Volume 13 | Issue 1 | Sept 2009

NEWS@KIST
Learning for Life

THE NEWSLETTER OF K. INTERNATION ALSCHOOL TOKYOIn This Issue...
IB Diploma Scores

College Acceptances 2006-2009

H1N1 Update

SupervisionNews from Primary & Lower School

MYP FAQs

Miscellaneous Updates

Message from the Ministry of Education

A Letter From the Principal’s Desk
Welcome back!
A warm welcome to families new to the KIST community, those returning
after postings overseas and to all continuing families. I hope you had a restfuland enjoyable summer break.
You will notice that there have been a few changes since the end of the school
year. Due to the hard work of parents, students and staff at the end of the 08/09
school year many of items that were no longer needed were cleared out and theold building given a make-over.
The new building was completed on time and again thanks to the efforts of ourschool community classrooms were set up in a very short space of time. The
excitement and joy of the Lower School and Primary students in their new
environment has been a pleasure to see.
This year we are looking forward to another exciting and productive year with
our students. This year we will be focusing on the school’s strategic
development plan (developed over the past year) to further improve theteaching and learning environment for our students and staff. We have also
welcomed many new staff to our school this year. We have worked together
over the past two weeks helping new staff to settle into Tokyo and become
familiar with the curriculum and practices of KIST.
This year I look forward to your continued support of the school and hope to
see you over the year at the many events scheduled.
Anne Grahame
Principal

Casual Relief Teaching!
The school is looking for qualified teachers to add to their casual relief teaching roster.
Casual relief teachers are called upon in advance to substitute for teachers who may beabsent for professional development or meetings and also at short notice when a teacher
calls in ill.
A visa is required. If you have a spouse visa you will not
require any other visa. If your visa is of another category,e.g. Instructor, Specialist in Humanities/International
Services then Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than
That Permitted Under The Status of Residence Previously
Granted is required. This is obtainable from the
Immigration Office. Interested applicants please e-mail theschool at info@kist.ed.jp.

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DATES TO REMEMBER

Term 1
September 8:K2—G1 Parent Welcome Night
September 9:G2—G5 Parent Welcome Night
September 10:
G6—G12 Parent Welcome Night
September 22:
Clubs & ESL start
September 23:
Public Holiday
October 6, 7 :School Photos
October 10 :School Explanation Day
October 17 :PSAT Practice Test (G10, 11)
October 23 :Festival Preparation Day
October 24 :SCHOOL FESTIVAL!
Oct 26—Nov 3 : Mid-Term BreakPage 2

News @ KIST

Volume 13 Issue 1

Lower School News
Welcome back for the start of the 2009-2010 school year.
I hope you all had a wonderful and rewarding summer season and return to school refreshed and ready for an exciting school
year, I know I am! I spent part of my summer vacation cycle touring around one of the most beautiful areas of Japan, theDaisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido. This experience, as outdoor experiences always do, reminded me of the importance ofgiving our students multiple and varied outdoor experiences throughout their lives, including during the school day. Mary Helen
Young (2003), an American Early Childhood educator, says that “nature is the supreme provider of curriculum” and I would
strongly agree. In order to access nature in a safe and inviting outdoor learning space, we continue this year with our work on
developing our ‘lower school’ playground. Due to weather, erosion and general wear and tear our playground is in need of somerenovations. These renovations will take place over the first few weeks of school. During this time we will take advantage of thevarious new spaces available to us with the new building for some outdoor and large indoor space experiences, as well as sometrips to local parks. Once our playground is up and running again we will be able to re-engage with the environment to provide
our students with the experiences best described by botanist Luther Burbank…
‘Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water-bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud-turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns,
chestnuts, trees to climb, brooks to wade in, water-lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields,pine-cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets; and any child who is deprived of these has been deprived of thevery best part of his education’.
With many new staff joining our KIST community this year, we have been working hard to induct them into school life. In
preparing presentations for them this week I have been reviewing presentations by renowned author Ken Robinson. Ken is authorof the recent book ‘The Element’ which details his theories on the nature of human talents. Ken believes that finding theintersection between one’s talent and passion is the key to fulfillment in life. He suggests that one of the ways to help students tofind their talent is through a thorough exploration of all areas of learning, with creativity being a central element. If you areinterested in hearing more from Ken and many other interesting thinkers go to www.ted.com.
Looking forward to a great year!
Amanda Cooke
Lower School Principal

