Science Fair Winners
After competing with Master’s and PhD students at the WEP 2019 Science Fair, our GSS students won the three first places at the fair. The winners received their prizes in the WEP final gala that took place last Thursday in the auditorium of Building 20. Congratulations to all the winners on this incredible achievement! Winners are: 1st place Cameron Patrick Johnson on his project Red Sea Creatures 2nd place Lina Ghaffour & Alyia Saad on their project The effect of the temperature of feed water on the quantity of freshwater collected 3rd place Arnab Chakraborty & Yousef AbdelAal on their project How do peoples hand eye coordination skills in games get affected after exercising?
January 31, 2019
From the Director Semester 1 of the school year has been completed and Semester 2 is well under way. By now you will have received your children's report cards covering the first semester. Over the past few weeks teachers have devoted a great deal of time into their preparation. Our reports are the result of a collaborative effort from all the teachers who work with each child. The comments reflect your child’s academic and social and emotional development, the learning that has taken place and which areas will be focused on in the near future. This year we have introduced conferences for parents to discuss the report findings with the teachers. Secondary School conferences took place this week and Elementary and Kindergarten’s are scheduled for the 5th of February. Please see the class blogs for sign-up information. Leny de Ruijter, TKS Director
click here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C5OTb60TlarYZtlg0MRyVuk91EgqnAXw4P2TeU--W2I/htmlview
Contents
PAC Summaries
From Kindergarten
Counselors Corner
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From Elementary
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From Secondary
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In a nutshell: Summaries of January’s PAC meetings
Secondary PAC: • The PAC referred to different temperatures in
different classrooms and asked whether it was possible to regulate the temperature better. In the discussion that followed, parents shared that inside temperature differences are experienced campus wide. The school will continue to address the different temperatures in the school building. • The PAC asked whether the school can post the lunch menu on the Portal. The school will organise this and inform parents. A question was asked about water sports in the winter. The school explained that due to scheduling constraints, we can not exclude one season from the programme. The opinion amongst PAC members was that the temperature in the KSA winter is still suitable for water sports. • The PAC discussed the number of IT platforms used by GSS. The school explained that there is not yet one platform that accommodates all our needs. • The school informed the PAC that the redevelopment work on the courtyard is progressing very slowly. As soon as the work is completed, we believe that students will spend more time outside. In the meantime the school has increased the number of activities the students can get involved in inside (table tennis, table football) and has increased the areas in the Flag Pavilion where students can hang out.
Kindergarten PAC: • No meeting for January • As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the KG PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings: - Sagar P. Parajuli - sagar.parajuli@kaust.edu.sa - Hind Aljohani - Hind.johani@kaust.edu.sa - Shan Yang - Shan.yang@kaust.edu.sa - Shuyu Sun - shuyu.sun@kaust.edu.sa - S. Mani Sarathy - mani.sarathy@kaust.edu.sa
Elementary PAC: Preview of new GES Report Card, including discussion of: • Significant changes to document • Key mathematical outcomes • Suggestions from PAC regarding upcoming Parent Information Session Discussion of School Cafeteria, including discussion of: • Supervision and Noise Control • Publication of menu and food quality IB Learner Profile, including discussion of: • The Learner Profile Attributes and how GES builds understanding of these attributes • How parents can support the development of these attributes
As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the GSS PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings: - Marleen Stuyck - stuyckmarleen@gmail.com - Amr Atiah - amr.atiah@kaust.edu.sa - Ming-Ming Chou - mingming.chou@kaust.edu.sa - Cherine Fayad - cherine.fayad@kaust.edu.sa - Alexandra Aguiar Gomes Alexandra.Gomes@kaust.edu.sa - Niveen Khashab - niveen.khashab@kaust.edu.sa - Brian Ross - brian.ross@kaust.edu.sa
As a reminder: Parents are encouraged to contact the GES PAC if they have suggestions around topics for PAC meetings: - Anna Rautek - anna.rautek@kaust.edu.sa - Caroline Knowles - caroline.knowles@kaust.edu.sa - Kathy Farrell - kathy.farrell@kaust.edu.sa - Claire Manchon - claire.manchon@kaust.edu.sa - Hadeel Al -Sulaimany hadeel.sulaimany@kaust.edu.sa
