KGIS Weekly Newsletter 9 March 2023

THE KNOWLEDGE

A Message from the Executive Principal

This week at KGIS has served to remind me how proud and honoured I am to lead this amazing school! This has been one of the busiest weeks of the year so far, and we have so much to celebrate. Last weekend our Primary Sports Squads competed in their first international competition as part of the BSME Games. They took part in swimming, athletics, basketball, netball and football against top schools from Oman, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia The team did amazingly well gaining 6th place overall in the competition and winning 3rd place in the Boys' Basketball! Well done to Adam Bahlani in Grade 6 who was named 'Most Valuable Player' in the basketball competition! This weekend, our Secondary Sports Squads are competing in Abu Dhabi. We wish them lots of luck and can't wait to see how they get on!

This week we were also able to enjoy two fantastic performances of our first ever KGIS musical theatre production of 'High School Musical'. Thank you to everyone who supported the student cast by coming along to watch! The students did a brilliant job of acting, singing and dancing and the entire production was so professional! This was a real milestone moment for KGIS and this first cast have not only made history but have set such a high standard for all future productions. The whole show was a true testament to the importance of the Performing Arts in building confidence, character, empathy and emotional intelligence, all of which are critical life skills. We are very fortunate that all students at KGIS experience Drama and Music as part of the curriculum

Thank you to all the parents in KG2, Grade 5 and Grade 8 who attended our important transition and curriculum information events this week It is always a pleasure to see you in school!

Ms. Liz Stanley Executive Principal

Key Dates

Please make a note of the following important dates:

Sunday 12 March: Maths Week Starts

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

Wednesday 22 March: Expected first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan (tbc)

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

Please click here to access the Academic Calendar for this year

Learning

Overviews

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 9 March

Thursday 9 March-Saturday 11 March: BSME Secondary Games in Abu Dhabi

Sunday 12 March: U12 and U13 Athletics Day at International School of Oman

Tuesday 14 March: U14, U16 and U19 Athletics Day at The Sultan's School

Friday 17 March-Saturday 18 March: Nautilus Muscat Swim Meet

Sports Extra-Curricular Activities and Football Academy - Week Commencing 12 March

Please note that there will be no before or after-school Sports extra-curricular activities or evening Football Academy next week (Sunday 12 March to Thursday 16 March). All activities will resume as normal the following week commencing Sunday 19 March.

'High School Musical'

Congratulations to the amazing cast of 'High School Musical'! The first ever KGIS musical theatre production was performed on Monday and Tuesday this week to an excited audience of family, friends, students and teachers. Thank you to everyone who came to support the show! Here are a few pictures of the cast in action!

Extra-Curricular Activities

a-Curricular Timetable for this term

Book Week Competition Winners

Book Week 2023 at KGIS was a resounding success that saw participation from young and old alike! From our delightful KG and Grade 1 students donning their best character outfits, to students in the Primary and Secondary Phases taking part in competitions throughout the week, there wa one. Even our teachers got involved by creating dramatic readings from their favourite passag work

Congratulations to 2D and 7B who were the clear winners of our Classroom Door Book Covers competition in Primary and Secondary with spectacularly artistic displays as they recreated the popular 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' and 'Demon Slayer' series.

Our 'Design A Villain' competition saw students tap into their vas ling stories, poetry and even designing their own unique supervillain. Read the winning B by clicking here!

Creativity was in no short supply as students across the school sought to find the most unusual places to read for the 'Catch Me Reading' photography competition Congratulations to Zahra Moosa in 1A for the winning entry!

Pushing the envelope of their creative brilliance, KGIS students quite literally immersed themselves into their favourite books in the 'BookFace' competition. Tanya Al Said in 5A blew away the judges with her excellent photographic composition!

Lastly, our teachers showed off their acting prowess as they performed dramatic readings fr greatest works Whilst entries were all excellent, there was one clear winner Congratulatio outstanding re-enactment of Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare himself would be proud! Click here to see her performance!

Congratulations to all the winners and those who took part. Prizes and House Points are on their way to all the winners!

KG Update

We have had another fantastic week in KG with the children! KG1 and KG2 children have enjoyed learning all about different animals in their Arabic lessons, focusing on farm animals this week.

In KG1 English class, the children loved retelling the story of the 'Very Hungry Caterpillar', we had some amazing fine motor activities going on as the children threaded their own caterpillars using beads!

In KG2 English class, we have continued our learning about 'The Little Red Hen', the children have started to retell and sequence the story using Talk for Writing actions. They have also produced some wonderful writing linked to this using their Fred Talk and Fred Fingers to support spelling.

