KGIS Weekly Newsletter 30 November 2023

THE KNOWLEDGE PARENT NEWSLETTER 30 NOVEMBER 2023

A Message from the Executive Principal I hope that all our families enjoyed the long weekend break for Oman National Day last weekend! It is always good to have the opportunity to spend quality time together with our loved ones. Despite the holiday, there have been so many exciting things happening at KGIS and this is a bumper edition of the newsletter as we share with you!

I would like to extend thanks to the many families and friends who came and supported our Community Night Markets just before the break. These events were certainly a highlight of my year so far, and it was truly special to see the entire community coming together to enjoy themselves in support of some great causes. In total, we raised OMR 2,008 which has been donated to our mosque building project in Senegal, and to the Oman Charitable Fund for Palestine. Our Universal Islamic Value of the Month for November was ‘Support’ and we certainly demonstrated this value in action as a community!

I was fortunate to be able to travel to Senegal a few weeks ago along with some of the other KGIS teachers and our construction engineer in order to ensure that we have a clear plan for the mosque construction. We will construct the mosque in two Phases, with Phase 1 of the build planned to start by the end of January. We will be sharing the build in detail with our community via live video link, and we will be sharing details of our recent trip and the project shortly.

Wishing you all a restful weekend!

Ms. Liz Stanley Executive Principal

Key Dates Please make a note of the following important dates:

Thursday 7th December: Sports Day (Grades 6 to 12) Thursday 7th December: KG Winter Wonderland Event (8:00am) Monday 11th December: Unsung Heroes Student Awards Wednesday 13th December: Winter Concert (6:00pm) Thursday 14th December: Last Day of Term 1 Sunday 17th December-Thursday 4th January: Winter Break (school closed) Sunday 7th January: Term 2 starts

Please click here to access the Academic Calendar for this academic year

Learning Overviews Click on the links below to access the learning overview, home learning expectations and assessment dates for each grade: KG1 KG2 Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10

KGIS Universal Islamic Value for December: Solidarity

Extra-Curricular Activities Click here to access the Extra-Curricular Timetable for this term Extra-Curricular Activities A reminder that our programme of extra-curricular activities has now started for all students. We have a huge variety of activities on offer before school, at lunch times and after school. There really is something for everyone!

All activities are free of charge and students are encouraged to join as many as possible in order to broaden their skills. Please click on the link above to see the timetable of activities.

International Swim Meet in Dubai It was another busy weekend for our top KGIS swimmers, who attended the 26th Speedo Invitational Short Course Meet in Dubai. The meet took place in the Hamdan Sport Complex in Dubai and was attended by over 500 top swimmers from all over the world. Our school was represented in the swim meet by three KGIS swimmers who also swim for the Nautilus Swimming Club – Nizar Sharaf (Grade 9), Jahongir Marvarov (Grade 9) and Lily Simpson (Grade 8). To qualify for the meet, the swimmers had to achieve top times in their previous competitions. This wasn’t an easy task, therefore just qualifying and being able to attend the meet was a huge achievement!

They didn’t stop at that – our swimmers achieved new personal bests, qualified for the finals and even brought home medals. Below are their achievements. Well done and we are very proud to have such top-class athletes in our school!

Nizar Sharaf (Grade 9) 100m IM 3rd place – bronze medal 50m freestyle – qualified to the final in 2nd place, finished in 5th place in the final 50m backstroke – 4th place 50m butterfly – 2nd place – silver medal Jahongir Marvarov (Grade 9) 400m IM – 3rd place – bronze medal 200m IM – 6th place 400m freestyle 7th place Lily Simpson (Grade 8) 50m breaststroke – qualified to the final in 5th place, finished in 6th place in the final Set new personal best times in both 50m breaststroke and 50m freestyle.

Extra-Curricular Activities Click here to access the Extra-Curricular Timetable for this term U11 Boys Muscat Primary League Tournament Congratulations to our U11 Boys Football Team who were victorious in the U11 Boys Muscat Primary League tournament.

The boys were very impressive as they played 5 games and won 5 games without conceding a single goal, which led them to being the Muscat Primary League Champions! A superb performance from the whole squad. We hope they can take on similar performances when competing in the BSME Games in 2024.

U11 Girls Muscat Primary League Tournament Our U11 Girls Football Team took part in the Muscat Primary league tournament last week at Downe House. The girls played very well against strong teams and the scores were very close. The team played 4 matches, won 1, drew 1 and lost 2, and finished 4th in the tournament. This result was a substantial improvement from last year's results as the girls' consistent hard work is paying off. The team will be using these results as motivation to drive on towards the BSME Games that they’ll be competing in, in 2024. Well Done Girls!

U13 Boys BSME Football Tournament Over the National Day weekend our U13 Boys Football team travelled to Qatar where they competed in the British Schools of the Middle East Football Tournament. The team had been training hard over the past couple of months in the lead up to the big competition.

And a big competition it was, as they came up against some of the biggest British international schools across the Middle East.

