issue 15, volume 6
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
S C H O O L
O F
K E N Y A
O F F I C I A L
N E W S L E T T E R
06
DIRECTOR’S & OUTSTANDING AWARD RECIPIENTS
12
NAIROBI MINI WORLD CUP
20 CLASS OF 2014
CONTENTS 3. From the Director Read more) 9. From the Board of Directors (Read more) 8. From the Elementary School (Read more) 16. From the Middle School (Read more) 18. From the High School (Read more) 33. Service Learning (Read more) 37. From the PTO (Read more) 38. From the Advancement Office (Read more)
EDITORIAL TEAM Lynn Wells Pamela Pappas DESIGN & PRODUCTION Janet Muasya - ISK Mario Zamfir - SchoolBrand.com Copyright Š 2014 The Link
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FROM THE DIRECTOR
ENJOY YOUR SUMMER By John Roberts ISK DIRE CTOR This has been an unusual year for the school, with a few serious challenges as well as significant achievements worth celebrating. I spoke about both at the AGM, and will summarize them in the Annual Report, so I won’t go into detail here. However, as the school year comes to an end, it is worth acknowledging the most significant challenges this year for our community. The first, and most devastating, was the Westgate terrorist attack and the loss of three lives within the ISK community. Ninth grader Nuriana Merali, her mother Salima Merali and Anjum Chaudry, brother to one of our staff members, all lost their lives that day. The entire ISK family was shaken by these personal losses, and the Merali and Chaudry families continue to be in our thoughts as the year comes to an end.
The second challenge pales in comparison because it was much less emotional, but it did inject stress into the school year: the mid-year move to temporary classrooms to facilitate an early start on EC 15 the new Elementary School project. This move meant that several temporary classrooms had to be constructed by December, then teachers and students had to move into their new “homes” by January. I am proud of the ISK community for its collective response to both these challenges. Post-Westgate, reeling from the tragedy that affected our own community members, the entire school came together—first in profound grief, then in an outpouring of solidarity and commitment to moving forward. And the midyear classroom “migration” was accomplished with little disruption
to learning, with a sense of common purpose, and with an element of fun and adventure for many ES children, thanks to their attentive, creative teachers. As for the significant achievements worth celebrating, that list is too long to enumerate here! However, I would like to acknowledge that most of those achievements--whether in the realm of student learning such as our ISA math results, joyful community events such as International Day, the record number of sustainable service projects led by our students, or seeing our first scholarship students graduate--have been the result of tremendous team efforts. Within teacher teams; between the PTO and admin team; among service project leaders; between parent volunteers and teachers…virtually all of this year’s successes have been
the result of teams of people working together for a common purpose. There is much to be proud of at ISK this year, including how we, as a community, came together to overcome our challenges and celebrate our many accomplishments. To all our leaving families: Thank you for entrusting your children to ISK, and for enriching our community! We hope your memories of ISK will be fond ones, and we wish you well on your family journey! To our returning families: Enjoy this up-coming break and all the extra time with your family! See you in August!
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Board Meeting Report
May 20, 2014
The Board held the last meeting of this academic year on May 20. We were very happy to welcome our 3 new board members – Rene Berger (new parent-elected rep), Daniel Martimbeault (appointed by CHC) and Nadeem Noordin (an ISK alumnus appointed by the Board). In community news, we were pleased to hear from Wanji Gichigi-Hansson as she steps down from the role of PTO co-chair. The staff appreciation lunch was a magnificent occasion, greatly supported by the parents, and there has been some wonderful feedback from staff guests. The new PTO Executive team is in place and ready to go next year! Dr. Blanchard reported on behalf of ASB that class officers have been elected for next year. Board business included investment plans for any money raised or set aside for scholarship and contingency funds, a discussion of ES class sizes for next year, and some clarification on committee roles, and the relationship between the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors. We had an update on the 5-year accreditation report from Jodi Lake, and considered Board-related changes and challenges for inclusion in the report. Although this isn’t quite as huge a task as the
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10-year accreditation, it is still a big undertaking, and we congratulate Jodi for being so far ahead of schedule in the process. A word now on our outgoing Board members: Ben Cusson is leaving Nairobi after one year on the Board, Shamim Ehsani is stepping down after his 3 years as Board appointee and Lilly Bekele Piper is also standing down after her two year term as parent elected rep, including leading the Board this year. It has been a huge pleasure to work with them and their wisdom, grace and good humour will all be missed. We are lucky to have Daniel, Nadeem and Rene to fill their shoes. The Board thanks all the ISK community for its support for the school this year – it has not always been an easy year, but we have much to celebrate and be grateful for. We are looking forward to next year. We wish everyone happy holidays and safe travels, and for those families who are not returning – best wishes and good luck! Vicky Cole Board Secretary
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Luke Reid Gr 12 Director’s Award
Renata Poulton Gr 12 Outstanding Scholar Award
Adele McMurdo Belanger Gr 12 AISA Award for Excellence
Finote Gijsman Gr 11 Outstanding Scholar Award
Danielle Awori Gr 10 Outstanding Scholar Award
Mathilde Baekmark-Didar Gr 10 Outstanding Scholar Award
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Matthew Roddy Gr 9 Outstanding Scholar Award
Lily Clurman Gr 8 Outstanding Scholar Award
Mahir Hossain Gr 7 Outstanding Scholar Award
Sankara Ganesh Gr 7 MS Leadership Award
Taylor Tamburri Gr 7 Director’s Award
Emily Langlois Gr 6 Outstanding Scholar Award
Fletcher Peillet-Long MS Leadership award
Diederik Ten Bosch Gr 5 Outstanding Scholar Award
Serena Pradhan Gr 5 Director’s Award The Link | 7
By Patricia Salleh Matta
Elementary School Principal Dear Parents, What a busy few weeks it’s been in the Elementary School. Congratulations again to the Creative Arts Department for such engaging and lively concerts and a wonderful art show around the Enduring Understanding: Different styles of art and music can create a timeline that illustrates social and technological change. The arts of the 21st century continue to draw from the past as well as look toward the future within our global culture. Congratulations as well to all staff, students and parents for two very successful Field Days where the focus was on participation, sportsmanship and teamwork. ES Awards List: Congratulations as well to the following students who won awards: Directors Award: Serena Pradhan; Outstanding Scholar Award: Diederik ten Bosch; Academic excellence: Yashna Khatry, David Wachsmuch, Diane Pech; Citizenship: Gai Ogasawara and Kiara Ehsani; Sportsmanship: Milla Jensen, Kiara Ehsani, Alessio Wattley, David Wachsmuth, Kyle Powell, Alec Zabel, Gai Ogasawara. There is an important notice from the library about reading over the summer. Please heed these significant messages and ensure that your child(ren) finds different ways to enjoy reading over the next 8 weeks. I urge parents to support and encourage the library summer reading challenge “World Cup Summer Reading Challenge”. This is strongly recommended as a way of keeping a child’s reading ability exercised. Our librarian does a great job getting children enthusiastic about the challenge and has put numerous reminders out to parents but it is sad when some parents don’t truly understand its importance.
