The Weekly Peponi Post 12-May-2020

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

The Weekly Peponi School

Teacher Appreciation Week

How Corona Virus Has Affected Education

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and we want to take a moment to recognise and appreciate all of the amazing teachers who are keeping pupils connected. No matter the distance, you have always been there.

The global pandemic of corona virus has changed the lives of billions of people around the world, and has particularly affected the educational system in many schools and universities worldwide. ... Continued in page 2

Thank you for being there, today and every day and for making every moment and connection matter.

Thank You Teachers

Plagiarism

The Official Peponi School Social Media Accounts Facebook www.facebook.com/peponischool

Twitter www.twitter.com/peponi_school

Instagram

Youtube https://bit.ly/2YUrnl8

www.instagram.com/peponi_school

1.

This is very clearly defined and means much more than copying. ...Page 5

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

How Corona Virus Has Affected Education The global pandemic of corona virus has changed the lives of billions of people around the world, and has particularly affected the educational system in many schools and universities worldwide. The corona virus is highly contagious and its symptoms cannot be detected in an individual for up to fourteen days after it has entered the system, this means that individuals that have contracted it could go about their day infecting others around them, as they are unaware that they have it. This poses a large threat for institutions such as schools and universities that have large gatherings of people, due to the fact that it can be spread rapidly amongst people, and transmitted easily in large crowds of individuals. This has forced a mandatory shutdown of many schools and universities globally in order to avoid unnecessary interaction that could possibly contribute to the spread of the virus.

Due to the mandatory shut down of schools, many schools and universities have formed ways of teaching that include online services such as Firefly and Zoom classes that are accessible to most pupils. Whilst this proves highly effective in many ways, allowing the pupil to gain information and an education in the comfort and safety of their own homes, many pupils may be disadvantaged as they may not be able to afford the appliances that make online schooling possible, such as Wi-Fi or technology that would allow video conferencing to take place such as a laptop.

This form of teaching discriminates against pupils that are from less privileged backgrounds, reducing the equal competition that most schools try to uphold, as pupils may learn at different rates because they cannot afford to attend online classes. Due to this, schools face the issue of teaching only a few pupils and leaving out those that can’t attend, or not teaching at all. Many individuals also rely on public schooling to assure their child is fed and to give the parent time to focus on work, however, with the shutting down of schools many children are left without any meals, as they relied on their school for more than just education. It has also affected parents as they are forced to leave work to care and watch over their children, particularly the younger ones that may result in the jeopardising of their family income.

2.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Corona virus has also affected the exam boards that has resulted in them being forced to shut down or delay most forms of examinations that would test how much an individual has gained from school, as well as giving them a chance to set their place in life as it would determine large factors of their lives, such as the university they attend. Corona virus is a pandemic that many boards had not prepared for and there is no way of guaranteeing a fair and equal testing ground through the use of online services. Many of these examinations were determining factors in guaranteeing a pupils’ place in university and brings up the question of how universities would determine if a pupil would be worthy of entering a university, or even how a university pupil would graduate from their course and getting their degree.

The corona virus has also affected the income of those working in educational systems, not just teaching but those that clean and cook to maintain the school compound. Due to the closing down of schools worldwide many individuals are disadvantaged in their income and no longer have money to feed themselves, or care for their children as they highly relied on their jobs for this. It causes a ripple down effect, as their children will not only be disadvantaged in school, through inability to attend classes, as they cannot afford the means to, or distractions such as lack of concentration due to hunger or disturbance in the homes. Many parents are also forced to take a teaching role in such an instance that could affect their work or hinder their attempts at finding and maintaining an income to sustain their families.

This is an Aljazeera news article on the challenges faced by schools during this crisis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTndaVo3C0g While the shutting down of schools has had many negative effects on individuals and the educational system, it has also had some benefits, such as opening up a pathway for new technological advancements that could ensure that a pupil gains the most out of their online schooling. These also include new forms of video conferencing that could help guarantee the most effective methods of teaching, such as interaction between pupils and teachers that may occur through sharing the screen on zoom making presentation easier.

These have made it easier to prepare for further pandemics that may occur, allowing schools to have reliable platforms that they can fall back on with ease.

3.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

While the shutting down of schools has had many negative effects on individuals and the educational system, it has also had some benefits, such as opening up a pathway for new technological advancements that could ensure that a pupil gains the most out of their online schooling. These also include new forms of video conferencing that could help guarantee the most effective methods of teaching, such as interaction between pupils and teachers that may occur through sharing the screen on zoom making presentation easier. These have made it easier to prepare for further pandemics that may occur, allowing schools to have reliable platforms that they can fall back on with ease.

