The Link - February 2018

ISSUE 59 VOLUME 17 FEBRUARY 2018

ISK CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL DAY

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About ISK The International School of Kenya (ISK) is a private, non-profit PreKGrade 12 school created in 1976 through a joint partnership between the governments of the United States and Canada. Nestled on 40 acres of a former coffee plantation, ISK serves the educational needs of both expatriate and Kenyan students who seek a challenging international curriculum which leads to the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma program.

ISK’s internationally focused curriculum has helped Kenya become a magnet for foreign business investment and a desired posting for those working for the continuing development of East Africa.

Expatriate families consider Kenya a quality career opportunity, in part due to the quality education they find at ISK. Likewise, Kenyan families who want an international, culturally diverse education for their children see ISK as the school of choice.

ISK has over 930 students from more than 65 countries. Graduates earn an ISK North American accredited diploma and approximately 70 percent of ISK graduates earn the IB Diploma, enabling them to study at some of the most respected and competitive colleges and universities in the world. ISK students form a supportive, spirited and diverse community, which enables new students to adapt easily to campus life. Interacting in such a welcoming cross-cultural milieu, ISK students celebrate the unique and wonderful differences and similarities of people from around the world.

The value of respect for each other and for Kenya is evident at ISK, as is a commitment to giving back to the community. Our scholarship program for Kenyan students, together with a broad and dedicated service-learning program which serves our local and national community, have shaped our school values since 1967 and continue today.

In keeping with ISK’s strategic mission and vision, we are dedicated to empowering each student to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. Therefore, we have embarked on a multi-million dollar facility and program expansion project to provide students and faculty with the programs, tools and facilities necessary for success. Once completed, ISK will be able to accommodate 1,200 students with expanded programs and facilities.

EDITORIAL TEAM Lynn Wells Pamela Pappas Janet Muasya DESIGN & PRODUCTION Mario Zamfir - SchoolBrand.com Copyright © 2018 The Link Copyright © 2018 ISK. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Trademarks: The Link, ISK and their associated logos are trademarks of the International School of Kenya. All other names, logos, and trademarks of other companies shown in this publication are the property of their respective owners.

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06 Message from the Board of Directors The upcoming Board of Directors elections will take place in April. The Board is happy to announce that a new electronic voting system will be used for this election.

20 TLC - News & Updates In the TLC, we are all about learning; it is what inspires us all day.

22 Service Learning News and events 28 Athletics Department News & Updates 40 PTO News We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day for this year’s International Day held on February 16, 2018.

44 International Day Photo Gallery

4 8 12 16 36 Director Letter

ES Report

MS Report

HS Report

What Inspires You?

Enriching International Day! It was a joy to see all the enthusiasm and variety during the parade...

Over the year students have spent a lot of time reflecting on their learning as they compiled portfolios...

International Day was a huge success, and it was a fabulous way for us to celebrate our diversity...

ISK’s hosting of the ISSEA Choir and Band Festival was a creative and collaborative experience involving 184 students taking part from eight schools in Africa...

On behalf of students both inside and outside of ISK, thank you for your continued participation in the Inspiration Initiative.

Read more on page 4

Read more on page 8

Read more on page 12

Read more on page 36

Read more on page 16

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David G. Henry Director

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Director’s Letter

FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND 2018-19 BUDGET APPROVED The ISK Boards approved plans for facilities development in line with the Facilities Master Plan for the 2018-19 school year along with the 2018-19 budget. The major facilities improvement for next year focus on refurbishment of the ISK theater and the soundproofing of some music classrooms. During the 2018-19 school year we will also be working on the final planning phases of the Middle School Building. The MS Building construction is intended to start in the 2019-20 school year.

topic of modern-day slavery and ways to confront it.

MY FREEDOM DAY @ ISK: CNN COLLABORATION – MARCH 14 ISK is gearing up for a collaboration with CNN on March 14 in a world wide event called My Freedom Day. CNN has confirmed that they will be on campus on March 14 between 10am-2pm interviewing students on our Freedom Wall and the upcoming ISK Freedom video, attending assemblies and classroom discussions that focus on the

Let me or Board Chair, Mimi Steward (iskbodms@gmail.com) know what questions you might have about governance and serving on the ISK Board of Directors.

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ISK BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATION DEADLINE - MARCH 14 ISK will soon be electing two School Board members. This will occur at the Board’s Annual General Meeting on April 25th. There are two parent-elected board members whose terms will expire at the end of this year. Click on this link to download a Board of Director nomination form. Nominations are now being accepted. The closing date for accepting nominations is Friday, March 14, 2018.

TEACHER RECRUITMENT FOR 2018-19 One of the most important aspects of our leadership team is recruiting of experienced, caring, knowledgeable teachers from around the world to

facilitate learning at our school. This year, with the thorough support of our principals we have been able to fill early most of our teacher openings for next year. ISK has a solid reputation worldwide as a caring, innovative, solutionoriented institution and this contributes to a large pool of what we believe are exceptional teachers and administrators interested in supporting learning at ISK. Next year we will have a new Elementary School Principal. The new ES Principal, Matt Woodward, will be visiting ISK this April to help ensure a smooth transition in 2018-19.

