The Wave August 2017

Inspiration

Integrity

Achievement

TKS students in SRSI

Matilde Gomes G12 shares her research experience and ďŹ ndings with Professor James Calvin, the TKS Board of Education Chair and the VP of Academic Affairs. For more on TKS at the SRSI see page 10.

August 30, 2017

From the Director Eid Mubarak!

The opening of the 2017-2018 school year has gone very smoothly.

Lots of happy faces, ready to start another year of learning. We welcomed 180 3-year olds starting school life in K1 and 75 other new students throughout the school. Total enrollment now stands at 1500.

Communication and collaboration with all stakeholders is vital for the success of our students. We value our home school partnerships and we are committed to collaboration with parents.

An important element of this collaboration is our Parent Advisory Committee (PAC).

The PAC is made up of three sub-committees, one for each division (Elementary, Kindergarten and Secondary). The purpose of the PAC is to create important feedback loops between parents and school, and to consider ways to improve and enhance The KAUST School. It gives parents a voice in matters affecting the day-to-day life of TKS and the overall well-being of our students.

The Committees will each be comprised of 7 parents. Divisional Principals will select a diverse group from the parent applicants for final approval by the TKS Leadership Team.

Next Steps: TKS would be delighted to receive your application. To apply fill out the form we sent out on August 29 and return it to schools@kaust.edu.sa by September 12, 2017.

The PAC will be selected in September with the first meeting on September 20. A schedule of meeting dates for the year was also included in our email to parents.

We look forward to a year of partnership ahead.

Sincerely, Leny de Ruijter

TKS Counselors: Meet the Team

Photo: backrow from left to right: Ms Becky, Ms Yasmeen, Ms Aisha, Ms Jennifer, Ms Johanna front row left to right: Dr Paul, Jill Page - Student Support Director, Mr. Andrew

TKS Counselling is a team of eight people: two counsellors at Kindergarten (Ms Aisha and Ms Yasmeen), two at Elementary (Ms Becky and Ms Jennifer), two at Secondary (Ms Johanna and Mr Andrew), the School Psychologist (Dr Paul) and the Student Support Director (Jill Page). Our team comes from four continents and six countries. Although from diverse backgrounds we are united by our passion to help students make the most of the time here at TKS, whether it be their first ever day at school or their final day in TKS before heading on to college or university.

The Student Support team offers a rich and varied range of services that we will share here in the Wave in more detail over the coming months. One of these offerings is transition workshops for children starting in school for the first time.

To learn more about transitions see our first ever Counselors Corner on the next page.

Can You Guess the Team Members?

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Who owned a Harley motorbike and is a Black Belt in karate?

Who plays in the KAUST Community orchestra?

Who speaks fluent Spanish?

Who never lived in their birth country until they were 18?

Who survived a hurricane, an earthquake and a volcanic eruption?

Who was born in New York, has Spanish roots and was going to be a doctor?

Who played the flute from age 10 to age 17?

Who worked as a part-time journalist and wrote articles for newspapers in three different countries?

Find the answers on the next page

Counselors Corner: Transitions One thing everyone in our community shares is that we all experienced ‘a first day at KAUST’. Whether this was many years ago or just last week, new experiences evoke vivid memories: the blast of warm air when the airplane door opens, the blueness of the sea, the sweet smell of oud in the malls and markets of Jeddah.

Honeymoon Phase When you first arrive, there can be an experience of relief that you are finally here combined with exhilaration, anticipation and excitement. You are ready to face your new world with a spring in your step and a smile on your face. This stage can last a long time, but for most of us, the so-called ‘honeymoon phase’ typically lasts just a few months.

For many, things can start to change around three months. You notice your new environment is not perfect: you cannot purchase your favorite supermarket brand, you have run out of new restaurants to try, entertainment options start to feel limited and your 6am cycles start to wane. You may even you ask yourself ‘did I make the right decision?’ This is a normal part of the transition process and a time when it can be helpful to chat to a colleague, use the support of the Employee Assistant Program (EAP) or speak with your manager. Everyone you speak to at KAUST knows what you are going through and will be most understanding and may even have some concrete suggestions on what can help.

Acceptance This phase passes, as the stage of acceptance approaches. New opportunities appear on the horizon, you develop a new appreciation of differences and you regain your sense of humor and balance again. The minor mistakes, mix-ups and misunderstandings of the past become humorous anecdotes to be retold at future social events and you continue to appreciate the many benefits of living in a beach resort on the shores of the Red Sea. Our children are having similar experiences as they go through their own transitions: Moving to a new community, making new friends, starting Kindergarten, moving to the Elementary School or transitioning to high school. They too will have their ups and downs during this transition phase.

Don’t forget The TKS Counselling Team are here for them and for you, and are happy to provide whatever support is needed. by: Dr Paul O’Callaghan (Counselling Department Team Lead)

Answers: 1=Jill, 2=Andrew, 3=Johanna, 4=Becky, 5=Jennifer, 6=Yasmeen, 7=Aisha, 8=Paul

from Justin Somerville, KG Principal Dear Parents, Welcome back!