The following is a good example of how choirs have come together with members self-isolating – Cyndi Lauper’s True Colours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqWQCWc_zCc The corona virus has also allowed examination boards and schools to prepare for instances like this that would ensure that in the event that another pandemic occurs which requires schools and universities to shut down, the educational system would easily have a backup plan to fall back on that would ensure the least amount of disruption to both pupils and teachers in the syllabus as well as for examinations.

In conclusion while the corona virus has posed many negative threats on the educational system, such as disadvantaging pupil form a lower social background through limitations of technology and Wi-Fi, as well as made a parents work much more difficult as they now have to worry about their child’s care and making up for the nutrition lost which they had relied on public schools for as well as balancing their own work, the fact that it has made it harder to asses pupils ,as well as there being difficulties for examination boards to guarantee an equal ground for assessment.

The global pandemic has also paved the way for new technological advancements to take place that would come into use In the instance that another event occurs, this would further make it easier for adjustment for most schools and universities as they are much more prepared to deal with such a situation.

Natasha Mboya - Former Pupil

4.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Plagiarism This is very clearly defined and means much more than copying. It is the direct copying of someone else’s work or ideas and presenting them as your own. This can be done with or without the consent of the originator and includes no acknowledgement of the original work.

For a pupil or a student in any education establishment this is a crime.

Whether it be criminal or civil in legal terms is often not questioned but it is immoral and works against the honour code of a vast majority of respectable schools, colleges and universities. At university it can lead to severe punishment, such as being expelled, losing a degree or the instigation of a criminal investigation. At Peponi School, it is in violation of honour code and the school takes very seriously any act of plagiarism.

In order to check for plagiarism all pieces of work that are submitted for assessment, either as course work for an examination board, or for one of the Peponi awards or for any Collection grade, will be submitted to the ICT department and subjected to a variety of Plagiarism software. One of these test is a very powerful that is currently used and updated by almost every university and college in both the United States and United Kingdom. Plagiarism software makes comparisons of students’ written work with a massive international database of student work, websites, books, articles and other reference material. It can also be used to check against other pupil’s work in the same school.

The School is encouraging pupils to begin to have a sense of pride in their written work and to be able to distinguish between good referencing and research and the temptation of copying. Academic integrity is very important and all Peponi pupils should learn the essential skills that are now being demanded from all tertiary level institutions.

Mr. Durston - Headmaster

5.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Adapt or Perish

How the Science Faculty is Implementing Virtual Learning According to Charles Darwin, the great naturalist and proponent of the theory of Evolution, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change�. This famous quote is so relevant to the current situation that we find ourselves in.

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic thrust all learning institutions into an unforeseen and unprecedented situation. In most countries, schools and colleges were among the first institutions to be shut down by governments. In the International Schools that follow the British Curriculum, this brought the Term 2 calendar to an abrupt halt and significantly disrupted the Term 3 calendar.

Schools and other learning institutions, locally and around the world, resorted to virtual learning platforms. Like other Faculties at Peponi School, the Science Faculty adapted quickly to this mode of teaching and learning. Some of the things that members of the faculty have implemented so well are: Interesting and creative ways of delivering online lessons.

On-screen marking of tasks and giving of feedback.

Use of their own pre-recorded videos of key science practical demonstrations to support online learning.

Use of appropriate simulations and virtual labs selected from internet sources.

Some of the work done by members of the faculty in the virtual classroom is shown below: Links to pre-recorded practical activities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgWCiREzO6I IGCSE Chemistry Practical on Thermodynamics, by Mr Charles Kamande. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMJb1Pmo3DY IGCSE Physics Practical on Van De Graaff Generator, by Mr Collins Kaunda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38ukh1BPfxs IGCSE Biology Practical on Testing Leaves for Starch by Mr. Martin Waweru.

On screen marking and feedback:

Screenshot of IGCSE Biology marking feedback by Dr. Eliud Mulanda

6.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Screenshot of IGCSE Chemistry marking feedback by Mr Charles Kamande

We in the Science Faculty can confidently say that we have managed to move seamlessly from the physical classroom to virtual learning. In the process, we have acquired new knowledge and skills which will enrich our learners’ experiences when we get back to our normal classrooms.