Please click here to see the PDF copy of the Transition to Grade 1 presentation held yesterday in the KG Hall It was a very successful event and thank you to those who attended. As was discussed yesterday, we are already full in Grade 1 for next year so thank you to those who filled in their intention letters for returning students, your child's seat has now been secured in Grade 1 if requested.

Collection lanyards have been shared with all parents (bus children have not) for collection time from the Early Learning Centre. You must have your lanyard if collecting your child or if a nominated person is doing so, they must show the lanyard. Your child’s teacher may ask to see ID or to call you for confirmation. Please expect this, as it is in your child’s best interests to ensure their safety

Please be aware that the Ministry of Education has instructed that all Grade 1 enrolments for September 2023 must be completed by June 2023. If you are planning to enrol a sibling or new child, or have friends planning to enrol in Grade 1 next year, please visit the school or email admissions@kgis-edu com as soon as possible as there are very few spaces left and priority will be given to existing families.

Primary News

A Message from Mr. Ian, Head of Primary

We had a very busy week in Primary this week and enjoyed the KGIS production of 'High School Musical'. The show was a huge success and it really highlighted how much talent we have in our school! A massive thank you to all of the helpers and supporters who came to see the show, the teachers who worked backstage and of course to Ms. Katherine, Ms. Sarah, Ms. Jo and Mr. Alec who worked tirelessly to ensure the production was a produced to such a high standard. We are looking forward to next years' show already!

Our Primary sports squads attended the BSME Games last weekend, which took place at the British School of Muscat They competed against schools from across the GCC in football, athletics, basketball, netball and swimming competitions securing podium finishes as well as 6th place overall. Thank you to Mr. Sean, Ms. Erne, Mr. Robert and Ms Maddison who have given up evenings, weekends and their spare time to ensure that our athletes were prepared to compete!

Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs) are running as normal (please note that Sport ECAs are not running next week), but there has been a pattern lately of children not being picked up on time or left in the school far past the agreed pick up time. Please note, as of next week, any children who are repeatedly not collected on time will lose their place in the ECA.

A reminder to parents also, Grade 1 & 2 collection time is 14.20 and Grade 3 to 5 is 14.40. We are unable to supervise children after this time Please ensure your driver or representative is clear on collection times or if collecting yourself, that you are timely and punctual. Children must be collected from the Car Park. Collection from Reception is not available unless prior permission has been granted by Ms Liz, Mr Ian or Mr James Security will be denying entry, please do not abuse our staff if denied entry and follow correct school procedure.

For parents of Grade 5 children, our Secondary Team held an information evening about the move to the Secondary Phase on Wednesday. It was hugely important and if your were unable to attend please email me primaryheadteacher@kgis-edu.com should you wish to see a copy of the presentation.

Grades 1 & 2

We have had some new equipment installed in our EY garden this month. We have a new mud kitchen and our vegetable boxes are being prepared. We have installed a climbing wall so our children can climb in safety. This is great for building core muscle strength and gross motor skills which can help with developing cross body movement, which in turn helps with writing and fine motor skills!

This week in Grade 2, the children were learning to make salt dough sculptures in preparation for their explanation writing activity next week. Children learned how to prepare the dough and cut it into different shapes. Next week the children will write out how to make the dough and what different shapes it can be cut into.

Primary News

Grades 3 to 5

Children in Key Stage 2 have had a hectic week taking part in the BSME Games at the British School of Muscat Our Grade 4 and 5 children made up the bulk of the squads and we were very proud of their achievements and their hard work in representing the school!

As you will have known already, this week was our inaugural production of 'High School Musical' and students from Grade 4 and 5 hit the stage to show us how talented they truly are. We were treated to a top class ensemble of catchy songs from the hit movie as well as dancing and drama. The children were to be commended as not one child missed a step, hit the wrong note or forgot a line like true professionals!

This week Grade 3 students were learning about animals in Science lessons They took time to sort and classify different animals into their families and learned the differences between amphibians, mammals, fish and birds. I challenge the Grade 3 students to email me a native Omani amphibian, mammal, fish and bird and the first five emails will each get a House Point!

Recently, Grade 5 students have been reading and writing about mythical figures as part of their English lessons. Children in 5B were researching their mythical characters and made character profiles during English lessons. They wrote about the key pieces of information and facts about their chosen characters.

Secondary News

Message from Mr. James, Head of Secondary

It has been an extremely exciting week at KGIS, with a range of events and activities taking place across the school. One of the highlights was 'High School Musical', which was KGIS' first ever musical theatre production! The show was a huge success and we are incredibly proud of all of the students involved. They demonstrated fantastic teamwork, creativity, and dedication in performing a professional-level production The show was a true testament to the talent and passion of our students, as well as our unbelievably talented Performing Arts Department. We look forward to seeing more of their work in the future!

