The Link - May 2017

ISSUE 52 VOLUME 11 MAY 2017

Congratulations to the Class of 2017!

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About ISK The International School of Kenya (ISK) is a private, non-profit PreK-Grade 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 945 students from more than 60 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 crosscultural 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 multimillion 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 © 2017 The Link Copyright © 2016 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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7 Director’s Outstanding Scholars Award 2017 Recipients 9 Message from the Board of Directors The Board of Directors held its last meeting of the year on May 16, 2017 and we were pleased to have updates from the community.

20 Class of 2017 Photo Gallery & College Acceptances 24 TLC - ISK Aims Many thanks to parents, students, Board members, teachers and administration for all of the support this year as we work to build a real community of learners.

26 ISK Athletics Department Wow!! What a way to finish the year off with a fantastic third season.

32 Sharing Happiness Makes Music in Our Hearts See how the universal language of arts feeds the imagination and fuels creativity.

40 PTO News The 2016-17 school year has been a very successful one for the ISK PTO, despite operating for several Months without a Chairperson.

4 10 12 16 36 Director Letter

ES Report

MS Report

HS Report

Inspiration Initiative

The end of the school year is one that brings out a multitude of feelings from students, parents, teachers and staff.

Congratulations again to the CAD for such engaging and lively concerts and a colorful and creative art show.

Thanks to all of you who attended student-ledconferences.

We are now into final assessments with only a few days of schooling remaining for the 201617 academic year.

How many people participated; how much money was raised; where did the money go? what communities benefited from your efforts?

Read more on page 4

Read more on page 8

Read more on page 12

Read more on page 16

Read more on page 36

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David Henry Director

Enjoy ‘Summer’ Break The end of the school year is one that brings out a multitude of feelings from students, parents, teachers and staff. There is a feeling of the melancholy for the end of another school year and the goodbyes that must be said. There is also a feeling of jubilation of the beginning of vacation, typically a time of play, travel and relaxation.

journey in the years to come. Have a wonderful break! We will see most of you again in August.

ISK has been fortunate to have such a talented faculty and staff serving the students this year. As we say goodbye to those departing to other destinations, remember their smiles and caring ways. Hopefully, our paths will cross once again down the road.

For those of you who attended the ceremony, or watched it streamed live, you will remember the number of long-term students graduating from ISK this year. We had two students that started Preschool in the class of 2017, with three starting in Kindergarten and four joining ISK in Grade 1. That was amazing!

We also had five seniors who were at ISK for only their senior year, a testament to the transient nature of many ISK families.

The Class of 2017 are headed off to universities around the world with some planning their own learning using the next year as a

Over the “summer,” do not forget to encourage your children to continue to read and apply all they have learned as they enjoy the break.

It has been a pleasure to serve the ISK community this past year and I look forward to our collective

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Director’s Letter

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Congratulations to Class of 2017 This past Friday evening, May 26, ISK graduated its largest class of seniors. The class of 2017 is 97 students strong and possibly more interesting, there are 37 different nationalities in this 12th grade class.

self-directed learning year or gap year. ISK graduates will attend universities such as the International Medical University Malaysia in Malaysia; Utrecht University in The Netherlands; UBC and McGill University in Canada; the University of Bristol, University of Manchester and University College London in the U.K.; Sciences Po or The Paris Institute of Political Studies in France; and Pepperdine University, UC-Davis, SCAD, the Berklee School of Music, Cornell University and Harvard University in the United States. These are just a few of the universities where our graduates have decided to attend, starting next year or the year after. It is probably important to note our 2017 graduates have been offered close to $6.5 million dollars in scholarship money to support their undergraduate university studies.

Congratulations to ISK’s Class of 2017!

MOVING FORWARD INTO 2017-18, STRATEGICALLY As many of us reflect on this school year, ISK continues to look forward for the next few years as we strategically map out our plans. Annually, ISK reviews and revises its strategic plan with input from students, parents, faculty, administration and the school boards. Collaboratively, we look at progress made in the past year, while taking into account new data and changes to the educational landscape, globally and locally.

This year, as a school we consolidated our thinking around ISK’s Educational Aims to make sure there was a common understanding of how they fit with our academic standards. It was also important to see how the pathways to learning (personalized, experiential/service, and integrated) tie our Aims and

Academic Standards together.

Great strides have been made with understanding the cognitive skills and dispositions that make up the five Aims and the performance indicators we look for as we gather evidence of student development.

To facilitate integrated learning, our 2017-18 class schedules have been revised and our curriculum policies have been updated to reflect our conceptual, integrated approach.

All this progress on strategic Key Result Area One (KRA 1) has laid the foundation for the development of a dynamic system over the next few years we will be calling The LearningBoard. The LearningBoard has the capacity to allow us to put our academic and Aims standards together, link them with our unit plans and assessment tools and ultimately visually report student

progress, whether dynamically or through regular periodic reports, E-folios, and more. The development of this system also ties in with our objective to look at systems consolidation for parents, student and teachers. I believe we are posed for major steps forward in this KRA, but must take deliberate steps over a two to three year period to achieve success.

In short, we are leading change as we rebrand and reformulate ISK’s Standards and Aims-based curriculum into our integrated, conceptual approach. While talking about ISK leading the way, we must consider all the progress we have made on our Inclusion journey and potential next steps. Conversations around how we manage ISK’s Learning Support needs within the school’s capacity and planning

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for potential expansion will be important in the next year.

When reviewing progress related to Key Result Area Two (KRA 2), we have made positive steps to provide sustainable resources to ensure exemplary educational experiences for all our students. We are also keenly aware of becoming as efficient as possible organizationally to keep costs to a minimum. In other words, we want the learning environment to be enhanced effectively and efficiently by the alignment of resources with our learning objectives.

When it comes to technology we have now operationalized the way with update and monitor progress on our rolling technology plan.

Another area of focus for us has been the planning for the upcoming elections in Kenya and their security implications. In this regard, we have hosted and participated in various security groups including working with our sponsoring missions and the system of local international schools to be sure we are well prepared for various scenarios. This has led us to update our Virtual Learning Environment guidelines to make sure there is no disruption to student learning.

With regard to facilities, the campus will be fully accessible with the installation of the HS elevators this summer. Our Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) is up-to-date and

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accurately represents funds coming in to support capital projects well into the future. The draft plans for the new Middle School building will be finalized in the next year.

One key issue is to consider how we secure funding for this needed construction, which is still almost two years away and then plan for student displacement temporarily.