From the Science Faculty

7.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

A Note from our School Counsellor

Your Disappointment is Valid There is absolutely nobody and nothing that can tell you anything that will switch off your feelings of disappointment in this strange time we are living in. I am here to simply remind you that it’s okay to feel disappointed, about missing out on the real life experience of school; of the social aspects that can never fully be replaced by zoom, WhatsApp or social media; of the telling’s off, detentions and gating’s that would be happening. This includes all the extracurricular activities that make the school experience fun, exciting and whole.

A huge part of your teenage life has been closed off, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

For many, the most painful part of the coronavirus crisis will be losing important experiences: high school sports seasons, parties, theater productions, graduations. And while we’re all missing out on very valued activities, says Psychologist Dr. Anderson, “it’s especially problematic for teenagers, who are wired in their brains to think about novelty and pleasure seeking and seeking out new frontiers, to be limited in this way.”

8.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Find someone you trust to really vent out these feelings of disappointment, without trying to reassure you with words of ‘it’s going to be okay’. Feel free to get in touch and I can be that person for you.

You may be so swamped with the current virtual learning assignments, screen time while feeling the pressure of your parents and siblings over your shoulder. You may be feeling so relieved to not have to deal with some of the social anxieties that you would usually have to bear.

Some of you will be worried about missing activities expected to help you with university applications and scholarships. You are understandably wondering how this will affect your futures. It is important that you acknowledge the real stress we may be under. Your parents, teachers and I, are in total confidence in your ability to rebound, to bounce back out of this time with so much more than you can imagine.

Whatever you are going through, just know that it’s OKAY. Once you have done that, have a look at some of these scientifically backed ways of building resilience!

So what is resilience?

Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress, such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. As much as resilience involves "bouncing back" from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth.

While these adverse events, are certainly painful and difficult, they don’t have to determine the outcome of your life. There are many aspects of your life you can control, modify and grow with. Becoming more resilient not only helps you get through difficult circumstances, it also empowers you to grow and even improve your life along the way. (I will never forget joining pupils on the Presidential Awards trip to the Aberdares- which helped me make life-long healthy decisions for myself).

Like building a muscle, increasing your resilience takes time and intentionality. Focusing on four core components — connection, wellness, healthy thinking and meaning — can empower you to withstand and learn from difficult and traumatic experiences. To increase your capacity for resilience to weather — and grow from — the difficulties, use these strategies.

The Greater Good Science Center has collected many resilience practices on their website Greater Good in Action, alongside other research-based exercises for fostering kindness, connection, and happiness. Here are five summarized for you: 1. Change the narrative - The practice of Expressive Writing can move us forward by helping us gain new insights on the challenges in our lives. It involves free writing continuously for 20 minutes about an issue, exploring your deepest thoughts and feelings around it. The goal is to get something down on paper, no masterpieces necessary!

2. Face your fears - what about knee-shaking fears that we’re experiencing in the here and now? The Overcoming a Fear practice is designed to help with everyday fears that get in the way of life, such as the fear of public speaking, heights, or flying. We can’t talk ourselves out of such fears; instead, we have to tackle the emotions directly.

The first step is to slowly, and repeatedly, expose yourself to the thing that scares you—in small doses. For example, people with a fear of public speaking might try talking more in meetings, then perhaps giving a toast at a small wedding. Over time, you can incrementally increase the challenge until you’re ready to nail that big speech or TV interview.

9.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org 3. Practice self-compassion - Self-compassion involves offering compassion to ourselves: confronting our own suffering with an attitude of warmth and kindness, without judgment. In three easy steps: Be mindful: Without judgment or analysis, notice what you’re feeling. Say, “This is a moment of suffering” or “This hurts” or “This is stress.”

Remember that you’re not alone: Everyone experiences these deep and painful human emotions, although the causes might be different. Say to yourself, “Suffering is a part of life” or “We all feel this way” or “We all struggle in our lives.”

Be kind to yourself: Put your hands on your heart and say something like “May I give myself compassion” or “May I accept myself as I am” or “May I be patient.”

4. Meditate - our most painful thoughts are usually about the past or the future: We regret and ponder over things that went wrong, or we get anxious about things that will. When we pause and bring our attention to the present, we often find that things are actually okay.

One meditation that might be particularly effective at calming our negative thoughts is the Body Scan (see link below). Here, you focus on each body part in turn - head to toe - and can choose to let go of any areas of tension you discover. Strong feelings tend to manifest physically, as tight chests or knotted stomachs, and relaxing the body is one way to begin freeing them.

