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ISSUE 44 I VOLUME 1

AUGUST 30, 2016

40TH ANNIVERSARY & PARTNERSHIP WITH SAUTI SOL! ISK WELCOMES

DAVID HENRY

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About ISK The International School of Kenya (ISK) is a private, non-profit PreK-Grade 12 school created in 1976 through a joint partnership between the governments of the United States and Canada. Nestled on 40 acres of a former coffee plantation, ISK serves the educational needs of both expatriate and Kenyan students who seek a challenging international curriculum which leads to the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma program.

ISK’s internationally focused curriculum has helped Kenya become a magnet for foreign business investment and a desired posting for those working for the continuing development of East Africa. Expatriate families consider Kenya a quality career opportunity, in part due to the quality education they find at ISK. Likewise, Kenyan families who want an international, culturally diverse education for their children see ISK as the school of choice.

ISK has over 915 students from more than 60 countries. Graduates earn an ISK North American accredited diploma and approximately 70 percent of ISK graduates earn the IB Diploma, enabling them to study at some of the most respected and competitive colleges and universities in the world.

ISK students form a supportive, spirited and diverse community, which enables new students to adapt easily to campus life. Interacting in such a welcoming cross-cultural milieu, ISK students celebrate the unique and wonderful differences and similarities of people from around the world.

The value of respect for each other and for Kenya is evident at ISK, as is a commitment to giving back to the community. Our scholarship program for Kenyan students, together with a broad and dedicated service-learning program which serves our local and national community, have shaped our school values since 1967 and continue today.

In keeping with ISK’s strategic mission and vision, we are dedicated to empowering each student to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.

Therefore, we have embarked on a multi-million dollar facility and program expansion project to provide students and faculty with the programs, tools and facilities necessary for success. Once completed, ISK will be able to accommodate 1,200 students with expanded programs and facilities.

EDITORIAL TEAM Lynn Wells Pamela Pappas Janet Muasya DESIGN & PRODUCTION Mario Zamfir - SchoolBrand.com Copyright © 2016 The Link Copyright © 2016 ISK. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Trademarks: The Link, ISK and their associated logos are trademarks of the International School of Kenya. All other names, logos, and trademarks of other companies shown in this publication are the property of their respective owners.

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5 TLC Welcome to another year in the Teaching and Learning Center 12 ISK Athletics Department It was a fantastic start to our year having Dirk Nowitzki (NBA, Dallas Mavericks player) show up for a training session.

20 PTO The 2016/17 Parent Teachers Organisation Executive Committee is up and running. We have had our first meeting and hosted a number of new parent welcome sessions plus the monthly Open Coffee morning for August.

24 Canteen News Training session was with the South African Chefs’ Association President, Phillipe Frydman who has over 35 years of experience in the industry 28 ISK News Read about our latest news and events

4 6 8 10 14 Director Letter

ES Report

MS Report

HS Report

40th Anniversary

First of all, welcome again to the new school year with ISK opening its doors on August 10 to more than 900 students.

Welcome to the 89 new ES families and 8 staff members and a special welcome back to the 2016-17 school year at ISK.

Students have made new friends, figured out their class schedules, and learned their daily and weekly routines.

Welcome to the 2016-17 school year at ISK! The high school has enjoyed a smooth start, and students are settling into their academic routines.

ISK and Sauti Sol, one of Africa’s most popular musical groups, are joining forces to strengthen their respective community service programs in Kenya.

Read more on page 4

Read more on page 6

Read more on page 8

Read more on page 10

Read more on page 14

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FROM DIRECTOR THE

First of all, welcome again to the new school year with ISK opening its doors on August 10 to more than 900 students.

Also, welcome to our first Link issue for 2016-17. As you already know, this year the Advancement Office is piloting a weekly update for parents about upcoming events called Link Lite while the regular Link is published once a month. Link issues will come out the first Friday of each month.

Sauti Sol and ISK Team Up At ISK’s 40th Anniversary Celebration On August 17th, ISK celebrated its 40th Anniversary with Sauti Sol, one of Kenya’s most popular musical groups, while marking the beginning of the school’s next decade of commitment to quality education in Kenya. Sauti Sol performed live at the event and also made a significant donation to ISK’s Scholarship Endowment Fund.

In looking to the future and what it means for the International School of Kenya, it is important to keep ISK’s vision of ‘Empowering students to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges’ at the forefront.

ISK has moved closer towards this vision by partnering with Sauti Sol’s Soma Soma Initiative to strengthen both organizations’ community service programs in Kenya.

At ISK, service learning is integrated into the academic learning experience.

Through a wide and varied community outreach program that aims to provide meaningful opportunities, students are able to initiate, participate in, and reflect upon sustainable community projects that are mutually beneficial. ISK and Sauti Sol forged their partnership built on their shared interest in community development and service. Our joint efforts will help ensure purposeful community outreach through the creative arts with ISK’s partner schools in Kenya.

