The Weekly Peponi Post 10 November 2020

10 November 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

The Weekly Peponi School

Finding your Talent In Finding Your Element, author and educator, Sir Ken Robinson, offers viewers a guide to finding and being in their element.

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Digital Citizenship Digital citizenship is defined as the ability to engage with the internet or technology in a safe and meaningful way.

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Recipe from Chef Silvester Pork noodle stir-fry Page... 10

WE WILL

REMEMBER Wednesday, 11 November 2020

10 November 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Finding your Talent The following is a fairly long, but humous, lecture given by one of the leading educationalist, Sir Ken Robinson, who sadly died in August of this year (2020). He in a funny and thoughtful manner, he speaks about the world in which we live and one in which we spend a huge amount of time preparing for our lives.

In Finding Your Element, author and educator, Sir Ken Robinson, offers viewers a guide to finding and being in their element. He provides basic principles and tools to help guide them to do the work they enjoy with a sense of contentment and purpose. He believes that you can thoughtfully and strategically make changes in your personal and professional life as you Find Your Element. https://youtu.be/17fbxRQgMlU

Sir Kenneth Robinson was a British author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts to government, non-profits, education and arts bodies. He was director of the Arts in Schools Project (1985–89) and Professor of Arts Education at the University of Warwick (1989–2001), and Professor Emeritus after leaving the university. In 2003 he was knighted for services to the arts.

Originally from a working class Liverpool family, Robinson lived in Los Angeles with his wife and children.

Sadly Sir Ken, died in 2020 and this is one of many Obituaries written and published in U.K. National Newspapers.

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10 November 2020

Sir Ken Robinson’s Obituary

Stephen Bates

Wednesday, 26th August, 2020 The educationist Sir Ken Robinson, proponent of the encouragement of creativity among children, who has died aged 70 of cancer, was largely ignored by politicians of both main parties as he insisted that the policy of successive UK governments, that literacy and numeracy should predominate, was a false priority. As he told interviewers: “That’s like saying let’s make the cake and if it’s all right we’ll put the eggs in.”

Reputedly one lesson can change the course of a pupil’s career – Robinson became an exemplar of the much rarer idea that one speech can change a teacher’s whole trajectory. It was an off-the-cuff, 19-minute address without notes entitled Do Schools Kill Creativity? at a TED (technology, entertainment and design) educational conference in California in 2006 that propelled him to something approaching worldwide celebrity within and beyond education.

His wry and witty extempore style, honed in Liverpool, was characteristically engaging.

Subsequently posted on YouTube, the talk has reputedly been viewed by 380 million people in 160 countries and has influenced schools around the world.

In that speech, and at other less noticed conferences and less well attended seminars over many years, Robinson argued that children do not grow into artistic creativity but are educated out of it by school systems that prioritise academic achievement and conformity instead of liberating imagination and initiative.

He told the audience in 2006: “I believe our only hope for the future is to adopt a new concept of human ecology, one in which we start to reconstitute our conception of the richness of human capacity. Our education system has mined our minds in the way we strip-mined the earth for a particular commodity. We have to rethink the fundamental principles in which we are educating our children.”

http://www.peponischool.org Understandably, this was much more enticing to the education profession than it was to government ministers, but it was based not on a single speech but Robinson’s whole career in academic education, which culminated in a professorship at Warwick University (1989-2001), before he became a senior adviser to the J Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles.

If the argument was that individual creativity was stifled by the system, it was less easy to discern how that might be recreated within a state education with its emphasis on attainment targets and examination results. The Blair government at least invited him to chair an inquiry in 1997, which produced a report, All Our Futures, but then largely ignored it; while Michael Gove as education secretary and his special adviser Dominic Cummings chose snide derision to dismiss the establishment “blob” of which they felt he was clearly a part. Robinson himself said in an interview with the Independent in 2018: “If I didn’t piss somebody off I’d probably be doing something wrong, but I don’t set out to do it.”

He told Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs in 2013 that schools should have discretion to develop creativity: “Don’t treat children as the same or over-programme them, they find their talents by trying things out.”

