ISSUE 63 VOLUME 22 SEPTEMBER 2018
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About ISK The International School of Kenya (ISK) is a private, non-profit PreKGrade 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 980 students from more than 65 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 Martin Mulwa DESIGN & PRODUCTION Mario Zamfir - SchoolBrand.com Copyright © 2018 The Link Copyright © 2018 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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Message from the Board of Directors
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Teaching & Learning Center
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Service Learning
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Athletics Department
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PTO
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ISK News
4 8 10 22 36 Director Letter
ES Report
MS Report
HS Report
Advancement News
Over the past several years, the International School of Kenya has worked to define what drives its educational program...
We have had a fantastic month of learning within the community.
As a Middle School, we spent time seeking ways that we can contribute to a more peaceful world, and how students can engage in “peace work”.
The high school team hopes that you are feeling warmly welcomed and well informed about the high school program, structure, faculty, and culture.
Last year, ISK partnered with The Village Market through a campaign titled “Inspired Shopping”.
Read more on page 4
Read more on page 8
Read more on page 10
Read more on page 38
Read more on page 22
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David G. Henry Director
ISK’S LEARNING STORY: Over the past several years, the International School of Kenya has worked to define what drives its educational program, what guides the school in its decisionmaking process and ties together our school’s Mission, Vision and Educational Aims.
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Director’s Letter One way of looking at how these foundation documents relate is through what we call ISK’s Learning Designs. Because of our Mission, that ISK inspires and nurtures passion, creativity and ambition in pursuit of a better world, and that we are committed to our Vision of empowering students to create solutions to tomorrow’s challenges, ISK is a forward thinking organization. With our Mission and Vision in place and, more recently, the school’s work on refining our Educational Aims, we have defined those cognitive skills and dispositions that we believe will serve students throughout
their lives, making connections on how they can be intertwined with all aspects of our educational program. We believe learning is a personal and social experience; it is the ongoing development and demonstration of what we understand, what we can do and who we are. ISK connects our guiding statements to our various programs through our learning pathways; Integrated, Personalized and Experiential Learning. Integrated Learning combines knowledge and modes of thinking from two or more disciplines to generate new insight allowing students to see how ideas are connected.
Personalized Learning refers to a diverse variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic support strategies that are intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, or cultural backgrounds of individual students. Experiential Learning is the process of making personal connections and meaning from authentic contexts. We do this through programs such as our intercultural trips, service learning, and work experience. We ask all the members of our community to model these characteristics as we strive to develop students
of character, who learn, create, act and solve in a collaborative and engaging environment. Our Learning Pathways connect our Educational Aims to our studentcentered, standards-based academic program and our co-curricular program. We weave learning through our disciplines of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), humanities, the arts and wellness. Inspiration also comes through participation in our structured co-curricular programs. With the skills and dispositions of motivated, creative people we believe our students will be inspired with
lifelong spirits of action and awareness. This is ISK’s Learning Designs and what we believe makes ISK unique. DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING SEARCH UPDATE
The International School of Kenya is in the final stages of our Director of Teaching and Learning search for the next school year. The search committee narrowed down the potential candidate pool from a list of 70 applicants to a longlist of thirteen candidates that the committee interviewed. From these interviews and extensive reference checks, a shortlist of three candidates
was finalized and these individuals visited ISK earlier this week (October 1-3). When on campus, in addition to touring the facilities and a chance to observe teachers in action, the candidates had faceto-face interviews with all faculty and all teacher assistants, the Teaching and Learning Center team and the middle/ high school student governments. There were also interviews and meetings with members of the Administrative Team, the school board, the PTO/parents, and the school’s leadership team. During each interview, a standard form was used to allow all individuals to
provide written feedback to the search committee. We also wanted the candidates to get a good feel for the school, the school community, and the country itself. Now that the on-site visits are complete, the search committee has begun reviewing the data from all of the interview feedback forms from the various stakeholder groups as part of the decision making process. Thank you for supporting this process as we work to find the right fit for ISK. Sincerely, David G. Henry Director
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Board News ISK held its Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, September 25th. Many thanks to those who attended the meeting! The Board approved the revised Budget for the 2018-19 school year based on updated student enrollment data as well as the school’s strategic plan with the overall objectives being: 1. All students will achieve ISK’s Educational Aims 2. ISK will provide sustainable resources to ensure exemplary educational experiences for all of our students, and 3. ISK will have strong and sustainable community relationships. ISK IB Coordinator Ms. Linda Henderson provided an excellent presentation on the IB results of the 2018 graduating class. 67% of the class wrote the IB diploma with a 92% pass rate. ISK students averaged 33 points, consistently higher than the world-wide average of 30 points. Congratulation to all of these students on their hard work and achievements! Dr. DeeDee Werner and Mr. Mike Maldonado gave a presentation on university acceptances with 73 students being offered a cumulative total of 240 university acceptances, and earning more than $2.5 million USD in scholarship offers. Five students also chose to partake in a gap year. A hearty congratulations to all! The Board would like to invite and encourage parents to attend the Board meetings as it is another avenue in which to learn about the school. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 23rd in the Commons MPR. Meetings begin at 4:00 p.m. and last approximately an hour. Best wishes, Ann Marie Awori, Board Secretary
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Dear ES Community,
Our teachers have also experienced We have had a numerous fantastic month professional of learning development within the sessions community. focused on Our Math building Parent Teas relationships, have been well trust and attended, and collaboration, many parents as well as a have been 3 day math asking for the course materials to with Erma continue to Anderson. learn and grow.