We welcomed Grade 5 parents to an information evening to discuss the move to Secondary School. We know that this can be a big change for both students and parents, so we wanted to provide an opportunity to address any concerns and questions. We discussed the transition process, curriculum changes, and other important aspects of Secondary School life. We hope that the meeting was helpful and informative and we are always available to answer any further questions you may have.

Similarly, our Grade 8 students and parents attended an IGCSE Options meeting to discuss the various subject options available for next year. This was an important opportunity for students to begin thinking about their academic and career goals, and to choose subjects that will help them achieve these goals. We were impressed with the level of engagement and enthusiasm from the students and we look forward to seeing them excel in their chosen subjects. A reminder that the deadline for filling out student choices is Thursday 16 March. Click here to access the form

We are also proud to report that KGIS students took part in a Qu'ran Recitation competition and an Arabic poetry competition organised by the Ministry of Education. These events were a celebration of the richness and diversity of our school community and showcased the incredible talent of our students. It was heartening to see our students engaging with their cultural heritage and demonstrating their dedication to learning and self-improvement

Finally, our U15 BSME Sports Squads departed to Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning. We are extremely excited and proud of them as they are making history as the first group of students to represent KGIS in an international sports competition! We know they will make the school community extremely proud. All the best to them and a massive thank you to the PE Department who have put in hours of work to prepare our students for these games.

Looking ahead to this week, we have a very significant Grade 10 Post-16 Information Evening for parents and students to discuss the different options available in Grades 11 and 12 This will take place on Wednesday 15 March from 4:00pm-6:00pm. We hope to see you all attend these very critical events.

Secondary News

Learning and Teaching

Grade 11 Physics students have continued to study oscillations and this week they have been investigating damping. Damping is when an external force (such as friction) causes energy to be transferred from an oscillating system to its surroundings. This causes a decrease in the amplitude of oscillation and is used to good effect in car suspension systems In simple terms, damping refers to the gradual reduction in the intensity or magnitude of a physical phenomenon. In the case of oscillations, damping can be used to reduce or eliminate unwanted vibrations. Grade 11 students have been exploring how different types of damping, such as viscous damping and Coulomb damping, affect the behaviour of mechanical systems. They have also been learning about how damping is used in real-world applications, such as shock absorbers in cars and buildings to reduce the effects of earthquakes Understanding damping is crucial in many fields, including engineering, physics, and music.

Grade 9 Chemistry students have been proper chemists this week, making salts from different reactions. They are at the final stages of the preparation of some copper sulfate crystals and have managed to make a beautiful dark blue solution In addition to synthesizing copper sulfate, students have been learning about the properties and uses of various types of salts. They have been studying the chemical reactions involved in the formation of salts and the factors that influence their solubility.

By observing and analysing the behaviour of different salts, students are gaining a better understanding of the role that salts play in a wide range of applications, from food preservation to water treatment. The experience of working in the lab and observing the results of their experiments is helping students to develop important scientific skills, including critical thinking and problem-solving.

Secondary News

Revision Tip - The Importance of Choosing the right Subjects in Grades 10 to 12

Choosing the right subjects in Grades 10 to 12 is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on a student's academic and career path. It is essential to choose subjects that align with a student's interests, strengths, and career goals to ensure they achieve success in their academic and professional lives Here are some tips on the importance of choosing the right subjects in Grades 10 to 12:

Identify your interests:

Students must identify their interests and passions early on in their academic journey. It is easier to excel in subjects that one enjoys and finds interesting Therefore, it is crucial to choose subjects that align with personal interests and passions.

Consider future career goals:

Students should also consider their future career goals when choosing subjects. It is essential to choose subjects that align with their career aspirations, ensuring that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their chosen field

Seek guidance from school leaders:

School leaders play a crucial role in helping students make informed decisions about subject choices. They have the experience and expertise to offer guidance and advice based on a student's interests, strengths, and career aspirations.

Research and explore options:

It is essential to research and explore different subject options before making a decision. Students should consider the subjects' difficulty level, their own ability, and the opportunities available to them

Don't be afraid to challenge yourself:

Students should not be afraid to challenge themselves by choosing more challenging subjects. However, it is crucial to ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources to succeed in these subjects.

The role of the school in offering guidance and advice to students in choosing the right subjects cannot be overstated! School leaders, teachers, and other academic staff are on hand to offer support and guidance throughout the process. They can help students identify their interests and strengths, explore different subject options, and make informed decisions about their academic and career paths.

By identifying their interests, considering their career aspirations, seeking guidance from school counsellors, researching and exploring options, and challenging themselves, students can make informed decisions about their subject choices.

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