PARENT SURVEY The annual ISK Parent Survey will be sent out near the end of March to all parents.

When you receive this survey please take the time to fill it out thoughtfully so that we can hear and learn about your perspective. We value your feedback as we reflect on how we can continuously improve.

Enriching International Day What a fun and relaxing International Day with the Taste of Nations at ISK! It was a joy to see all the enthusiasm and variety during the parade and then see how students, parents, teachers, and staff enjoyed ‘hanging out’ as one community

afterwards. I was especially impressed by the quality and variety of student and dance performances including our student MC’s and the positive atmosphere of all involved from the parents to the staff to the faculty and the students.

A huge thank you to all who contributed to preparing and serving food with our parents, what a turnout in quality and quantity with around 50 country food booths. Thank you to the PTO leadership and wide participation of parents for

supporting such a wonderful event, the organization was tremendous. A memorable event and I have confidence you had the chance to enjoy the day as much as I did!

David G. Henry Director

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER COX

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Board News The ISK Board of Directors met on February 20, 2018 for the February Board meeting. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 20 at 4:00 p.m. in the Commons MPR. We invite the community to attend this informative meeting.

At our February 20 meeting, the Board received a presentation from two high school students, Chifundo Thangata and Maya Nyachae, on the AISA –GISS conference held at ISK. The focus of the conference was “It Starts With Us” and the students were able to learn how small changes can have a big impact.

The conference included a Change Makers dinner, a service-oriented trip to Karura Forest and learning sessions with several local Kenyans who are tackling important issues in Kenya and beyond (including the FlipFlopi project which is currently collecting discarded sandals to make a dhow that will sail from Malindi to South Africa).

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Jodi Lake, Director of Teaching and Learning, provided an overview of a very successful Transforming Schools Workshop that was attended by 76 ISK teachers, faculty and staff members. The workshop focused on several subjects including cultural proficiency and developing strategies for communication that spans diverse groups, cultures and systems. The feedback from attendees was extremely positive, and going forward the focus will be incorporating this information into the ISK landscape.

The upcoming Board of Directors elections will take place in April. The Board is happy to announce that a new electronic voting system will be used for this election. Parents will now have a choice to either vote in person at the Director’s office as in previous years or vote electronically via a secure electronic platform (similar to the platform used in registering for student conferences). We hope this enhancement will allow all parents to vote regardless of work, travel and family commitments.

The Finance Committee presented the 2018/2019 budget to the Board of Directors. It was recommended for approval and the Board of Governors approved the budget at their meeting on February 22. The Finance Committee worked with Administration to try to hold costs to a conservative level for the upcoming 2018/2019 school year.

If you are interested in running for the Board, please be in touch with Mimi Steward, Board Chair (iskbodms@ gmail.com). The deadline to submit a nomination form is March 14, 2018.

Ann Marie Awori: Secretary, Board of Directors Ann Marie Awori Secretary, Board of Directors

Please spread the word to prospective families!

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Patricia Salleh Matta Elementary School Principal

REPORT

Thank you very much to all who came to the student-led conferences last week. We did ask that each family visit specialist teachers and I am pleased to report that all our specialist teachers seemed to have had packed schedules over the two days. Students brought their parents to see what learning was taking place during classes. This was wonderful to see and hear about, thank you!

Over the year students have spent a lot of time reflecting on their learning as they compiled portfolios. If you still need additional information regarding your child’s progress, or were unsure about any aspect of your child’s learning after

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these student-led conferences, please contact your child’s teacher, they will be able to set up a further meeting for you both. Before the conferences, I was able to see all the hard work and preparation that went into ensuring productive and valuable meetings. Thank you to all our students, as well as teachers and teaching assistants who supported them.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.

Patricia Salleh Matta Elementary School Principal

EMERGENCY

CONTACT

MOODLE REMINDER Moodle is the platform that parents can access to get updated information on student learning.

New families will be given the password by their homeroom teachers. Please read below for directions on how to access our Moodle pages. You will only be able to view as a guest.

It is very important that we have the name of a contact person whom your child knows, and that this person has agreed to make medical decisions on your behalf if the school cannot contact you and your child needs emergency medical intervention. It would be better if we had more than one contact person. If both parents are going to be out of the country at the same time, the school must be notified.

TO VIEW HOMEROOM PAGES 1. Go to the ISK Moodle page at http:// moodle.isk.ac.ke/moodle/ 2. Scroll down and select ES 3. Select your child’s grade level 4. Select the homeroom teacher’s name or the common grade level page 5. Click on ‘Log in as a guest’ 6. Enter the password and click on SUBMIT TO VIEW SPECIALS PAGES 1. Go to the ISK Moodle page at http:// moodle.isk.ac.ke/moodle/ 2. Scroll down and select ES. 3. Choose the specialist subject (Specialist Teachers, the ES Office & Counselling, Student Support Services (SSS) and PRIDE/ PEER 4. Select the specific subject area/teacher 5. Click on ‘Log in as a guest’.

6. Enter the password and click on SUBMIT. It is really important that all our ES families are able to access and use this website. If you need help, you are most welcome to contact our technology coordinator Brendan Lea at blea@ isk.ac.ke.