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from Justin Somerville, KG Principal Aren’t we so lucky with this wonderful weather at the moment. We all know it can get extremely hot here and time spent outside ends up being kept to a minimum. With these cooler temperatures we have been able to provide opportunities for children to spend more time exploring the outdoor environment. Children are naturally drawn to playing outside and there are numerous benefits to outdoor play: it allows them to explore their environment, develop muscle strength and coordination, and gain self-confidence. Playing actively outdoors also increases flexibility, fine and gross motor skills, and is related to the development of a wide variety of physical skills, including those involved in sports. Children have a great need for physical exercise and activity and a chance to use their muscles to run, swing, jump, skate and ride a bike, and to be out in the fresh air and sunshine. They like to use their whole body when they play outdoors and find such physical activities interesting and challenging. Make the most of this weather and head out to the closest park with your child. Not only will they fun but they will also engage in lots of developmental activities in the process. Go for it! https://app.seesaw.me/#/login
Justin Somerville KG Principal
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Performing Arts in KG
Did you know Performing Arts class in K1 & K2 is a collaborative experience and encourages teamwork? Through the arts, children work together, share responsibilities and learn to compromise to accomplish a goal. When given opportunities to share their talents and ideas, boys and girls begin to understand that contributions are important for the success of the entire group. Engaging in creative collaborations with classmates is an important skill for students. Through these experiences, they gain conďŹ dence and recognize that participation has value and is so much fun! by Lisa Barrington, K1 & K2 PA teacher Photos by Sujin Park, K1 & K2 PA assistant teacher
Snack Time Fun Time
There is no better time for children to form friendships and work on building relationships other than Snacktime. Many children return home with food still in their lunch boxes which is a reminder that they have so much fun and forget to eat. https://issuu.com/thekaustschool/docs/demographics_2018-19_for_web?e=23587344/65292788 It is always a pleasure to capture their lovely laughter. Photos By Catherine Couling
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Collaborative Shape Art
The K3 students from my (Ms. Rebecca Kent’s) class worked together to create collaborative shape art. They had to cooperate and communicate to choose a shape and hot or cold colors. This was a challenge at the end of our unit on ‘Teamwork’ where we have been inquiring into elements of teamwork and organization - cooperation, organization, fairness, responsibility, rules, and conflict. The students organized themselves into pairs. We had Renad Saleh and Luke Torno, Bellatrix Al Salibi and Hala Otaif, Dania Amata and Noor Rabtti, Iseult Hogan and Kevser Yildirim, Ali Younis and Saad Rehman, and Yoseph AlSabban and Theodore Annear. By Rebecca Kent
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Kimochis In the KG
The KG Counselors have been visiting classrooms to support the development of social skills and emotional intelligence. Children have been very excited about the new addition to the KG counseling tool kit - KIMOCHIS! Kimochi (KEY.MO.CHEE) means “feeling” in Japanese. Sometimes children have strong feelings that can fuel challenging behaviors and they often find it difficult to communicate when faced with an emotionally charged situation. Kimochis are a playful way to help children learn how to identify and express feelings. When children can communicate their feelings effectively, they develop positive social skills that lead to lasting friendships and success in all aspects of life. Early teaching of emotional intelligence is one of the most powerful things we can do in early childhood.
Children in the KG have responded very well to these feelings toys and are always excited when we bring them with us to their classroom. “Cloud” is a particular favorite because his face turns to show happy and sad feelings. Aisha B. Oliver and Yasmeen Ghunaim, KG Counselors
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“What children learn does not follow as an automatic result from what is taught. Rather, it is in large part due to the children’s own doing, as a consequence of their activities and own resources.”