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What a treat it is to be surrounded by people with growth mindsets that want to learn in order to help our students. As a follow up to an email I sent recently, I would like to take this opportunity to include a few resources that will help you support your children in mathematics. Parent Math Resources will be a spot that I will continue to add links for you to explore. It provides activities and questions (such as the 24 game) for all grade levels. I would also like to include videos that explain some of the number sense that I shared in the parent sessions: Progression of Addition and Subtraction, Progression of Multiplication, Progression of Division. We look forward to continued conversations to explore math and support our ISK learners.
We are still looking for Homeroom Parents to support our classrooms this year, and want to improve our process around this topic. We will work with ES PTO and Grade Leaders around purpose and goals, and communicate further steps. Our October break is quickly approaching, and our family is excited to discover Kenya. This is a wonderful time to truly connect with your children. If I may, I ask that you try to power down the devices when possible, listen deeply to what your kids are passionate about, and embrace the moment. There is no greater gift than time with loved ones. Sincerely, Matthew Woodward Elementary School Principal
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DATES TO REMEMBER Saturday October 6 Farmers Market 8: 30 - 11:30 a.m. ISK Upper parking Wednesday October 10 Moi Day (Public Holiday) No School Friday October 12 ES CCA Q1 ends Monday October 15 - 19 October Break No School Monday October 22 ES CCA Q2 begins 3:40 to 4:45 p.m. Thursday October 25 & 26 ES Parents Conferences No School
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
PEACE WEEK September 21st was International Day of Peace. As a Middle School, we spent time seeking ways that we can contribute to a more peaceful world, and how students can engage in “peace work”. We attempted to move beyond the idea that peace is the opposite of conflict. We explored the concept that peace work can look lots of different ways and take different forms. We started the week in advisory with students making origami peace cranes, and ended the week with a lovely assembly led by students guiding us through the importance of peace work. Adrien shared the importance of having peace of mind and peace in our hearts. Silas shared the value of making connections with others through small acts of kindness to make peace. Vaunshika talked about social justice and using our voice to stand up for our beliefs as peace work. And Christine shared
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how caring for our environment is peace work. We then heard from the high school club Construction by Design and were invited to join a project they have developed (Plastiki Rafiki). Students then were challenged to gather plastic waste while on the IC Trips and bring it back to Nairobi so that the Construction by Design club can transform the waste into beaded jewelry. How cool is that?! As our students went off onto IC Trips, we charged them with the task of being peace ambassadors. We recapped that peace work involves: • Finding peace of mind • Making connections with others • Looking for opportunities to use our voice for social justice • Engaging in environmental work • Use your music, art, poetry, voice to speak up for peace
“We attempted to move beyond the idea that peace is the opposite of conflict. We explored the concept that peace work can look lots of different ways and take different forms.�
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STUDENT LEADERSHIP SEMINAR We hosted our first Student Leadership Seminar (open to all MS students) on Saturday, September 15th. The theme was “Desert Survival and Being a Student Leader”. Students started the day by engaging in a “Inside Circle, Outside Circle” activity that helped students to understand the importance
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of belonging, acceptance for our diversity, and reflecting on their role to open their minds and hearts to all members of our community. Students then created group statues of what they imagined leadership to look like, followed by watching this great 6-minute Ted Talk by Drew Dudley, called Everyday Leadership. Students then used this new
way of thinking of leadership to look through a series of well-known leaders around the world and outline their leadership qualities. Finally, students engaged in a Desert Survival activity in small groups, and were assigned certain roles. Their reflection was powerful about how various roles support the work, as well as the need to read the group and adapt based on how the
conversation is going. Our final message for students was that we hope they find ways (both formal and informal) to be a leader this year. As learned from the video we watched, students have the potential to create endless acts of kindness and to be a lollipop moment for someone. We will host another Student Leadership Seminar on February 23rd.
IC Trips We are just back from our Middle School Inter-Cultural Trips, and we had a fabulous week of adventure, culture, service, adventure, friendship and fun!
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6th grade
6TH GRADE - OL PEJETA Sixth grade students spent the week at Rift Valley Adventures camp in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. They had a great time out in nature and managed to spot lots of wildlife. Students rotated through a variety of activities over the course of the week. One day included adventure and personal challenge, with a bike challenge course, a climbing wall adventure, a team building exercise, and archery practice. Another day was spent in Ol Pejeta learning about the plight of the Northern White Rhino. Students helped to maintain their enclosure with the ranger James, they visited the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and went on a bush walk. The third day of activities had students engaging in a wonderful cultural exchange and learning experience with the local community - working on murals painted on the school walls, and playing games with students, and working on the farm to plant various crops.