Strategically, Key Result Area Three (KRA 3) has focused on developing deeper, sustainable community engagement that will result in stronger mutual commitment and support. One of the successes this year has been the launching of a consolidated giving program, The Inspiration Initiative. This has resulted in a 45% increase in donations, not including additional donations to our Scholarship Endowment Fund.

As a school, we looked at the way we communicate ISK’s Educational Philosophy, especially when it comes to new families and how we help them to understand our approach to education. Along the same lines, we developed The ISK Learning Story, a presentation that linked all aspects our program into a meaningful learning story, which we shared with returning families and prospective ones as well. With our systems approach to the new LearningBoard in the years to come, we will want to revisit ISK’s Learning Story to ensure we represent well how learning is designed at ISK.

A few other areas of focus for the 2017-18 School Year revolve around our upcoming re-accreditation process. ISK is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS in Europe) and the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA in the U.S.) through 2020. Next year we will be planning for and conducting a preparatory visit, which will lead into an evaluation visit to be conducted in 2019 for ISK’s re-accreditation.

We also conduct periodic program examinations and updating, such as our planned review of High School Graduation requirements and how our inclusion journey should be reflected. Our five-year review and further development of our Service Learning Program is another area of focus for 2017-18. Finally, we want to continue to cultivate ISK’s emergence as a center of excellence on the continent and worldwide.

You can see we have had some major successes from this school year. We also have much to accomplish as we design a path forward for 2017-18.

For now do not forget to enjoy the upcoming summer break and Nitakuona hivi karibuni, Good Luck and Warm Regards, David Henry Director

Iida Valme Gr 12 Director’s Award for Creative and Critical Thinking

Stella Njoroge Gr 12 AISA Award of Excellence

Ella Frigyik Gr 12 Outstanding Scholar Award

Emily Print Gr 11 Outstanding Scholar Award

Lei Koopmans Gr 10 Outstanding Scholar Award

Emily Langlois Gr 9 Outstanding Scholar Award

Hazel Singh Gr 8 Outstanding Scholar Award

Chifundo Thangata Gr 8 MS Leadership Award

Revathi Mandava Gr 7 Director’s Award for Creative and Critical Thinking

Ankita Tiwari Gr 7, Outstanding Scholar Award

Zoe Molenaar Gr 7 MS Leadership Award

Adrien Chung Gr 6 MS Leadership Award

Sofia Green Gr 5 Director’s Award for Creative and Critical Thinking

Ira Shivadey Gr 5 Outstanding Scholar Award

Sofia Kimuyu Gr 6 Outstanding Scholar Award

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GREETINGS FROM THE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors held its last meeting of the year on May 16, 2017 and we were pleased to have updates from the community. We welcomed the incoming ASB President Jimin Son, who explained one of her goals as ASB President is to facilitate effective communication between the students and administration. The PTO President Isaias Liriano reported that there is a new, larger PTO team for next year with additional parents.

Among other things, PTO plans to implement new low cost or no cost family events. He also listed the school clubs that received PTO funding. The Board welcomes hearing from the community at our meetings and thank all the reps who made time to come and keep us informed throughout the year.

We also heard a presentation from the high school club Hand Out. Hand Out is a new club that uses a 3D printer to create prosthetic hands for those in need in the community. They have been able to create different hand designs and sizes using the school’s 3D printer. The students explained that they use recycled plastic in printing the models for the prototype. The club hopes to grow its membership next year.

The Board reviewed its goals set at the beginning year and noted the achievement of the goals set for 2016-17, including monitoring the director

transition, completion of campus accessibility projects, and revision of curriculum policies. The Board reviewed the capital projects slated to start this summer and a recommendation to install a solar power system on ISK campus and housing complex to reduce operational cost of electricity.

The solar power recommendation was discussed and approved for the next stage of development.

Finally, we are sad to say goodbye to four of our Board members. Canadian High Commission appointees Susan Learoyd and Mathieu Roy will move on and we wish them the very best. We will also lose parent-elected members RenĂŠ Berger and our Chair of three years, Vicky Cole, both of whom put in significant time and energy on the Board. We will miss you all and wish you every happiness and success in the future.

The rest of us, including new parent-elected members Ann Marie Awori and Emily ZielinskiGutierrez and our new High Commission appointees yet to be announced, will return next year. The Board would like to wish everyone a wonderful vacation.

Mimi Steward Board Secretary

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Patricia Salleh Matta Elementary School Principal

REPORT

Dear Parents, What a busy few weeks it’s been in the Elementary School.

Congratulations again to the CAD for such engaging and lively concerts and a colorful and creative art show.

Congratulations as well to all staff, students and parents for two very successful Field Days where the focus was on participation, sportsmanship and teamwork.

There is an important notice from the library about reading over the summer. Please heed these significant messages and ensure that your child(ren) finds different ways to enjoy reading over the next eight weeks. I urge parents to support and encourage the library summer reading challenge. This is strongly recommended as a way of keeping a child’s reading ability exercised. I ask you to enable your children to be successful in this respect through visits to bookstores, purchase of summer reading material, allowing opportunities for them to read (on the beach, by a pool, when visiting family, in a hotel room) or visits to your local library.

We cannot enforce a summer reading requirement for ES but this is a special plea to parents to help your child enjoy some summer reading and in the process avoid that ‘dreaded summer slippage’ that is a reality each year for our students when they return to school in August each year. Thank you for reading and heeding this important message!

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I would like to say a most sincere ‘asante sana’ to our parent community that has been so supportive in many ways over the course of the year; it has truly been a collaborative and positive partnership. A big, big thank you to all our hard working dedicated ES faculty and staff who are the backbone of enabling all our students to be successful at ISK. Of course I must say what 2 invaluable stars we have in our ESO, Lillian & Anne, who keep us all organized and ensure efficient and effective communication, sincerely thank you.

We say a sad farewell to the 38 families & four ES faculty who are leaving us at the end of the year. Keep well and safe travels. I do hope that you will all take many fond memories of your time in the ES and at ISK. We look forward to welcoming Jessie Coyle, who joins us as the new ES Assistant Principal beginning August 2017.

It has been my honor and privilege to lead and support such a dynamic growing elementary school. A most sincere thank you to all as we finish the 2016-17 school year.

Safe travels to all and for those leaving, please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on. In August, we look forward to seeing those of you who are returning.

Sincerely, Patricia Salleh Matta Elementary School Principal

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JUST WRITE COMPETITION Congratulations to the more than 100 students who submitted entries for this year’s Just Write Competition. This is a very successful annual event where students have the option to participate or not.