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Governance and Strategic Planning Retreat This past Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27, the ISK Board of Governors, Board of Directors, Director, and Administrative Team plus ISK community members participated in the annual Governance and Strategic Planning Retreat. Board governance facilitator, John Ritter, led the two day workshop. The focus of the workshop was twofold; a review/discussion of international school governance including roles and responsibilities and the update of ISK’s Five-Year Rolling Strategic Plan, which includes the development of annual board and director goals for 2016-17.

At the strategic level, ISK’s Board of Directors drives long-term strategic planning.

Members of the two boards and administration, teacher, student and parent representatives gathered on the second day of the workshop to review progress related to ISK’s Strategic Plan and annual goals from last year. The next step was to revise, note as completed, or in some cases, consolidate objectives that define ISK’s three Key Result Areas (KRA).

The current three KRAs are: 1. All students will achieve ISK’s Educational Aims 2. ISK will provide sustainable resources to ensure exemplary educational experiences for all our students, and 3. ISK will have strong and sustainable community relationships.

The groups then developed annual goals related to each KRA’s objectives to help focus the related strategic work the administration and school boards will complete. This well-established process is a way for the school to ensure it annually reviews and adjusts the Five-Year Rolling Strategic Plan while taking into account

recent environmental and organizational developments.

Organizations that are able to embed this type of process into their system of continuous improvement make their organization more adaptable and, I believe, bring it closer to fulfilling its Mission and Vision.

At the upcoming Board of Directors meeting on September 13, the Board of Directors will approve the updated Strategic Plan 2016-2021 as well as the annual Board and Director Goals. At the end of the school year, the Board of Governors, Board of Directors and the Director/Administrative Team will then reflect on the progress they have made working towards these annual goals.

With all this said, ISK Board members are volunteers! They are volunteers that put in long hours to assist ISK in reaching its Mission, Vision and Educational Aims working with a strategic, big picture point of view in mind.

Director’s Parent Tea On October 6 The first Director’s Parent Tea will take place at 8:30am on October 6 in the Commons MPR 1 & 2. The main topic of discussion will be ISK’s Strategic Plan 2016-2021.

As at past Parent Teas, there will also be an opportunity for parents to share ideas and suggestions they might have.

Sincerely, David G. Henry Director

WELCOME TO ANOTHER YEAR IN THE TEACHING LEARNING CENTER

AND

By Jodi Lake Director of Teaching and Learning

WHO ARE WE? (left to right) SUE SMALL

Student Support Services Coordinator

VINCENT BUNDI Admin Assistant

JODI LAKE

Director of Teaching and Learning

MARY WAMBUI Admin Assistant

KATHLEEN CHROMICZ

Technology Integration Coordinator

VINCENT MULWA Keeper of the Kitchen, Keys, Coffee & Cookies

THE CENTER’S PURPOSE

All of us in the TLC aim to collaborate with teachers, assistants and each other to support the teaching and learning initiatives at ISK and to provide support, resources and services for teachers and TA’s. We also strive to be a place where parents can come to learn more about ISK’s curriculum as well as their child’s personal learning program.

We are already ‘out and about’ • Kathleen has been holding tech bootcamps in grades 4 - 8.

• Sue has been ensuring that we all ‘know our students’.

• Mary and Vincent have been designing databases and spreadsheets so we can better track the learning at ISK. • Jodi has been working on orienting teachers - and especially our new teachers!

Where can you find us?

The Teaching & Learning Center is in the Commons on the canteen level - conveniently close to Valentine’s Coffee Shop.

Watch this space for upcoming parent sessions in the T+L Center.

The Teaching & Learning Team Jodi, Sue, Kathleen

• Vincent M has kept us in coffee and tea as we launch another school year.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

By Patricia Salleh Matta Elementary School Principal

REPORT

Once again, I extend a very warm welcome to the 89 new ES families and 8 staff members and a special welcome back to the 2016-17 school year at ISK. This is my eleventh year as elementary school (ES) principal and I am delighted to be part of this wonderful school, supporting a very dedicated team of professionals who will be working closely with your children. Our elementary continues to grow both in numbers of students and quality of program we offer.

Both Anne Wanja (ESO Administrative Assistant) and Lillian Livondo (ESO Secretary) are responsible for the smooth running of the elementary school office and will do a wonderful job ensuring that your queries

are promptly addressed. There is always tea/coffee available in the ESO so please stop by for a chat, to say hello or to share your commendations or recommendations.

SCHOOL HOURS Pre-Kindergarten: MON-TUE-THU-FRI WEDNESDAY

8.35am – 12.20pm 8:35am – 1:25pm

Kg - Grade 1: Grades 2 - 5:

8.35am – 3.20pm 8.20am – 3.20pm

Elementary School Office Hours MON-THU 7:30am – 4.30pm FRI 7:30am – 4:00pm

All students will be dismissed at 1:25 p.m. on WED Good communication is and will remain a priority for us. We encourage open and on-going dialogue between school and home to ensure that we are working as partners in the education of our students.