Primary School News
It is a great year to be a primary student at KIST!
I have seen the excitement of students, parents, teachers and staff as we transition into a new, bright and spacious building.
I know we all appreciate the work of the many people it has taken to make this transition a reality. In addition, the KIST
Primary School will benefit from the return of many of our teachers as well as the addition of a few new teachers bringing
their enthusiasm, expertise and experience with them. Over the summer, the Information Technology department has beenworking very hard investing very long hours and enormous effort into providing teachers and students with upgraded andadditional IT resources. These resources will not only help the teachers be more effective but will help the students learn
and practice the skills they will need to express themselves and be successful outside of our school environment.
I was recently involved with admission interviews for the primary school. The purpose of the interview is to help ensure
there is a good fit between the family’s expectations of our school and the school’s educational philosophy. As I listened
to the parents talking about the goals they have for their children, it was a reminder of why we are all here. KIST’senrollment continues to increase, even in these economic times, which is a sign that we are meeting our community’s
educational needs. As the years go by and the student population increases, inevitably there is change. Understanding thatevery experience a student has at our school shapes who they are as a person, we make decisions based on the best way wecan provide for our students. While keeping that which has served us well and by continuing to find better ways to meetthe needs of our school community, KIST becomes more internationally known and respected each year. The
accomplishments of our DP students and the universities who are offering them admission and even scholarships isevidence of this.
I am proud to continue working for KIST this year and serving as the Primary School Principal. I hope to continue thehard work of others before me by building on their successes while working with the other staff to accomplish even more.
We have a year ahead of us that I am sure the primary students are going to really love and learn from. I look forward toworking with you all this year to make our school even better.
Greg Brunton
Primary School Principal

Page 3

News @ KIST

Volume 13 Issue 1

IB Diploma Results 2009—Fourth year in a row of fantastic results!
During the summer vacation the IB Diploma Results were issued to students from the “Class of 2009”. As a year group, theresults were very positive. The table below summarizes the performance of the candidates.
Year

Candidates

No. of DiplomasAwardedAv. Points Score for
Diploma Students (45)Highest Score(Max. score 45)

Av. Subject Grade for
Diploma Students (7)

2009

10

9

32

45

5.02

All candidates achieved individual success in their IB Diploma but public mention goes to Daisy, who achieved the
maximum score of 45. To put this figure into context, in the May 2008 Examination Session, only 74 candidates, or
0.19% of all students who did the IB Diploma worldwide achieved this grade in 2008. Statistics for May 2009 are not yet
available. Sophie also achieved an exemplary result with 39 points awarded overall.
Parents who would like more general information on IB Diploma Results should go to http://www.ibo.org/diploma/
assessment/results/. The IB publishes a “Statistical Bulletin” summarizing the IB Diploma Results, a link to which is on thiswebpage. The “Statistical Bulletin” for the May 2009 Examination Session should be published in November.
Information regarding the university destinations of the “Class of 2009” will be published in the next newsletter.

Congratulations to all students and teachers on this very encouraging set of IB Diploma Results!
Mark Cowe
IB Diploma Coordinator
dp_co@kist.ed.jp

College Acceptances for KIST Graduates 2006-2009
JAPAN

UNITED KINGDOM

Waseda University

University of BathSophia University

University of Nottingham

Temple University

University of Cardiff

International Christian University

University of Exeter

CANADA

University of York

University of British Columbia

University of Birmingham

University of Toronto

University of Sheffield

McGill University

European School of Business(London)

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AUSTRALIA

Boston University

Northeastern University

Monash University

University of Virginia

University of Dubuque

University of Queensland (QLD)

Gonzaga University

Portland State University

University of Sydney

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

QLD University of Technology

Worchester Institute of Technology

Illinois Institute of Technology

OTHER

Brigham Young University (Hawaii)