Dates to Remember in

MARCH 2018

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Wed

9

Fri

20 - 21

Wed - Thur

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Fri

25 - 30

Mon - Fri

Grade 4 IC Trip Parent Night

5:00 - 6:30 p.m. (CMPR 1)

ES CCA Quarter 3 Ends Grade 4 IC Trip

TBA

End of Quarter 3 ISK Mid Semester Break

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Grade 5 IC Trip

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Barely two weeks ago, the grade five students, teachers and other adults went to Mount Kenya for the annual grade five IC trip. The trip integrated the Colonial Kenya Unit. Focus was on the colonial changes and post independence

period in Kenya. There were discussions of the contribution of the Mau Mau fighters to the independence struggle of Kenya, and also a hike to the Mau Mau caves.

The students visited a Kikuyu village.

Here, they learned about the Gikuyu people, their art of weaving, brewing and how to make their traditional food mukimu. They enjoyed the welcome dance performed by our hosts and participated in it as well.

They also visited a local school on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. At the school, the students interacted with their peers from this school, planted trees together and before saying goodbye played together.

While the students came back tired, they had so many wonderful things to say about the trip.

Francis Atemo ES Activities Coordinator

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

Alexa Schmid Middle School Principal

REPORT

INTERNATIONAL DAY International Day was a huge success, and it was a fabulous way for us to celebrate our diversity. There was much to enjoy: the Parade of Nations, the middle school marching band kicking things off, the “Call to Nations” from our sixth grade drummers, the choir singing “Tuimbe”, and our middle school student band Refuge playing during the Taste of Nations. (see the full gallery on pages 44-49) VISITING AUTHOR We are so fortunate to have incredible opportunities for our students at ISK. A few weeks ago we had visiting authors Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann inspiring our students with their research process, writing and drawing, the creative process and beyond. Our middle school book club had a special meeting with Candace following their reading of Amelia Lost. Additionally, all middle school English classes were treated to a session with Candace, our art exploratory students had a session with Eric, and this morning our entire middle school heard from both of

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them in assembly, as they shared their fascinating research about the giant squid and the writing/drawing process. #passion #creativity #ambition OPEN DOORS WEEK Last week, middle school teachers opened their classroom doors to their colleagues. We engaged in a professional learning opportunity called ‘Open Doors Week’, where teachers went into colleagues classrooms to share ideas and learn from each other.

Our theme was ‘differentiation’. It was a great opportunity and our teachers modeled for our students that we are all lifelong learners with a growth mindset!

CONFERENCES Middle school Parent, Student, Teacher Conferences were scheduled for March 1st and 2nd. We looked forward to the opportunity to get all stakeholders together at the table to celebrate student learning. Our goal for second semester conferences is to hear from your student and about his/her progress. We value and look forward to this opportunity to work in partnership.

Please note: Conferences are a time for gathering all 3 stakeholders together.

We encourage parents and teachers to reach out at any point in the semester to share questions or concerns. These meetings should happen separately from this conference time.

PURPOSE: Conferences provide an opportunity for: • Alignment among parents, teachers and students (students are expected to attend!)

• Sharing celebrations/strengths, areas for further growth and next steps • Explaining goals for the year • Calibrating with parents (and students) about what learning looks like in the ISK Middle School • Deepening home-school connections / partnerships Alexa Schmid Middle School Principal

INTERNATIONAL DAY (SEE THE FULL GALLERY ON PAGES 44-49)

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“teachers went into colleagues classrooms to share ideas and learn from each other.”

OPEN DOORS WEEK

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“Visiting authors Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann inspired our students with their research process, writing and drawing, the creative process and beyond�

VISITING AUTHOR

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HIGH SCHOOL

Rob Blanchard High School Principal

REPORT

ISK’s hosting of the ISSEA (International School of Southern and Eastern Africa) Choir and Band Festival was a creative and collaborative experience involving 184 students taking part from eight schools in Africa. The Festival opened with a celebration of African music and culminated with an open student concert, highlighting some amazing talent and teamwork supported by great teaching and inspiration including two visiting conductors from the United States.

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A very big thank you to the ISK families who hosted visiting students for this wonderful event – the generosity of our families makes these enriching ISSEA events possible.

however, if students are not writing an exam they may attend classes (where relevant), meet with teachers, or work in the library if they wish to do so instead of studying for exams at home.

• Certificate/Partial IB Grade 12 and Grade 11 IB students taking selected IB exams this May are excused from classes the day before their Mock Exam paper (to study) and the day of the Mock Exam (to sit the paper).

These students are to return to classes following the writing of their IB Mock Exam paper. They may also attend classes or work on campus if they wish to do so instead of studying at home prior to a mock exam.

IB MOCK EXAMS (MARCH 15-23) In the lead up to the actual IB exams each year, we hold IB mock exams for students who are registered for and preparing to complete IB courses in May (Regular classes continue as usual for all students who are not registered for IB exams in the upcoming May exam session). The rules for attendance in classes over the duration of the IB mock exam session (March 15-23) follow the same guidelines as applied for the actual IB exams in May, as follows: • Grade 12 Full IB Diploma students are not required to be in any classes during the IB mock exam session -

• All Grade 12 and Grade 11 Students taking IB mock exams must sign in (in the HS office) when they arrive on campus, and must also sign out (and obtain a gate pass) if they leave campus early after an exam.