To keep you updated the Elementary Express (ES Express) is the monthly elementary section of The Link newsletter that goes home to all families electronically. It contains news of past and future events, important dates, current issues, etc.

Dates to Remember in

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Some useful reminders at this point are as follows:

Please contact us should you need any additional information. The ES office mobile number is 0733639-340 and our school extension numbers are 111, 112 and 113.

Of course you will be receiving on-going communication from your child’s teacher and news from the wider school community. You should also ensure that you are familiar with our Moodle site; you will receive further information on how to access this during the upcoming Parent Night.

Over the days ahead we will continue to help you settle in. You will shortly receive: • The ISK Family Directory for 2016-17 • A weekly schedule for your child’s grade

Hot Lunch Program This program has been up and running from the first day of school.

Please contact Nancy Mwithi at the canteen on 0720-639-363 or 0733-639-363 should you have queries.

Please check the ISK website for the 201617 Elementary Parent-Student Handbook and do not hesitate to contact the ESO or myself should you require any further clarification that will enable you to become fully informed about your child’s program.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year in partnership and see you very soon!

Patricia Salleh Matta Elementary School Principal

Sep 12

Mon

ISK Holiday

Sep 20

Tue

PTO Open Coffee

8:30am – 9:30am

Sep 29 - 30

Thu – Fri

ES Parent / Teacher Conferences

8:00am – 4:00pm

Co-curricular Activities Update Please note that we have a new online sign up for elementary co curricular activities!

The sign-up of activities is on a first come, first served basis. Kindly watch the Tutorial on how to sign up for activities by clicking on the link.

Please note that the information regarding after school activities was sent out on Friday, August 19 and sign up began on Monday, August 22. If your family did not receive the email with instructions and the link to sign up for the activities, kindly email me at fatemo@isk.ac.ke. Please check with your partner to see if they

received the email. This only applies to parents with students from grades 1 to 5.

Do not hesitate to email me at fatemo@isk. ac.ke in case you have any questions.

Safety & Security The issue of safety and security continues to be at the front in our school. We ask that all families support us by informing the school of any changes to your basic information regarding phone numbers, emergency contact numbers, travel plans of parents/guardians, etc.

If you need to take your child off campus before regular dismissal time PLEASE NOTE you must get a ‘Request for Pupil’ slip from the Elementary School Office.

Our security at the gate will not permit a student to leave campus without this authorization. This is a requirement for all our students in order to help ensure their protection and safety.

If a child is going home with someone other than the person stated in the information we have on file, please note that you need to inform the teacher in writing if the child is not taking school transport.

If your child is taking school transport and it entails a change of route, inform both the homeroom teacher and the ES office.

Homeroom Parent (HRP) 2016-17 Please let your child’s homeroom teacher know if you would be interested in being a Homeroom Parent. The main responsibility of a Homeroom Parent is:

Guidelines: • Homeroom parent meets with the teacher at the beginning of the year to get an idea of events scheduled for the year.

• To serve as a liaison between the teacher and the parents of the class

• Teachers may have set ideas for events etc. or may let the HRP make some of the decisions.

• To provide support for the teacher in designated activities • To be a contact and support person for new families • To serve as a link between the PTO and parents

• A letter of introduction can be sent out to the families from the HRP, at the beginning of the year, outlining her/ his role or the homeroom teacher may choose to introduce the HRP. • The HRP may organize the party/ event, contact families that have

Francis Atemo ES Activities Coordinator

been assigned to the party/activity to coordinate refreshments and organize games or activities • Often the HRP will be called on to help with special ES activities such as drama, art, special exhibitions or to accompany the class on a field trip • The HRP can also be the liaison person to solicit extra help for schoolwide events when needed.

• Usually the HRP will be a contact point for new families joining ‘their’ grade during the year.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

By Craig Baker Middle School Principal

REPORT

It’s been a very busy beginning of the year. Students have made new friends, figured out their class schedules, and learned their daily and weekly routines. Our middle school is now buzzing with learning. We want you and your children to feel supported throughout this school year, and should you have any questions or concerns, please drop by the office, send an email, or give us a call.

Middle School Parent Night We’re looking forward to seeing you at our Middle School Parent Night, this Tuesday, August 30th, at 5:30 p.m. All parents will first check-in outside of the Commons Library area to receive their children’s schedules and then proceed to advisory, followed by all eight blocks/classes. We hope that this evening provides you a clear overview of your children’s academic program and a chance to get to know their teachers.

Beginning of the Year Boot Camps All three grades (six, seven, and eight) spent the first three days of school in their grade level boot camps. This included iPad training, information on digital citizenship, the ISK Research Process, organization of school supplies and the middle school planner, and more. Perhaps the best part of the bootcamps were the various team-building activities at the different grade levels.

We believe that the programs offered during these first three days of the school year will be

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foundational to the success of your children over the course of this school year.

Gr. 6

Gr. 7

Gr. 8

iPads This year all students in the middle school have received an iPad to support their learning and the technology integration initiatives in the school.