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7th grade
7TH GRADE - NGARE NDARE Seventh grade students spent the week at Ngare Ndare Forest with Rift Valley Adventures. Students were divided into three groups, and rotated through three different activities over the course of the week. One rotation included hiking through the Ngare Ndare Forest, jumping in the waterfalls, and challenging themselves with a rock climbing experience. The second rotation included spending the day learning about conservation in the area and also interacting with students from Ethi Primary School. The third rotation was a hike up to the Ngare Campground and also a Bush Craft and a Canopy tour; this group spent the night up at the campground.
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8th grade
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8TH GRADE - MAASAI MARA Eighth grade students spent the week in the Maasai Mara with the Me to We organization. They rotated through various activities over the course of the week. One of the days was spent in a beading session with the Maasai Mamas and then on an educational hike from the Boma back to camp. Another day of activities included students spending the afternoon on a build and a tour of Kisaruni. And the final day of activities included students spending the afternoon hiking from the camp to the Bomas where they spent the night and enjoyed an evening of Maasai storytelling. All students spent time at the Mulot Market learning what it is like for a family of four to shop and budget for the week.
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These trips aren’t possible without all of our teachers contributing to its success. In particular, our grade level leaders spend considerable time and energy to plan and organize these fantastic trips.
Thank you to Liv Gregor and Melissa Dimitracopoulos in grade 6, Drew Gregor in grade 7 and Courtney Pierce and Tish Newmyer in grade 8. Special thanks also to Pierina Redler and her team for helping to oversee it all! The memories, friendships (new and old) and self-discovery will support and extend how we grow and learn together over the course of the year. In addition to the reflecting students did in their journals over the course of the week, students will continue to reflect on the experience through advisory. With Warm Regards, Alexa Schmid, MS Principal
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HIGH SCHOOL
Thank you to our parents and community members who have contributed to a positive start this academic year and joined us on campus to participate in one of many beginning-ofyear events. Among many other supports for families, we’ve held our Back-to-School Night, CAS/IB Orientation, IC Trip Informational Night, Welcome back Picnic Potluck Suppers, and first Parent Tea of 18-19. The high school team hopes that you are feeling warmly welcomed and well informed about the high school program, structure, faculty, and culture. Moreover, we hope that all our high school students are enjoying a wonderful and inspiring year thus far. Having recently enjoyed our week without walls of intercultural learning, this article will feature the high school IC trips.
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INTERCULTURAL TRIPS A wonderful tradition at ISK and one of the highlights of the year at ISK is our annual Intercultural trips These are an important part of our educational experience and a graduation requirement at ISK. Students spent a week beyond the school walls, engaging in intercultural and experiential learning activities on trips around Kenya. While our celebratory assembly in September featured student-designed videos and student-led reflections from all these unique experiences, we thought you would appreciate some photos, which hopefully give you a sense of just how enriching these experiences were. Enjoy the photos! HIGH SCHOOL INSTAGRAM AND MOODLE PAGE In the interest of continually improving communication, building community, and supporting access to information for students, faculty, and parents, one innovative strategy we’ve implemented this year is the creation of a high school Instagram account. The page is named isk_highschool if you would like to follow it. Enjoy the photos from our celebration of International Day of Peace and much more. If you choose to join, please be reminded to respect the privacy of our community and do not reshare photos of students. This is a private account, and the ISK social media guidelines shared by Mr Dale in his recent email apply for parents,
students, and staff alike. If you request access to follow and it is not approved, please email Mr Dale jdale@isk.ac.ke. We also continue to maintain the HS Office page in Moodle, where in addition to finding some important basic information about administrative matters, you can access presentations that you may have missed such as Parent Teas. For example, check out the September Tea presentation in Moodle here is a sample of what you will find: HS ADVISORY PHILOSOPHY: The high school advisory program aims to create a caring community for small groups of students within the high school. Facilitated by an adult, who becomes a consistent support and advocate for students, advisory is a safe space that looks at developing a student holistically by personalizing their educational experience. It is a place where students come together as a peer group to develop their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, and to support each other’s academic and personal goals. HS Advisory is a clearly articulated program with guidance provided through modelling and support in the areas of social/emotional well-being, academic, and college planning. The program seeks to foster positive relationships, communication, trust, global mindedness, and the skills necessary to have a successful school transition into and out of ISK.
FIRST HS PARENTS & PRINCIPAL TEA Our First Parent Tea of the year on September 27th was the best attended HS Tea I can ever recall, with topics such as the revised instructional schedule, IB program developments and May 2018 examinations results.