At our Just Write Assembly on Friday 28th. April awards were handed out with much enthusiasm and creativity to this year’s winners. Congratulations to all our students and especially to our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

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FINAL REMINDER: STUDENT SUPERVISION Elementary students who report to school before 8:00am are not allowed to be on the playground on their own as there is no supervision at that time.

EMERGENCY CONTACT 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.

We request that students are directed to elementary school office where they wait until supervision time.

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

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

Craig Baker Middle School Principal

REPORT

AWARDS This past Wednesday we recognized this year’s middle school awards recipients. For outstanding leadership we honored Adrian Chung, grade six; Zoe Molenaar, grade seven; and Chifundo Thangata, grade eight. For outstanding habits of learning we recognized Jack Steel, grade six; Jacob Green-McDonagh, grade seven; and Tanish Gudhka, grade eight. Our outstanding scholars this year are Sofia Kimuyu, grade six; Ankita Tiwari, grade seven; and Hazel Singh, grade eight. The director’s award recipient this year for the whole middle school is Revathi Mandava. Congratulations go to all these students for their accomplishments this year.

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STUDENT-LED-CONFERENCES Thanks to all of you who attended student-led-conferences. It was great for our students to have the opportunity to share their learning over the course of the year. We have received positive feedback about the conferences from both parents and students.

PROMOTION Congratulations to the future class of 2021 and best of luck to all of our eighth graders as they transition to high school.

CIRCUS For the past five weeks in PE classes, middle school students have been practicing and piecing together various circus acts. With the help of resource persons from Cheza Gymnastics, students have been building human pyramids, dancing, juggling, tumbling and using a variety of gymnastic skills to showcase what they have been learning. Earlier this week we had some outstanding circus performances from our middle school students.

TEXTBOOKS, BILLS, AND PARENT PORTAL It’s that time of year where students need to return textbooks, iPads, sports uniforms and other school resources, as well as pay any bills in the cashier’s office. Please make sure your child is cleared with all of the above, otherwise you will not have access to the parent portal in PowerSchool for report cards.

FAREWELL This is my final year at ISK, and this is my last article for the Link.

Thank you for all of your support during my five years here at ISK. It’s been a great professional and personal journey. I hope you all enjoy a fun filled holiday, where ever you might be going, and best of luck to all of our families leaving ISK with your transition to different countries and new schools.

Craig Baker Middle School Principal

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We had an excellent concert at the beginning of May with our bands, sixth grade drum group, choir, and string ensemble. Thanks to Tim Willson, Barissa Dhidha, Millicent Obiero, and the creative arts team for all of their efforts in making this concert a success.

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HIGH SCHOOL

Rob Blanchard High School Principal

REPORT

We are now into final assessments with only a few days of schooling remaining for the 201617 academic year. Given that this is my last Link article for the year there is much to celebrate and communicate.

SENIOR NEWS: Congratulations Class of 2017!

On Friday May 26, our seniors and families, faculty, and many other members of our community enjoyed a wonderful graduation ceremony followed by a reception. There were many highlights on this special evening, one being the presentation of our graduation awards - nominated and selected by the high school faculty - with the Class of 2017 recipients as follows:

Outstanding Scholar Award Gr 12

Ella Frigyik

Director’s Award Iida Valme AISA Award for Excellence

Stella Njoroge

Svetlana Kovalsky Award Julian Buckingham Reuben Grey Sportsperson Award

Slate Rostal

Huduma Service Award Rheea Bayani Faculty Award Richard Kalu Facts about the Class of 2017: • This class of 97 students has the largest number of graduates ever in an ISK Graduating class, matching the largest number of nationalities (37) represented in the Class of 2016.

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• Two seniors have been here at ISK since pre-kindergarten • Three seniors since kindergarten; • Five joined ISK for their senior year • The class has thus far earned a total

of 345 acceptances into various universities around the world, being awarded over USD $6,000,000 as a class in scholarships towards their university educations.

SEMESTER 2 FINAL GRADE REPORTS ISK report card final grades are available to view and download via PowerSchool on June 7 (left hand menu ‘ISK Report Card’ option). Contact Mr Dale (jdale@ isk.ac.ke) if you have trouble accessing final grades. If you require a printed final report for your child, please contact us at hsmail@isk.ac.ke. As communicated previously, be reminded that narrative comments for your child/ren were provided earlier this semester via PowerSchool. Note that final reports will be held for any student who does not satisfactorily complete the end of year check out process by Wednesday.

END-OF-SEMESTER ASSESSMENTS/ EXAMS ARE CURRENTLY ONGOING (MAY 30 TO JUNE 6) • Grade 9, 10 and 11 students sit a 2-hour final assessment for their courses during the final assessment week in May/June. Here are some special notes to be aware of: • Art 1, Art 2, IB HL/SL Art 1, TOK 11 and some students with Science conflicts have assessments or culminating tasks that require them to be on campus until later in the school day. Please ensure you have the appropriate transport arranged as the last bus during this period is 3.30 pm • Thursday June 1st is a public holiday - no school • Students who do not have a final assessment/exam on a given day are not required to come to school that day (for example on the day reserved for conflicts and makeups) • All students are expected at school on Wednesday 07th June, the last day of the school year; the school day will finish at 12.00 noon this day • ESOL and Learning Support students: All ESOL and Learning Support students will receive more information from their Learning Support or ESOL teacher in regards to the location of their exam and accommodations.

Transport/Buses during exams and leaving campus • Students should arrive to school using their normal means of transport school buses will run as normal in the mornings.

• During finals, the high school is in session from 8:20 am until 1:05 pm, meaning that you should arrange to collect your high school child by 1:20 pm or be aware that buses will depart campus at that time for an early bus run home.

• There will be no special early bus run for high school students on Mon June 5 and Tues June 6, meaning that any students who come to school these days must ride the 3:20 bus home or be collected by a parent.

• Please be aware that the morning exam session finishes at 10.35 am; if your child does not have an exam from 11.00 am - 1.05 pm and you allow them to leave campus after the morning exam finishes, we require parental permission - please email the HS office in advance if you allow your child to leave campus early.

• The last day of school is Wed June 7, with high school students released at 11:30 am (please arrange collection between 11:30-12:00 if you use private transportation) and buses departing campus at 12 noon.

HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL SCHEDULE AT ISK 2017-18 As some parents may know from a high school parent tea this year, we are adjusting our high school instructional schedule next year with many features remaining the same and a few exciting changes coming online especially for Wednesdays. The following provides a highlight of improvements you can expect to see for next year: Grade 9 and 10: Grade 9 and 10 students are involved in a structured, modified schedule on Wednesdays. During the course of the day they will be involved in Experiential Learning, Learning Labs, Wellness and Health. Health class is biweekly and is integrated with the students Physical Education course. Health class blocks will change each Semester so that students can participate in both the Learning Labs and Wellness sessions.