• Transportation during IB Mocks Transportation to and from school for students sitting IB mock exams is the responsibility of parents. The school will release FULL IB SENIORS from school immediately after they have finished their IB mock exams for the day, regardless of the time - any full IB senior parent who does not want the school to release their child from campus before 3:20 p.m. during the mock exam period should contact the high school office by March 12th.

Parents who wish to arrange special transportation arrangements such as a

taxi must inform the high school office in advance. Buses will run at normal times for students who are signed up to ride the bus.

THE HIGH SCHOOL TAMASHA IS SCHEDULED FOR THE EVENING OF APRIL 6 AT ISK Here are key details for parents to know to help support a fun and safe evening: • This event was previously known as the ‘prom’ • This is a school event and all school rules apply - please clarify this with your child and discuss what it means, particularly as regards the serious matter of the school’s substance abuse policy.

• The event is of course optional and will take place on the ISK campus from 7:30-11:00 p.m.

• Parents are responsible for transportation to and from the event - please pay particular attention to organizing safe transportation; if you plan to use a taxi to collect your child the teacher coordinator Karen Sibrian (ksibrian@isk.ac.ke) must receive a note from you in advance verifying the arrangement.

• Collect your child promptly - no later than 11:00 p.m.

• Drop-off and pick up is from the ISK upper/main gate only.

• There are no ticket sales at the door.

• Any ISK student who wants to bring an outside (non-ISK) guest must have applied to the principal in advance.

• There are NO school-sponsored activities/parties before or after the prom.

• Feel free to contact me (0733-401619) or the teacher Tamasha coordinator, Karen Sibrian (0787-602731), if you have a question about the event.

Thank you again for joining us for the International Day celebration, a special time each year to celebrate our internationalism and intentionally recognize how cultural diversity unites and enriches us as a community.

We hope you continue to join us in our celebrations, as well as our reflection and ongoing efforts to deepen our cultural proficiency throughout the school.

EDUCATION IN SUPPORT OF SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION The FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) team were here recently working with our students as well as teachers in support of education around alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, also offering an evening session for parents; ISK student survey data helped to guide this work with our students.

COURSE SELECTION 2018-19 The course selection process for next year has begun, with an information evening for grade 9 and 10 families on Feb 5, and individual family meetings happening now for grade 10 families who are interested in the IB Diploma Program. The Course Guide for 18-19 is available on the web site (link here) or in Moodle; you’ll notice that we are introducing four new courses next year, being Art 3-D Fabrication, Ceramics Studio, IB Spanish A for native speakers, and IB French ab initio for beginning speakers.

PARENT-STUDENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES Took place March 1-2 (no classes took place on these days); you should have received an email from us providing you with the opportunity to use our electronic sign up process for time with teachers. High school students are strongly recommended to attend and be active participants in the conferences.

STUDENT-LED HIGHLIGHTS The ISK Global Issues Network team, in collaboration with the Association of International Schools in Africa, recently hosted a student-led Global Issues Service Summit (GISS) here on campus. Using the inspiring theme ‘It Starts With Us’, ISK students heard from keynote speakers such as Ian Oluoch, Lilian Wagala, and Umra Omar while collaborating with students from

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across the continent in ‘global village’ meetings. You may also be interested to know that the ASB (student government) have been doing a particularly good job this year to model leadership and lead increasingly meaningful, well-organized Assemblies around key themes and RoundSquare ideals.

For example, the last two assemblies have focused on Environmentalism and Internationalism, with co-curricular group participation, student leaders reporting on accomplishments and sharing big ideas, student performance, and students answering questions relating to global mindedness and culture in diverse languages. An upcoming assembly will focus on democracy and lead into the ASB election process for next year’s student leadership.

UPDATE ON A FEW KEY PRIORITIES THIS YEAR Thank you to the many parents who joined our last Parent Tea and provided the Graduation Requirements Review Committee important feedback and

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input. The committee is still in the data collection and evaluation phase readying to shift to analysis with conclusions and recommendations ready for April.

In regards to the review of our HS Instructional Schedule the HS Schedule Working group is looking at the current schedule in order to make recommendations for possible revision next academic year; this group consists of faculty and a student representative who have been looking at feedback from faculty and students in order to make informed decisions about how we can continue to meet our objective of structuring our schedule to best meet the needs of our HS students in line with our mission, vision, and aims.

We also plan to present our findings and ideas to parents at our next Parent Tea in April. In terms of next steps with our Experiential Learning pathway, grade 9 students recently pitched their design projects to a panel while grade 10 students have been preparing for their work experience, the school is currently

trying to secure placements for all grade 10 students for the week of March 19.

SENIOR (GRADE 12) MATTERS All seniors and their parents should have received a letter from me earlier this month with important informations about this final semester; let me know if you have not received this. It is an exciting time of the year for seniors as they make the most of their final semester in high school, receive their university offers, and start looking forward to graduation on May 25th. If you are ever on campus, come by the high school office to see the university offers coming in for our talented senior class - it is an exciting time indeed for seniors as they see the reward for all their hard work and start to really envision life after ISK! Robert Blanchard, Ed.D. High School Principal Jarrod Dale High School Assistant Principal

KEY DATES/INFORMATION FOR YOUR DIARIES: •

March 15-23: IB Mock exams for the May 2018 IB session

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March 24 - April 2: Mid-semester break (school resumes on Apr 3)

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March 19 (week of): Grade 10 Work Experience

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April 10: Next HS Parents & Principal Tea at 8:30 a.m.