HS PRINCIPAL & PTO POTLUCK SUPPER COLLABORATION A tradition at ISK, every year the High School Principal in conjunction with the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) Representatives arranges ‘potluck’ suppers for parents early in the year.
Also counseling welcome with university placement information including college news and SAT/ACT testing; HS Advisory program 2018-19.
This year we again found these events to be a relaxing way for parents to socialize with other parents, some teachers, and the principals in an informal setting. We thank you for making the time to join us for this time together and share a meal; and a special thank you to our HS PTO representatives for their care, time, and coordination efforts.
Thank you to the parents who joined, and for your feedback/ideas about our high school advisory program.
SOME KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES: OCTOBER 10: Kenyan Public Holiday (Moi Day) - No School OCTOBER 13-21: October Break (No school. Classes resume Mon. 22nd) OCTOBER 31 & NOV 1: HS Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences (No classes on these days) All the very best for an enriching and wonderful 2018-19 academic year! Robert Blanchard, Ed.D. High School Principal Jarrod Dale High School Assistant Principal
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Intercultur
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ral Trips
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Jodi Lake Director of Teaching and Learning
LEARNING DESIGNS AT ISK
As teachers, students and parents, we always talk about ‘learning’, but do we know what we mean by learning? Do we share a common understanding? At ISK, our definition is…
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Learning is a personal and social experience; it is the ongoing development and demonstration of what we understand, what we can do and who we are.
Further to this, we have looked at the pathways that students at ISK follow to achieve learning through a range of experiences and perspectives. ISK has identified three learning pathways:
HOW DO WE DEFINE THESE PATHWAYS?
Integrated Learning
Personalized Learning
Experiential Learning
INTEGRATED LEARNING combines knowledge and modes of thinking from two or more disciplines to generate new insight - allowing students to see how ideas are connected. PERSONALIZED LEARNING refers to a diverse variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic-support strategies that are intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, or cultural backgrounds of individual students.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING is the process of making personal connections and meaning from authentic contexts.
WHAT MIGHT THESE LOOK AND SOUND LIKE?
• Learning math concepts and skills to solve an engineering task • Researching necessary information to be able to organize a service event
Students are active participants in • setting goals, • planning learning paths, • tracking progress and • determining how learning will be demonstrated • Trips (field trips, IC trips) linked to learning in the classroom • Work experience opportunities • Service learning in the classroom and outside • Authentic projects that extend learning
We are still developing these pathways as part of our curriculum - the journey itself is learning for all of us.
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SWAHILI IMMERSION IN SERVICE LEARNING 136 enthusiastic middle school students participated in our new Swahili Immersion class on September 5th, 2018. The aim of the program was to learn basic Swahili vocabulary which is related to the different service projects. This program was designed in line with the ISK Educational Aims in which intercultural integration brings objectivity and flexibility as we learn about another culture and how to communicate with Kenyan community partners. The program was led by George Ndungu (HS Swahili Teacher) together with a team of Kenyan service project chaperones. We used an authentic approach to learning culture through integrating the Swahili language (national language in Kenya) into the Service Learning Program by using basic vocabularies that contextualize what students do in Service Learning. The activities ranged from greetings, and common verbs and nouns used in the areas of service. We focused on open-ended formulation, articulation, the importance of respect, objectivity and flexible methodology, which included songs, cartoons and corroborative (peer to peer) exercises. The goal was to enhance the proper understanding and appreciation of other people’s language. In our next session, we will focus on the relationship and harmonization of language and culture that goes beyond simple cultural generalization and stereotyping. George Ndungu
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Will Moore Athletics Director
ISK ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
ROSSLYN TOURNAMENT ISK TENNIS TEAM The ISK Blue Tennis Team competed in the Annual Rosslyn Doubles tournament and were represented by two pairs of siblings, Mara and Jodie and Nui and Gabriel. Both teams performed well in the tournament and played each other in the quarterfinals with the sisters
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getting the best of the two brothers. Unfortunately, in their semifinal, the girls ran out of steam and lost a very close match to the Hillcrest School. Despite the loss, the two teams looked capable of bringing more trophies this year to an already sizeable trophy case. Mr. Amirouche Will Moore Athletics Director
ISSEA GIRLS & BOYS VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS OCTOBER 25- 27 (THU-SAT) Hosted by: American International School of Mozambique
ISK GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM
ISSEA TRACK AND / CROSS COUNTRY MEET OCTOBER 25- 27 (THU-SAT) Hosted by: International Community School, Ethiopia
ISK BOYS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM
Serena, Kareena, Quinn, Rachel, Maria, Shreya, Nadia, Barbara, Lauren, Mariam. ISK BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Caleb, Justin, Dov, Michele, Xander, Harry, Braelyn, Charlie, Enrique, Christian.
Isaiah, Max,, Samuel, Pedro, Dylan, Max, Avik, Jai,, Guyard, Sebastian, Jacques ISK GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM
Awour, Courtney, Juliane, Meron, Megan, Emilie, Luna, Samiya, Keshia, Lhana, Gloria, Tovalisa, Zahra.