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This letter asks you to enable your children to be successful in this respect through visits to book stores, purchase of summer reading material, allowing opportunities for them to read (on the beach, by a pool, when visiting family, in a hotel room) or visits to the local library where you are for a time. We cannot enforce a summer reading requirement for ES but this is a special plea to parents to help your child enjoy some summer reading and in the process avoid that ‘dreaded summer slippage’ that is a reality each year for our students when they return to school in August. Thank you for reading and heeding this important message! Finally, I would like to say a most sincere ‘asante sana’ to our parent community who have been so supportive in many ways over the course of the year. It has truly been a collaborative and positive partnership. A big thank you to all our hard working dedicated ES faculty and staff who are the backbone of enabling all our students to be successful at ISK. Of course I must say what 2 invaluable stars we have in our ESO, Anne & Lillian, who keep us all organized and ensure efficient and effective communication. A sincere thank you to these two colleagues. We say a sad farewell to the 48 families & 7 ES faculty who are leaving us at the end of the year. Keep well and safe travels. I do hope that you will all take with you many fond memories of your time in ES and at ISK. A most sincere thank you to all as we finish the 20132014 school year.
“... the manager, said that our students have been such a blessing to their organization”
by VANESSA SJERVEN / Kindergarten Teacher
Early Childhood Makes a Difference Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students had a pajama day fundraiser for the Limuru Children’s Centre. They raised over 39 000 KES!!!! They invited the grade ones to join them in an effort to raise even more money for this great cause. Some much needed baby items were also donated such as soap, clothes and diapers. The baby home currently has 11 babies under the age of three. Some of them have special needs and all of them are looking for forever families. In the meantime, they are well cared for by loving workers. All the money our students raised, went directly towards the continued care of these adorable little people. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Tesni, the manager, said that our students have been such a blessing to their organization. If anyone still wants to donate, Ms. Goggin will make one more trip out before the summer break. You can give money or supplies to her, in PreK. Great work everyone!
ES EXPRESS
by BARBARA JONES / ES Librarian
Coming Soon: “Reading Goals” This Year’s Summer Reading Challenge
“World Cup Summer Reading Challenge” This year’s summer reading challenge was distributed to all elementary library classes this week. We would like all our students to do their best to complete the challenge by the end of August. Our hope is that children will read and spend time with books over the holiday, in addition to all the other things they will be doing. We know that children who don’t read during this time are more likely to experience a decline in their reading levels between May
and August. The reading challenge also encourages children to read different types of books and to use some of the vocabulary terms they learned in the library. If your child didn’t come home with a WORLD CUP SUMMER READING CHALLENGE sheet, you can download one from the library web page or pick up a copy from the library. Those who complete it will be honoured at our September assembly.
Access to E-books for ISK Students In addition to Tumblebooks (an online library of picture books that the library has subscribed to for several years), our students are now registered to download books from ISK’s Follett Shelf. Students who are leaving ISK are welcome to make use of it until August. Contact the library or see our web page for more information.
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Successful Girl Scout Brownie Clothing Drive by TAMAR BROOKS / ISK Parent & Girl Scout Brownie Leader
What started as a need to help cold hands and cold feet warm up for the kids at The Nest Home in Limuru, ended in a very successful clothing drive and so much more! Thank you to the entire ISK community for so generously donating clothes during the Girl Scout Brownie Clothing Drive, which
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was held throughout the month of April. We received bags and bags of clothes, shoes, toys, stuffed animals, books, and so much more for ages infants to adults. We had so many items that we were able to donate to not only one, but two places! The kids at the Nest Home in Limuru benefited from many items that will help them for years to come.
The kids at Kings Kids Village benefited from some boy clothes and books. The directors of each location sent thank you notes and blessings for the items that will go directly to help the kids! We can and do all make a difference. Thank you!
ES Basketball Update
by KEVIN ASHLEY / ISK Parent & ES Basketball Coach
On May 23rd, our two ES Basketball teams (U9+ and U11+) traveled to Uganda for a Junior Tournament held by the International School of Uganda. Both of the ISK teams competed well and as a result, qualified into the Championship round. In the Final, they were each defeated by the slimmest of margins (one basket), resulting in an admirable
Second Place finish for each. Four of our ISK players were named to the All-Star team: Solomon Piper and Soledayo Martin from the U9+ team, and Alec Zabel and Aidan Guarnieri from the U11+ team. In addition, Solomon Piper captured the prestigious MVP award in his division for his splendid play during the tournament.