• Experiential Learning: Grade 9 and 10 students will participate in weekly Experiential Learning class which is described in more detail below.

1. Grade 9 Experiential Design - in small groups, Grade 9 students will attend a 50-minute session each week with their mentor. The purpose of the Experiential Design program is for students to gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex real life problem or challenge.

2. Grade 10 Work Experience - the primary purpose of the Work Experience Program (WEP) is to provide students with a practical and relevant career related learning experience. The WEP enables students to acquire an improved understanding of their abilities, interests, and educational/career aspirations. The Work Experience program at ISK revolves around 3 pillars: self-discovery, interaction with people in a work setting, and reflection on personal growth.

• Learning Labs - provide a scheduled, structured time for students to complete work, participate in review sessions, receive academic assistance, receive academic support, extend their learning in a particular area or attend a lab offered by a teacher (e.g.

Math, Literacy, Music, etc). Some labs may run for a quarter or a semester.

Students need to commit to the learning lab for the duration that it is offered.

• Wellness - is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life in eight primary areas emotional, environment, intellectual, spiritual, financial, social, occupational and physical. Grade 9 and 10 students will sign up for sessions based on the activities offered each quarter.

• Class meeting/Assembly rotation students participate in class meetings and a High School assembly, on a fortnightly rotation. Class meetings are led by the student class officers elected annually.

Grade 11 and 12: Grade 11 and 12 students will have some flexibility within Wednesday’s schedule depending on the courses

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ACADEMIC AWARDS ASSEMBLY Last week, we held our annual awards ceremony. Our department heads presented awards to honor student excellence and achievement. Our prestigious Outstanding Scholars Awards, which are accompanied by a $500 tuition fee reduction next year, were awarded to:

Grade 11 Emily Print Grade 10 Lei Koopmans Grade 9 Emily Langlois

they are studying. HL classes will meet once every 8 weeks. When students do not have a scheduled HL class they will be able to use their time to independently complete work that is required as part of their courses (e.g. lab work, group work, internal assessments, major projects such as the Extended Essay or other coursework). Students who have less than 3 HL courses will participate in Work Experience or the Senior Project, or a combination of both.

• Higher Level (HL) IB classes - The extended class on Wednesday’s provides a unique educational opportunity. HL courses typically include a range of additional elements designed to allow students to explore areas of interest within the subject in more depth. Students will have greater time to consolidate and apply what they have learnt. They can participate in a wider range of activities such as project work and practical activities. In some combined SL/HL classes the SL students may be required to attend the HL block on Wednesdays at the discretion of the teacher. HL classes on Wednesday occur once every 8 weeks.

• Senior Project - an innovative new project designed to allow selfdirected learning, honing specific skills related to a student’s career goals and passions. Senior Project students are given Wednesday’s to dive deep into their passions through a curriculum they create in conjunction with a mentor. The Senior Project is for those students who are studying less than 3 IB courses at HL level. Together they establish goals and identify tools that will aid achievement. Their schedule includes

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core learning and an independent project.

• Work Experience - grade 11 and 12 students have the opportunity to participate in Work Experience on a Wednesday, schedule permitting.

Students who are interested in participating will be required to apply through the school’s Work Experience coordinator.

HS INTERCULTURAL TRIPS FOR 17-18 Reminder that these take place very soon after we resume school next year. Returning students have already selected trips. Parents are encouraged to speak with their child about the trip as the summer vacation can be a good time to purchase and any special equipment needs - parents are welcome to write to our co-curricular office (logana@isk.ac.ke) to obtain trip packing lists.

1-TO-1 LAPTOP PROGRAM IN THE HS This is a reminder that all students in High School at ISK are required to bring their own laptop to school each day. Having a laptop everyday is an essential element for the success of our technology vision of how students learn in the 21st century. The ability for our students to have increased access to information, social interaction and the ability to create and share digital content exponentially increases in this 1-to-1 environment.

ISK is a “Mac” School therefore new students and those entering Grade 9 are required to purchase a MacBook Pro or Air. If your child does not already have

an appropriate laptop, please plan to purchase a Mac laptop before the first day of the upcoming 2017-18 academic year. The basic requirements for the new Macs are: WIFI, antivirus protection, Microsoft Office and six hours battery life. We highly recommend an 11” or 13” MacBook Air laptop. Please contact Douglas Irish (Director of Technology) dirish@isk.ac.ke if you have any questions or concerns.

On behalf of the high school teaching faculty and administrative team, thank you for your support throughout the year. To our departing families, we wish you a wonderful onward journey.

To our returning families, we wish you a safe and relaxing holiday – we look forward to your return to ISK for the first day of the 2017-18 academic year on Wednesday August 16th.

Rob Blanchard High School Principal

DATES FOR DIARIES • June 7: Last day of 2016-17 Academic year (noon dismissal) • August 15: Grade 9 Orientation for 2017-18 Academic year • August 16: First Day of the 2017-18 Academic year

Class of 2017 Acceptances United Kingdom United Kingdom Anglia Ruskin University Bournemouth University Buckinghamshire New University Brooke house College Brunel University London Cardiff University Durham University Glasgow Caledonian University Keele University Kings College London Kingston University London Metropolitan University Lancaster University Leeds Beckett University Loughborough University Manchester University Newcastle University Oxford Brookes University Richmond University St. George’s University University of Aberdeen University of Bristol University of Bradford University of Brighton University of Birmingham University of Central Lancashire University of Leicester University College London University of Leeds University of Dundee University of Essex University of East Anglia University of Edinburgh University of Exeter University of Glasgow University of Hertfordshire University of Hull University of Kent University of Manchester University of Nottingham University of Reading University of Southampton University of Sussex University of Stirling University of West London University of Warwick University of Westminster University of the West of Scotland University of the West of England University of York Westminster Kingsway College United States of America American University Albright College Bates College Bridgewater State University Berklee College of Music Bucknell University

Boston University Boston College Brandeis University Brigham Young University Colorado State University Clark University Curry College Cornell University Colgate University Dartmouth College Drexel University Davidson College Eckerd College Emory University Emerson College Fairleigh Dickinson University Franklin & Marshall College Grinnell College George Washington University George Mason University Georgetown University Guilford College Harvard University Hofstra University Hult International Business School Juniata College Johns Hopkins University Lawrence University Lewis & Clark College Lynn University Loyola Marymount University Long Island University Michigan State University Middlebury College Manhattan College Miami International School of Art and Design Marymount California University Mount Holyoke College Macalester College Northeastern University Northern Illinois University NorthEastern University Occidental College Pitzer College Penn State University Pepperdine University Purdue University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rochester Institute of Technology Ringling College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design St. Mary’s College Sarah Lawrence University Seton Hall University Syracuse University Seton Hall University Saint Michael’s College St. John’s University Stevens Institute of Technology The Evergreen State College