But Robinson admitted on the programme that he had benefited from an academic education system and insisted he was not opposed to a national curriculum, but just wanted one with different priorities and parity of esteem between core subjects and artistic ones such as dance.

The fifth of seven children of Ethel (nee Allen) and James Robinson, he was born in an impoverished household in Liverpool, close to Everton’s Goodison Park football ground. His father worked at various jobs, including running a pub and as a docker, and was left paraplegic after his back was broken in a dockside accident when Ken was nine. He himself spent eight months in hospital after being diagnosed with polio at the age of four, thereafter walking with a limp, ending any chance of playing for the local club, though his brother Neil did so.

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10 November 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Instead, Robinson’s parents encouraged him academically. He was initially educated at a special school for children with disabilities but passed the 11-plus and attended Liverpool Collegiate school, proceeding to study for a Bachelor of Education degree at Bretton Hall College, west Yorkshire, founded by the educationist Alec Clegg, which specialised in the arts. It had a formative effect on his career and he went on to complete a doctorate in drama and theatre in education at London University.

His subsequent career focused on the arts in education, working on a schools’ council project which became his first book, Learning Through Drama (1977), and running courses for teachers. In the early 1980s he was lead researcher and author of the Arts in Schools project for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and after that became the director of the Arts in Schools project, which in turn helped to shape the national curriculum after the 1988 Baker Act. He founded and chaired Artswork, the national youth arts development agency and founded and co-edited Arts Express magazine, before joining the staff at Warwick. The invitation to join the Getty Trust in California came in early January 2001: “It was cold and wet – what would you do? We went as fast as we could.”

Robinson was the author of several more books, including Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative (2001), Finding Your Element (2014) and Creative Schools (2015). He was knighted in 2003.

Robinson’s success at the TED conference, where he spoke three times over a number of years, propelled him into a different financial and celebrity league. His friend and agent Brendan Barns said: “What really set Ken apart from other speakers and educationists was his ability instantly to create rapport with his audiences. He made everyone feel he was talking to them personally.”

Robinson met Marie-Therese Watts, known as Terry, while giving a course in Liverpool in 1977. They married in 1982 and had two children, James and Kate. The couple returned to live in London last year to be near Kate and her baby daughter, Adeline.

Terry and their children survive him. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b03g8d6d https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03g8d6

Mark Durston Headmaster

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10 November 2020

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Digital Citizenship Digital citizenship is defined as the ability to engage with the internet or technology in a safe and meaningful way. A digital citizen refers to any individual who participates or engages in an online community. This could be through your social media membership accounts such as your Facebook wall, twitter, YouTube comments, Instagram, Pinterest,Snapchat,Tik Tok, WhatsApp or even other formal virtual communication platforms like Zoom, skype, Google Meet and so on. As individuals who belong to and participate in an online community, it is important that we ensure safety and respect is a responsibility of everyone.

In the quest to remain connected and ensure continuity during the Covid-19 pandemic period, millions of homes have had to transform to serve as both offices and classrooms. Since its invention decades ago, the internet has never been more important. It has fundamentally become a tool very integral to our lives. We depend on it for communication in business, with family, friends, learning and literally it does make the world go round. It is primarily the reason why discussion on digital citizenship should and will still continue to occupy a space in the frontline.

We therefore need to offer useful contributions to our online community with an aim to create positive experiences for all and be alive to the fact that our actions in the digital space have consequences.

Here are a few digital citizenship facts that will help guide us on our paths to becoming the best digital citizens possible.

Treat others as you would like to be treated As you go through forums and comments sections and social media, remember you are interacting with real people. So be respectful and speak as you would face to face. Insulting, Bullying and arguing only make things worse and that sort of negativity can have a real life consequence.

Do not feed the trolls you meet - Trolls are people who reside in the comment sections of the message boards or anywhere else and enjoy destructing or aggravating the feelings of others.

If you encounter a troll, it’s best not to interact with them. Any response will likely encourage them to continue with their behavior.