Seventh and eighth grade students have already begun taking their iPads home. Sixth grade students will start bringing their iPads home on September 14th. You can help your children and the school with our iPad program by reminding them to plug their devices into their chargers when they get home from school. Having an iPad without a charge is like not having an iPad at all, and there are limited options for charging iPads at school.

After School Activities, Service Trips and Sports Our after school activities program began last week, but it’s still not too late to sign-up. If you and your children want to see what’s on offer, then have your children log-in to Moodle and go to the co-curricular site. Service trips may also be located on this link. Service trips will begin on Wednesday, September 21st. Try-outs for

different sports were held last week and will continue this week. If you need more information about what’s on offer in season one for sports at ISK, go to this link: ISK Athletics.

Middle School Parent Tea Our first middle school parent tea is scheduled for Thursday, September 15th, at 8:30am.

The program will begin with a short presentation on how to support your children in managing and organizing their time. Our counsellor, Jessie Gochar, will share ideas on supporting your children with homework, technology use, and balancing co-curricular/ sports with academics. This will be followed by an overview of the assessment and reporting practices in the middle school and support with using the PowerSchool Parent Portal as well as Moodle. If you need support with either of these two platforms, please bring an electronic device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop).

Friday Fracas Our first social of the year, the Friday Fracas, was fun for both students and teachers. We had a great student turnout for an amazing and chaotic game of ‘Capture the Chicken’. We have four more socials scheduled this school year, with the next one on November 4th.

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HIGH SCHOOL

By Rob Blanchard High School Principal

REPORT

Welcome to the 2016-17 school year at ISK! The high school has enjoyed a smooth start, and students are settling into their academic routines. This year we have already held our back-to-school parent night, our grade 9 Mt Longonot overnight outing (including the election of our new grade 9 class officers), and our grade 12 retreat. We also celebrated ISK’s 40th anniversary, which included the launching of ISK’s service learning collaboration with Sauti Sol, an exciting opportunity that was met with great enthusiasm by our high school student body. The high school Intercultural trips are now right around the corner, taking place this coming week.

Co-Curricular Fair As part of the co-curricular selection process, we offered a Co-Curricular Fair last week and students are now in the process of planning for the year, using an electronic ‘sign up’ form. In cases when students are interested in out-of-country trips, they should discuss their ideas with you, as these trips attract costs that are the family’s responsibility.

IT Reminders 1-to-1 laptop schooling: This continues to go very smoothly. Please ensure that your child takes good care of their device, and we recommend that you insure it. As the laptop is simply a tool, albeit a very powerful one, students should of course not be using it all the time, either during the academic day or at home. Thank you to parents for your support around this important learning initiative.

Moodle Online Learning Platform and Power School Online Grade book: All high school students and parents are provided with access to these. If you (or your student) experience any problems accessing IT tools at ISK, please contact our IT Director, Doug Irish, at dirish@isk.ac.ke for assistance.

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Communication The Link: I hope that as parents you will actively participate in school life this year and feel well informed about the many important aspects of our educational program. I will use this Link article forum to help keep parents informed about school.

Daily Bulletin for high school students: this is currently being shared internally during first block class, is available to students via the Daily Bulletin tab in PowerSchool, and is being posted by the ASB daily on the ASB Facebook page.

New Parents Many parents who are new to ISK are also new to Kenya, meaning that the contact information you supplied at the time of application may now be outdated or incomplete. Please ensure that we have your up-to-date contact information by emailing Ruth Onyango (rutho@isk.ac.ke).

Open and Direct Channels: At ISK we believe that effective communication underpins a successful home-school relationship and is important within our diverse community. Choosing an effective channel of communication is especially important when people have a complaint or problem. As a guideline we ask that you communicate directly with the person who is closest to the area of concern should an

issue or concern ever arise. My door is of course open and you should always feel free to drop by, give me a call, or send me an email (rblanchard@isk.ac.ke). You can make an appointment by contacting Ruth Onyango (rutho@isk.ac.ke) in the high school office.

Parent & Student Handbook All ISK parents and students must review and agree to abide by the procedures in the handbook. The High School Parent & Student Handbook 2016-17 is available via Moodle or the ISK web site. All agreement forms should now be signed and submitted – thank you.

Health Form Reminder All student health forms should now be submitted and up-to-date. Please contact the ISK health facility if you have any questions about this important matter.

All the very best, Robert Blanchard, Ed.D. High School Principal

School Trips Amid the usual excitement and business of a new school year, planning for Intercultural Trips is being. The week of September 5th (with the exception of grade 9 students who have a special trip schedule involving some weekend time away for some) all high school students will head off campus for our annual week-without-walls intercultural learning experience. As part of our efforts to ensure effective communication and the safety of all students on school trips, the school requests that you discuss expectations and packing lists, and remind your child that all school rules apply on all school trips.

