KGIS Weekly Newsletter 2 March 2023

THE KNOWLEDGE

A Message from the Executive Principal

This week we have celebrated Book Week at KGIS, ending with World Book Day on Thursday. This is always one of the highlights of the school year with students and staff coming to school dressed as their favourite character from a book! The English Department organised a fantastic week full of activities, competitions and trips for students and parents (you can read more about these later in this newsletter). Thank you to the whole team for their hard work, and thank you to all the parents who have supported the events this week.

As a school, literacy and reading are central to everything that we do from the moment students join in KG1 until they leave in Grade 12. Literacy, along with numeracy, is a prerequisite for a broader education. Being able to read well, helps students to develop the wide vocabulary and knowledge that is required in order to access all areas of the curriculum. Research shows that having a lack of vital literacy skills holds a person back at ever stage of their life As a child, those lacking literacy skills will not be successful at school. As a young adult, those who lack literacy skills will be locked out of the job market, and as a parent, those who lack literacy skills will not be able to support their own children's learning. These are some of the many reasons why we encourage students to spend at least 20 minutes reading (on their own or with a parent) every single day!

Finally, we want our children to enjoy reading! Reading for pleasure has been shown through numerous studies to promote good mental wellbeing The UK Literacy Trust research shows that 'children who enjoy reading and writing are happier with their lives, and are three times more likely to experience positive mental health.' What better reason to choose a book and get reading with your child?!

Ms. Liz Stanley Executive Principal

Key Dates

Please make a note of the following important dates:

Wednesday 8 February-Wednesday 8 March: KGIS Student Art Exhibition (Azura Cafe Al Mouj)

Monday 6 March & Tuesday 7 March: 'High School Musical' performances

Wednesday 8 March: KG2 Transition to Grade 1 Parent Event (10:45am)

Wednesday 8 March: Grade 5 Transition to Secondary School Parent Evening (4:00pm)

Wednesday 8 March: Grade 8 Parent Information Evening for IGCSE (5:00pm)

Sunday 12 March: Maths Week Starts

Wednesday 15 March: Grade 10 Parent Information Evening for A Level & GED (5:00pm)

Wednesday 29 March: KGIS Community Iftar (6:00pm)

Thursday 30 March: Last day of Term 2

Sunday 2 April-Thursday 13 April: Spring Break (school closed)

Sunday 16 April: Start of Term 3

Clickonthelinksbelowtoaccessthelearningoverview,homelearningexpectationsand assessmentdatesforeachgrade:

KG1 KG2

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Grade 10

Extra-Curricular Activities

a-Curricular Timetable for this term

Sports Fixtures: Week Commencing 5 March

Thursday 2 March-Saturday 4 March: BSME Primary Games at British School Muscat

'High School Musical' is here!

'High School Musical' is finally here! After months of hard work in rehearsals, the KGIS cast will be performing 'High School Musical' on Monday 6 March and Tuesday 7 March Don't forget to get your tickets! They are free of charge and this promises to be a wonderful evening of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy! You can reserve tickets by sending an email to Ms. Naveen: naveen.h@kgis-edu.com or by returning the reply slip from the letter sent home last week. The performances on both evenings start at 6:00pm and we will have a range of refreshments on sale. We look forward to your support!

Non-Uniform Day for Turkey & Syria

On Monday 27 February, students were invited to come to school in their home clothes to participate in our NonUniform Day in aid of the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Well done to all the students who contributed. In total we raised OMR 679, which has been donated to the Oman Charitable Organisation in partnership with NBO.

Extra-Curricular Activities

a-Curricular Timetable for this term

Book Week and World Book Day at KGIS

This week was Book Week at KGIS, culminating in World Book Day on Thursday 2 March Thank you to the English Team led by Mr. Abdullah in the Secondary Phase and Ms. Alex in the Primary Phase, along with our Librarian Ms. Naveen for organising such an exciting and diverse range of events for our students, parents and teachers to enjoy!

Students in all grades were engaged in activities that promoted reading and literacy. There were several student competitions running throughout the week including the whole-school Spelling Bee, Catch Me Reading, Face Book and class door decorating competitions. We will be announcing the winners of these competitions over the next week on our social media platforms. Well done to all the students who took part!

A highlight of the week was our 'Hot Chocolate and Story Evening' for students and their parents from KG1 to Grade 6 Students and parents came to school dressed in their cosiest pyjamas to read bedtime stories together, whilst enjoying a delicious cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows! Thank you to all the parents who supported this event designed to encourage a love of reading together.