Acknowledge Other People’s Work - Using any resource found on internet that do not belong to you without the owner’s permission is tantamount to copyright infringement. It is usually good practice to cite sources of information and give credits to the content creators.

Always think carefully about what you post online. Remember once you submit something, you lose control of it. Anytime you use Internet or a digital device you leave a digital trail and a footprint that can last for many years. Whether it’s on a message board or a text message totally avoid posting anything that could hurt your reputation years later.

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10 November 2020

Be incredibly careful with your personal information. Avoid posting sensitive information such as your Email address, Phone Number, Driver License number, Location or address as some people may try to use that information to take advantage of you. Whenever in doubt whether something is safe to post online do not post it.

Do not believe anything you read online.

Always take time to investigate claims and confirm their liability especially if they seem extraordinary .That also means you should not share unconfirmed information on social media or else you could be sharing misinformation.

Avoid Carelessness with Passwords. Poor password hygiene is usually a top cause of data breaches. Passwords should not be shared with friends. However for children and persons below 18 years of age they should share them with their parents or guardians since they mean well and want to help keep them safe. It’s also show of responsibility and maturity for the children.

Limit screen time and make quality time off the Internet. How much time do you spend online or using your gadgets? To be a good digital citizen, you need to balance the time that you spend online and on your devices as compared to the time you spend playing being in sport, music groups or even hanging out with your friends.

Avoid online acquaintances. It’s important to take utmost caution before trying to physically meet virtual acquaintances. Children under the age of 18 should never set up a meeting with someone they meet online.

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Fritz Kreisler Ruchi Raja (Shell)

Fritz Kreisler was born in Vienna, Austria in 1875. At the age of seven he entered the Conservatoire in Vienna and then went on to study composition for two years at the Conservatoire de Paris. He subsequently studied art in Paris and Rome and served as an officer in the Austrian army. He left the army and went to study medicine. He didn’t enjoy it much so in 1899 he returned as a concert violinist with his musical career and became one of the most successful virtuosos of his time. In 1910 he gave his first major performance of Sir Edward Elgar’s Violin Concerto, dedicated to himself.

He lived mainly in the United States but did travel around Europe. His concerts frequently included many short pieces by him. He wrote many pieces of his own like Caprice Viennois (‘Viennese Caprice’) and Schön Rosmarin (‘Pretty Rosemary’), but he also arranged other people’s work like Serenade Espagnole by Glazunov. Sadly, he passed away in New York in 1962.

John Kutner ICT Teacher

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10 November 2020

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Getting Historical Studying history enables us to develop a better understanding of the world in which we live.

Building knowledge and understanding of historical events and trends, especially over the past century, enables us to develop a much greater appreciation for current events today .

Some Historical dates to note in November America’s presidential election is held every fourth year. This is precisely the 1st Tuesday after November 1, since 1845

November 7, 1867 - Polish chemist Marie Curie (1867-1934) was born in Warsaw, Poland. In 1903, she and her husband received the Nobel Prize for physics for their discovery of the element Radium .

November 10, 1990 - The American comedy Home Alone, written by John Hughes and starring Macaulay Culkin, had its world premiere; a huge hit, it spawned a number of sequels and became a TV staple during the Christmas holidays.

November 8, 1847 - Dracula author Bram Stoker (1847-1912) was born in Dublin, Ireland.

November 11, 1918 - At 5 a.m., in Marshal Foch's railway car in the Forest of Compiegne, the Armistice between the Allied and Central Powers was signed, silencing the guns of World War I effective at 11 a.m. – the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In many places in Europe, a moment of silence in memory of the millions of fallen soldiers is still observed.

November 8, 1922 - Pioneering heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard (1922-2001) was born in Beaufort West, Cape of Good Hope Province, South Africa. He headed the surgical team that achieved the first-ever human heart transplant in 1967.

November 8, 2013 - The Philippines endured what many consider its worst natural disaster when the country was struck by Super Typhoon Haiyan , one of the most powerful cyclones ever recorded to strike land.