The ISU staff, parents and players put on a great tournament and treated the ISK visitors with tremendous hospitality. We expect next year to be a great year for ES Basketball as the players have made steady progress in their teamwork and individual skills.�
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Nairobi Mini Worl ISK hosted the Nairobi Mini World Cup Tournament 2014 on 17th June. We had 56 teams take part in the tournament. Our boys and girls played hard
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and fair, they showed good sportsmanship and we were very proud of them. The winners of this year’s Nairobi Mini World Cup were:
• • • •
Under 9 girls: Rusinga Under 9 boys: Rhino Under 11 girls: Rusinga Under 11 boys: Rhino
Well done!
ld Cup It was a great turnout which ran smoothly thanks to the following organizers: Sags, Maurice Omondi, Franklyn Kiyondi, Hannah Wainaina, Edward Nyongesa for organizing security and parking, The Operations
by YUANITA OWUOR / Physical Education, Lower Elementary
Department, Cafe Royal and the Staff Canteen. Our sponsors: Java House, CocaCola, Nestle, 360 Degrees Pizza & Planet Yogurt.
A big thank you to our ISK parents, Patricia SallehMatta, and a special thank you to Lux Taylor, our Saturday Soccer Commissioner!
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Grade 3 Wax Museum This great event was hosted on Tuesday, May 20 in the Commons. Within this museum there were wax figures of significant people found throughout history represented by our Elementary Students. A big thank you to our curators Mr. Scott Lavack, Ms. Joanna Print and Ms. Susan Skiman Jones!
Vincent van Gogh
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Jimi Hendrix
Wangari Maathai
Martin Luther King
Library Notices by BARBARA JONES, Librarian
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING REPORT CARDS AND OVERDUE BOOKS: • Students are required to clear their library accounts before receiving their reports. This includes books checked out to their parents. We have been sending emails to all families who owe books, but if you are in doubt or think we may not have your current email address, contact us: library@isk.ac.ke SUMMER BORROWING:
• Students who will be returning to ISK in August are welcome to check out books and use the library during the vacation, • Summer check-outs will begin Tuesday, June 3
• The library will be OPEN during the summer vacation for use by the ISK community (weekdays: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Saturdays 8:00 a.m. - noon) SUMMER READING SUGGESTIONS:
• The library has produced summer reading activities and/ or book lists for students at all levels. They have been distributed to most of our students by now, but they are also available in the library and on our webpages FOLLETT SHELF – OUR NEWEST RESOURCE:
• ISK’s e-library is now up and running. Check it out this
summer, using the link on the library webpage or bookmark the site now: https://wbb11241. follettshelf.com
• For browsing the site, use the username isk and the password library. • ALL our students are registered to use the site for downloading books, including departing students (their user access will remain active until mid-August).
• Most students are registered using their first initial and last name (for example John Smith’s username and password are both: jsmith). Students who share the same name were registered with their full first name, rather than just the initial. Contact the library if you have questions: library@isk.ac.ke
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By Craig Baker
Middle School Principal
Supplies for Next Year Next year ISK will be providing basic supplies to all of our Middle School students. In the past the PTO has made basic supply packs for purchase in the PTO Shop. There is no cost for these supplies. Basic supplies include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
1 Binder – 2 or 3-ring type that is sturdy 8 Subject dividers 12 plastic sheet protectors Loose leaf graph paper 2 packs of loose leaf A4 paper 4 Full-size A4- spiral or bound notebooks 10 Pencils Colored Pencils (Set of 12) Pens (2 of each: red, blue, black) Highlighters (2 different colors) Small post-it tabs for marking reading material 2 Erasers 1 Glue Stick Pencil Sharpener Scissors Ruler (30 cm) Flash Drive
MS Summer Reading There is no doubt that students approach the new school year better prepared when their minds have been intellectually active through reading over the June/July holidays. Recreational reading supports young people in the development of a love of language and an appreciation of literature, and regular reading is one of the best means of supporting young writers as well.
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Our Middle School librarian has created Summer Reading Lists, which are now posted on the MS Library section of our Website (http://www.isk.ac.ke/ page.cfm?p=408). Summer checkout began this week, and many of the recommended books are on display in the library. We encourage our students in the Middle School to read a minimum of three to five books through June and July, and return in August ready to have conversations about what they’ve read. 8th Grade Recognition Program & Party Last week we held our Eighth Grade recognition program, which included music, dance, and some enlightening reflections from some of our Eighth Grade students. It was a time for us to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class
of 2018 and send them on their way to High School.
The MS Circus Unit Our Middle School PE classes have been enjoying their latest unit, Circus, which includes dance, acrobatics, and music. They completed their performances last week, and I know many parents came to see their amazing acts. Our PE Department drew from the help of some very talented young people, The All-Round Sarakasi Acrobats, Dancers, and Musicians. The Sarakasi group also entertained the audience with some amazing routines. MS Awards Assembly Six of our students were recognized at our Annual Awards Ceremony on Wednesday morning. Congratulations to our
outstanding scholars: Emily Langlois in Grade Six, Mahir Hossain in Grade Seven, and Lily Clurman in Grade Eight. Taylor Tamburri, Grade Seven, received the Director’s Award. Two other students were recognized for their outstanding Leadership: Sankara Ganesh in Grade Seven and Fletcher Peillet-Long in Grade Eight. MS Sports Awards Congratulations to A’Sonti Hall and Agathe Pech our Middle School male and female Athletes of the Year. Ella Blanchard received the Middle School Sportsmanship Award. I wish all happy and safe holidays, wherever you may be. For those of you leaving the ISK community, we will miss you, and we wish you the best of luck with your new transitions. The Link | 17
By Rob Blanchard High School Principal
Congratulations to the Class of 2014! On Friday, May 30, our seniors enjoyed a special graduation ceremony and reception in honor of their wonderful achievement. One highlight of the evening was the presentation of our special graduation awards. • Outstanding Scholar Award • Director’s Award • AISA Award for Excellence • Svetlana Kovalsky Award • Reuben Grey Sportsperson Award • Huduma Service Award • Faculty Award
Renata Poulton Luke Reid Adèle Bélanger-McMurdo Amalia Gross Renata Poulton Nandi Blanchard Avijit Minocha Adèle Bélanger-McMurdo
A few interesting facts about ISK’s Class of 2014:
In the lead-up to graduation, seniors enjoyed a week of activities specially designed for them, including:
• 25 nationalities represented • 5 students who joined ISK for their senior year (Asha Ali, Caela Burrell, Christopher Hopkins, Natalie LewisVass, Tahnsarah Peters) • 5 students who have been at ISK for 10 years or more (Nandi Blanchard since 2000 in Pre-Kindergarten, Fanuel McCarthy since 2002 in Grade 1, Steffi Mwanzia since 2002 in Grade 1, Sierra Rostal since 2004 in Grade 3, Abenezer Shiferaw since 2004 in Grade 4
• Complimentary Yearbooks • Special Transitional Session with the Counselors • An optional Red Cross First Aid/CPR Course • An optional Personal Finance 101 Workshop • Senior Pool Party • Senior Barbecue sponsored by the Alumni Association • Alumni Association Event Continued on page 31
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Class of 2014
Abdoulaye Nadia
Burrell Caela
Gross Amalia
Abebe Mussie
Chandaria Nikita
Gulam Imran
Akiwumi Vanessa
Chaudhry Aliya
Hansohm Jonas
Ali Asha
Cusson Alexandra
Hernandez Miguel
Belanger-McMurdo Adele
Deal Nicholas
Hira Natasha
Benbaha Ibtissam
Desai Nicolaus
Hopkins Christopher
Beyers Jana
Disselkoen Omar
Kabaluapa Noella
Bhayani Ruhee
Dodge Jesse Luke
Kahara Hilda
Blanchard Nandi
Fischer Britta
Kassarjian Annie Rita
Bogale Eminet
Fomete Olivia-Claude
Kim Haun
Brandt Alia
Groenewegen Ringo
Lavender Cora
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Congratulations to the Class of 2014! On Friday, May 30, our seniors enjoyed a special graduation ceremony and reception in honor of their wonderful achievement.