Regarding communication during out of town trips, the school notifies parents automatically via email when students arrive safely at their destination. We then apply the policy of ‘no news is good news’ (only contacting parents in the case of an emergency) until students are returning at the end of the trip at which point parents receive another email from the school with the group’s estimated time of arrival back at campus. Another part of planning a safe trip is trying to ensure that students are not taking anything with them on trips in violation of school rules and policies; note that school staff may conduct pre-trip bag

TRIP / DESTINATION

checks including a search of all student property.

Let the school clinic know right away if there are any updates to your child’s health status (e.g., recent injuries, medications) and of course let us know if you have any questions about our exciting intercultural trips. Here is a reminder of the timings for all the trips – please be sure to have your child at school (reporting to the High School MPR) by the time indicated:

REPORTING DATE/TIME AT ISK

1

Mt. Kenya A

Sep 3rd; 6:00 a.m

2

Mt. Kenya B

Sep 5th; 6:00 a.m

3

Aberdares-Forest Adventure

Sep 5th; 6:00 a.m

4

Ololokwe

Sep 5th; 6:00 a.m

5

Bobong

Sep 5th; 6:30 a.m

6

Kembu

Sep 5th; 6:30 a.m

7

Nanyuki Silver Ride

Sep 5th; 6:30 a.m

8

Ndorobo

Sep 5th; 7:00 a.m

9

Mara

Sep 5th; 7:00 a.m

10

Soysambu Gold

Sep 5th; 7:30 a.m

11

Nairobi Mural Painting

Sep 5th; 8:00 a.m

12

Sagana/Hells Gate

Sep 5th; 8:00 a.m.

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By Will More Athletics Director

ISK ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT!

Hello, and a very warm welcome from the ISK Athletics Department!

It was a fantastic start to our year having Dirk Nowitzki (NBA, Dallas Mavericks player) show up for a training session. He gave our players some wise and humble words of advice and our players threw some interesting questions at him. This short visit has, I’m sure, inspired our players and will be a lasting memory for those who met the great man.

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Our Season 1 tryout period is well under way and we have seen excellent turnout from our ES, MS & HS swimmers and athletes.

All our field sports are taking place on the Upper Field this season and having to share the space. We hope our Lower Field will be open for business in early November, but we are relying on a timely rainy season!

Our ISSEA High School teams are facing a shortened season to get competition ready, but selection is almost complete!

The turnout for MS football and basketball has put the coaches under a lot of pressure. So much talent and not enough team spaces!

The swimming program has got underway and selection has been really competitive, with swimmers showing their best to make it into the Advanced Swim Team. Those with great potential, but not quite making this team will join the ‘Development Squad’ where they will focus on their stroke work.

On the ISK website, you will find a lot of information about ISK Athletics 2016-17.

Elementary Saturday Sports Program will be starting on August 27th. We are hoping to keep the momentum going, and build on this great opportunity offered to our ES students. Tennis, football and basketball coaching is offered from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. on most Saturdays.

Please see the website link below for the signup sheet and calendar.

• Team lists and their Schedules (Sign in required)

Please use this link for all Season 1 Athletics Information.

• Student & Parent Athletic Handbook • Sports Seasons 16-17 (What we offer!)

• Elementary Saturday Sports Sign Up and Calendar Go Lions!!

Will Moore Athletics Director

The Link

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40TH ANNIVERSARY & PARTNERSHIP WITH

SAUTI SOL!

By Pamela Pappas Communications Manager

ISK and Sauti Sol, one of Africa’s most popular musical groups, are joining forces to strengthen their respective community service programs in Kenya. The partnership is based on these shared areas of interest, and focuses on the important relationship between education and creativity. ISK students will collaborate with Sauti Sol to help spread the message of the importance of education in the pursuit of careers in the creative arts.

ISK’s 40th Anniversary Celebration on August 17, 2016 was the official launch of this newly formed partnership. Sauti Sol highlighted the day with a special guest performance, and as a sign of their commitment to education in Kenya and the partnership, made a donation to the ISK Scholarship Endowment Fund to help support up to eight full scholarships for Kenyan citizens entering high school.

Please click here to view a quick snapshot of Sauti Sol’s performance at ISK.

The event was well attended by over 1500 students, community members, partners and alumni. US Ambassador to Kenya, Robert F. Godec, and Sara Hradecky, High Commissioner - Designate, High Commission of Canada, spoke graciously about the impact that the International School of Kenya has had over the last 40 years.

Still want to learn more about ISK’s rich history? Click here to visit ISK’s 40th Anniversary digital timeline.

We are looking forward to 40 more years of inspiring and nurturing our students to think creatively, work collectively, and study passionately!

Pamela Pappas Communications Manager

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Enjoy the photos! If you want to share some of your photos on social media, please be sure to use the hashtag: #ISKcelebrates40years

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THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA CELEBRATING 40TH YEAR IN KENYA WITH PARTNERSHIP TO EXPAND COMMITMENT TO SERVICE IN KENYA....