As the only team to represent Oman, the team displayed great resilience and determination throughout the tournament as they came up against some very tough opponents. They went on to win 2 of their matches and unfortunately lost 3 but it was all smiles throughout the weekend as the boys had experienced travelling to a different country without their parents, to compete in a wellrenowned tournament as well as seeing different sights of Qatar.

Well done boys, you did us proud!

Extra-Curricular Activities Click here to access the Extra-Curricular Timetable for this term Inspired Forte Music Programme We are very excited to remind parents of this unique opportunity available for students who learn a musical instrument! This opportunity is only available to students in Inspired schools, and offers a series of private instrument lessons with a tutor from the Royal College of Music in London - the world’s number one music conservatory.

In partnership with The Royal College of Music in London, Forte has launched the Pathways to Performance programme exclusively for Inspired students. The programme offers a package of private lessons with otherwise inaccessible top music tutors, verified by The Royal College of Music, the world’s #1 ranked music conservatory.

Every private tutor currently teaches at or has received music education training at The Royal College of Music, so they are not just excellent Royal College of Music musicians, but they have also been trained by the best in music teaching practice.

The programme caters to students at senior school level who desire to achieve advanced levels in their instrumental abilities and to those preparing for auditions or public performances. Upon completion, students will have the chance to get certificates of attendance issued from The Royal College of Music, further reflecting their hard work.

Further information can be found: https://fortelessons.com/inspired . The following video also offers more insight into the programme: Click here for video

KGIS Year of Giving KGIS Charity Night Market Thank you to all the KGIS families and friends who visited our Community Night Markets last week! It was fantastic to see families enjoying themselves together by participating in the games, buying snacks and visiting the different vendor stalls. We we overjoyed to see such support for the event and are already planning the next one!

Thank you to Ms. Katie and Ms. Naveen for all their hard work in organising the event, to all the teachers who supported students in developing their stalls and games, to the students for their creativity and enthusiasm, to all the local vendors who set up stalls and to our amazing Operations Team who were on hand to set up and tidy up the event area. It was a true team effort! By far the most popular student games were the ‘Pie the Teacher’ and ‘Splat the Teacher’! Thank you to the many willing teachers who agreed to join in the fun!

Thanks to the support of the entire community we were able to raise the brilliant amount of OMR 2008! This has been donated to two of the charitable causes we are supporting this year as part of our ‘Year of Giving’: the mosque building project in Senegal, and the Oman Charitable Fund for the victims of the war in Palestine.

KG News KG Update As part of KG2’s topic ‘Into the Woods’ the children have been learning the story ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ by Michael Rosen. Using Pie Corbett’s Talk 4 Writing, the children created a story map and learned to retell the story using actions.

They thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be passionate and enthusiastic storytellers as they performed the story to their parents and family. This was then followed by a Teddy Bear’s Picnic with their family in the KG Garden. Children were excited to sit with their parents and families and to be able to show them their classrooms, some of the work that they have done so far this term and also introduce them to their friends and classmates.

It was a very enjoyable day and a lovely way to start the National Day holiday weekend! Click this link to watch the video.

Don’t forget our children have been working very hard this month preparing for their Winter Performance and Craft Morning. It will take place from 8.00am and you are welcome to wait with your child at drop off time at 7.30am if you wish.

KG News

Primary News A Message from Mr. Ian, Head of Primary What a busy week it was last week! Not only did we have our trips across Muscat to recognise our Omani heritage and learn about Omani culture we also had our immensely popular and successful Community Night Market. One of my favourite parts of my job leading the Primary Phase is our children and by extension their families. It was fantastic to meet parents, siblings, grandparents and even great grandparents! It gave me immense pleasure to meet so many of you, have a chat and catch up.

As a school, we are part of the community and we are proud to be able to give back to the community where and when we can and it is only possible when we have parents and families like ours to make that happen! Thank you all for your patronage, donations and involvement in the market to make it such a success. A huge thank you is also needed for our teachers who gave up their time and efforts to ensure that games and stalls ran smoothly and that the children had great fun and excitement! Finally, to Ms. Naveen and Ms. Katie, the market wouldn’t have been able to run without their organising behind the scenes for the past few months!

Grades 1 and 2 Grade 1 were holding down the fort last week in the Primary Phase and enjoyed a dress up day as well as making some Omani crafts and flags. Boys were looking very smart in Dishdasha, kummah and musaar and the most important item of the day, a beautiful silver Khanjar!

Primary News Grade 2 visited the Jungle Cafe in Qurum last week and learned about some of the native plants and animals found here in Oman. This was followed by a delicious lunch and then a visit to the park in Qurum to enjoy the playground and green areas!

Grades 3 to 5 Grade 3 children had an excellent time at the Royal Opera House. They were treated to a tour of the building and got to learn about the orchestra and how to conduct music. This was followed by a picnic overlooking Shatti Al Qurum.