November 12, 2018 - American comic book writer Stan Lee —who helped create such iconic characters and teams as the Fantastic Four , Spider-Man , the Avengers , and the X-Men for Marvel Comics - died at age 95.

November 13, 1850 - Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Best known for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Think about this - Did you know that every day of your life is a page of your history?

Hellen Kanyiri Librarian

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10 November 2020

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WILD PEPONI

Secretive Wildlife of Peponi During the period of school closure I took the opportunity to occasionally venture out at night in search of Peponi’s nocturnal wildlife. These nighttime forays gave me a fascinating insight into the more secretive animals that share our campus.

One of my favourite encounters was with a white-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda though my daughter has named it ‘Goosie’!). Most mongooses are diurnal (active during daylight hours) but the white-tailed mongoose is a nocturnal species. It is also, on average, the largest species of mongoose, with long legs and a beautiful long white tail (hence the name!). Being a shy animal, face-to-face encounters are usually fleeting. With a remote camera trap and some strategically-placed peanuts I was able to capture an intimate portrait of this amazing mammal.

We are very lucky at Peponi to have such fantastic creatures on site and I’d love to hear reports of any interesting sightings from any member of the school community.

Robin Backhouse Teacher of Biology

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10 November 2020

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Message from the Head of School Sean Koome After 7 months in quarantine, all of us here at Peponi School were eager to return to school. I for one was excited to rekindle the friendships and pick up from where I left off. However, the world has changed and the way we conduct social affairs has changed with it. Even though things are not completely back to normal some sense of normalcy has been restored and we all find a certain relief in that fact. Although, as I walk around the campus I see more than just that, I see true concern and not for oneself but concern for those around each of us. As we interact with our peers we have taken the necessary precautions to protect them as well as ourselves. It is for this reason I am deeply proud of the Peponi community, as in the face of adversity we have maintained both the discipline and patience required for a safe return to school.

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10 November 2020

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Recipe from Chef Silvester

Pork noodle stir-fry Ingredients (Serves Four)

Method

3 tbsp sesame oil

STEP 1

350g lean pork mince 350g egg noodles

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the mince, break it up with a spoon and fry over a high heat for about 8 mins until browning. While the meat cooks, boil a kettle, then pour the hot water over the noodles. Set aside for 5-10 mins to soften.

thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and chopped, or 1½ tbsp ginger purée

STEP 2

3 garlic cloves, crushed, or 1 tbsp garlic purée 320g stir-fry veg (we used 2 x 160g bags of mangetout, baby sweetcorn, beansprouts, carrots and peppers)

Add the ginger, garlic and veg to the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 mins. Mix 1 tbsp soy sauce with the cornflour to make a paste.

Add the remaining soy sauce, the chilli sauce and 2 tbsp water.

Drain the noodles and add to the pan with the sauce. Cook until the sauce coats the noodles, adding a splash of water if needed, then serve.

4 tbsp low-salt soy sauce 2 tsp cornflour 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Chef Silvester

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Peponi School Scholarships Peponi School welcomes applications for scholarships and exhibitions at 13+ entry. There are a number of awards available in a wide range of pupil activity. The aim is to reward and encourage pupils to excel and to strive for the very best in their endeavours.

Award Categories Academic Specialist All-Rounder Awards.

To apply, visit our website www.peponischool.org

APPLICATION DEADLINE

11th December 2020 For more information, contact our Registrar Hannah Winstanley Tel: +254 (0) 794 586733 | Email: registrar@peponischool.org

Please return to registrar@peponischool.org Deadline – Friday 11th December 2020 Please note – a full Peponi School application form is required before applying for the Peponi School Scholarships.

10 November 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Peponi School on Social Media The Official Peponi School Social Media Accounts

Facebook www.facebook.com/peponischool Twitter www.twitter.com/peponi_school Instagram www.instagram.com/peponi_school

Youtube https://bit.ly/2YUrnl8

Peponi School PO Box 236, Ruiru 00232 +(254) 020 354 6456 +(254) 0733 615 139; +(254) 0722 287 248