Tulane University Trinity University Temple University University of Bridgeport Union College University of Colorado-Boulder University of Connecticut University of California, Davis University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of California Los Angeles University of California, Riverside University of La Verne University of Maine University of Puget Sound University of Portland University of Redlands United States Air Force Academy University of Southern Florida University of Sourthern Maine University of Tampa University of Virginia University of Texas, Austin University of Maryland, College Park University of Wisconsin-Madison Western Washington University Wentworth Institute of Technology Wheaton College Whitman College Williams College Virginia Tech Virginia Common Wealth University Europe American University of Paris Delft Univ of Technology Erasmus University Fontys University of Applied Sciences Hanze University of Applied Sciences Leiden University College (Nerth) University of Amsterdam University College Utrecht Canada Brock University Carleton University McGill University University of Alberta University of Waterloo University of Toronto University of Western Ontario University of New Brunswick University of British Columbia Wilfrid Laurier University Queen’s University Other Emirates Aviation University International Medical University

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Congratulations Class of 2017

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Congratulations Class of 2017

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Jodi Lake Director of Teaching and Learning

FROM THE TEACHING & LEARNING CENTER…

ISK Aims Now that the school year is nearly over, most families can’t help but think of the long holiday in terms of fun -- especially after dreaming about lazy days in the backyard and nights free of homework and projects. That’s one reason why the anecdotal and statistical information on what happens to kids academically over the long break can seem so depressing. Studies estimate that students lose one to two months of math skills over the summer, and if your child is a reluctant reader, getting them back into the swing of school can be painful for you both.

Using the ISK Aims, you can expand your family’s experiences, stimulate their thinking and avoid that summer slide - while having a wonderful and relaxing holiday.

From the TLC team - Many thanks to parents, students, Board members, teachers and administration for all of the support this year as we work to build a real community of learners. Have a great holiday wherever you may find yourselves.

Jodi Lake Director of Teaching and Learning

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COMMUNICATE:

ISK Aims

ACT:

Take the library challenge and read - pick up some information from your favorite ISK librarians!

Take a risk and do something

Build empathy: Use newspaper or TV stories or experiences as you travel to start conversations with children about other people’s challenges, or simply the different experiences of children in another country or community

Perform 10 random acts of kindness for people you don’t know!

you don’t think you will like.

READ! READ! READ!

CREATE:

LEARN:

Develop flexible thinking: Take an ordinary object like a funnel and see how many different things you can pretend it is: a party hat, a trumpet….

Try a new activity (e.g. ride a roller coaster, try surfing, experiment with coding!)

Inquire into an idea that you don’t know the answer to - for example How could we design the most efficient bicycle, skateboard, slide, boogie board…?

Where is the science in cooking?

Create a ‘makerspace’ with lots of junk let your child see what can be created with it!

Become an ‘idea machine’:

SOLVE:

Take the spaghetti/marshmallow challenge: build towers using only spaghetti, marshmallows, tape and string. Whose is the tallest?

Come Up With 10 Money Making Ideas Come Up With Ideas For 10 Web Sites You Could Build Come up with 10 different ideas for books you could write

Plan a hike that takes you to multiple scenic views!

Then go on that hike!

Plan a trip itinerary that is time and money efficient.

Learn how to change the tire on your car how do all the parts work together?

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Will Moore Athletics Director

ISK ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

Wow!! What a way to finish the year off with a fantastic third season.

nail biting extra time and the boys team, for the second consecutive year, defended their title.

Our two varsity volleyball teams both made the league final. The girls fought to defend the title but lost out to West Nairobi School in a very tight five set final.

The boys team, for the fourth consecutive year, lifted the shield in a runaway victory over Rosslyn. They had only dropped one set during the entire season and impressively dominated throughout.

I would like to give my deepest thanks to all our coaches for the hard work and dedication that they put into the teams this year. They continued to push our students to find their potential in a fun and rewarding environment.

Our ISSEA teams had a great finish to the year as well. The Golf team, made up of MS players, finished fourth while our tennis teams, boys & girls, both came back as ISSEA champions. To top this off, both of our football teams dominated the ISSEA tournament in Ethiopia. The girls’ team won on penalty kicks after a

To our athletes, you are amazing! I am continually impressed with the commitment you show to your individual and team sports. Keep up the good work and stay fit over the summer break!

Will Moore Athletics Director

ATHLETICS AWARDS: MIDDLE SCHOOL: MS Sportsmanship Award Jai Shah MS Male Athlete of the Year Award Max Thomle MS Female Athlete of the Year Award Talya De Cleene HIGH SCHOOL: Nuriana Merali Award - Grade 9 Athlete of the Year Athletic Service and Leadership Award Academic and Athletic Excellence Award ISK Female Athlete of the Year Award ISK Male Athlete of the Year Award REUBEN GRAY – Outstanding Sportsmanship Award

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Marcel Awori Jason Musee Meredith Gelsinger Iida Valme Stanley Langyintuo & Jordan Orth-Moore Slate Rostal

FLIP FLOPI EXPEDITION In our Round Square conference, we had the pleasure of listening to various keynote speakers talk about inspiring projects and the benefits of undertaking new challenges. One of our speakers, Mr. Dipesh, a representative from the Flip Flopi Expedition, came to present about his involvement with one of the biggest projects being launched here in Kenya.

The Flip Flopi expedition is in the process of creating a dhow boat entirely of recycled plastic materials, from flip flops found

on various beaches, to recycled bottles found in Kenyan slums. This Flip Flopi Dhow boat is set to depart in January 2018 from the Kenyan coast, and will sail south along the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and onwards into South Africa.

Mr. Dipesh explained that this voyage will take between 3 and 4 months, and that their expected date of arrival is March 2018. He stated that all parts of this boat, including the keel, ribs, and structural elements, will be constructed entirely of recycled waste plastics. These

waste plastics include bottles, bags, and flip flops. One of the benefits of constructing this boat is that it involves the skilled work of local craftsmen using traditional methods, and it gives the locals an opportunity to do volunteer work and learn about the process of making solid materials out of recycled materials.