Counselors Corner
If you ever walk into a school where children act as valuable members of the community, responsible for their learning at all the levels (from the organization of their day to cleaning up after messy play; from choosing the next inquiry theme to the ways to show their learning), you cannot help but wonder about the power of innate agency, advocacy and wisdom in these young human beings. While many schools aspire to promote 21st-century learning skills, enhanced student agency and the development of life-long learners, only a few do it with a high level of quality and some of those have been doing it for decades like the schools in the famous region of Italy called Reggio Emilia. This is where children are seen as capable and invaluable members of the whole community. They know that they are in charge of their learning because their teachers are good at observing and facilitating, instead of directing. From as early as three years old, children have opportunities to drive their own learning by communicating in a range of different ways, expressing their opinions and even making changes to school menus as well as the aesthetics of the buildings they learn in. Naturally, such liberations come with responsibilities that children can rise to even at a very early age. Not surprisingly, many schools around the world aspire to this approach and attempt to replicate it in their setting. While the Ministry of Education, philosophical leaders and pedagogistas of Reggio Emilia willingly share their knowledge, they make it very clear that their unique approach cannot be replicated but can only be relived, once every member of the community signs up for it. Here, at The KAUST School, we are guided by the principles of Reggio Emilia at the Kindergarten level which are very much connected to the philosophy of the IB “developing inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”. TKS Kindergarten students appreciate the freedom of open inquiry, are taught to take responsibility for their actions and learn how to positively impact the world. All of this happens through carefully crafted learning provocations and observations. The Reggio Emilia approach also puts a huge emphasis on a student’s individual growth as opposed to ratings in comparison to others or pre-determined norms. Students with “special rights” strive in such an environment because their growth is based on their strengths, not deficits. I invite you to see the magic of Reggio Emilia with your own eyes through classroom visits, classroom blogs, and SeeSaw posts. I am sure that your observations will leave you in awe of the power of student agency and their profound understanding of the world around them.
By Inna Polianska
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from Jeff Woodcock, GES Principal GES Students Participate in Winter Enrichment Program Science Fair For the sixth consecutive year, our students in grades three to five had the opportunity to participate in the Winter Enrichment Science Fair. As in years past, Gardens Elementary School hosted our own science fair where finalists would be selected to share their learning on the university campus as part of the larger event that is part of WEP, which included university students, postdocs, research scientists and faculty. We had a great deal of interest from our students in participating in the science fair, and In December, a large group of students began working with mentor teachers from GES to develop experiments and procedures that they could share as part of the GES Science Fair. On January 16th the students shared their projects within the elementary school and a panel of judges selected finalists that would represent the school at the WEP fair. The WEP Science Fair took place on January 21st and included seven finalists from GES. These students represented our school with confidence and poise. All students who entered the science fair had the opportunity to attend the WEP Fair to visit the science exhibits and take part in a Lego Mindstorms workshop where they could build, program and command Lego robots. Congratulations to all participants. Jeff Woodcock GES Principal
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Taking Human Responsibility During our Sharing the Planet unit, students from 3RJ went to KAM to study the mangrove ecosystem. However, as a class, we were so distracted by the amount of trash that we saw on the beach. This inspired us to book another ďŹ eld trip to clean up the trash. While we were cleaning it became a very overwhelming task, since it seemed the trash never ended. We found plastics, glass, rope, shoes, suitcase, coal, and lots of plastic caps. The class has decided that the next step is to invite other classes to help us clean. 3RJ will be booking a bi-weekly trip to clean-up KAM beach and hopefully, we will ďŹ nd other classes that can help us make our beach clean. By Rebecca Johnson
The Egg Drop Challenge
The students in grade 5 have been learning about energy transformation.They have been investigating potential and kinetic energy. Did you ever wonder why a basketball bounces and an egg does not? This can all be explained by discussing energy. The students in 5PS were challenged to design and build a device that could protect a raw egg from a 6 meter drop. After researching many different designs they came up with parachutes, protective boxes, balloons and more. It was a lot of fun designing and building these devices, and the students were able to take their understanding of energy and explain how their device would work. Out of 16 drops we had 4 broken eggs. Just enough for your breakfast. By Philip Silich 11
Budding Scientists Showcase at Science Fair