Primary News

Grade 4 classes spent the morning following in Sindbad’s footsteps as they took to the high seas aboard a Dhow.

They set sail from Al Mouj Marina and enjoyed a cruise up the coast and back. The children had a fantastic time and said it was one of the most enjoyable trips they had ever been on!

Primary News Grade 5 visited the National Museum of Oman to learn about the history of the Sultanate. It was an action packed morning as the children perused the galleria and examined artefacts from Oman’s rich and varied history. The day was finished off with a picnic in the park under the view of Muttrah Fort.

Secondary News Message from Mr. James, Head of Secondary We are thrilled to share the incredible success of our recent Community Night Market event! This wonderful evening was a true representation of our school's unity and compassion. Through various stalls, activities, and willing volunteers, our community came together as one, even if it was to throw some wet sponges at Mr. James! The Night Market not only served as a platform for enjoyment but also as an important opportunity to contribute generously towards two significant causes. Your overwhelming support and enthusiasm helped us raise substantial funds for our Mosque building project in Senegal, highlighting our commitment to develop global citizens amongst our students. Moreover, your compassionate contributions towards aiding the victims in Palestine showcased our community's empathy and support for those in real need at the current time.

The recent participation of our U13 Boys Football Team at the BSME Games in Qatar was another milestone for our school. The journey to qualify and compete at an international level was a significant achievement in itself, reflecting the dedication and talent within our team. Despite the stiff competition, our team held their ground admirably, securing victories in two challenging matches. This experience not only showcased their skills but also provided invaluable exposure and learning opportunities that will undoubtedly contribute to their growth both on and off the field. Representing our school on an international platform was a great occasion for these students. The school community is immensely proud of our U13 Boys Football Team for their dedication, hard work, and the invaluable experience they gained during their time at the BSME Games.

Beyond the achievements, let's take a moment to acknowledge the recent National Day holiday. It's a time of reflection, gratitude, and celebration as we acknowledge the remarkable blessings of living in this beloved country.

The harmony, inclusivity, and diversity that define Oman are treasures that enrich our lives every day. It's during these moments that we realise the importance of fostering a nurturing environment where understanding, acceptance, and unity thrive.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Subject Spotlight - Arabic Subjects Grade 8 students have been engaging in an inspiring journey of mastering the art of reciting and memorising the Holy Quran. Through innovative and interactive peer teaching sessions, these students have embraced this sacred endeavour with enthusiasm and dedication. The collaborative environment fostered within the classroom has allowed them to not only strengthen their own grasp of the Quran but also support each other's learning journeys.

Encouraging one another, sharing insights, and offering constructive feedback has enhanced their understanding and memorisation skills significantly.

Secondary News

Grade 7 students have embarked on an exciting journey to elevate their reading proficiency and comprehension skills collaboratively. Through engaging and interactive activities, they have embraced the art of delving deeper into texts, deciphering meanings, and extracting valuable insights. Focusing on enriching their vocabulary, students have devoted time and effort to expanding their word bank, exploring synonyms, antonyms, and contextual usage.

Engaging in peer discussions and group exercises, they have not only enhanced their comprehension but also cultivated a deeper appreciation for the nuances of language. This concerted effort towards honing their reading, comprehension, and vocabulary skills reflects their commitment to academic excellence and lifelong learning.

Secondary News In Grade 8, students have dedicated themselves to honing their grammar proficiency, specifically concentrating on distinguishing between present tense verbs and the five verbs. Through comprehensive lessons and practical exercises, they've delved into the intricacies of verb usage, understanding the nuances that differentiate each tense.

Grade 6 students have also been working on their grammar. To consolidate their understanding, each student took an opportunity to become the teacher! This hands-on teaching experience allowed them to solidify their own comprehension while also honing their communication skills. By explaining and demonstrating grammar principles to classmates, these budding educators not only reinforced their knowledge but also fostered a collaborative and supportive learning environment. This peer-to-peer teaching approach empowers students to engage actively in their learning process, fostering confidence and deeper understanding of grammatical concepts.

School Catering We are proud to partner with Azima Catering to offer healthy, nutritious meals for all students.

Please contact Ms. Amira at admissions@kgis-edu.com for any queries or requests relating to catering.

Click here to see this week's menu

Contact the School For General Enquiries please contact the School Reception: E: reception@kgis-edu.com T: 2407 3500 / 2407 3501 For academic or pastoral concerns and questions, please contact your child's Homeroom Teacher in the first instance via email Uniform Shop The Uniform Shop is situated at the Main Reception and is open Sunday to Thursday from 8:00am-3:30pm Finance Office The Finance Office is situated at the Main Reception and is open Sunday to Thursday from 8:00am-3:30pm E: finance@kgis-edu.com T: 2407 3517 Admissions The Admissions Office is open Sunday to Thursday from 8:00am-4:00pm To see school fees and Admissions information please click here E: admissions@kgis-edu.com T: 2407 3504

www.kgis.edu.om