Enjoy the photos! If you want to share some of your photos on social media, please be sure to use the hashtag: #ISKcelebrates40years

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At ISK,” states David Henry, ISK’s new Director, “education is not complete unless it provides a foundation of mutual respect, collaboration, creativity, social responsibility, and principled values for tomorrow’s global citizens and world leaders.

Everyone at ISK is very excited about this partnership with Sauti Sol and Soma Soma as it reinforces our shared commitment to education in Kenya.”

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Enjoy the photos! If you want to share some of your photos on social media, please be sure to use the hashtag: #ISKcelebrates40years

The Link

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PARENT TEACHERS ORGANIZATION The 2016/17 Parent Teachers Organization Executive Committee is up and running. We have had our first meeting and hosted a number of new parent welcome sessions plus the monthly Open Coffee morning for August. We hope that all new parents and returning families have been made welcome and are settling into life in Kenya and the school routine.

DATES TO REMEMBER: • PTO Open Coffee Morning Tuesday, September 20 - 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

• Farmers Market Saturday, September 24 - 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

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The Link

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The PTO’s main aim is to support staff in facilitating a friendly learning environment for ISK students and provide a support network to parents. The PTO constitution and general information regarding PTO activities can be found on the ISK website.

PTO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2016/17

To contact any members of the committee, please use pto@isk.ac.ke

Co-Chairs:

Natalie Geleschun & Wambui Njoroge- Regeru

Secretary:

Tsara Molenaar

Communications:

Donovan Luhila

Treasurer / Funds Management:

Shruti Shah

New Parent Welcome Co-ordinator:

Katarzyna Helbin-Travis

FOTA Co-Chairs:

Marilou de Wit & Anacleto Guitierrez

PTO Shop Management Team:

Cecilia Damonte, Ayesha Chaudhry, Rupal Chandaria, Tsara Molenaar & Anjali Jena

ES Parent Representative & Support Team:

Kavita Shivadey, Samela Priestly, Shakufe Monadjem, Elenor Miller & Julie Caron

MS Parent Representatives:

Tanya Cox & Lisette Klein Burgers

HS Parent Representatives:

Pooja Tiwari & Samaa Elkassaby

PTO executive meetings and open coffee mornings are held monthly. As ISK parents and teachers, you are automatically a member of the PTO. Everyone is welcome, please come along, bring a friend and find out how you can support the ISK community.

The ISK PTO have a Community Forum Facebook Page, for those parents and teachers who use Facebook you will find this a great community resource with lots of useful information and details of school and PTO events. As everyone is not on Facebook, information relating to PTO events is also listed on the ISK website and communicated through the weekly Link Lite email.

In addition to the core activities of the PTO there is also FOTA - Friends of the Arts and the PTO Shop.

FOTA is an association made up of ISK parents who are keen to promote art in Kenya. They provide a link between the arts and the ISK community and work with the ISK Creative Arts Department to foster interest in this field.

FOTA gives Kenyan artists exposure to an audience of enthusiastic supporters and buyers, whilst giving the ISK community an opportunity to see Kenyan art at its best.

FOTA host an annual Art Exhibition which supports over 100 artists. This academic year the exhibition is scheduled for the first week in February 2017.

PTO SHOP The PTO Shop’s main objective is to provide an outlet for non-profit organisations and artisans who aid poor, disadvantaged and/or disabled people to earn a living. Run by a team of parent volunteers, the PTO ‘duka’ is an ideal place to purchase locally made African crafts and gifts for family and friends within the safety of the school environs.

The PTO Shop management team are currently reviewing the setup of the shop and are aiming to open by the end of September. An announcement will be made soon regarding its opening. Details will be coming soon!

LOST & FOUND Lost & Found is in the process of being relocated. Look out for details regarding opening times and the new location in Link Lite.

FARMERS MARKET The Farmers Market is a parent initiative run by Adrienne Donohue. This year the market will be held every three weeks, ISK calendar permitting. Located in the upper carpark, the market offers locally sourced food items; healthy, homemade whole foods and organic produce including; sweet & savoury baked goods, dairy products, nuts, dried fruit, homemade pasta, German sausages, meats, coffee, tea, condiments and more!

SWAHILI LESSONS This year Donovan Luhila is continuing to co-ordinate Swahili lessons. If you are interested, please contact him by email on Donovan.luhila@gmail.com and details are also posted on the ISK Community Forum Facebook page.

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WELCOME!

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA

KARIBUNI SANA!

ISK CANTEEN Hello and welcome back to ISK and for the new families, Karibuni sana (welcome in Swahili).

The canteen is looking forward to a new and even better school year and we have lined up new menus as well as old favorites like Sushi and Shawarma. The staff has also undergone various training programs in order to improve and make your experience worthwhile. The most recent session was with the South African Chefs’ Association President, Phillipe Frydman who has over 35 years of experience in the industry.

The hot lunch area now has a new introduction of Gluten-free options in addition to the vegetarian options already available. We are looking to build this specific portfolio and if you have a favorite gluten-free recipe feel free to share with us so that more people can enjoy it as much as you do.