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Jodi Lake Director of Teaching and Learning

FROM THE TEACHING & LEARNING CENTER…

PROFESSIONAL

LEARNING At ISK, we believe in continued growth and development of all stakeholders and that includes teachers.

ISK is committed to continuous improvement and growth, so it’s been a busy month for the professional learning department!

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Personalizing Learning Focusing on our highly capable learners. How do we plan curriculum and teaching strategies to match all learners’ needs?

Collaborative Planning Teachers work to plan for student learning by division and by department to align the programs and assessments.

Kiswahili 35 Kiswahili teachers from Kenya and Tanzania working to share and develop programs and resources.

Transforming Schools 80 teachers, administrators & support staff building organizational trust, thinking about how we lead and learn in complex systems and addressing cultural proficiency.

Visiting Authors Candace Fleming and Eric Rohman worked with students and teachers on writing and illustrating.

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PROJECT IMAGINE Project Imagine is a nonprofit CBO targeting one of the many causes of poverty: girls dropping out of school.

In Kenya, girls often don’t manage to complete primary school, let alone secondary school. A girl’s menstrual cycle is reported to be among the most critical cause of dropouts for girls in Africa.

Around 1 in every 10 girls miss school and eventually drop out because of lack of supplies to handle their period.

Through external funding, Project Imagine, which is led entirely by ISK students, has been able to provide reliable access to sanitary towels as well as reassurance and knowledge around

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menstrual health, hygiene, and protecting your body. By these means, girls gain the confidence and the necessary supplies they need to stay in school.

Project Imagine was founded in the fall of 2015, and since then, the project has been supplying all 200 girls of class 6, 7, and 8 at Swani Primary School. Swani primary school is a local Kenyan School in Murang’a county, and has been supported by Project Imagine for nearly seven school terms. Project Imagine has also given a TEDx talk, been featured in an article by Women You Should Know, and become an official Community Based Organization here in Kenya,

making them recognized by the government.

Project Imagine has just recently expanded to Mt. Olive, another primary school in Murang’à where they are supporting 129 girls, and Salama School in Gachie, where they act as teen mentors to girls who are at a very vulnerable stage in their education through their mentorship program. Project Imagine is trying to add days onto a girls’ education. A day longer in school is just that much more knowledge a girl will gain, and everyone knows that knowledge is power.

Isabella & Selah

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ISK STUDENTS HELP ENABLE THE FUTURE Hand Out is a group of ISK students using 3D printing technologies to create mechanical prosthetic hands for individuals in underprivileged communities who need them. The club is part of a larger global network known as Enabling the Future (ENABLE).

Member groups of this network, which are set up in different locations worldwide, are known as chapters.

In early 2017 we 3D-printed our first prototype prosthetic hand which we shared with engineers at ENABLE. This resulted in our club becoming the first and currently only ENABLE chapter in East Africa.

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Recently Hand Out joined another service club, Operation Smile on a service learning field trip to CURE Kijabe paediatric hospital. On arrival it was clear that we had found a well run organization striving to help Kenyan children. During the trip we were able to visit the prosthetic engineering department, one of the only ones in Kenya, where we were able to show some or our prosthetic prototypes to experts in the field and learn more about the needs and challenges faced by hospitals. As a result of this visit, the students learned about Paul, a 5 year old boy from Nyeri, who tragically lost his hand in an accident involving

farming machinery. The experts at CURE Kijabe referred Paul to us after which we arranged for him to come to ISK accompanied by his mother Beatrice.

During this meeting we established that Paul could be supplied with an elbow powered prosthetic. In order to print the correct size prosthetic we had to take some measurements.

This was done in two ways. We took measurements using a measuring tape and took scale photographs of his arm.

We then proceeded to take a cast of his arm. To do this we used alginate, a material commonly used by dentists to make molds of teeth. Once the

mould was set we then made a cast out of plaster. Having a cast enables us to take further measurements and test printed products against a life size model without Paul having to make frequent trips from Nyeri. Paul then had an opportunity to choose the colors of his new hand. After some lengthy deliberation he chose a combination of the the colors red, yellow and blue, great brights colors for a little boy!

Hand Out is now embarking on the construction and customization of the 3D printed hand for Paul. Over the next couple of weeks we will be printing out all the parts needed to construct the

prosthetic. We will then assemble the arm and ensure it fits the measurement constraints and the mould taken. Paul will then have to come back for a fitting and a training session on how best to use the arm and if all goes to plan Paul will leave with a functioning prosthetic.

Since Paul is five and growing quickly he will have to come back for regular fittings and updates to the prosthetic.

Here the true benefit of 3D printing is apparent. We can continually customize the prosthetic to match Paul’s growth rate. Furthermore this can be done at at a cost of $30- $50 a prosthetic hand, opposed to the $1200 dollars Paul was

quoted from the hospital. Hand Out is committed to a life long partnership with Paul and it is imperative the club continues to grow and maintain active members.