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JV FOOTBALL TEAM - THE ROSSLYN TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE Going into this tournament, thoughts of survival and murmurs of “sticking in there” arose in the whispers here and there. Once we were settled, the first thing coach brought up was exactly that, and I found it quite interesting that he would later say “I’m not here to play a tournament, I’m here to win one”. This was particularly uplifting because I soon saw a dramatic change in attitude and expression on my teammates’ faces. We went on to play our first game against RVA 1st team. Unfortunately, we ended up losing by a 2 goal deficit
which meant lots of grunting and reflecting from the lads. We went on to our second game against Braeside; a team we thought we could have perfectly destroyed but were unfortunate to concede a goal off of a deflection. This particular game left us concerned, because we felt confident, we had the ability, and the ways to push through, but the unpredictability of the game that is football truly let us down. Due to our previous loss, the lads and I were feeling hungry for a win, and later became extremely aggravated due to the level of physical contact that this team showed. We
started our game early with a goal given by a penalty; later on came a confrontation between the two sides, which led to a controversial penalty awarded to Peponi, which they graciously took advantage of. In the last minute or so, the boys were feeling robbed and set off to take a freekick that would ultimately end the game. Matias stepped up and won it for the underdogs which meant a lot of happy faces. The last emotional moment of the day resided in the last group game against Rosslyn. This game was our ticket to qualification and ultimately to gain the respect JV deserves. Avi set us up nicely in the
last couple of minutes with a nice little chip over the keeper which got the whole team absolutely buzzing. The underdogs had finally won their seat in the big leagues. This tournament was the pre-season chance the team needed to prove itself, and it did just that. Getting through to the knockout stages was an achievement in itself and has helped our team chemistry reach its peak. The outcome not only got us respect but hopefully set our standards for the season to come. Charbel JV Captain Grade 12
Support OUR Lions Teams, with YOUR amazing merchandise…… 34
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Lynn Wells Director of Advancement
FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE
Save the Date
The joy of classical music comes to ISK... and for a good cause. The students of Artsco have partnered with the Ghetto Classics Orchestra to bring the beauty of classical music to the ISK stage. The Ghetto Classics Orchestra began in 2008 in the Korogocho settlement. Their goal was to provide the children with instruction, instruments and musical skills to last a lifetime and provide an alternative to drugs and illegal activities. http://www.artofmusic.co.ke/ghettoclassics/
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This musical event is a highlight of his year’s Inspiration Initiative, as all proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Ghetto Classics Orchestra. Tickets will go on sale soon but in the meantime, put November 2 at 6:30pm on your calendar. Lynn Wells Director of Advancement
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Pamela Pappas Communications Manager
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Last year, ISK partnered with The Village Market through a campaign titled “Inspired Shopping”. The Inspired Shopping campaign will give consumers an opportunity to donate their Bonus Card points to the Inspiration Initiative and Village Market will add another 50% donation on top! These proceeds will help support ISK’s various Community Outreach Initiatives!
• Fill out a registration form at any of the Bonus Card Centres at Village Market
WHAT IS A BONUS CARD AND HOW DOES IT WORK? The Village Market Bonus Card rewards Village Market shoppers with exclusive offers, discounts, privileges and thrilling events that are reserved for their most loyal shoppers. How does ISK fit into this equation? If consumers donate their points to ISK’s Community Outreach Initiatives, The Village Market will match those points by 50%! It’s easy to join:
• Bring your Bonus Card and receipts (valid for three months from date of transaction) to The Bonus Card desk for your account to be credited. Every Ksh. 500 spent earns you a total of 9 points
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• Show your ID/Passport for verification • Receive your bonus card instantly • Shop at all the wonderful stores at Village Market
• Confirm with the Bonus Card Centre that you would like to donate your points to ISK’s Community Outreach Initiatives and Village Market will match your points by 50%
If you are not able to make it to Village Market to register for the Bonus Card, don’t worry. Fill out the online application here or visit any of the Bonus Card Centres (Near Osteria) to collect your card! Not interested in owning a Bonus Card? No worries, please keep your Village Market receipts and put them in the Inspired Shopping Receipt Box at Valentine’s Coffee Shop! Now you have more of a reason to go shopping at Village Market - the more you shop, the more our Student - led Community Outreach Initiatives benefit the true definition of “Inspired Shopping”! Please spread the word! Pamela Pappas Communications Manager
“Not interested in owning a Bonus Card? No worries, please keep your Village Market receipts and put them in the Inspired Shopping Receipt Box at Valentine’s Coffee Shop!”
Digital sign boards at Village Market showcasing our partnership and ISK's commitment to community outreach!