Lee Seojin
Ouma Lucian
Shah Karan
Lewis-Vass Natalie
Pech Paul
Shah Meer
Ljung Linnea
Peters Tahnsarah
Shiferaw Abenezer
McCarthy Fanuel
Poulton Renata
Soor Avita
Meghji Ellahi
Prabhu Kavan
Spilsbury Lydia
Minocha Avijit
Reid Luke
Suh Ho-Jin
Muluguta Samson
Rostal Sierra
Sweeney Marcus
Mwanzia Steffi
Sarkar Pratik
Tanwar Naman
N’diaye Elizabeth
Savani Aashnaa
Tolley Sydney
Nakano Yumiko
Sawant Saurabh
Verma Shubham
Ochieng Theodore
Shah Deep
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Class of 2014 Acceptances and Offers
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UNITED STATES Arizona State University Azusa Pacific University Boston University (2) Bryn Mawr College California State University, L.A. California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo Carnegie Melon University Claremont McKenna College Columbia College of Chicago Connecticut College Cornell University Florida Institute of Technology Fordham University Fresno Pacific University George Washington University Hofstra University Ithaca College Kansas State University La Sierra University Macalester College Miami University Mount Holyoake College New Jersey Institute of Technology Northeastern University New York University (2) Occidental College Pennsylvania State University Philadelphia University (3) SUNY Buffalo SUNY Plattsburgh SUNY Stony Brook The Landing School Union College University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of Chicago University of La Verne University of Maryland University of Massachusetts- Boston University of Michigan University of Minnesota- Twin Cities University of Rhode Island
University of Southern California University of Southern Florida University of Southern Illinois- Carbondale University of Tampa University of Washington Wagner College Washington State University (2) Washington University- St. Louis Wesleyan University West Virginia University UNITED KINGDOM ENGLAND Anglia Ruskin University Aston University Coventry University Durham University East Anglia University King’s College University of London Lancaster University London School of Economics and Political Science Manchester Metropolitan University Newcastle University Queen Mary, University of London University of Bath (2) University of Birmingham University of Bristol (2) University of Cumbria University of Leeds University of Leicester University of Liverpool University of Manchester University of Nottingham University of Reading University of Warwick University of Westminster University of York (2) SCOTLAND Edinburgh Napier University Heriot-Watt University St. Andrew’s University
University of Edinburgh University of Glasgow University of Stirling WALES Cardiff Metropolitan University Swansea University EUROPE FRANCE Lycée La Martinière Lyon , C.P.G.E (Classe Préparatoire aux Grandes Ecoles) ITALY Florence Design Academy Florence Institute of Design International NETHERLANDS Hanze University of Allied Sciences SWITZERLAND École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne International Hotel and Tourism Training Institute CANADA Carleton University (3) Fleming College MacEwan University McGill University Queen’s University Simon Fraser University University of British Columbia (4) University of Ottawa University of Toronto University of Windsor Western University AUSTRALIA Trinity College University of Melbourne Australia Institute of Music
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NHS Says
Thank You
to High School Staff
by ALICIA ZENTS / HS Social Studies
On Tuesday, April 8, the High School National Honour Society held an Appreciation Lunch for the 9 HS staff workers. This was a great honour for the NHS because it allowed us to really show the staff how much we appreciate them and all that they do for the school by sitting down and having meaningful 26 | International School of Kenya
conversations with them about their lives over a really tasty lunch! Without these staff members, ISK would function very differently, and definitely not as smoothly as it does now, so we are very grateful for these staff members and their work in maintaining the HS area.
Various members of the club also gave brief speeches throughout the course of the lunch to clearly convey our immense gratitude on behalf of the entire HS, and we also gave each member a gift voucher to Nakumatt as a small token of our appreciation. The lunch, though brief, was extremely lovely and enjoyable for all
that were there and we were very glad to be able to really get to know some of the people that keep our campus clean and maintained. We hope that this event will be annually continued in the future! (Photo by Cora Lavender: pictured in photo: HS Staff cleaners and various NHS members)
by LEEANNE LAVENDER / HS English
ROMEO & JULIET On May 19, every single ninth grade student participated and either acted or directed the Romeo and Juliet Play that took place in the Art Center Amphitheater. Stacey Wilkins and I (as the ninth grade English teachers) were the “producers�. Students were allocated key scenes and had to memorize lines, make decisions about costumes, props, blocking, and be ready to perform on the big day. They only had 10 days to prepare and did an absolutely fantastic job. Go Class of 2017! Thanks to Geoff Boyer for sending in these great photos. We hope you enjoy them.