Mr. Dipesh’s inspirational talk reminded us that the plastic revolution is a movement for change, and that a group of people who share the view that production and consumption of single use

plastics is not sustainable.

We able to make a difference when we come together.

His talk also made us aware that it is important to take initiatives, and that, this way, our work can serve as an inspiration for others. Mr. Dipesh’s talk certainly served as an inspiration for many, where he taught us that it is important for people to share ideas and coalesce through projects such as the Flip Flopi Dhow boat expedition in order to create beneficial global change.

Andrea Taylor Grade 11

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MATH CLUB AT ISK Math club at ISK has been running for the second year now, and all the members meet up every week, at Friday lunch, to solve math problems. These challenges are not the everyday math problems on your test or which you come across in class. Instead, they stretch far beyond. It’s about recognising patterns and looking for that missing piece. It’s about thinking outside the box. And the fun part is that you don’t need to be a math genius to be able to do this. All you need is some creative thinking and common sense!

This year, math club has participated in and organized various events. At the start of the school year, we organized a quiz session at lunchtime as part of the ‘math week’ celebration. We had some delicious food and one full lunchtime of math riddles, puzzles, jokes, etc. There was a huge crowd of high schoolers around the tables as they were eagerly trying to solve the various challenges.

Additionally, all the members participated in the KMO (Kenyan Math Olympiad). For the 1st round, 11 students took part and 9 got through to the second round, which was held at the University of Nairobi. From there 3 students: Jimin, Jalal and Ansh, got through the very challenging third round, where. Jimin was the top female from Kenya (second overall) to qualify. Jimin was eligible to take part in the training for the PAMO (Pan African Math Olympiad) to be held in Morocco in June and the IMP (International Math Olympiad) to be held in Brazil in July. Unfortunately she is not available for either competition.

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The club also participated in the Waterloo Math Contest, held in April 2017. It is a very prestigious olympiad, held annually and run by the University of Waterloo in Canada. Around 30,000 students from around the world participate in the contest.

The members of the math club showed a great dedication towards the contest. 3 of 4 students from grade 9 got a distinction certificate (making it to the top 25% of all students). 1 of 2 students from 10, and 1 of 3 students from grade 11 also got the distinction. Top scorers in each grade were: Vanshika Virmani (Grade 9), Jalal Ehsani (Grade 10) and Ha Eun Im (Grade 11), all of whom received a medal.

Furthermore, the math club members displayed excellent math skills at ISSEA STEM held in Maputo, Mozambique in April 2017. Sixteen HS students participated in the STEM ISSEA, competing in Science, Robotics, Engineering and Maths. From the Maths Club, Jimin Son was second in the Individual maths competition. ISK came second overall, winning the Robotics, and the Engineering.

So it has been a great year for the Math Club, and we hope for more progress in near future!

Vanshika Virmani Grade 9

WORLD SCHOLAR’S CUP 2017 SEASON: A VICTORY! On Thursday the 21st of April, nine girls from the Middle School : Ana Shah ,Asma Hassan, Imogen Pace Jahnavi Pahuja ,Ladan Mohamed ,Makda Assefa , Mariam Manjang , Mika Shaham , Sabrina Gray and Yashna Khatry, along with their coach Awuor Onguru and teacher Mrs Wells travelled to Brookhouse School to participate in the Nairobi II round of the World Scholar’s cup. The two- day competition consisted of 150 scholars representing 18 schools, all competing for the chance to attend the Global rounds in Cape Town South Africa, Athens Greece, or Hanoi Vietnam.

The first day was extremely taxing, as

the scholars were put through several debates, a collaborative writing test as well as a multiple choice, lateralthinking quiz dubbed the “Scholar’s Challenge” due to it’s difficulty. The day ended quite late, but with high morale as the scholar’s excitedly anticipated the second day.

The second and last day of the competition was “much more exciting” according to the scholars. It consisted of a quiz-show like event titled the “Scholar’s Bowl” where teams rack up points that add up to their final points by answering questions pertaining to the syllabus that is released at the beginning of the season, the theme of which was “An Unlikely World.” After the Bowl there was a talent show and lastly, the greatest of all events, the Awards Ceremony.

ISK was well represented at the Awards Ceremony, with all of our teams placing

in the top 20 teams overall, as well as in the Top Challenge, Writing and Debating teams Jahnavi Puja won 2nd Place Champion Scholar and Top Scholar for our School. All our teams have now qualified and are invited for any global round of their choice.

Special thanks to Brookhouse school for hosting such a magical round, Mrs Wells and Mrs Ouma for helping and motivating us all throughout the preparation time and competition, and Mrs Redler and Mr Baker for helping our dreams become a reality.

As their coach and No.1 supporter, I would like to thoroughly congratulate the girls for all their achievements and thank them for being such a hard working, spirited and gifted team.

Awuor Onguru

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HELP YOUR CHILDREN SCORE A SUMMER READING GOAL… AND AVOID THE DREADED “SUMMER SLIDE”!

A slide in reading levels from May to August is a phenomenon that teachers sometimes observe among children who don’t read over the holiday. The library offers a way to avoid this in the form of a summer reading challenge. It is designed so it can be done anywhere, without the need of a library, but we ask parents to provide encouragement and logistical assistance. If you are not travelling, keep in mind that the ISK Library is open throughout the break.

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ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ISK 2017 SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

SUMMER LIBRARY HOURS

If your child does not bring home the ES/MS “Get a Kick Out of Books” booklet, you can find it, along with reading lists, on the “Choose a Book” page of the ISK Library web page. We hope no one has an excuse for not participating!

*If only one library assistant is present, the library will close for lunch from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KENYA

Weekdays 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.* Saturdays: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Jeffrey Gettleman Jeffrey Gettleman, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for international reporting, is The Times’s East Africa bureau chief. His work has appeared in National Geographic, GQ, Foreign Policy and The New York Review of Books. He studied philosophy at Cornell University before winning a Marshall Scholarship to study at Oxford. Based in Kenya, he is the author of “Love, Africa,” a memoir about his experiences in Africa and a whole bunch of other things.

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SHARING HAPPINESS MAKES MUSIC IN OUR HEARTS

Last year, Kuona Trust’s ‘Hop on the Bus’ project brought me to Maasai Mbili’s opening of their new art center, a twelve year endeavor by Kibera artists working with dirt and stone to realize a dream. As a participant in their artist circle that day in May, I was inspired to contribute what I could to support them.