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NAIROBI BUS TOUR As part of our continued support for new ISK families, the PTO ran its first Nairobi Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour on September 25th. The PTO Bus Tour has become the best way to explore hot spots in Nairobi from a local’s perspective. We had a great turnout with over 20 new parents attending. The route covered the area north of Waiyaki Way, including Kitisuru, Muthaiga, Gigiri, Westlands, Parklands and Loresho, where we toured local shops, cafes and
restaurants along with many other businesses that are useful in day-to-day life here in Nairobi. Several stops were made along the way including a stop for coffee at Sigiria Café located in Karura Forest; followed by Diamond Plaza, Nairobi’s Little India: a sprawling mall with endless hallways and shops to peer into and where Nairobians head to for delicious, casual Indian food. We enjoyed fresh, hot Maru Bhajia and a browse through the myriad of
shops; next was Tribal Gallery where we toured the latest art exhibition and collection of Japanese furniture on display; and finally we all gathered for lunch at Wasp &Sprout, a small cafe in the quiet neighborhood of Loresho that has become popular for its great food, comfortable atmosphere, and pocket-friendly prices. We have a great group of enthusiastic new parents! We’re hoping to host several other fun events in the coming months including
a visit to The GoDown Arts Centre, and cooking classes and lunch at 45 Degrees. Look out for more details soon. Deborah and I want to give special thanks to ISK for use of their vehicles and professional drivers to assist us. Kind Regards, Lisa Amenya & Deborah Jones PTO New Family Welcome Coordinators
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PTO DUKA The PTO ‘Duka’ (Kiswahili word for shop) is an important part of the PTO’s connection to the broader community. Run by a team of dedicated volunteers, it is a great place to buy Kenyan handicrafts, jewellery, clothing, home decor and other items.
THE ANNUAL WELCOME BACK PICNIC has become a tradition at ISK and a great way to kick off the new academic year. Like every year the PTO DUKA participated in the Welcome Back Picnic with a pop up shop featuring our favourite and best selling products. The response received from the ISK community has been overwhelming and we are grateful to our regular and new patrons, and our wonderful pool of volunteers.
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The PTO DUKA’s main objective is to “provide an outlet for non-profit organizations and artisans whose main purpose is to aid poor, disadvantaged and/ or disabled people who otherwise have no means of earning a living.”
We endeavor to establish an equal, responsible and committed relationship with our vendors to empower them and help their businesses become sustainable. At the same time we strive to provide all ISK stakeholders good quality products, mainly
locally made and at affordable prices, in a welcoming and friendly environment. Basically, the PTO DUKA allows us to give back, in a small way, to the community we live in and the country that hosts us.
PTO DUKA VOLUNTEER TRAINING The PTO DUKA opened its doors on September 4th, following a volunteer orientation and training session which took place in the morning. We want to give a big thank you to the pool of existing and new volunteers who take time out to volunteer for shifts, thus helping in the smooth running of the DUKA.
The DUKA has a vendor liaison team of volunteer parents who liaise with vendors, organize intakes and maintain stock, thus ensuring a fulfilling shopping experience for everyone. The team is always on the lookout for new products and new organizations that could benefit by selling their products at the DUKA. Thanks to their efforts shoppers can enjoy a wide variety of products under
one roof, while ensuring that the profits reach the right beneficiaries. The DUKA will be showcasing one new vendor organization every month, in order to bring focus to the vision with which PTO-DUKA was created, which is to help the local community and support organizations that are working for a good cause.
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PTO DUKA
OUR FEATURED VENDOR
This month we want to highlight The Thunder Foundation. Why the name you ask? Because they want to bring attention to the social cause they work for. This foundation takes care of 16 homeless children and teens who have had difficult lives (mostly spent on the streets) and want to build a future with hard work and determination.
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They make small key chains and baskets, which are available for sale at the PTO DUKA. The organization also sponsors schooling for 26 children from the Kawangware slum; sponsors 17 special needs children to attend school designed to support them; and runs a football academy providing coaching lessons, meals and social wellbeing for 130 children. Shown here are a few of their creative products and the beneficiaries of Thunder Foundation.
INTRODUCING THE PTO ES REPS FOR 2018-19
Left to right: Widad, Patricia, Preena, Anacleto, Kari, Megan WIDAD ABU-SADA
PATRICIA WANYEE
I have two sons in grades 4 and 10. This is our fourth year at ISK and in Kenya. I have been an active member of the PTO Duka since we arrived, and this is my second year as an ES Rep.
I have two sons in grades 3 and 5. My husband teaches grade three. I have been at ISK forever, seeing as I was a high schooler here.
It’s been a great way to be involved in the school and make great friends throughout the school community.
This is my first year in the PTO. I love the school and want to do all I can to foster a sense of community.
PREENA CHANDARIA My daughter is in grade 4, and my son is 4 years old. We have been at ISK for 4 years. This is my second year in the PTO. It’s a great way to get involved and meet different people at school.
ANACLETO ZIELINSKIGUTIERREZ I have children in grades 3 and 8. We have been at ISK for 4 years and have been involved with the PTO, Friends of the Arts and my wife Emily serves on the school board. We have enjoyed ISK and the community of people that make it so. Mark your calendars for the FOTA art show coming to ISK on November 23.