The school provides various lunch options for students which include carrying food from home, having hot lunch from the school canteen on the prepaid hot lunch

program or buying using cash from the various canteens i.e. sandwich bar, snack bar, coffee place, hot lunch area or the breakfast joint. For those carrying food packed from home, microwaves are provided at the middle school and high school eating areas. Since they are easier to access for the MS and HS, we encourage ES parents to pack the hot lunch in the thermos-like containers so as to keep the food warm.

The hot lunch registration is still ongoing and if you’d like to sign-up your child, including the Pre-K students, please fill in this form and send it back or bring it to the customer service office. You can also top up your child’s account if they are in middle school or high school. The card system is also open to the staff, faculty and parents so don’t get left behind. Drop by the customer service office and get on the program!

A number of new students as well as grade 6 students still do not have their cards and as we await issuance we will continue to use the lists at the various canteen points.

All that the students need to do is to state

their names which will be entered and they will be charged accordingly for their respective purchase. Once all the cards are issued we will revert to the No card, No service system for those on the prepaid program.

If you are yet to try out our new Early Bird Breakfast options please do stop by right next to Valentine’s coffee shop every day from 7.00 a.m. till 9.00 a.m. Newly introduced items include chapatti rolls, mandazis, sweet potatoes and arrowroots.

You can have a look at the menu right here. If you’d like to have a look at the week’s menu please check the website under Food Services every Friday for the new week’s menu.

For any suggestions, complaints, compliments or inquiries please contact the customer service office on the below details: Nancy Mwithi Customer Service Representative Email: nmwithi@isk.ac.ke Office line: 0733 639 343

Canteen staff with reknown Chef Frydman The Link

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2016-2017

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM REGISTRATION FORM Parent Last Name

Parent Fist Name

STUDENT INFORMATION 1. Name

Grade

2. Name

Grade

3. Name

Grade

4. Name

Grade

5. Name

Grade

SPECIAL FOOD REQUIREMENTS

LUNCH RATES* (PER CHILD) GRADE

SEMESTER 1

SEMESTER 2

PK

USD 170.00

USD 190.00

KG - 5

USD 210.00

USD 240.00

6-12*

USD 340.00

USD 380.00

PAYMENT INFO: DATE AMOUNT CASH/CHEQUE

*This amount only caters for the Hot Lunch for MS and HS. Please include an amount of your own discretion depending on your child’s eating preferences for snacks and juices to be loaded on their card.

Parent Signature:

NOTE:

• There are fewer days in Semester 1 compared to Semester 2 hence the price variation.

• All the meat served is HALAL. • We maintain a nut-free policy on all foods offered.

• All preceding weekly menus are available on the ISK website link every Friday.

• Dessert is inclusive for Elementary school lunch only.

• Please pay for the hot lunch by the end of the first month i.e. August and January.

Date:

For queries and any dietary needs and allergies, kindly contact Nancy Mwithi, the food services customer service representative. The office is located at the Commons or on the below contacts: Nancy Mwithi Customer Service Representative nmwithi@isk.ac.ke tel. 0733 639 343

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NEWS ISK STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR THE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS AT

YALE UNIVERSITY On the 21st of July 2016, Selah Piper, Dylan Savosnick. Tori Savosnick, Waiyaki Regeru, Emily Langlois, Paul Langlois, Cheyenne Kamau, Janki Shah and Awuor Onguru ,who are currently Grade 9 students at the International School of Kenya ,travelled to Prague to participate in the Global round of the World Scholar’s Cup. The World Scholar’s Cup is a competition founded by Daniel Berdichevsky, that consists of students from all over the world split into teams of three and competing in academic challenges to earn the title of World Scholar. It’s primary goal is to enhance general knowledge helping become better global citizens through the outlets of persuasive writing, debate, and difficult

HAIKU & CREATIVE WRITING CLUB

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general knowledge tests. Our teams have been relentlessly studying the 6 subjects in order to prepare for the Cup, these include; Crime & Justice, Science ‘Disease & Public Health’, History ‘A History of Cheating’, Literature ‘Words to Light the Darkness’, Art & Music ‘Flawed Visions, Broken Sounds’, and finally Social Studies ‘When States Falter’. With our own efforts and help from our parents,we have also had the opportunity to practice debate as well as timed persuasive writing.

We participated in the Mini Global round in Prague, the second tournament before the end of the season, which concludes with the Tournament of Champions, held at Yale University each year. We qualified for this tournament after placing in the top five

Congratulations to Giulia Massoni and Zaki Dirie for receiving honourable mentions in the 2016 UNIS International Haiku competition.

A bird is singing What am I doing here?

[Giulia]

Seduta sola Una rondine canta cosa faccio qui?

Sitting alone

Over the last three years ISK students have won ten awards in

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA

It is there, Then it is just Gone [Zaki]

teams in the Junior Category at the regional round at Brookhouse School, which we participated in last April.

We did exceptionally well with all nine of us succeeding to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, and two out of our three teams placing third and second best in Africa.