If you are inspired by Paul’s journey and would like to donate money to help support Hand Out or cover some of Paul’s expenses, please contact Lynn Wells, Director of Advancement (lwells@ isk.ac.ke).

Further information about the club and Paul’s journey can be found on our website http://handoutisk.com/ Denzil Mackrory for the Hand Out Club

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This year, Operation Smile had the amazing opportunity to again visit Kijabe Cure International, a hospital in the Rift Valley. Having been there last April to observe cleft palate operations, we as a club were excited to interact with the patients and delightful staff again. Our aim for this trip was to build on the collaborative partnership established between ISK and the hospital and to discuss opportunities for a new and exciting initiative. Meeting the patients was really eye opening and inspiring, as we could see what this amazing hospital was doing to change lives everyday through simple operations. This motivated us to continue to raise money for this organization and do all we can to help. Not only did this trip allow us to build upon our relationship with Kijabe Hospital, but we also managed to set up links with another club at ISK called Hand Out, where we hopefully facilitated a long-lasting and sustainable link with the hospital and our school.

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Hand Out is a fairly new club at ISK who 3D prints prosthetic hands for Kenyans who unfortunately do not have a hand. Throughout this year, the club has been having issues in finding a recipient to work with.

Upon telling Mrs. Stenning about the challenges we were facing, the Operation Smile club came up with the incredible idea of a collaboration between the two clubs. Mrs. Stenning knew that the hospital performed limb-related surgeries, and that the hospital’s workshop produced prosthetics that are very primitive (for example, the hand prosthetics do not have fingers that can move, but rather a hand which is stationary in one position for a specific function).

The Operation Smile club invited Hand Out to join in on this wonderful trip, which allowed us to build a relationship with AIC Cure International. As we showed them our prototype hand, and explained to them the ways in which we can easily

alter the dimensions of a hand to an individual’s size, and the material we use to take moulds, which is more detailed and easier to use, they were impressed with our work. Not only was our design cheaper and simpler to use, but the fingers could also move based on a string tension mechanism and it could be attached to an individual arm, unlike the ones that they were making.

They were immediately keen on working with us, and were intrigued in learning how to use their 3D printer to produce better prosthetics.

They even offered to send one patient to ISK in the near future so that we can start making a hand!

Visiting the Kijabe hospital was a significant moment for members of both the Operation Smile Club and Hand Out. After going to the hospital and interacting with the children we were able to see and understand exactly where our fundraising proceeds were going, and the ways in which they make prosthetics. We realized that

all the effort and time we took to raise funds was used for a greater cause. During last April’s visit we donated a cheque for 3,000 US Dollars and this last visit we donated another 4,000 US Dollars which will be used to help build the new Outpatients Unit.

The children left smiles on our faces in exchange for the smiles we put on theirs. As we set on the road back home, we left the hospital with motivation to continue giving back to society knowing that all our efforts are being used and appreciated to make a difference in a child’s life. As for the members of Hand Out, we took with us the hope for a better future of the club, and the knowledge that we had now built a strong relationship in which we could help others through our own skills, while also transferring them to people who will make good use of them.

Sarina and Anna

“The children left smiles on our faces in exchange for the smiles we put on theirs.�

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Will Moore Athletics Director

ISK ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ISSEA TEAMS! ISSEA BOYS BASKETBALL

The varsity boys basketball team traveled to Harare International School in Zimbabwe for the ISSEA basketball tournament. They started the tournament well, winning the opening game against the host school in front of a packed gym. After losing to the eventual champion, Mozambique, and runner-up, Tanzania, in pool play, the boys lost a heartbreaker to Johannesburg in an extended overtime battle. All tournament team member, Marcel Awori, scored 36 points in the defeat to AISJ. The ISK boys competed well and were awarded with the sportsmanship award, as voted on by their peers.

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ISSEA SWIMMING

Congratulations to all our ISK swimmers for a successful tournament!

This year’s ISSEA swimming tournament was held January 31 - February 3 at the International School of Tanganyika. ISK had great results as follows.

Total number of A Finals: 26 The total combined team scores are as follows.

MALE TEAM SCORES

FEMALE TEAM SCORES

1st Place ISM - 317

1st Place ISJ - 356

2nd Place ISJ -309

2nd Place AISL -344

3rd Place ISK - 293

3rd Place IST - 288 4th Place ISK -190

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ISSEA GIRLS BASKETBALL After months of intense training and early morning runs, it was finally time for our Girls Basketball team to take on ISSEA in Harare, Zimbabwe. I was extremely confident in our potential as a team, and with eight seniors, knowing it was our year to play our hearts out and be successful.

On the first morning, the level of energy and excitement was indescribable as we reconnected with old friends and prepared for the opening ceremony. After the ceremony, we jumped straight into the opening match against the American International School of Lusaka. For the first half, we lacked confidence, however as we entered the second, we fought back and showed our persistent nature as a team.

As the tournament progressed, we built our team connection. While an unfortunate stomach bug and some other complications tried to get in our way, we were unstoppable, and won every match but one by five

points. In the end, we played the home team (Harare International School) for 3rd place, and played some of the best basketball I have seen our team play in a long time. We won the match to take home bronze, and showed our integrity and maturity as a team on and off the court.