University of Antwerp
University of Delhi

Page 4

News @ KIST

Volume 13 Issue 1

School ID Cards and Bicycle Parking
From the beginning of the new school year, the location of the main school entrance gate has changed to the western side of
the campus in front of the new West Building. Both Student and Parent ID Cards will continue to operate the gate in the same
way as the previous system. All visitors to the school (including students travelling to school by bicycle) are required to use
the new gate.
Please ensure that you bring your Parent ID Card with you every time you visit the school. If you forget to bring your card,
please use the intercom at the entrance gate to state your name. You will be required to sign in at reception upon arrival, andsign out again when you leave. Once inside the grounds, please hang your card around your neck or attach it to your clothing
so that it is visible at all times. If you have lost or damaged your card, you must apply for a replacement at the office. The
use of ID cards allows us to know that the holder is authorized to be within the school grounds. This is for the safety of yourchildren and we ask for your cooperation and support in this matter.
Students must park their bicycles in the bicycle parking area to the right of the main entrance gate, filled progressively fromthe back to the front. Parents dropping off children or visiting for a short time only are asked not to use this area due to thecongestion it causes. Instead, for short term parking only, please use the area to the left of the entrance gate.

New West Building - Thank you to everyone who helped achieve the impossible!
We are all excited about our new ‘West Building’. K1-G3 students have enjoyed their new classroom space in the building
and Secondary students have made good use of their new music room. Thank you to all the families and staff who volunteered
to help us with both the cleaning and moving process.

Message from the Ministry of Education
Management of students with prescriptions to self-administer Epinephrine (Adrenaline) injections
The Ministry of Education has given approval for non-medical personnel such as teaching staff to perform emergency first aid
treatment on students identified with symptoms of anaphylactic shock. This is due to a relaxation of legal restrictions as basedon considerations of the risks to these students.
 Families of students with prescriptions to self-administer Epinephrine (Adrenaline) injections are required to inform theschool.
 After receiving permission to do so from families, the school is to provide details of these students to the local fire
department in order to cooperate in taking immediate and appropriate action if required.
 In situations where a student in a state of anaphylactic shock is reported to the emergency service line 119, the school
should state that the student has a prescription to self-administer injections.
 In situations where students are unable to self-administer injections due to anaphylactic shock, the school may administer
the medication on behalf of the students. This should be reported to emergency services.

Page 5

News @ KIST

Volume 13 Issue 1

End of Year Event 2008-2009
The Secondary End of Year Event on June 26th 2009 was a great success and enjoyed by students, parents and staff. The event
also saw inaugural awards to Grade 11 and 12 students. The awards are as follows:
Creativity, Action, Service …………………. Grade 11 Soo Min……………….. Grade 12 Emi
Extended Essay……………….. Grade 12 Daisy
Contribution to the KIST Community(for outstanding contributions to the KIST community)……………….. Grade 11 Carmina……………….. Grade 12 Sagar

Student Representative Council Elections
This week the SRC Executive spoke to the secondary school to get the nomination and election process underway for classrepresentatives. On Friday next week students will vote for their class representative. SRC meetings will be held on Thursday
afternoons after school.

Supervision Notice
A start of the school year reminder to parents regarding supervision of students at school and the duty of care we hold. The levelof supervision changes with the age of the student and is provided so that foreseeable accidents may be prevented.
Students are supervised in the following spaces and at the following times only:
Lower School
8:00 K1 & K2 Not available unlesssigned up for Before Care (Before
Care classroom advertised at front
reception each day)
K3 Lower School Playground
G1 Same as Primary School
G1 Same as G2
G1 Same as G2

2:00-3:30 K1, K2, K3 not available
unless signed up for After Care
3:00-3:30 G1 Same as PrimaryPrimary School

Secondary School

8:00-8:30 Ground

8:15-8:35 Ground/Building

10:00-10:20 G2 Recess
10:20-10:40 G3/G4/G5 Recess
12:00-12:30 G2 Lunch
12:00-12:30 G3/G4/G5 Recess
12:30-1:00 G2 Recess
12:30-1:00 G3/G4/G5 Lunch
3:00-3:30 Ground10:45-11:05 Ground/Building/Roof
12:50-1:15 Lunch eating on 2nd/3rd
floors

1:10-1:35 Ground/Gym/Building

Please ensure that you do not send your child to school before the appropriate time as supervision will not be available. Further,when visiting the school individual parents/guardians are responsible for the supervision of other children and all children whenat school outside of the times outlined above.