Gwen Willson, ISK’s ES Music Teacher, joined me in imagining making children’s workshops there with art and music. When we began to plan our own ‘Hop on the Bus’ project there, we discovered that unfortunately the US Embassy doesn’t recommend that ISK students go there because of security concerns. We decided that

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we would proceed on our own so on May 20th, with a car load of our own and recycled materials from ISK, Ms. Willson and I made art and music with around 40-60 kids from the Jamii Association.

The community group runs a local school project for children who cannot afford school fees. We collaborated with Kevo Stero and three artists from Maasai Mbili Art Center to make a threehour workshop, creating a tidal wave of happiness, excitement and joy. Children sang with Ms. Willson, practiced playing recorders, learned songs, and cycled around the room in three art stations taking years-old unused materials, expired

goods and throw-away objects and redoing them with their own designs and making wonderful puppets, wearable art, paintings, and cut-outs worn around the neck.

With our provision of lunch for the children and adults, feeding body, mind and spirit and supporting the artists, we saw how the universal language of the arts feeds the imagination and fuels creativity. It was a truly transformative process.

Together with the grounding of basic human needs of shelter, food, and honorable work, UNESCO also includes the need for creativity in the lives of all people.

Ms. Willson and I were so

thrilled with the results that I am returning with another faculty member, Andres Torca. We will bring with us more throwaways from my printmaking unit that will be turned into stick puppets and hats.

We will bring as well the enthused response from FOTA, giving us hope that we will be able to keep this project going with the wonderful support of Kevo Stero and the organizations involved, and build a collaboration between Jamii Association, FOTA and ISK. Please keep them in mind for your throwaways of children’s clothes as well. Viva the arts!

Dr. Teresa M. Tipton

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MS Art Explore students Zoe Kruger, Ella Bishop, and Zahra Aziz created their own Inspire project where anyone can ‘Be An Angel’.

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Douglas Irish Director of Technology

Technology: 1-to-1 at ISK The 1-to-1 program at ISK has now been in place in some grade levels of the school for almost three years. The High School is finishing two years, the Middle has completed three years, and Grades 4 and 5 have completed one and two years respectively. Next year, Grade 3 will join the 1-to-1 iPad program. Even though implementation of the program is still in its infancy, we are always evaluating its effectiveness.

This year we have been collecting data, including evaluating student portfolios, hosting limited student interviews and looking at general student / teacher survey data.

After evaluation of the Grade 8 program by teachers and students, it was decided to provide a 1:1 Chromebook program for Grade 8

students in 2017-2018. The main reasons for this change are: • The Grade 8 Capstone Project requires more access to a keyboard; • Some of the G Suite applications work better on a Chromebook than on an iPad; • Many of the apps available on the iPad are becoming available on the Chromebook; • This will help the Grade 8’s transition between having an iPad for their use up to grade 7 to using a full Mac laptop (purchased by each student’s family) in grade 9 and above.

ISK will continue to provide ES and MS students’ access to iPads or Chromebooks and a suite of educational apps.

Students in High School are required to purchase their own laptop and ISK is a “Mac” School. New students and those entering Grade 9 are required to purchase a MacBook Pro or Air. The basic requirements for the new Macs are; WIFI, antivirus protection, Microsoft Office and six hours battery life. We ask that parents please plan to purchase their child’s Mac laptop before their first day of school in August.

If you have any questions, please send an email to: dirish@isk.ac.ke Douglas Irish Director of Technology

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Lynn Wells Director of Advancement

GREETINGS FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE!

INSPIRATION INITIATIVE - REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY One of the truths of fund raising is that if you ask the community to support your cause you have a responsibility to report back to them.

For example: how many people participated; how much money was raised; where did the money go? what communities benefited from your efforts?

This was the first year of the Inspiration Initiative, ISK’s annual fund raising effort, and the primary focus was to benefit education in the local community.

This was achieved directly through support of the ISK Scholarship Program for Kenyan students and indirectly through ISK’s student-led service learning program.

Thanks to the support of literaly hundreds of people in our community, this was a very successful first year.

Lynn Wells Director of Advancement

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PROJECTS FUNDED

COMMUNITY OUTREACH SERVICE LEARNING GROUPS $6,182 These funds will be available to help support the work of our student-led Service Groups in the local community.

Service groups can apply for financial grants when school resumes in August, 2017.

KIO KIT FOR CHILDREN’S GARDEN HOME - $6,900

ISK SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - $8,026

MAKERSPACE PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS - $875

Students at the Children’s Garden Home now have access to the Kenyan curriculum and more through the technology provided with their new Kio Kit with BRCK technology.

The ISK Scholarship Fund helps ensure that qualified Kenyan students will always have access to an ISK education, giving them an important “Stepping Stone to the World.”

ISK students and students from local schools will benefit from enhancements to the ISK Design & Innovation Lab.

Locally cached and webhosted content will enhance the educational opportunities of these children but also allow real time connections with ISK students.

These donations are held in a Scholarship Endowment Fund to help guarantee the sustainability of the program for decades to come.

These funds will be especially useful as ISK expands the Design Lab beyond technology to include a wider range of hands on elements including woodworking and metal fabrication.

$25,692 Donations to be allocated as needed at the discretion of the school - $3,709

INSPIRATION INITIATIVE’S TOTAL INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION FOR 2017

THANK YOU TO THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS YEAR’S INSPIRATION INITIATIVE SUCH A MEMORABLE SUCCESS.

Rob Blanchard Lane Bunkers Harshna Chandaria Viviane Chao Dolores Chen Michael Chung Vicky Cole Jarrod Dale Gisela Dale

Premanand Dhoomon David Guarneri David Henry Moez Jiwani Jodi Lake Fareen Lalani-Butt Susan Learoyd Alicia Messing Shekufeh Monadjem

Courtenay Morris Janet Muasya Irene Muchunu Bobbi Nicholas Charlie Nicholas Robert Onyango Pamela Pappas Courtney Pierce Derek Pierce

Maria Romilo Patricia Salleh Matta Saloni Shah Adarsh Shah Mimi Steward Bert Ubamadu Jane Wells Lynn Wells

(If you made a donation but your name is not on this list please accept the apologies of the Advancement Office and let us know so we can correct it!)

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OTHERS CONTRIBUTORS PTO Contribution to help fund the Kio Kit for Children’s Garden Home ROUND SQUARE • Contribution to the ISK Scholarship Fund SPECIAL EVENTS • 220+ students and adults who attended the Papillon Concert • 500+ students and adults who attended the Journey is the Destination movie premier, visited the Service Bandas and had a pre-movie snack EMPLOYEES OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS Facilities use contribution to the ISK Scholarship Fund

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SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND An ISK education has a positive and lasting influence on all its students. To extend this opportunity to qualified Kenyan students who would otherwise be unable to afford ISK’s tuition and fees, the school provides up to eight (8) scholarships for students who have the potential to be the future leaders in Kenya. Funding for this program is critical in order to ensure its long-term sustainability.