5. Cultivate forgiveness - If holding a grudge is holding you back, research suggests that cultivating forgiveness could be beneficial to your mental and physical health. If you feel ready to begin, it can be a powerful practice. Always remember, forgiveness is for you and never for the person you are holding a grudge towards. Both Nine Steps to Forgiveness and Eight Essentials When Forgiving offer a list of guidelines to follow (see links below). https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/nine_steps_to_forgiveness https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/overcoming_a_fear https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/self_compassion_break https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/how_would_you_treat_a_friend https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation

Ms. Vaporidis School Counsellor

10.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Healthy Eating Habits Teens who eat balanced meals will feel positive changes in their body. Healthy eating improves mental health and general well-being. Poor diet negatively impacts sleep, energy levels and temperament.

Meals are about more than eating healthy. Mealtime is a time for families to come together and enjoy each other’s company. If meals are too focused on nutrition, teenagers will naturally revolt. Balance is the key.

Tips on healthy eating 1. Start the day with a balanced breakfast. Remember breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast fuels your day. Ensure you vary your breakfast from day to day.

2. Follow a varied balance diet daily.

3. Eat plenty of foods rich in calcium. Adolescent and young adults need to build up stores of calcium in their bodies to prevent osteoporosis later in life. If you don’t like milk, have ample amount of low fat yoghurt, low fat cheese and green leafy vegetables in your diet.

4. Limit your sugar intake. Sugar provides calories in your diet but few others nutrients. Unhealthy treats high in sugar and fat stimulate weight gain and make you sluggish and lethargic 5. Drink lots of water. Your body needs at least 8 glasses of water and more if you are exercising.

6. Keep healthy snacks at hand like fresh fruits, whole wheat crackers, yoghurt preferably low fat etc.

7. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. This is crucial during adolescence as it strengthens growing bones, regulates hormonal changes and boost the immune system.

8. Parents be guided by your family’s choices rather than dictating foods. Plan for healthy snacks together.

Don’ts 1. Avoid under or over feeding.

2. Avoid taking foods and drinks low in fiber or high in fat salt and sugar 3. Endeavour to have the healthy foods needed daily.

Conclusion Remember good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity your diet can help you maintain your health, weight and reduce your risk of chronic disease (e.g. heart diseases, high blood pressure etc.) and promote your overall health.

Enjoy your food and remember food is a lot more than nourishment for our bodies. Take time to enjoy it.

From the Nurses’ desk

11.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Recipe from Chef Silvester Sweet & Sour Spareribs Ingredients 1.6 kg/ 3 ½ lb pork spareribs 4 tbsp clear honey 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder 4 tbsp soy sauce 2 ½ tbsp. dry sherry 1 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1 ½ tbsp. tomato puree 1 tsp dry mustard powder (optional) Spring onion curls, to garnish

Method Preheat the oven to 2000C/4000F/Gas Mark 6.15 minutes before cooking. If necessary, put the ribs on a chopping board and using a sharp knife, cut the joint in between the ribs to form single ribs. Place the ribs in a shallow dish in a single layer.

Spoon the honey, the Worcestershire sauce, Chinese five spice powder with the soy sauce, sherry and chilli sauce into a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until smooth. Stir in the chopped garlic, the tomato puree and mustard powder, if using.

Pour the honey mixture over ribs, and spoon over until the ribs are coated evenly.

Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate overnight in the refrigerator, occasionally spooning the marinade over the ribs.

When ready to cook, remove the ribs from the marinade and place in a shallow roasting tin. Spoon over a little of the marinade and reserve the remainder. Place the spareribs in the preheated oven and cook for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked and the outsides are crisp. Paste occasionally with the reserved marinade during cooking. Garnish with a few spring onion cuts and serve immediately, either as a starter or as a meet accompaniment.

Chef Silvester

12.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Cooking Club Recipe of the Week - Risotto Typical types of risotto are: Mushroom, butternut squash, chicken, pea and mint (you can decide depending on what is in your cupboard)

Ingredients: 2 cups of Arborio Risotto rice 1 litre of stock (chicken/vegetable depending on the kind of risotto you make) One onion 2 large cloves of garlic One cup of white wine (not at school but when you get to uni!)

100 grams of parmesan Olive oil and salt and pepper

Method: Dice the onions and crush the garlic, add these to either a saucepan or deep frying pan with a good splash of olive oil. On a medium heat let the onions go translucent- you do not want them to go brown.