KARI PODBOY
MEGAN JACKSON
I have twin daughters in grade 5 and this is our second year at ISK. This is my first year on the PTO although I was involved with the PTO Duka last year as well as helping with events.
I have two children at ISK (a son in grade 4 and a daughter in grade 1) and a 3 year old son. This is our third year at ISK and my second year in the PTO.
I have enjoyed connecting with families from other grades and being a part of the community.
I really enjoy being part of the school community and seeing how much the kids get out of having their parents involved in the school.
The PTO ES Reps were pleased to host ES parents at the Hob House on October 3rd. This was a time for parents to catch up and connect. Thank you to everyone who attended. Warmly, Widad, Patricia, Preena, Anacleto, Kari, Megan
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REPORT FROM PTO MS REPS We enjoyed meeting more parents at the Dawas and Desserts event on September 11th. Thank you to everyone who was able to stop by and enjoy a bite and a cup. Thank you to Alphonse and Josephine, in particular, for supporting the event. Congrats to Hubert and Jacqueline Perr for winning the trivia give-away. Well done! Our next gathering will be a very casual Hob House dinner during the MS Social on October 5th. If you would like to connect with other parents and enjoy some delicious Lebanese fare, please come by Hob House from 5:00 p.m. This time - dinner and drinks are on you but the Kenyan sky and good conversation is free! Karibu. Movie night and discussion is being planned for November and, as always, we welcome your ideas and feedback. You can write us at pto-ms-reps@isk.ac.ke. All the best, Abby, Lilly & Meg
PTO EVENTS CALENDAR
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10 11
Public Holiday (No School) 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. PTO Open Meeting
15-19
October Break (No School)
23
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
PTO Executive Committee Meeting
26/27
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
PTO Movie Night Genre: Horror
REPORT FROM PTO HS REPS
PTO High School Reps had a great turnout during the Grade 9/10 potluck dinner held on September 19th and the Grade 11/12 potluck dinner on September 26th. More than 60 parents and teachers gathered together over the two dinners to share great conversation, funny stories, new ideas and delicious food. Thanks to all for coming and to those who weren’t able to attend, sorry we missed you.
SAVE THE DATE: The High School Parent Social is happening on Tuesday, October 9th at Hob House. This will be a chance to meet other parents in a relaxed, comfortable setting off campus. More details to follow shortly. NUZHAT SHAH Grade 9/10 HS Rep +254 707 718422 nuzishah@gmail.com JENNIFER LIRIANO Grade 11/12 HS Rep +254 704 879180 jennifer.liriano.jl@gmail.com The Link
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DIVERSITY WORKING GROUP The ISK community recognizes the importance of continuing to create an accepting and responsive environment for all stakeholders, including students, families, staff and faculty. A team of students, parents, teachers, and administrators are continuing to work together to serve on the Diversity Working Group (DWG), with the goal to learn, reflect, explore and propose how ISK can deepen and strengthen our practices related to diversity. As a committed group, we are using the 4 D’s of the Appreciative Inquiry model to explore diversity at ISK. We will Discover ISK’s strengths and areas where we can improve, Dream about the possibilities and ways that ISK can grow as a community, Design options to make the dreams tangible, and Deliver an action plan in collaboration with the leadership team. Our last meeting, on September 18th, concluded the Discovery stage. As a group, we will refer to these takeaways as we begin to
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Dream. (see chart on page 49) We asked three members of our committee to respond to the following:
We have finished the Discovery stage and are moving into the Dream stage. What are your hopes and dreams for the ISK community moving forward? Donica Merhazion, Parent and Elementary School Teacher: “My dream moving forward is that everyone approaches one another with an open mind. My dream is that everyone wipes their slates clean of preconceptions they have of one another as far as race, religion, culture, and so on and try to understand one another as individuals. None of us fit into one box, if we stop putting people into a box, diversity will sprout organically.”
Patricia Bacchi, Middle School Parent: “My hopes and dreams for the ISK community is to become truly diverse and to live that diversity: whether it is race, gender, sexual orientation, and of course, socio-economic. We can deploy more resources and rally the community behind a deeper and wider full scholarship program for local disadvantaged and talented children. Lastly, I do hope that through deepening the IT program all our children can leave MS and HS with coding skills, so we can help narrow the gender technology gap going forward...now, that’s true diversity!” Waiyaki Regeru, High School Student: “Going forward into the dream stage, I would hope to see that the topics and issues we have discussed be implemented deeply into the community so that everyone in ISK can understand, appreciate and participate in the idea of ‘Diversity and cultural proficiency’ that ISK strives towards.” Saloni Shah & Shelly Maldonado
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE DISCOVERY STAGE FOR EACH AREA:
DIVERSE COMMUNITY
• Being an international school, ISK offers amazing opportunity for growth and understanding. • Students stressed the importance of feeling emotionally safe in terms of diversity, which includes race, culture, gender, identity, etc. • It is important that students continue to have a voice at ISK.Students expressed the need to have additional platforms to share their ideas and concerns regarding LGBTQ, mental health issues, race, and cultural differences. As a HS student explained, “You don’t choose your race, gender, sexuality, etc. You do choose how you treat people and that should be what defines us. We should take more advantage of all the diversity in our school and all that it has to offer. Passion and character is what we should be judged on.”