After eight years, we are so excited to have the Kindergarten division all together in one place.

The Kindergarten Campus is located in the Harbor and includes the Kindergarten East and Kindergarten West buildings. Both buildings have undergone extensive renovation work and now offer purpose-built learning spaces for your children. Further to this, the outdoor areas have been designed and created to support and enhance physical development for our youngest learners at TKS. We are so lucky to be working and learning in these wonderful spaces.

Teachers are busy getting to know the children in their classes, fostering positive relationships and establishing classroom routines. We would like to thank you for supporting your child’s transition to school at the beginning of the year through routines at home. Assisting children with consistent sleeping patterns, including early bedtimes, and providing healthy snacks and water are some of the ways you can ensure that your child has a positive experience at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-How-Many-Hours-Does-Your-Child-Need.aspx Kindergarten each day. Here is an article that you may find of interest regarding healthy sleeping habits.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Back to School Night held last week. We will shortly be sharing a schedule of parent information sessions for this year. We encourage you to engage in any opportunity offered to gain a greater understanding of early childhood education and how it relates to your child.

Eid Mubarak.

Justin Somerville Kindergarten Principal

Meet our new teachers - Kindergarten Caring

Reflective

Claire Devey K1 Teacher

Sarah Sharpe K1 Teacher

Rikke Louise Korsgaard K1 Teacher

Asye Koruklu K1 Teacher

David Watts K1 Teacher

Kielly A. Arbuthnot K2 Teacher

Ingrid McCormack K1 Ped Co

Lisa Fitz-Hardy K3 Teacher

from Jeff Woodcock, GES Principal TKS Says Goodbye and Thank You! On Monday August 21st, President Chameau and his wife, Dr Carol Carmichael, visited TKS on his penultimate day in KAUST. The purpose of his visit was a final opportunity for the school to say good-bye. President Chameau and Dr Carmichael have been highly supportive of TKS over the years.

Students of TKS were delighted to have the opportunity to thank them.

Members of last year’s student council met our prestigious guests, presenting them with a gift from GES. They then took President Chameau and Dr. Carmichael on a tour of the school to share some of the learning that is taking place and explore some of our collaborative learning spaces. The tour ended with a visit to the cafeteria while our students were eating lunch. The children were extremely surprised and excited to see President Chameau, and a big cheer rang out to thank him for his time at KAUST. We wish them the best for their next adventure, and we are thankful we had the opportunity to say goodbye.

Jeff Woodcock, Gardens Elementary Principal

Meet our new teachers - Elementary

Chye de Rykel Assistant Principal

Evan Bryceland PE Teacher

Karyn Paterson Learning Support Teacher

Rawdha Radwan Islamic Teacher

Tim Scarrott G5 Teacher

Siobhan Westbrook G4 Teacher

Jamie House G4 Teacher

Reham Al Dubayyan TDP

Ashley Rowell G1 Teacher

Lorraine Horgan G1 Teacher

Jessica Boland G1 Teacher

Michele Hoover G5 Teacher

Mother Tongue Language Tutors Needed Our Mother Tongue Language program has been in operation for three years now. This program provides students at TKS with the valuable opportunity to be tutored in their Mother Tongue languages during school time.

We are currently seeking tutors who are able to provide Mother Tongue language tuition for the following Mother Tongue languages:

French Portuguese Danish Turkish

German Urdu Indonesian

If you are interested in providing tuition in the above languages, or have any queries about the Mother Tongue program, please contact me as soon as possible at: andrew.wright@kaust.edu.sa

By Andrew Wright, Mother Tongue Language Coordinator

from David Tigchelaar, GSS Principal Dear Parents, It was good to see so many of you during Back To School Night. We are looking forward to a good year, working with you to support the learning of your children.

As always, please feel free to contact your child’s teachers to discuss your child’s learning.

I would like to remind you of the following Parent Information Sessions n MYP Lunchtime Information session: Tuesday, 12 September from 12 - 1pm, Bldg. 4 Room 5220 left Wing. This meeting is especially useful to parents new to the MYP but all parents who want to develop a deeper understanding of the MYP are welcome. n Gr 11 + 12 Parent Information Session: Wednesday, 13 September from 6 - 8 pm, GSS. This meeting will focus both on the DP programme as well as the college application process. n OOK Trips Fair for Gr 6 - 12 students and parents: Sunday, 20 September, 6 - 7:30 pm. The school will make a presentation of all the OOK trips that will take place this year, allowing families to make a plan at the beginning of the year to register for a specific trip. n Gr 6 - Lunchtime session about Transition issues: Thursday, 12 October, 12 - 1 pm, Bldg. 4 Room 5220, left wing, seaside. This is a meeting for Grade 6 parents only. It will be an opportunity for parents to share with us how their students are doing, ask questions and share experiences about the programme.