A group of Elementary school students proudly presented their science experiments during the January WEP Science Fair. Eias and Eleni from Grade 5 and Rowan, Zahra, Zainab, Jon and Hamza from Grade 4 were selected to share their home-school collaborative science projects. Rowan, Zahra and Zainab presented research on “How we can make earthquake-proof buildings”. Their hypothesis was that adding more weight to the bottom and adding cross braces to the building would create earthquake-proof buildings. Jon and Hamzah were interested in languages. Because they live in a multilingual community, they wanted to know if those people who spoke many languages were better at maths and logic than those who spoke fewer languages. Eias presented electromagnets, examining how to make a magnet stronger or weaker. This was something he wanted to learn more about and share this with others. Eleni presented The Balloon Inflator, with a hypothesis “that if I mix vinegar and soda I think it will produce gas and blow up the balloon.” All the students echoed Rowan and Hamzah’s comments - that they were very proud of what they had made and to be selected to represent the school. Jon said “It was a pleasure to have a chance to present at WEP that was something I always wanted to do”, whilst Rowan echoed everyone’s excited that “WEP was a chance to share with everyone” All the students had prepared their experiments to share first at school and then once select at WEP. For Rowan, Zahra and Zainab there were three weeks of preparation, and some adult assistance in the form of Dad making the earthquake table and together building the spaghetti tower. The hard part was waiting through Winter break to actually present, as they were very excited and ready to present their experiment. Jon and Hamza spent many hours over the winter break preparing and gathering their data, preparing posters, “handling all the data from 70 plus people” was the hard part according to Jon. Although the WEP experience was tiring it was also a motivation to keep going. Rowan, Zahra, and Zainab counted over 110 people visiting their table. Jon dreams big, since hearing he was going to present at WEP, he was ready to showcase his findings on stage in building 20 - he was ready for a big crowd. As for the future, the students are ready to go to the Science fair next year but have no specific projects yet. In the words of Rowan “Kids can make a big difference in the world as adults”. By Vivien Sewell, GES Librarian Photos by Chye de Ryckel, GES Associate Principal
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Saving the Ocean
GES Arabic students class welcomed Kaust Master’s degree student Fadiyah Balkhair; she talked to the class about the danger of the ocean’s pollution and how bad it affects the water and sea life. She started the visit with reading a story about the damaging results of bad practices and habits that some people do to the sea and then explained what is the students part in saving the oceans and the life of the animals od the sea. By Malak Khalaf, GES Arabic teacher.
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Reading Buddy Grade5 joined grade 1 for buddy reading sessions where one of each grade paired up and helped each other to read books and asked some follow-up questions. It is an excellent opportunity for G1 to meet our GES school role models and work with them for reading.
A great day of maths! G2 students are working hard to build their skills in math. they have been practicing addition and subtraction and solving maths problems.
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from David Tigchelaar, GSS Principal Looking Back: • GSS was involved in the KAUST Winter Enrichment Programme from 16 - 22 January • Progress reports were sent to parents on 24 January • 3-way conferences took place on 30 January for Gr 6 - 10 students and parents.
Looking Forward to February: • • • • • •
The school photographer will be with us on 27 January and 5 and 6 February Mock exams for Gr 12 will take place from 3 - 11 February. On 12 February, Grade 12 will go on a Biology / Environmental Systems & Systems snorkeling trip Sportsday will take place on 14 February TKS will host the RSAC U14 boys and girls tournaments on 15 February On 18 February, the school will organise - an info session for Gr 12 students and parents from 5.00-5.30 pm - 3-way conferences for Gr 11 and 12 will take place on 18 February from 5:30 to 7:30 • A MUN delegation will participate in the Model United Nations in Lebanon from 20 - 24 February David Tigchelaar GSS Principal
Internship Fair: Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 8:45 to 10:30 a.m., Hall 2, Building 19 Application Period: 29 January to February 4, 2019 Interviews: 17-28 February 2019 Offers: Mid-March, 2019 Internships: July 14 - August 8, 2019 15
WEP 2019
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GRADE 6 ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM This year, the learning in Grade 6 for Language and Literature, and Individuals and Societies is delivered as an integrated curriculum. The objective is to allow the students to make deeper connections between the learning in their subjects and assist in a smoother transition from Elementary. In Unit 3 we investigated Ancient Civilisations. Students developed research skills, read and wrote stories from a range of different cultures, compared and contrasted civilizations and collaborated with peers to undertake investigations. The culmination of their learning was to create an engaging and educational museum display on a particular aspect of their chosen ancient civilization for a ‘real audience’. Students from Grades 4 and 5 came to visit the museum and were able to immerse themselves in the world of ancient cultures. There were some very creative and interesting displays, including; a replica of the Great Wall of China, a game of Snakes and Ladders (as this game was created in Ancient India), sculptures of famous Roman Emperors, quizzes and games. Great work Grade 6 students. The Grade 6 Individuals & Societies and Language and Literature Team.