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HS Academic Awards
HS Academic Awards Assembly: In May, we held our annual awards ceremony featuring some new ideas, including informing parents of award winners in advance so they could attend, formalizing the proceedings of the event, and hosting a reception for award winners and families after the ceremony. Our department heads presented awards in the following areas to honor student excellence and achievement: A special award was presented in collaboration with the Merali family: our first-ever Nuriana Merali Grade 9 Athlete of the Year Award which was shared by Iida Valme and Jason Musee. Another special award was presented by AISA (the Association of International Schools for Africa) to an ISK service learning group: Operation Smile was awarded $1,000 in support of cleft-palate surgeries in Kenya.
Continued on page 26
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Our prestigious Outstanding Scholars Awards, which are accompanied by a $500 tuition fee reduction next year, were awarded as follows: Grade 11 Grade 10 Grade 9
Finote Gijsman Mathilde Baekmark-Didar and Danielle Awori Matthew Roddy
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FULL LIST OF OUR 2013-14 AWARD WINNERS: ENGLISH Academic Excellence
ENGLISH Academic Achievement
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Ella Frigyik Snow Han Sophia Miah Aliya Chaudry
Sophie Kelleher Harrison Mutai Finote Gijsman Kavan Prabhu
MATHEMATICS Academic Excellence
MATHEMATICS Academic Achievement
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Matthew Roddy Stefan Tesliuc Kevan Dodhia Haun Kim
Macune Gilruth Mathilda Baekmark-Didar Moira Majaha Ringo Groeneweggen
SCIENCE Academic Excellence
SCIENCE Academic Achievement
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Slate Rostel Stefan Tesliuc Kevan Dodhia Renata Poulton
Bijen Gudhka Jacob Vonderheide Finote Gjisman Kevan Prabhu
MODERN LANGUAGE AWARDS
MODERN LANGUAGE AWARDS
French Bijen Gudhka (French 2) Carolina Herrera (French 3) Spanish Ha Un Kim 9 (Spanish B SL) Ella Frijik (Spanish 3) Kiswahili Bilingual Louise Pech
French Thomas Schaerer (French B HL 2) Spanish Natalie Lokyer (Spanish B SL) Kiswahili Renata Poulton (Kiswahili Ab initio 2) Bilingual Alexander Alverson
Academic Excellence
Academic Achievement
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DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR CREATIVE & CRITICAL THINKING Grade 12: Luke Reid
FINAL SERVICE AWARDS
Grade 9: Adil Gulam Jinsu Elhance Grade 10: Danielle Awori Grade 11: Natasha Matsaert Rose Rudasingwa Shea Orth Moore Antonia Shaw, Joshua Smith Sreen Grade 12: Adele McMurdo Belanger Cora Lavender Nandi Blanchard
OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR AWARD Grade 9 Matthew Roddy Grade 10 Mathilde Baekmark-Didar Danielle Awori Grade 11 Finote Gijsman Grade 12 Renata Poulton
SPORTS
Academic & Athletic Excellence: Nandi Blanchard Academic & Athletic Excellence: Renata Poulton Athletic Service & Leadership: Nora Tuts Male Athlete of the Year: Harrison Mutai Female Athlete of the Year: Louise Pech Nuriana Merali Grade 9 Athlete of the Year Award: Jason Musee Iida Valme
FINE / PERFORMING ARTS Music:
Steffi Mwanzia (ExcellenceAward) Chris Hopkins (Excellence Award)
Art:
Elisa Angerer (Achievement Award) Tamara Noiman (Achievement Award) Shanti Zschocke (Excellence Award)
Drama:
Mathilde Baemark-Didar (Excellence Award) Naledi Sekgapane (Excellence Award) Matthew Davis (Excellence Award)
SOCIAL STUDIES
AISA AWARD Grade 11: Grade 11:
SPIRIT AWARD Grade 12:
Grade 9 World Civilization: Mohamadou (Bella) Bah Grade 10 World Civilization: Isabel Guarnieri Psychology: Nora Tuts History: Aliyah Chaudhry Economics: Kevan Dodhia Geography: Murad Mustafa 30 | International School of Kenya
Joshua Smith-Sreen Lior Haskel
Fanuel McCarthy Ibtissam Ben Baha
David Robbins performs for the Class of 2014
Continued from page 18
In closing, there has been so much to celebrate in the high school this year - so many enriching learning experiences and I hope that my reports to you throughout the year have been able to provide a snapshot of student learning and life at ISK. At the same time, we have faced challenges, hopefully coming through them a stronger and more coherent and caring community. On behalf of the high school teaching faculty and administrative team, thank you for your support throughout the year and indeed for entrusting your children’s education to us. To our departing families, we wish you a safe and wondrous onward journey. To our returning families, we wish you a safe and relaxing holiday, looking forward to your return to ISK for the first day of the 2014-15 academic year on Wednesday, August 13. Kind Regards, Rob Blanchard High School Principal
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Service Learning by PIERINA REDLER / Co-Curricular Coordinator
Service Learning is an educational experience where participants contribute their time and services to the community and make a positive impact on their community. The desire to incorporate Service Learning into education is growing throughout the world. ISK is at the forefront of implementation in Africa. Each week we have 250 enthusiastic students participating in various school service programs and many more working on the week ends with their families or individual organizations. Service Learning is growing at ISK. The program reflects our educational aims and vision - respecting others, celebrating differences, cultivating empathy and recognizing human interdependence - the opportunities delivered by our Service Learning Program has become meaningful and
sustainable partnerships with the partners we work with. This year ISK has worked with 22 community partners across the three School Divisions. From environment groups such as our new Greenhouse Project, dancing with Kibera kids, performing with the street kids of Shangilia, the reforestation of Karura Forest and playing sport, reading, teaching computers to those less fortunate. The impact of our actions has directly benefited over 2500 children. We are open to new ideas, approaches and opportunities to extend our program even further next year. Please speak to Ms. Pierina Redler about this. Through reflection, our students integrate both the service and the learning into their framework of personal experience. ISK students
maintain an electronic reflective journal. One of our senior students wrote this year in their final reflection:“My leadership skills have greatly expanded. I have empowered myself to take a stand and persist in the things I am passionate about. I have grown as a leader, a group member, a listener, an artist, an athlete, an assistant, a role model, and a facilitator. I have learned the power of persistence, passion, communication, teamwork, active listening, authority figures, sharing, love, empathy, will, and the power of a desire to succeed. It’s easy to feed into the mentality that “I can just give them money” or “I’ll do it later” or “someone else will do it” (as many of my fellow classmates do), however I agree with the ISK CASL quote: “You must give time to your fellow
man – even if it’s a little thing, do something for others – something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it (Albert Schweitzer)”. I’ve learned that even if you make a slight difference in at least one person’s life, then you’ve made a difference. My greatest pride and my most significant achievement is my Healing Arts Program: HeARTs. My passion for art and working with children, as well as my keen interest in psychology led me to fuse the two. I developed HeARTs at the start of this school year. I had felt that I never found an activity that was my own; that I could be actively passionate about, and that would produce meaningful and significant results. HeARTs combines creative arts, psychology, and children by using art as a healing tool.” Nandi Blanchard Grade 12.