2017-18 Student Executive Council

Thank you to all of the candidates that ran for a position on the Executive Council. You did an amazing job yesterday. To those that were selected for a position, Congratulations.

Please welcome the 2017-2018 Executive Council: Vice President: Aliya Al Uariachi, Recording Secretary: Eshan Wells, Action Liaison: Amy Tulley, Secretary: Neeka Ghodsi, President: Abril Rivera, Communications: Titania Huang, Tech Officer: Nabiha Khan.

NEW GSS Sta

Susan Rhodes DP Coordinator

Peter Powell MYP Coordinator

Logan Birgenheier I&S Teacher

Ashley Quinn I&S Teacher

David Webb Drama Teacher

Jecton Were Art Teacher

Kristian Jensen Athletics & Activities Director

Emmallee Johnson Music Teacher

Alan Treacy Science Teacher

Myriam Abdulbaki Science Teacher

Mitch Maclarn Science Teacher

Ben Wyllie Science Teacher

Celine Dary French Teacher

Fred Olson PHE Teacher

Salma Mulla Mathematics Teacher

Michelle Parrott Substitute English Teacher

Narelle Brown Mathematics Teacher

Francois De Ryckel Mathematics Teacher

TKS Students participate in SRSI Six G12 students from The KAUST School were successful in securing a prestigious place in the Saudi Initiatives’ SRSI program. The program is a mentorship program for academically gifted Saudi High School Students, who spend six weeks of their summer break, living and participating in research at KAUST. In addition to our 6 students, 37 Saudi students participated in this exciting opportunity.

The Poster Symposium that took place in the University Library, is an exhibition of the projects the students chose to pursue under the supervision of their KAUST faculty mentors.

Risk Taker

Congratulationsto Naomi Bakken, Mayar Elbaz, Isha Khurram and Arfah Imran, Hamza Mohammed, Matilde Gomez (see cover photo), for participating in the SRSI program.

Inquirers

Reective Risk Taker

WISE During the summer 55 interns completed the Work Internship Student Experience (WISE) program.

The participants consisted of 33 TKS students as well as 22 University students of families from within the Community.

Host Departments Community Life -

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Government Affairs Human Resources Office of the EVP Saudi Affairs Research Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Innovation & Economic Development

Open-minded

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Communicatiors

Academic Affairs Internal Audit Facilities Management Office of the President Information Technology Finance Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science Health, Safety & Environment

Boy Scouts Troop 13 The Road to Eagle..

The Boy Scouts of America Troop 13 continues to be active in its 9th year. The troop is welcoming new scouts that are interested in adventure and service.

Last year, the troop had a full calendar of activities including camping, fun events, community service, and learning opportunities. The troop also sent a farewell for its founding Scouts Masters Cabby Tennis and Scott Herington, as well as Assistant Scout Master Tristan Bodle; they will be truly missed and their impact on the community and the boys will be everlasting.

This year, the troop welcomes two new Scout Masters: Mohamed Abdel-Aal and Maan Amad.

From the Health Office Due to the fact that we recently had some cases of Hand foot and mouth disease in the community the health office has provided some information on this infection.

What Is It? Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral infection.

The virus typically affects infants and children less than five years old, though sometimes affects older children and adults.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms typically begin with a fever and a general feeling of being unwell. One to two days later, blisters develop in the mouth and on hands, feet, buttocks, and sometimes the genital area. The infection typically goes away on its own in 3-4 days to a week.

What should I do if I think my child has hand, foot, and mouth disease?

The infection typically resolves on its own without any medical intervention and will run its course in 3-7 days during which you should keep your child at home.

Treatment includes medication for the pain and fever such as acetaminophen, paracatemol and ibuprofen. Do not give children under 18 years old medication containing aspirin.

The infection is not usually serious, but the sores in the mouth can make eating and drinking painful. Make sure that your child is taking enough fluids so that he or she does not become dehydrated. Cold and soft foods like ice-cream and pudding may be easier for your child to eat.

Troop 13 also congratulate Nick Church and Colin Herrington, Eagle Scouts who achieved the highest rank in scouting. We wish them well in their new adventure as college students.

Come meet the troop in the upcoming Community Open Day on September 14.

You can also join the first troop meeting for the year on Monday September 18 at 6:45 PM in the GSS Gym. Contact mohamed.abdelaal@kaust.edu.sa for more information.

Your child should see a doctor if: • he or she is not taking in enough fluids and has not needed to urinate for 6-8 hours • he or she does not feel better after 3-4 days from the initial symptoms • if you have difficulty controlling the pain or fever • if you are concerned about the symptoms or appearance of your child

How is it prevented?

Good hand washing habits after eating, playing, and especially after using the bathroom can help prevent your child from contracting the virus. Keep surfaces and toys clean with soap and water or disinfectant.

When can my child return to school?

Your child can return to school once the blisters are dry and he or she is fever free for 24 hours without the aid of fever medication. A note from your child’s doctor is required before he or she can return to class.