Add the dry risotto rice to the pan and lightly fry and make sure that it is all covered in the oil from the pan.

If adding white wine put it in now and let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes.

This is where you can now add the ingredients to make whichever kind of risotto you want – chicken, mushroom etc.

Now for the patient part- add one ladle of stock at a time to the risotto pan and stir.

Keep checking it and stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed then repeat and add another ladle of stock. You need to do this to release the starch in the rice so that it goes creamy.

Do this until the rice is cooked (about 20-30 minutes) season with salt and pepper and top with parmesan.

Serve with a green salad!

13.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

This Week’s Winners

Winner - Zenzele Oluoch

Winner - Tasha Ndonga

Winner - Prisha Haria-Shah

14.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

From the Charity Committee The Charity Committee donated an assortment of supplies to Pillars of Hope Children's home.

The supplies include; 10kg - normal uji 10kg - banana uji 10kg - strawberry uji 1.5kg tea leaves 6 kg - salt 30kg - cooking fat 36 - long life milk 10L - quencher juice 25kg - rice 20kg - sugar 4 bales of unga - 96kg 25kg - beans 15kg - moong 19kg of detergent 40kg of bar soap.

15.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Keeping Your Brain Active Peponi Teachers Surname Puzzle T

D

M

E

L

E

S

Y

E

L

W

A

K

H

U

U

G

U

B

M

A

W

Z

U

U

O

E

B

G

K

A

M

A

N

D

E

C

N

Q

N

I

A

R

T

S

C

S

R

S

G

C

C

G

C

O

M

Y

I

U

N

A

T

J

M

X

N

M

B

T

A

S

E

O

P

O

A

K

V

U

E

E

G

D

S

Q

S

L

V

I

J

H

B

N

T

R

R

R

L

W

Y

J

R

L

N

D

U

A

T

I

A

A

G

M

O

V

J

O

I

O

E

E

X

L

A

A

N

A

I

A

G

N

G

I

D

H

E

X

K

U

N

S

J

T

M

S

H

K

T

A

Y

U

D

A

I

A

G

N

T

C

W

K

G

R

W

N

S

A

E

U

I

E

T

W

T

N

S

T

A

H

A

I

H

O

J

U

P

W

A

I

N

B

R

M

U

S

A

A

U

A

A

R

T

L

N

U

G

X

N

O

A

L

L

W

M

E

A

O

N

S

M

A

M

U

N

W

U

G

T

O

F

A

D

C

Q

L

B

O

M

N

K

I

G

P

K

I

D

I

N

M

A

T

D

B

C

U

H

B

A

L

C

F

I

E

W

Y

A

F

I

N

H

I

S

L

E

O

F

J

N

A

L

P

J

H

C

V

L

O

L

E

M

B

O

T

L

I

E

R

E

B

F

D

R

A

K

K

A

K

X

L

Y

R

N

E

H

B

I

I

G

N

A

W

M

L

O

A

E

W

E

R

D

N

O

D

S

I

V

A

D

B

E

L

U

K

U

M

U

E

R

E

G

O

M

L

I

T

O

R

O

B

M

A

M

G

S

T

Z

V

H

Find the following words in the puzzle.

Words are hidden

AYATTA

GASAMI

MATU

NDUATI

PALLISTER

CHUTTER

HENRY

MBITHI

NIGHTINGALE

STRAIN

COLEMAN

KAKKAR

MERUH

NJOROGE

TANUI

COMBES

KAMANDE

MOGERE

NJUGUNA

WACHARA

DAVIDSON

KAUNDA

MOSERI

ODUNDO

WAKHU

DREW

KIMANI

MUKULE

OGODO

WAMBUGU

DURSTON

LAIGHT

MULANDA

OKELLO

WINSTANLEY

EYSELE

LITORO

MWANGI

OLEMBO

16.

12 May 2020

http://www.peponischool.org

Quotes of the day

“ Good, better, best.

Never let it rest. ‘Til your good is better and your better is best. ”

“ Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ” Helen Keller

St. Jerome

“ With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ” Eleanor Roosevelt

“ Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist.

Be curious” Stephen Hawking

“ Quality is not an act, it is a habit. ” Aristotle

17.

12 May 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

18.

Peponi School wishes all the mothers a

“Thank you for every hug, word of encouragement, and act of love you’ve given us. Happy Mother’s Day!”

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