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Shangilia Game Finally Played!
by NOAH KARLSSON / Grade 10
On April 16th, we played football with the Shangilia kids, as planned. At first I was a bit worried that it would not work out because Ms Redler was cautious of having too few people from ISK and more from Shangilia taking part. Shangilia arrived at around 2:00 p.m and I met them at the upper parking lot. They were dressed in their full football gear including cleats. We 34 | International School of Kenya
walked down to the lower field and met the ISK boys: Mamadou, Christophe, Sieb, Abdul, A.K., Ronil, Garrett, Maxim and Thomas. A few more boys from ISK joined at the lastminute, which was great. In total there were 15 Shangilia Students and 10 ISK Students so we decided to split up into 3 teams, playing 8-a-side in a tournament. We had an all-Shangilia team, an all-ISK team and a
mixed team consisting of players from both schools. Thomas and I played in the mixed team from ISK, with 7 Shangilia players (we had to have a sub). The first game was between Shangilia ISK, where Shangilia won a hard-fought game, 1-0. Shangilia team proceeded to play against the mixed team, who they beat 1-0, with myself scoring the deciding goal. With
Shangilia already having 2 wins from 2 games and both the mixed team and ISK team with a loss a piece, the tournament was already decided before the last game even started! The mixed team lost their second game in a 2-1 thriller against the ISK team. Afterwards, we all cooled down with some juice and biscuits.
Announcement from the Interact Club of ISK
by CHRISTINE FENSCH / Parent Chaperone
by ADELE BELANGER-MCMURDO / Interact Club President 2013/14
The main goal of the Interact Club of ISK is to undertake activities which enhance leadership skills, serve the community and expand international understanding. Our club’s motto is “Touching lives, one child at a time.” The Interact club held elections for its new board in April. Running the largest and longest running student-run community service organization at ISK requires a great deal of responsibility and determination, and it is a pleasure to congratulate and welcome the following Board Members for 2014/15, who are all excited and dedicated to carrying out the goals of the club: President: Tamara Noiman Vice-President: Shiv Chandaria Secretary Attendance: Hanna Nebiyu Secretary Notes: Natasha Matsaert Treasurer & Sergent at Arms: Sahil Patel Club Chair: Moira Majaha Service Chair: Zain Fazal International Chair: Anushka Kapoor Finance Chair: Kushay Shah The Interact Club is also proud to announce the following awards for this year: THE INTERACTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD is given to the Interact member who has shown a commitment
to Interact far beyond the basic requirements expected by the Club. This year the award was presented to Elly Overton THE KAMRAN FAZAL AWARD (in memory of Interactor Kamran Fazal) is given to the Interactor who displays ‘excellence through tenacity’. This year the award was presented to Ibtissam BenBaha. Congratulations Elly and Ibti! Having been in the Interact club for three years, it’s been an honour to lead the club this year and see its further growth and development. We are in a position where we are financially able to donate $1000 to the club ‘Under Construction’ to support their similar work. It is incredibly rewarding, and as a club we hope to further improve our relations with our fellow serviceclubs. With this being my final official duty as Interact President, I would like to recognize my board and the three amazing teachers who have supported this club this year: Ms. Henderson, Ms. Jones, and Mr. Bissmeyer. On behalf of the entire club and especially myself, thank you for all of your dedicated and invaluable help! Here’s to a Tamara and her team in 2014/2015 and the good work that Interact will do on behalf of the children of Nairobi who benefit from our services!
April 30 marked the recent highlight of our cooperation with children from the Spurgeon Academy in Kibera. Together with ISK Middle School and High School students, they performed two dances on the ISK Art Centre stage. Thanks to Sammy Mwangi, who edited the tape, you can now watch their amazing performance Here. The first song is called “Ping”, like the sound of a piano key, and it plays with the notion of how black and white keys have to interact to create a song. It was composed by the German artist Hauschka, who is internationally known for his modern jazz pieces. Hauschka decided to shoot his video for “Ping” in a slum area of Nairobi with children from Spurgeon Academy. See his video Here. ISK students learnt most moves from the original choreography but also integrated some of their own ideas. The second dance is called “Syé Bwa” by Kassav’ and combines African and Caribbean rhythms. There was a lot of laughter during practice, when ISK students tried to copy that special groovy move! Spurgeon Academy is the school for more than 600 students in Kibera, out of which 15 were selected to come to ISK every Wednesday as part of our CASL program. The group was led by Kenyan dance instructors who are funded by the One Fine Day Organization (www.onefineday.org). ISK generously provided the bus transport and the Art Center dance room for the practice sessions. It has been a wonderful experience to watch this group training and performing together. They worked hard but always had a great time playing games and learning from each other. Many thanks to all helpers and to Ms. Pierina Redler for making this possible. We look forward to continuing the cooperation next semester.
