PTO Report

Steph Holder

PTO Secretary

Another incredible and challenging year has passed, with the PTO heavily relying on the ISK community’s passion and creativity to propose and implement ambitious alternatives to solve and overcome the challenges Covid continues to present. All-in-all, it has been a successful year, with the PTO organizing a diverse, friendly, and varied experience. Socials, Simba Spirit, ISSEA Welcome Baskets, FOTA, the Celebration of Nations, Book Clubs, and Swahili lessons, to name a few, have been highlights of the year and enjoyed by the ISK community often in a modified format but arguably in an improved successful form. We all deserve a congratulatory slap on the back for successfully overcoming these odds and looking forward to all being back on campus.

Imaginatively and enthusiastically, the PTO has continued to build upon and develop the ISK community despite Covid restrictions and limitations. Physical events have thankfully and joyfully become a feature of the ISK calendar and have included coffee mornings, sundowners, bus tours, and shopping opportunities, as well as picnics and studentonly events. Activities have been organized for parents/guardians as well as specific class, grade, and schoolwide levels and have been rolled out by grade reps through to the PTO New Parent Reps. September and January offered new parent welcome coffees and sundowners with participants from ISK’s Faculty, Board, Advancement Office, and Administration and new and established parents and carers attending. Bringing parents/carers together through face-to-face interactions, albeit primarily outside school, has been hugely satisfying and greatly appreciated. As oncampus events for parents and students continue to increase, meeting outside ISK has provided a great opportunity to sample the varied and fun venues available in Nairobi – after all, nothing beats face-to-face interactions, whether on or off-campus. Supporting these events and the community generally are the grade level WhatsApp groups that are crafted and powered by their participants, offering different modes of communication.

The Celebration of Nations acted as a showcase for the many nationalities present at ISK. Countries were invited to donate a basket filled with products or a cultural experience related to their country. The 180 donations were then put under the hammer through a Silent Auction. A wonderful and diverse range of products, from restaurant vouchers to cooking lessons to baskets filled with goodies for avid needleworkers. The baskets were advertised through a dedicated website, and bidding rapidly made it obvious that this was a must-go-to event, with the last 15 minutes of the bidding being particularly frenzied and exciting (or disappointing if you were outbid at the last minute). The raffle prizes, guessing jars, and paintings by local artists all made the offerings more tempting. The amount raised climbed to an impressive Ksh. 742,200, which the PTO will use for deserving projects in the next academic year. After an absence of 2 years, the PTO members were delighted to host a staff appreciation lunch in May 2022. Located at school and face-to-face, the school’s cafeteria provided the menu, while ISK’s parents and carers produced and donated an array of mouth-watering desserts. Thank you! The event is a small token of our appreciation to the wonderful ISK staff members and faculty. The Holiday Bazaar returned in December, with the Duka giving ISK staff members and Elementary students the opportunity to shop for locally produced affordable gifts on campus.

The Duka’s physical shop is yet to return to ISK’s campus, but products continue to be advertised and sold through the official Instagram page. Any opportunity to physically sell items was taken up. The Duka offered a seasonable selection of goodies that were sold during the PTO Sundowners event, kindly hosted by Mr. Callan in December. And the Duka’s varied and colorful stock was also on sale at the Farmers’ Market in April - the Farmers’ Market and the Duka was a very welcome return to campus. In total, Duka made sales (at no profit) of an amazing Ksh 1,636,550 this year. The PTO worked with the Advancement Office to provide financial support to ISK’s student service clubs. The rebranded “Lions’ Tank” saw ten student service clubs compete in a Shark Tank-style competition, making elevator pitches to a panel of PTO and Advancement Office representatives for a chance to win up to $500 each. Seven clubs took home a portion of what they argued for. Students displayed a truly impressive dose of confidence and innovation while eloquently delivering their sales spiel. April saw Friends of the Arts (FOTA) exhibiting 278 pieces of art showcasing art and sculptures from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and more. This year, pieces designed and created by our very own International Baccalaureate students were exhibited side-by-side with the works of their more established colleagues. In total, 51 pieces were sold, with ISK’s IB students donating 50% of their proceeds to support charity work in Ukraine. Once again, this event proved to be astoundingly successful, particularly as the entire event was held online. We hope it will be held in person next year and be even more successful. A huge thank you to the community for supporting the PTO this year and volunteering, whether through organizing an event, a class playdate, purchasing a Duka item, or offering feedback. Our community is truly impressive and continues to thrive while remaining welcoming, approachable, and proactive. The dedication, commitment, and creativity exhibited are a joy to observe and fuel ambition and generate more energy. Thank you.

Steph Holder

PTO Secretary