Students in Grade 6 had the opportunity to go on a trip to visit the Muscat International Book Fair at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre Students enjoyed browsing the wide range of books available in English and Arabic, and were able to choose books to buy to read at home!

Grade 2 students were lucky to have some very special visitors in their class this week from JebelK9. KGIS is excited to be piloting the first Reading Dogs scheme in Oman, and Amber and Ripley are visiting the school so that students can meet them before the reading starts! We will be sharing more information about this exciting initiative and its benefits over the next few weeks

Extra-Curricular Activities

a-Curricular Timetable for this term

Finally, on Thursday we celebrated World Book Day. Students and staff came to school dressed as their favourite characters from a book, and enjoyed a Character Catwalk Parade where they had the opportunity to show off their many creative costumes! Please visit our social media channels for even more pictures of the day!

KG Update

We have had a fantastic week in KG! The children enjoyed wearing their own clothes on Monday, thank you for your generous donations for the earthquake appeal.

The children have had a lovely Book Week, topped off with an amazing dress up day and costume parade to celebrate World Book Day. We have decorated our classroom doors with characters from our books, please do have a look when you are next in the Early Learning Centre.

KG2 to Grade 1 Transition Parent Information Session

We invite all KG2 parents to attend our Grade 1 Transition event at 10.45am on Wednesday 8 March. This important session will help you prepare your children as they move up into Grade 1 in September. Come along to meet some of our Grade 1 teachers, and hear about how best to support your child in their transition

Please be aware that the Ministry of Education has instructed that all Grade 1 enrolments for September 2023 must be registered in the Ministry Portal by June 2023. If you are planning to enrol a sibling or new child in Grade 1 next year, please visit the school or email admissions@kgis-edu com as soon as possible as places are filling up fast!

Primary News

A Message from Mr. Ian, Head of Primary

Book Week has been a rip-roaring success, as ever in KGIS, this week! We have had lots of fun every day and enjoyed some exciting and fun activities such as our Spelling Bee, our 'Design a Door' competition, our Hot Chocolate and Story Evening, a book character parade and numerous other activities and events.

For parents of Grade 5 children, our Secondary Team will be running an information evening about supporting your child in the transition to Secondary School You will have the chance to meet the Secondary Team, to learn more about the Secondary Curriculum and to see some lessons in action! The event takes place on Wednesday 8 March at 4:00pm in the KG Hall It is hugely important for you to attend and we ask you to please register your attendance in advance by clicking here and completing the form.

Grade 1

This week Grade 1A students enjoyed learning how to play volleyball in their PE lessons. They learned the techniques and rules needed in order to become fantastic volleyball players!

Grade 2

Grade 2 were very busy in their Arabic lessons this week learning about the work of the postman. They included it in their Arabic writing lessons and the postman was able to deliver their letters! They had so much fun!

Primary News

Grade 3

This week Grade 3 were exploring 3D shapes in their Maths lessons. They compared shapes and spoke about whether they roll or not, and what 2D shapes are needed to make them Please ask your children to describe any 3D shapes you see whilst out and about!

Grade 4

Grade 4 enjoyed some D E A R time, when they Drop Everything And Read but with a twist! They visited their friends and schoolmates in Grade 1 to read to them and discuss some of their favourite books. What lucky students in Grade 1!

Grade 5

Grade 5 students were busy decorating their classroom doors for our Book Week competition. Grade 5C chose 'Flat Stanley' as their book cover of choice and applied their artistic skills to ensure their classroom door was looking beautiful!

Secondary News

Message from Mr. James, Head of Secondary

We have had a very exciting week this week with Book Week taking centre stage at KGIS! Students have enjoyed some fantastic events such as our annual Spelling Bee, a Hot Chocolate and Story Evening, and of course a Character Parade for World Book Day. It was amazing to see some superb costumes on show for the catwalk parade on Thursday morning! I would like to say a huge thank you to Mr. Abdullah and the rest of the English Department for organising such a great week of events.

Congratulations to all students who have received their International A Level results following the January examinations. Regardless of the outcome, take pride in your hard work and dedication. Remember, the January results are only one step on your road to success. You have another opportunity in May to improve and showcase your abilities. Don't dwell on the past or get discouraged by any setbacks. Instead, use them as opportunities to learn and grow Stay focused, set achievable goals, and seek support from teachers and peers With determination, perseverance, and a positive mindset, you can achieve your goals and excel in your studies. Keep pushing forward! Your determination and hard work will pay off in the end. Good luck!