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Photo Fun
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A Final Note from the PTO
by GEOFF BOYER & WANJI GICHIGI-HANSSON, PTO Co-Chairs
It is hard to believe that we have arrived at the end of another school year—and what a year it has been! The PTO and its team of extraordinary volunteers has worked hard all year to provide that “something extra” which makes life at ISK so enjoyable. We started the year with the New Parent Orientation and followed quickly with the Community Welcome Back Picnic. Throughout the year we have hosted coffee and tea at the PTO Shop, which has been a great opportunity for parents old and new to catch up with each other and learn what is happening on campus. Bus tours, the ES Costume Party and Haunted House, MS Socials and a Holiday Bazaar are some of the
other high points of the first semester. Second semester brought even more exciting events— our most successful International Day and Taste of Nations yet, the Spring Fling at the Lord Erroll, more MS and HS socials, and a stunning Art Gala hosted by FOTA. Our Staff Appreciation Lunch in May showed what a great group of families we have at ISK, as the donations poured in to prove how much the staff at ISK really is appreciated. And if you think that this list of activities is impressive, just wait until you see what we have planned for next year! As the year comes to a close we must say goodbye to some of the
people who have worked so tirelessly to make the PTO a success. Some are stepping down but staying at ISK, some are leaving Kenya—all will be missed. Our HS Reps Dalit Haskel, Ayesha Chaudry and Bibiana Periera have done great things, as have our MS Reps Dawn McNevin and JoAnn Kelleher. Thank you all for your hard work. Khorshed Vakil, our Funds Coordinator, is also a tireless volunteer and Kiki O’Connor, our Communications Officer has done a superb job in making sure that the information that we all need gets out in a timely fashion. Barbara von der Heide has turned the PTO Shop into the envy of every school in Nairobi and she will be sorely missed.
Finally, PTO Co-Chair Wanji Gichigi-Hansson is stepping down but, fortunately, staying on at ISK. Without her leadership, the year would not have been the success that it was. A final note as we head off for vacation: if you would like to become a PTO Email Buddy and answer questions for incoming families please send an email to Jennifer Gray at iskptobuddy@gmail. com. Please include your name and the grades of your children during next school year. This is a great and easy way to stay involved over the summer and help welcome new families to ISK. Travel safely and see you back here next year!
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By Lynn Wells Director of Advancement
Just Imagine a school where every student has the tools he or she needs to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. A school where the faculty has the resources necessary to guide and inspire those students and the professional development needed to continue to learn and be challenged. A future where our community outreach reaches far beyond what anyone imagines possible. In keeping with our strategic mission and vision, ISK is dedicated to providing the funding necessary to provide each student with the tools he or she needs to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. Our goal is to ensure that a quality, challenging educational experience is available to ISK students now and for future generations. This requires additional revenue streams beyond tuition and fees, a fact that becomes increasingly evident as we near capacity and increasing tuition & fees becomes the only source of additional revenue. The ISK Advancement Plan is designed to help create a financially sustainable future for our school through a multi-faceted giving program while building on our school’s culture of philanthropy. There are three board-approved steps to this plan.
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The ISK Annual Fund will provide for important “extra” projects and programs that fall outside our operating budget but which will have a lasting influence on current students. This fund raising appeal enhances our culture of philanthropy by providing projects and programs that benefit our students and the wider Kenyan community. Details will be coming to you in September.
A Scholarship Endowment Fund will help guarantee fully funded scholarships for deserving Kenyan students while improving ISK’s financial stability. The goal is to secure an endowment of $5,000,000 over the course of the next five years. The proceeds from this endowment will enable ISK to fund six to eight scholarships depending on the investment’s ROI.
A multi-year facility and program expansion project will benefit generations of ISK students, faculty and the Kenyan community. An ISK Capital Campaign will be launched in 2016-2017 to minimize the amount of debt and maximize the facilities and programs needed for future ISK Lions.
• Just imagine… additional revenue streams over and above tuition income to minimize future tuition increases while maximizing the educational experience of ISK students • Just imagine… funding for additional student programs which fall outside the operating budget but which will make a difference in the lives of our students today • Just imagine… a $5,000,000 Scholarship Endowment Fund to ensure scholarships for highly qualified Kenyan students who would otherwise be unable to afford to attend ISK • Just imagine… support for service programs benefiting the local and national Kenyan community • Just imagine… funding to ensure that our Capital Expansion Plans move forward with minimum long term debt and maximum impact on the future of ISK.
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by PAMELA PAPPAS / Community Relations Coordinator
Washington DC Reunion is around the corner ISK’s Alumni Association is pleased to invite graduates, former students, parents and staff to attend the special alumni reunion at the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC on July 24, 2014. The event is less than 6 weeks away and we are thrilled! With over 50 RSVP’s from former students, teachers and parents our first official overseas reunion is sure to be a blast. Representing ISK will be Mr. Lynn Wells, Ms. Pamela Pappas and one of our Alumni’s favorite teachers, Mr. Brian Currey! The cocktail event will take place from 6-9pm with a short welcome from Alumnus Warren Bufford- Class of 1993, a walk through of ISK’s current projects and a short video showcasing all of the amazing changes at ISK. We encourage all alumni to take the opportunity to stroll down memory lane, renew old friendships, make new acquaintances and see the changes at their alma mater. If you are leaving ISK, and cannot make this reunion, don’t worry. The next one will be held in Europe in the summer of 2015. Look out for more details in the fall.