Everyone one of our members was awarded medals in various categories, resulting in two of our members placed 1st and 3rd Scholar in Africa.

We also managed to receive honour medals (top 20) in every category, and members of our team managed to receive trophies for writing and debating. We were very proud of our accomplishments as an ISK team overall, and for the Tournament of Champions we are working to step up our

international writing competitions. The ISK HS Creative Writing Club meets every week 2, during Thursday’s activity block, in M4. See club leader William Hereward for details.

Tom Wallbridge HS English Teacher

game even more.

The Tournament of Champions will be held on the 17th to the 22nd of November at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America. This is final stage of the competition. Apart from competing, this gives us an opportunity to interact with and learn directly from Yale students and faculty. While at Yale, we will experience a speech from a Yale Professor. Additionally, we will get the chance to attend a special panel on college admissions and on how to leverage our World Scholar’s Cup experience as part of our admissions portfolio in the future.

Awuor Onguru

NEWS ARTIST-TEACHERS IN CONTEXT: INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUES From the series, ‘Doing Arts Thinking: Arts Practice, Research and Education,’ I am happy to share my interview published in, ‘Artist-Teachers in Context: International Dialogues’. As one of 21 international artists included in the book, my text “An Archeology of the Future Past: Looking Under the Surface of Appearances” discusses the role of creative pedagogies in education and the challenges between teaching and artistic practice and how they inform each other. If you are interested in reading it and agree to abide by the copyright limitations of ‘fair use’ for educational use only, please send me an email request with your personal email address for a copy.

Under ‘copyright limitation by Sense Publishers, if you request a copy of an author proof, the file may not be uploaded, given or shared with others, nor may sections of the book be reproduced and given to students without permission of the publisher. Sense Publishers has asked me to include the additional caveat that they will prosecute violators of their copyright on the book.

Enjoy!

Teresa Tipton

WINNER OF THE TANA FORUM AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES’ COMPETITION, KENYA Sekou Toure Otondi, ISK Staff Member The Secretariat of the Tana Forum announced that Sekou Toure Otondi, an ISK Staff Member and a PhD candidate at the University of Nairobi, was the winner of the 2016 Tana Forum Annual Essay Competition on the theme of “Africa in the Global Security Agenda.”

This years annual Tana High Level Forum happened in, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia between April 16-17, 2016.

2016-2017 PRIVATE MUSIC TUTORS LIST

Check out the links below on this great story on one of our own Staff Members. http://www.tanaforum.org/news-events/ university_of_nairobi_student_wins_ tana_forum_essay_competition/ http://www.tanaforum.org/profile/924aa5006 b153ae02e1b/?ms=8adb5cb6d960e02c0a7a &ps=34d12a5f4b50eb5378&ls=924aa5006b 153ae02e1b&sub=8c92b57d7b7c0db712b8

ISK offers opportunities for students to learn an instrument. Below is a list of qualified private music tutors available for early morning (7:15-8:15 a.m.) and after school (3:30-5:00 p.m.) lessons. (After school lessons start at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays).

Some of these tutors help prepare students for Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and London College of Music (LCM) testing and certification.

Augustine Wandiga: 0736-546339 Piano (Intermediate-Advanced) Chris Okana: 0733-570844 Percussion/Bass/Guitar (Electric, Classical & Contemporary)/Mandolin

Corrine Towett-Laight: 0722-878734 Piano (Classical & Jazz) / Flute / Voice Jackie Ogada Ayiro: 0722-902154 Voice/Piano: Beginner-Intermediate Joseph Ngecha: 0722-455626 Guitar (Beginner-Advanced)/ Piano / Drums (Beginner-Advanced)

Marina Antoline: mantoline@isk.ac.ke Woodwinds (Beginner-Advanced)/ Violin (Beginner) Millicent Obiero: 0700-320526 Piano (Beginner-Advanced)/Voice Noah Ochomo: 0720-808052 Saxophone / Piano Ochieng Nyangaya: 0723-884294 Guitar (Beginner-Advanced)/ Piano Rachel Mwakughu: 0727-488850 Piano / Violin / ‘Cello

Kagema Gichuhi: 0722-729478 Brass / Piano

Sandra Daniel: 0708-183034 Brass/Clarinet/Saxophone/Percussion

Keziah Watatua: 0722-618056 Piano/Voice/Woodwinds/Violin/Guitar

Sharon Aluoch: 718-744290 Violin (Beginner-Advanced) /Piano (Beginner-Intermediate)

Maggie Gitu: 0725-530368 Voice Margaret Oganda: 0722-390092 Clarinet/ Piano/Flute (beginning)

Lesson charges are Kes.1600 for 30 minutes and payments are made directly to the tutor either prior to the lesson or at the time of the lesson. Tutors have a right to stop lessons and/or accept a new student if lessons are not paid for within a two week period.

Kindly contact Rachel Aondo at raondo@isk.ac.ke if you have any questions.

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Accredited fully by the Middle States Association of Schools in the United States and the Council of International Schools in Europe.

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA