miss Yasmeen), two at Elementary (Mr Steve and Miss Jennifer), two at Secondary (Miss Mahri and a new counselor who is due to join us soon), the School Psychologist (Dr Paul), and the Student Support Director (Mr Harris). As a team, we work together with TKS staff, parents and students to create a school which is open, friendly and supportive for all. We work with students individually, in small groups and in class. We are interesting in helping students make and keep friends, develop good study habits and be prepared for life after TKS, wherever that may be. We teach life skills in classes and offer help for students who may be struggling to settle in at KAUST. Although we can’t promise to fix all problems, we can promise you that you won’t face them alone. We’re here to help each student become the amazing people you were born to be. Paul O’Callaghan, School Psychologist My name is Dwane Harris, I am from South Africa, and I work across the three divisions of school, KG, GES and HS. The KAUST School is one of the most exciting schools in the world to be working at, and that is why I am starting my 11th year at the school. I started here, working in secondary learning support for six years, and then served as secondary Associate Principal until the end of last year. Both of my adult children graduated from TKS and still speak fondly about their experiences of living and schooling in Saudi Arabia. My wife, Sharon, works in KAUST HSE as a First Aid Trainer. I am looking forward to a wonderful year of developing lasting partnerships between KAUST families and the school.
Can You Guess the Team Members? 1. I love cooking for large groups of people. 2. I hugged a sloth while living in Peru. 3. I once threw a no hitter in Little League Baseball. 4. I survived an earthquake, a hurricane and a volcanic eruption (Not all at the same time!) 5. I speak three languages and have three children. 6. I was a cheerleader during some of high school. 7. I learned to ride a motorbike while living in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answers: 1=Mr Harris, 2=Miss Mahri, 3=Mr Steve, 4=Miss Jennifer, 5=Miss Yasmeen, 6=Aisha, 7=Dr Paul
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Saudi National Day at GSS
“Endeavour ‘till the top”, a phrase inspired by his highness the Saudi crown prince. It suggests that Saudi’s endeavour is like a mountain, persistent and unbreakable. This is our motto for this year! Garden Secondary School celebrated the 89th saudi national day during a week full of happiness and joy. The week started with guest speakers from Jeddah who have organized a non-profit organization called “qairawan” which promotes tourism in Saudi Arabia. Following the first day was a folklore dance called”Ardah”. Besides that, we had ongoing activities such as photobooth, art and writing appreciation letters to Saudi Arabia. A good way to start the long weekend was to end the school day with an assembly! The assembly started with the Saudi anthem. It was a great honor to have Dr. Budour Al-Sabban to share with the students her successful story. We also had Mr. Mateo share his experience in spending Eid in Albaha region and speaking of Saudi Arabia’s famous hospitality. One of the most enjoyable moments for students and teachers was a traditional dance performed by a band from Jeddah. This week was filled with enlightening activities and shows which allowed students to learn more about the rich culture and history of our great nation. Hadiah Alghumayri, Arabic Teacher
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Grade 6 Orientation Growth Mindset Moving up to secondary school presents students with a wide range of opportunities and challenges. Developing a growth mindset can help us not just navigate secondary school but helps make us all more resilient, life long learners. During the Orientation Week in our Language and Literature and Individuals and Societies class, we discussed what ‘Growth Mindset’ means. We identified character traits such as perseverance, open mindedness and resilience are key to overcoming obstacles. We then put the theory to practice as we learned to juggle. It was fabulous to see the determination of some students, despite fumbling and dropping the bean bags over and over again. We focused on saying ‘I can’t do it yet’; yet is the key word. It was even more exciting to see these students celebrate when they manage to ‘somewhat’ throw and catch three balls. Others needed to stop, reflect and regroup. After the session the students reflected on the question: Do I have a fixed or growth mindset and how can this mindset help or hinder me in secondary school? Applying our learning to ‘real life’ is an integral part of ensuring learning is lasting and engaging. Keep juggling Grade 6! Grade 6 I&S and Lang and Lit Team
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Presentation During the DP TOK class, the Grade 12 students had the pleasure to have Mr. Brian Hession, a Scientific Diving Specialist from the Red Sea Research Centre, to talk about archaeology. He showed many interesting pieces of archaeological evidence from around the world which challenged us to see how knowledge can change. From his presentation, we have learned how archaeological investigations shape the construction of historical and anthropological knowledge.
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