French international breakfast
On Wednesday, January 9th ,Mrs. Abed and Mrs. Lery’s Grade 7 French classes closed their 2d unit “Cuisine du monde” with an international breakfast. Each student brought to school a traditional dish of his/her home country. All dishes were shared during French class. Students introduced their dish and told what they were made of, all in French of course! It was a nice experience! Le petit déjeuner international, Grade 7 French By Kate Muschamp 17
Thuwal Teacher Development Program in its Fourth Year of Partnership
The Thuwal Teacher Development Program, co-ordinated by KAUST Social Responsibility, brings together teachers from Kindergarten, Elementary and High School in Thuwal and Qadimah with their peers in The KAUST School for collaborative workshops and sharing of ideas. To ensure best practice and the most efficient way of working together, each school has nominated a committee of teachers that will engage in the program. The 2018-19 TTDP began with the committee from TKS visiting their counterparts’ classrooms in Thuwal, followed by Thuwal teachers visiting TKS. The TKS teachers devised the first phase of this year’s program based on the classroom observations in Thuwal, framing the timetable of activity sessions accordingly. Ms Wjdan Qari, an elementary teacher at The KAUST School, said that visiting the Thuwal Schools made a huge difference, being able to see their classroom set ups and what would be useful observations and activities to offer at TKS. Mr Adam Reid teaches Grade 3 at TKS and also enjoyed the visit to the Thuwal Schools. “It was inspiring to see some of the positive teaching practices already in place … and to experience the hospitality of the community during our visit.” TKS hosted 50 teachers from Thuwal Girls’ and Boys’ Schools, over three consecutive days. They viewed lessons in progress, conversed with TKS students and attended workshops and group discussions. This long term program develops year on year. Gardens Elementary teacher Ms Rawdah Radwan noted that the teachers from Thuwal appreciated the increased number of practical elements and hands on experiences this year, that added value to the talks and lectures. The Thuwal teachers enjoyed the opportunity to interact with fellow educators and students, commenting that the TKS teachers were ‘great guides and hosts’, and that the sharing their knowledge and skills has given them so much to take away. Ms Carrie McEwen from TKS said that the program is ‘an example of how powerful it is when teachers come together, observe other teachers and brainstorm ideas about what gems they can take back and apply to their context’ and she is looking forward to using feedback from the Thuwal teachers to inform the next steps in the partnership. The Thuwal Teacher Development Program continues to evolve to ensure the sessions are targeted and relevant. The support and commitment from both teaching communities is what makes this program a success, strengthening the ties between KAUST and its host town of Thuwal. Thank you to all the teaching staff and students in both schools for being so welcoming. By: Virginia Sealey, Communications | Social Responsibility
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GSS 3 Way Conference
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Come and support the TKS Sharks at the following upcoming events being hosted her at KAUST: Tuesday February 5th U14 Girls Football at the GSS Field TKS vs JPGS and TWA 4.30pm – approx. 6pm Sunday February 10th RSAC Cross Country – North Beach (near the IRC) to the Beacon and back. 4.30pm U14 boys and girls 4.50pm U16 boys and girls 5.10pm U19 boys and girls Schools from the region will be competing the TKS Sharks during this 3.4km race Thursday March 7th & Friday March 8th SAIKAC U16 Boys Basketball in the GSS & GES Gyms Friday April 5th RSAC U14 Boys Basketball in the GS & GES Gyms Wednesday April 10th Track & Field invitational at Safaa Stadium 5.00pm – 9.00pm Wednesday April 17th – Friday April 19th SAIK Middle School Music Festival in Building 20 Approx 90 students from across the Kingdom Final performance on Friday April 19th at 1.00pm
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Apply today! The Positive Lifestyle sessions will be between February 11th and April 8th, 2019. The sessions will be held in the KAUST Health Conference room 1 every Monday from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. This program is open to KAUST employees and/or KAUST residents over 18 years of age. All survey respondents will be contacted on February 7 to conďŹ rm if your program application has been accepted. Closing date for the application form is Feb 6 If you have any questions about the program or application, Please email: fatmah.hadadi@kaust.edu.sa.
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