This was my fourth and final Basketball ISSEA, and I can honestly say that this is a team, time and memory I will be so fond of for years to come. There is nothing quite like ISSEA, and we are very fortunate to get to take part in such a tough but incredible tournament. This team and our coaches (Coach Fisher and Coach Sadat) are more than just friends, mentors or teammates; they are family.

You might forget about the wins or losses, but you never forget about family.

Ella

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ISSEA RUGBY

The ISSEA Rugby tournament took place in Kampala, Uganda. The trip went well as the boys team came in second, loosing to AISL by only one try. Placing second in the

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ISSEA Boys Rugby as an U15 team in the U19 tournament was a great achievement. The ISK Rugby Girls team joined with the ICS (Addis Ababa) and did a full contact

tournament against the ISU girls and another mixed team of AISL and AISJ. Considering we had a team of girls who had never played with each other, we gelled almost

seamlessly in short amount of time.

The final game against ISU was one of the hardest games our team had ever played because it was the third game we played in one day.

It was also the second time we were playing against ISU in the tournament, so each team had the opportunity to find out the weaknesses of the other. In the end

we won the game with a score of 12-5 due to our determination and teamwork.

Wiktor Gil

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THE 2017-18 AUTHORS VISIT CANDACE FLEMING & ERIC ROHMANN

This award winning pair spent a week at ISK displaying their talents, working with students and inspiring all of us. These comments from the ISK community say it all.

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We are so excited for the authors.

Right now being a writer is right at the top for my son along with policeman.

My daughter has been so enthused this week about the visiting author.

She has been illustrating stories nightly and has come away so inspired. Thank you for this fun learning opportunity! It has made an impact.

It was very inspiring and eye-opening to meet an author, especially since she was extremely knowledgeable and interesting

Parent

Parent

HS student

“What an amazing opportunity to have such great authors visiting us. I see the benefit as a teacher, getting new ideas for inspiring kids to write� Teacher

I haven’t had so much fun in a long time.

ES student

Thank you so much for bringing the authors to school and giving us opportunity to work with them. I found it very inspiring. So did my class and we are making stories using the ideas and techniques Eric and Candace showed us.

Teacher

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Lynn Wells Director of Advancement

GREETINGS FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE!

INTERIM REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY On behalf of students both inside and outside of ISK, thank you for your continued participation in the Inspiration Initiative. Your support helps ensure scholarships for qualified Kenyan students, support for our student-led service learning programs and this year,

ISK Scholarship Program

Your support ensures that this vital program is sustainable for years to come and guarantees a ‘Stepping Stone to the World’ for qualified Kenyan students.

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support for Autism Support Center Kenya. To date, more than 60 parents, faculty, staff, and board members have contributed to support education in Kenya. This represents a 20% increase in participation over last year at this same time and demonstrates the commitment

Community Outreach

Your support of our student-led service learning programs enables students to make a greater impact in the community through funding grants for their projects.

of the ISK Community to improving educational opportunities in Kenya.

You can still participate in this year’s Inspiration Initiative by supporting one of these three initiatives.

Autism Support Center - Kenya

Your support will provide ASCK with Occupational Therapy equipment similar to what ISK has in our Sensory Integration room...making a lasting, positive impact on hundreds of Kenyan children with autism.

Inspire

others with your

participation I want to participate I would like to support the following Inspiration Initiative(s)

NAME: DATE: SIGNATURE:

Scholarship Program Student-led Community Outreach Initiatives Autism Support Center Kenya

Paybill 879400, Acct. ISKAF

Any or all of the above

Donations are tax deductible to citizens of the USA.

Online: http://www.isk.ac.ke/ join-us/support-for-education/ make-a-donation

USD or Kes

Cash or check to the ISK Cashier’s Office

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Pamela Pappas Communications Manager

ISK DIGITAL HISTORICAL TIMELINE SCREEN LAUNCH! The unique and colorful history of ISK extends back to 1967 when Nancy Ellen Crooks founded the US Community School in a house near the Nairobi Hospital. In 1970, the United States International University (USIU) bought the school from the Crooks family and moved it to our current location, a coffee plantation at the end of Peponi Road. They renamed it Nairobi International School (NIS) and grades were expanded from 4th grade to 12th grade and even college courses were offered. The original buildings consisted only of a white wooden house and two stone buildings; the potential for a school like ISK was evident.

The genesis of the International School of Kenya dates back to June of 1975 when the school community proposed to purchase NIS from USIU. The International School of Kenya (ISK) was officially established on May 3, 1976. ISK took over NIS facilities on July

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1,1976, and classes commenced for the first time as the International School of Kenya in August of 1976.

we have installed an interactive screen that takes your through ISK’s amazing journey!

On August 17, 2016, ISK celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a colorful celebration headlined by Africa’s hottest band, Sauti Sol.

We are looking forward to 40 more years of inspiring and nurturing our students to think creatively, work collectively, and study passionately!

ISK is not merely a story of buildings and inanimate objects.

It is a story of people, a story of thousands of students who have passed through ISK’s corridors, left their mark, and gone on to achieve their goals around the world. It is a story of dedicated teachers, administrators, parents and board members who have given their time and energy to make ISK what it is today.