After-School Activities
Information on after-school activities will be distributed to all students next week. Please follow the instructions on the forms toensure that your child is able to enter the club that he/she wishes. Forms must be returned by the due date. As indicated on theschool calendar, after-school activities will commence from week 4 (September 21).

Page 6

News @ KIST

Volume 13 Issue 1

Frequently Asked Questions in the MYP
Ross Ferris, MYP Coordinator

What is the status of the MYP certificate as a school-leaving certificate?
The MYP was not developed in order to lead to a “school-leaving certificate”, but to provide the student with good
preparation for further studies (IB Diploma Programme (DP) or other) and to develop lifelong learning skills anddispositions. The MYP certificate represents global achievement within an MYP curriculum framework, and takes into
account academic as well as non-academic aspects (and, very importantly, the evidence of an understanding of the coredimensions of the programme through the personal project and community and service activities). Experienced MYPschools tell us that students graduating with the MYP certificate are well prepared for independent study and the rigourof the DP.
Will the MYP ever be administered like the Diploma Programme, with a written curriculum and external
assessment?
The MYP is different from the Diploma Programme in a number of ways: it caters to an age group where curriculum iscontrolled in varying degrees by national systems; it is offered to a great variety of schools as a framework within which
schools can adapt their curriculum; and it is taught in many languages.
However, and very importantly, the MYP curriculum framework requires teachers to revisit their own curriculum andpractices, and to work as teams of educators to develop their own progression of learning, enriched with the fundamental
principles of the programme. Therefore, the MYP has a written curriculum, but one that must be written by the teachers
themselves in accordance with the basic principles of the programme.
The MYP assessment criteria are aligned with the objectives of each subject group. Here again, teachers are required towork as teams to adapt their practices to some basic principles, keeping the student at the centre of focus.
From the IB MYP Coordinators Handbook, 2009/10

Letter of Thanks
We have received a letter from the Principal of Marysville Primary School in Victoria, Australia, to express herappreciation for the contribution made by KIST staff to the bush fire appeal at the beginning of 2009. Thanks goes to Ms.
Val Gray (G4A) for organizing this appeal. A certificate of appreciation has been placed on the school notice board.

Learning Support Assistant Required
We are looking for a learning support assistant for a Grade 5 student starting at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school
year. Suitable applicants will have the ability to work closely with the classroom teacher in order to implement an
individual learning program in conjunction with the regular class program. Implementation of the program may require
the teacher assistant to make adaptations to class activities. Applicants should have experience working with children andshow a patient but firm disposition. Applicants should possess strong English language skills. The position requires the
person to initially work with the student at least three full days a week and then slowly reduced if needed. The learning
support assistant will work under the guidance of school staff, although salary and working hours will be a privatearrangement between the student’s family. This would be discussed at the time of interview. Please apply in writing to
Greg Brunton (Primary School Principal) g_brunton@kist.ed.jp by Friday, September 11.

Page 7

News @ KIST

Volume 13 Issue 1

H1N1 New Influenza Virus Update
The number of cases of Swine Influenza A (H1N1) reported in Japan over the summer has grown. The Ministry of
Education is predicting infection rates to increase dramatically with the return of school this week. In accordance withthis the school has revisited its response to H1N1.
Normally if we have a third of a class absent from school due to illness we cancel that class; however, based on theseriousness of this particular virus we will implement a different plan. As this influenza seems to be particularly
dangerous for children under the age of 6, in the Lower School, if there is one case, either teacher or student, the Lower
School will close. For the Primary & Secondary sections of the school if one case is discovered in a class then that classwill close. If more than 10% of staff or students are infected then the relevant section of the school will close.
It is important that we all work together to limit the spread of this infection. For your own safety and that of our wider
school community, we ask that families take particular care with and closely monitor your health. We ask that you
monitor your temperature and if you have a high fever or if you develop flu-like symptoms (such as coughing, sneezing,runny nose, sore throat, body ache, headache, chills, vomiting or diarrhea) please contact your physician and do not cometo school. We ask that parents strictly adhere to the school policy which states that if students display symptoms of
illness they must be kept at home and that the school is contacted. Upon returning to school, please ensure that you
submit a medical certificate directly to the office.
Furthermore, please ensure that you wash your hands and gargle regularly to help protect yourself against the infection
and to prevent its further spread. Teachers will be emphasizing the importance with hand washing with their students.
Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance to the school and other locations. If you are concerned about your childdue to a respiratory condition, please do not send them to school.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our Administration team.