• Students emphasized the need to be taught by people who they associate with (values, race, gender, etc).
DIVERSE STAFFING
• ISK is committed to following Kenyan law and board policy. The school has committed to hiring with an equal opportunity for all and cannot solicit information about nationality, gender, sexual identity or race. • Some DWG members expressed the need for a school psychologist or mental health counselor. From the Leadership Team, “We have regular recruitment meetings, and we started this year by reflecting on what went well last year, and also looking for ways that we can grow and improve.”
• International Day is a good start and we need more ongoing events that highlight our rich diversity. • There is parental responsibility for building global citizenship. We need parent dialogue and education; learning happens at home, too. • ISK is working on developing its definitions of Global Citizenship, Diversity and Intercultural Learning.
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP &CURRICULUM
• Intercultural learning extends beyond the Intercultural (IC) trips. • There is a need for continuity with unit planning and teaching practice that embraces diversity and intercultural learning. • Offer divisional workshops and classroom opportunities to promote and understand diversity for all students. Here is the presentation from the Director of Teacher and Learning, which gives examples of how intercultural learning is embedded throughout the ISK curriculum. Patricio Saenz Flores, who is reviewing the high school advisory program, shared that the advisory program has the potential to address the need for kids to talk about diversity. It can help build their cultural proficiency and help students better understand the cultural world that exists outside of ISK.
EXPAND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY & SENSITIVITY
• Building cultural proficiency and sensitivity within the ISK community needs to continue to be intentional and deliberate. • We need to continue to look at how we are educating students about discrimination and teaching tolerance at an earlier age. • Advisories and morning meetings offer opportunities to integrate more cultural sensitivity training for students. • There is a need to continue training teachers and parents on diversity and mental health issues.
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musical training, and all have participated in ISK’s MS and HS bands and choirs. Four of them are students of Chris Okana, which says a lot about his ability as an instructor. Chris not only teaches, he inspires.
REFUGE I would like to introduce to you to ISK’s very own blues/ rock band, REFUGE, made up of six students from our High School and Middle School. They love the blues, rock and jazz, and are committed to promoting authentic rock music. REFUGE started in mid-2016 when Patrick (guitar), Gabe (drums) and Silas (guitar) would get together to jam at each other’s houses. You could say that those early jam sessions went better than expected. The boys soon realized that they had the beginning of a band. Once they learned a few songs,
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they were ready to play them for a real audience, which led to some early “gigs” such as MS socials and talent shows. Over time, they developed a very clear preference for the blues, classic rock, improvisational jazz, and lots of jamming. That led to them expanding in order to bring in all the necessary elements to complete the band, eventually adding Ben on bass, Teresa on vocals and Ike on piano/organ. Although they are expats (to one degree or another), REFUGE considers itself a Kenyan band that has family roots in the US, Bolivia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, UK, Belgium and Kenya. All members have various degrees of formal
GONE ASTRAY WHIPPING POST SAFARI SONG
The band’s influences are broad but some of the artists they listen to (and learn from) include Santana, Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, Ten Year After, Black Sabbath, Eric Clapton and Blues greats such as Albert King, Elmore James and Buddy Guy. Their preference tends to be bluesy, guitar-driven rock and they see themselves as a jam band, with a strong tendency for extended solos and group improvisation.
Amazingly, “Gone Astray” has made it on to the Kenyan airwaves and debuted at #2 on 105.5 XFM’s Weekly Top 30 countdown a few weeks ago, which was that countdown’s highest debut ever. The following week they made it to #1 (also an XFM record) and have currently held that position for 3 weeks now. This was beyond unexpected, and the kids are now more motivated than ever to continue writing and recording original music.
The band is named “REFUGE” because it represents what they are all about: a place to go to and escape from the superficial, inauthentic music that fills our airways. But they are not a throwback band. They believe blues, rock and jazz are universal, will always be great, and just need a little kick from young people to bring some life into it.
You can follow REFUGE online via the following social media links:
Below are links to three songs REFUGE recently recorded in studio. One is their first original (“Gone Astray”) and two are covers of bands they love: “Whipping Post” by the Allman Brothers Band and “Safari Song” by Greta Van Fleet.
https://www.facebook. com/PGSBrefuge/ https://www.instagram. com/refuge_kenya/ https://twitter.com/ REFUGE_kenya Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement, it means so much to the kids. Stay tuned for more soon! Joe Sanders Dad/Manager
Get your Lions apparel & branded merchandise at the Advancement Office Monday- Friday Or from Simba Soko! Simba Soko is open Thursdays from 3:30- 4:30pm and during home games!
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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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