This year there were three new corporate contributions to the Scholarship Endowment Fund and we thank them for their support of education in Kenya.

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SERVICE IN ACTION Pamela Pappas Communications Manager

THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION @ISK!

Thanks to everyone who attended The Journey is The Destination- The Story of ISK Alumnus Dan Eldon on May 12!

memorable adventure, and expressed that his love for Africa stemmed from his travels through Africa with Dan.

We were sold out with 550 guests, and the auditorium was standing room only! A special thank you to our Service Banda Leaders & Students, who showcased the ISK Tradition of “Service in Action” that was exemplified in the feature presentation!

Coincidentally, Mr. Gettleman will be hosting a book signing for his newly published memoir, Love, Africa at ISK’s library on June 7- check out the library section of The Link for further details! ISK is also looking forward to reconnecting with the DEPOT (Dan Eldon Place of Tomorrow), an organization created in Dan Eldon’s memory and inspired by his dedication to service and living life to the fullest.

As we learned in the movie, Dan was a creative activist, and used his passion for art and photography to build awareness and spark positive action. As Dan’s father Mike Eldon mentioned in his welcoming address, Dan’s spirit was ignited at ISK through our service ethos.

In fact, a year after graduating from ISK, Dan and his friends led a group of 15 young people on a rollicking safari across Africa that brought aid to refugee camps in Malawi.

Jeffrey Gettleman, Pulitzer prize winner and ISK parent, took part in that

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Personally speaking, as a member of the ISK community for the last 7 years, it is wonderful to see the ripple effect of our service ethos within our students, staff, parents and community as a whole!

Pamela Pappas Communications Manager

SERVICE IN ACTION

SERVICE IN ACTION

JEFFREY GETTLEMAN, DAVID HENRY AND COURTENAY MORRIS

FULL HOUSE

SERVICE IN ACTION

MIKE ELDON AND LIZA MCKAY

SERVICE IN ACTION

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THE CLASS OF 2017 NOW A PART OF THE ISK ALUMNI COMMUNITY! On May 25, the Alumni Office at ISK cohosted the annual Senior BBQ send off!

ISK graduates signed the alumni book, stopped to take photos, and enjoyed some yummy treats. The Class of 2017the largest graduating class in ISK history - was also treated to an inspiring talk by Ms. Liza McKay- who reminded our graduates how fortunate they have been to live in such a multicultural and diverse community! Ms. McKay wished them all the success in the world as they accept that being different is good! Ms. McKay worked at ISK for decades- and was also one of Dan Eldon’s teachers.

A huge congrats to our seniors and their parents! All graduating seniors and departing senior parents will receive an invite to join ISKConnect.

This dedicated Alumni platform will allow you to:

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• Re-connect – Find and reminisce with classmates, see what they have been up to and stay in touch.

• Give back – Introduce, employ or be a mentor to our graduating students • Expand – Leverage their professional networks and get introduced to people they should know • Get ahead – Advance their career through inside connections working in top companies and access to exclusive opportunities.

Make sure to stay in touch!

Pamela Pappas Communications Manager

CLASS OF 2017 BBQ!

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PARENT TEACHERS ORGANIZATION The 2016-17 school year has been a very successful one for the ISK PTO, despite operating for several months without a Chairperson.

INTERNATIONAL DAY By some accounts, this year’s International Day was one of the best in recent years in terms of attendance, organisation and amount raised for the PTO budget.

PTO OPEN COFFEE MORNINGS At least once a Month there was a Coffee morning which was open to all members of the ISK community. These occasions were mostly for the purpose of parents coming together to chat over coffee and also get to know other members of the community. However, some very useful and informative sessions took place at some of these open coffees.

For example, there were several presentations made by ISK students one of which was a Grade 8 Capstone Project on the ill effects of Palm Oil Production. Another was “Project Imagine”, which is an initiative by several Grade 9 students.

Project Imagine seeks to mitigate the impact of the Female Cycle on young school going girl children.

RED CROSS DONATION The PTO had an opportunity to donate to the Kenya Red Cross drought relief effort an amount of 100,000 Kenya Shillings.

CHILDREN’S GARDEN HOME DONATION – Partnering with the Inspiration Initiative, the PTO donated $2,000 towards the purchase of a “Kio Kit” which was awarded to the Children’s Home on the 21st of April 2017.

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PARENT SURVEY One of the very first things that the new PTO Chair did was to conduct a survey of parent expectations of the PTO and effectiveness of current communication methods. Some results from the survey include changes to the timing of PTO events and also to the way information and notices are sent out to the community. Another outcome of the survey is a decent number of parents have come forward to volunteer to serve in the PTO for the next school year.

ISK FOTA ART SHOW This year saw a good turn-out for the show organized by the “Friends of the Arts” (FOTA). A total of 218 art pieces were on display and of these 58 were sold for a total of 17,600 USD. PTO DUKA The PTO Duka on its part held a very successful non-profit shop vendor training day which focused on enhancing their business skills in areas such as stock tracking and finance, product quality and design and trends and marketing.

There was also a marked increase in the diversity of goods on offer.

PTO ORGANIZED BEAD-TALK The PTO organized an enjoyable and informative morning with beads at the Noorjehan Collections on Saturday, 6 May. Jaymini Desai gave a comprehensive talk, at her shop in Muthaiga, about the many fascinating and beautiful types of beads and the history of where they came from. Light refreshments were served and there was ample time for shopping after the talk. Everyone went back enlightened and with a new appreciation of the beads found in Nairobi.

Carol Wangombe ISK Head Clinician

GREETINGS FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE

We are so proud of our Grade 12 graduating students who voluntarily attended a first aid course in Basic First Aid and CPR. This is such a confirmation of ISK’s mission to empower students to create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges. They were a great class and our trainers from AAR commented: “what engaging students with very good questions”.

We can only urge that we all learn from them as we ourselves teach them. All the best to our Grade 12’s as they go out to not only face challenges but to take them on. The Pride of the Lions!

Our summer vacation is coming up - yeah!! As we rest and put our feet up a reminder to those going out on the High School Intercultural trips in September to put their feet down and get fit!

At least 3o minutes of brisk walking a day is the Health Office recommendation. Color your plate and go to sleep early.

Keep healthy, be alert, and have lots of fun!

Carol Wangombe Head Clinician

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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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