Alumni Association Event
ISK’s Alumni Association held a fun event for Class of 2014 seniors on May 30 in the Auditorium. A hearty thank you to Mr. Brian Currey for partaking in a mock talk show where he was David Letterman. Mr. Currey along with Alumni guests, Tahir Karmali Class of 2006, and Nalin Bhat Class of 2013 provided seniors with a list of must do’s in college along with some great advice on college life in general. No Letterman Show is complete without a musical guest and 10th grader Olivia Fong blew us away with her sweet, melancholy voice. She performed an original piece dedicated to the Class of 2104 titled “Open Arms”. During the event, we announced that the seniors would be receiving their graduation present from the Alumni Association during the graduation ceremony. The Alumni Association was honored to have Mr. John Roberts present each graduating senior with a Masai Stoll that was personalized with each student’s name and graduating year. Congratulations to ISK’s Class of 2014! The sky is the limit! Welcome to the Alumni Association!!!
We love when our Alumni come to visit!
On May 27, ISK Alumnus Jason Connelly visited ISK after almost 20 years! He was in awe of all the changes around the campus and was very happy to be back!
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When we visited the gym, he remembered how upset he was when his family was reallocated back to the US at the end of his 8th grade year. One of the reasons he was so upset was that he wouldn’t be able to play basketball for ISK as a 9th grader. So, we decided to recreate a picture of him playing basketball in the gym he loved so much! Go Lions!
Africa Goal An initiative set up by ISK Alumni
Registrar’s Message by FAREEN LALANI-BUTT / Registrar
Dear Parents, Another school year has come to an end. This year has been all about achievements and I am certain the coming year will be about striving for bigger and better. One achievement was the enrollment of over 900 students, our highest to date.
Hannah Jones, ISK Alumnus from the Class of 2002 along with other ISK graduates initiated an exciting project happening this summer! The name of the project is Africa Goal and it is a traveling HIV awareness campaign coupled with the World Cup. It started in 2006 when a group of ISK alumni drove from Kenya to South Africa with all the equipment needed to set up an outdoor cinema to screen the World Cup matches live in even the most remote places. This entailed setting up a large screen and projector connected to a generator, as well as assembling an enormous satellite dish, directing it towards the exact point in the atmosphere to catch a signal, and then watching the match with hundreds of new friends each night. The group also tried to incorporate HIV-awareness information during half time and after the matches. The HIV-awareness aspect of the project really came alive during the last World Cup, in 2010, when the team partnered with local organizations to coordinate interactive HIV awareness events, including HIV testing. This year, the project is happening again and the group would love for the ISK community to get involved. Click here (www.africagoal.com) to find out more about the project and how you can get involved by contributing towards the costs of the project.
We also had over 100 scholarship applications and it was not an easy task selecting the recipients. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients, Arnold Too and Wangure Kafungo. In addition, we had the pleasure of watching two scholarship recipients graduate from ISK. The new school year will kick off with our online admissions module which takes into account international applicants and time zones. Parents will now able to monitor and track the status of their application through this software. To all our leaving families: Part of being in an international school is preparing for lots of hellos and good byes but it does not make your leaving any easier. We love how each family leaves a special fingerprint on our campus. So while we hate to see you go, we still want to thank you for being part of our community and celebrate the time you’ve spent with us! We will be sending out a short exit survey next week and we hope you will take the time to complete it. Your feedback is important to the future of ISK. Enjoy your holidays and to those who will be returning, see you in August.
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ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE BUSINESS OFFICE
FACILITIES USE OVER THE HOLIDAY
Dear Returning/New Families, please note that you will receive a 1% discount on payment of full tuition fees if settled before, or on July 1, 2014.
The following facilities will be closed for maintenance as follows:
Kind Regards, Business Office
• Swimming Pool, Fitness Room and Lower Field from the 7/6/2014 until school opens.
• The Upper Field will be closed from 21/6/2014 until school opens.
ISK JOURNALISTS BY STACY WILKINS HS/IB ENGLISH Congratulatioins to 6 ISK students who won awards in the Youth Journalism International contest. Winners include Nandi Blanchard, Britta Fisher, Sabrina Lawson McDowall, Kai Lawson-McDowall, Alex Arrouchdi and Walton Mulroy. FEATURE PHOTO FIRST PLACE: Alex Arrouchdi, International School of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, for “Summit of Mt. Kenya” This captivating and moody photo could easily feature in a travel magazine. Very 42 | International School of Kenya
well done. HONORABLE MENTION: Sabrina Lawson-McDowall Sunrise/Sunset NEWS - Individual Reporting HONORABLE MENTION: Walter Mulroy, International School of Kenya, Nairobi, “Kenyans bracing for election” An interesting look at the practical problems, such as getting to school, that happen as part of a politically turbulent place. Opinion Writing SECOND PLACE: Kai Lawson-McDowall, International School of
SOCIOLOGY MAGAZINE Departing senior Aliya Chaudhry put together an outstanding independent study project. She decided that she wanted to know more about a subject that we don’t currently offer here at ISK - sociology so she designed her own inquiry. Aliya’s final “product” was a bound publication/ e-document that
encompasses the essential aspects of sociology. It’s now available in the ISK library and you can read it Here. This is a phenomenal example of our studentdriven learning in the HS. Thanks for considering it! Brian Lavender HS Social Studies
Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya “Coming Kenyan Election Triggers Memories of 2007 Violence and Worries About What’s Next”
Great use of quotes in this piece, which captures the essence of the student. Key details provided interest and texture
Kai gives a strong rundown of the issue’s history and asks the reader to acknowledge their position of privilege, from which the discussion is largely academic, and consider the position of the less fortunate
FIRST PERSON ESSAY (individual byline)
PROFILE - Individual SECOND PLACE: Nandi Blanchard, International School of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, “Nairobi Football Teamís Biggest Loss Was When Terrorists Killed An Exceptional Girl.”
SECOND PLACE: Britta Fischer, American School of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, “To Nairobi Student, The Westgate Mall Attack In Kenya Is ‘The Scariest Thing In The World’” Congrats! Full details below: http://youthjournalisminternational. blogspot.com/2014/05/winnersfrom-around-world-in-yjis-2014. html
SPACE
By KIMOTHO ADRIANCE IB Visual Arts Final Exhibition 2013
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PO Box 14103 - 00800 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 720 639 363 www.isk.ac.ke
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