Looking ahead to this week, we have two very significant events for parents and students. On Wednesday 8 March we invite all Grade 5 parents and students to join us to learn more about the transition to the Secondary Phase, and to learn about life in the Secondary School. The event starts at 4:00pm in the KG Hall.

Also on Wednesday 8 March at 5:00pm, we invite all parents and students in Grade 8 to join us to learn more about the IGCSE curriculum that they will study in Grades 9 and 10. There will be an opportunity to learn about the different subjects on offer, and to meet with subject teachers, as well as to learn about the options selection process.

Finally, we will be holding a Grade 10 Post-16 Information Evening to discuss the different options available in Grades 11 and 12. This will take place on Wednesday 15 March starting at 5:00pm. We hope to see you all attend these very important events!

Learning & Teaching:

Mr Abdullah's Grade 9 English Class held their very first Parliamentary style debate this week as they argued whether Whaling should be banned. There were strong arguments from both the proposition and opposition, with the proposition winning narrowly on points.

It was great to see well-researched arguments being delivered with passion as speakers engaged in a display of intellectual mind games as they sought to deliver the winning argument.

Well done to Proposition Leader Naila Al Barwani, and her team members Sasha Menon, Ammar Elkhawas and Ibrahim Yafi Saifulla who won the debate with the help of their research team Taki Tag and Jummanah Al Alawi.

Secondary News

Grade 12 Psychology A Level students are studying the topic of Schizophrenia and looked at the different treatments available. The students made some antipsychotic medicine boxes. Antipsychotic medications are a common form of treatment for schizophrenia, and they work by reducing the severity of symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking. These medications are classified into two main categories: typical and atypical antipsychotics.

Our Grade 11 and 12 Geography students had an exciting field trip to Al Mouj and Muttrah to examine sea defences with Mr. Joe. The evaluation of sea defences at Muttrah and Al Mouj Beach is an important aspect of coastal management, as these defences play a crucial role in protecting infrastructure and communities from the impacts of coastal erosion and flooding. The effectiveness of these defences can be evaluated based on factors such as their ability to withstand extreme weather events, their cost-effectiveness, and their impact on the local environment

Students were able to evaluate the effectiveness of sea defences at both sites, which can be attributed to a combination of design considerations, such as materials used and their suitability to local conditions, as well as ongoing maintenance and monitoring to ensure they remain effective over time.

The Science Department held a riddle competition and two Grade 6 students managed to successfully solve the riddle. Well done to Rania Hassnaoui and Logein Soliman! The riddle they solved was:

'You will find me in Mercury, Earth, Mars and Jupiter, but not in Venus or Neptune What am I?'

The Science Department looks forward to seeing who wins next time!

Secondary News

Revision Tip - The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is a critical component of effective revision. It is essential for consolidating memories and enhancing cognitive function, which are both important for effective learning. Lack of sleep can negatively impact the revision process, leading to decreased focus, memory retention, and overall productivity.

During sleep, the brain processes the information it has received throughout the day. It sorts through this information, categorises it, and stores it in the appropriate locations in the brain. This process is critical for consolidating memories, which is essential for long-term retention. Therefore, students who do not get enough sleep may find it more difficult to retain information, even if they have spent many hours revising.

Sleep is essential for cognitive function. Sleep deprivation has been linked to decreased focus, attention, and decision-making abilities. This can have a significant impact on revision, as students need to be able to concentrate for extended periods to absorb new information effectively. Additionally, lack of sleep can lead to increased stress levels, which can further impair cognitive function, making it even more challenging to focus and retain information

Getting enough sleep is also important for maintaining physical health. When we sleep, our bodies have a chance to rest and recover. Sleep is critical for repairing and rejuvenating the body, and a lack of sleep can lead to physical fatigue, which can make revision more difficult.

Below are some tips for getting more sleep:

Stick to a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends

Create a relaxing sleep environment that is cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using earplugs or an eye mask if necessary.

Avoid caffeine in the evening as it can disrupt sleep and cause you to wake up frequently during the night. Limit your exposure to screens before bed, as the blue light emitted by electronic devices can interfere with your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep

Practice a relaxing bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath, reading a book, or practicing yoga or meditation.

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