Still want to learn more about ISK’s rich history? Visit ISK’s 40th Anniversary digital timeline in front of the Advancement Office where

Best Regards, Pamela Pappas ISK Communications Manager

MY FREEDOM DAY MARCH 14 IN COLLABORATION WITH CNN The International School of Kenya is proud to announce that we are participating in this year’s My Freedom Day! March 14 is #MyFreedomDay -- a day-long student-driven event to raise awareness of modern slavery.

To mark the day, students around the world are organizing events at their schools to highlight modern slavery and celebrate freedom.

On March 1, the MS Stuco launched the “ISK

Freedom Wall” in front of the Advancement Office.

dealing with human trafficking and modern day slavery that will be Please make sure to filmed by CNN. Lastly, a stop by and share what group of MS/HS Students freedom means to you! are busy choreographing, We hope to have a full starring and producing wall on March 14 when our very own ISK CNN will be on the ISK Freedom music video!

Campus! The High School Look out for more details ASB along with the MS around campus.

Stuco will be hosting Freedom Day Talks in the Best Regards, Arts Centre Auditorium on March 14 between Pamela Pappas 12:50-1:20 p.m.

ISK Communications Manager They will be covering a wide array of topics

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Isaias Liriano PTO Chair

PTO NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DAY 2018 We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day for this year’s International Day held on February 16, 2018. With blue skies and sunshine above, spectators were out in full force to view the colourful Parade of Flags, browse the beautifully decorated booths and sample the array of food from around the globe!

The PTO has many people to thank for making this annual event a reality. Ms. Alexa Schmid, Mr. Jessie Coyle and the International Day Committee; Mr. Theo Fernandes, Griffins, Alphonse, Douglas, and the entire Operations team; and last but not least, thank you to all the parents who helped organize this event, who volunteered their

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time as continent coordinators and country reps, and in particular to those who were busy decorating, prepping, baking, cooking and serving food for Taste of Nations. You all played a vital role in making this year’s Taste of Nations a great success.

The PTO would also like to thank members of the Board of Directors and School Administration for their help selling tickets, and to all parents, students, friends, faculty and staff for coming out to support the Taste of Nations. It was truly a celebration of culture and diversity with a sampling of some amazing food from over 50 countries.

Thanks to generous ticket sales, the PTO has raised approximately $8000 from Taste of Nations. The PTO is pleased to announce that from this fundraising effort, $2000 will be allocated towards the ISK Service Learning Clubs to fund various community projects, through a grant application process.

The PTO has created a shared document on considerations for next year’s event. Please feel free to add any feedback or comments, at the link below: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1 rlbJXLc8oA8ILApFEXhGV8MNns HSAgUH/view?usp=sharing

PTO DUKA

Arts Centre Foyer

THE PTO DUKA IS OPEN, RESTOCKED AND READY FOR BUSINESS!

SPRING SHOPPING HAS BEGUN! Spring has come to the PTO DUKA with new products, new team members and exciting events. We had a successful intake on February 13 and good sales during the ISSEA Bank and Choir Festival. Visit us soon to see all the new products for springtime!

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PTO DUKA TRIP TO KWPTI On February 22, the PTO DUKA volunteers were treated to a field trip to the Kariobangi Women Promotion Training Institute (KWPTI). The Institute is a non-profit training school owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi and run by the Comboni Missionary Sisters since 1992.

The institute offers courses in dressmaking and tailoring, tie & dye, hairdressing and beauty

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therapy, and catering, to economically and socially disadvantaged women from Kariobangi.

They also have a Tie & Dye shop as part of their program to supplement the donations they receive to run the institute.

This training institute provides these women with the skills necessary to become gainfully employed and support themselves and their families. There were many heartbreaking stories and many success stories as well. All of us were treated We visited their to a scrumptious lunch classrooms and met many prepared in-house by the students. Many of these catering students. It was students are unemployed a trip to cherish. We wish school dropouts, drug KWPTI much success in abusers, single mothers or their future endeavors. victims of domestic abuse.

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I S K

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER COX

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D A Y

2 0 1 8

PICTURE BY MARTIN DE LA TORRE

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER COX

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER COX

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Carol Wangombe ISK Head Clinician

GREETINGS FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE

Thank you to all who took part in our annual Scoliosis Screening for Grades 6, 7, 8, & 9 which was carried out last month. To all those who needed referral for further management we have contacted the parents directly.

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VISION & HEARING Another year gone by and time again to look and listen to what our bodies are saying.

It is time for our annual vision & hearing testing for Grades 2, 4, 6, & 8. This shall be conducted before the Spring break from March 12-16.

An email regarding the same will be sent out nearer to the time so keep an eye on the Health Office mail.

We would encourage the ISK community to take advantage of our annual immunization day on March 23. It is an all day event where you can come and consult

Nurse Consult regarding the vaccinations that you need to have boosted or given.

Costs and immunization schedule to follow.

Needless to say, we want to remind those who have any health updates on their children to do so by communicating directly with the Health Office as per below contact details.

Health Form clinic@isk.ac.ke Direct line: 0733639344

PICTURE BY MARTIN DE LA TORRE The Link

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Accredited fully by the Middle States Association of Schools in the United States and the Council of International Schools in Europe.

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