Technology Requirements for a Changing WorldDue to technological advancements in recent years and the increasing importance that technology plays in our daily lives,
we ask for the cooperation of all families in ensuring that children are provided with adequate access to technology athome. Throughout the IB programmes, students are encouraged to use a variety of technology. In order to improve upon
the skills they have learned at school in the use of technology, students need to have the opportunity to practice theseskills at home. It is also important that students are able to transfer the knowledge and skills they learn at school to othersituations and environments. In addition, as the IB programmes are based on inquiry learning, it is essential that students
have access to information on the Internet for research purposes.
Furthermore, an increasing percentage of communication between people
takes place on line. Currently, KIST offers families the option to choose
to receive school communication in either paper or electronic formats;
however, due to various difficulties in maintaining this dual system aswell as the desire to become more environmentally friendly throughreducing paper consumption, we hope to move to a solely electronic
distribution system for all school communication in the near future. We
envisage that the new school website (currently under construction) willbe the main focal point for communication at all levels of the school. We
plan to post all school communication in an online communications log
that families will be able to access after logging in. In order for thissystem to operate effectively, however, it requires the cooperation offamilies in providing the necessary equipment at home. For this reason, if
you have not already done so, we encourage all families to set up a
computer with Internet and e-mail access as well as a printer at home assoon as possible. This will be a requirement of enrolment for all families
from the beginning of the 2010 – 2011 school year. Your support andcooperation in this matter is appreciated.

Page 8News @ KIST

Volume 13 Issue 1

Welcome to New Staff
On behalf of our school community, we would like to welcome our new staff to KIST!

Trevor Adams
t_adams@kist.ed.jp
Secondary Music

Nicola Cahilln_cahill@kist.ed.jp
ESL

Robin Coer_coe@kist.ed.jp
K1A

Juliet Collier
j_collier@kist.ed.jp
Lower/Prim/Sec Art

Laura Collings
l_collings@kist.ed.jp
K2B

Jacqueline Cussen
j_cussen@kist.ed.jp
EnglishWesley Dennis
w_dennis@kist.ed.jp
Technology

Erwin Dumenden
e_dumenden@kist.ed.jp
G3B

Elaine Eacotte_eacott@kist.ed.jp
K2B

Jamie Farquhar
j_farquhar@kist.ed.jp
PE

Sharon Gibbons
s_gibbons@kist.ed.jp
Welfare Counselor/Math

Elly Hausnere_hausner@kist.ed.jp
K3A

David Heppenstalld_heppenstall@kist.ed.jp
Math/Science

John Hoare
j_hoare@kist.ed.jp
English/Humanities

Marnie Hollindalem_hollindale@kist.ed.jp
K3D

Emma Homerlein
pyp_co@kist.ed.jp
PYP Coordinator

Erin Hoovere_hoover@kist.ed.jp
G1B

Seiko Kasadas_kasada@kist.ed.jp
Music

Susan Lees_lee@kist.ed.jp
G2B

Masahide Muramoto
m_muramoto@kist.ed.jp
Lab AssistantMark Ralph
m_ralph@kist.ed.jp
PE

Sarah Ritceys_ritcey@kist.ed.jp
English/Humanities

Will Springw_spring@kist.ed.jp
Math/PE

Elsa Taylor
e_taylor@kist.ed.jp
Science/Biology

Kevin Yoshiharak_yoshihara@kist.ed.jp
G5B

Satoko Yoshimotos_yoshimoto@kist.ed.jp
LibrarianAndrew Younga_young@kist.ed.jp
Biology/Math

We hope you
enjoy your timeat KIST!