The omet

The New sletter of K. International School Tokyo
Volume 22 | Issue 4 | June 2019

In this issue...
02...Supporting Miyagi Prefecture
06…G2 Sharing the Planet
07...Sakura Medal Book Reviews
07...Music Recital11...G10 Personal Project Exhibition
12...MYP Music Service Activities

14...World Scholar’s Cup
14...Yuki Wins World Scientific Award
15...Math Field Day
18...TEDx Youth@KIST
19...G9 I&S Business Simulation
28...Family Day 2019

From the Board President

Dates to Remember

In September 2018, I assumed the role of Acting Head of
School, and this responsibility is quickly coming to an
end. Looking back, I feel it has been a very eventful and fulfilling year.
First of all, I am pleased to announce some great achievements by our Grade
12 students who received acceptances from Cambridge University in the UK,
Tokyo Medical and Dental University School of Medicine, and three offers fromthe University to Tokyo.
Although I have mentioned this previously, I believe it is important to reiteratethat it is the school’s responsibility to the KIST community to achieve our
mission and vision according to our educational philosophies. Conversely, it is
the responsibility of parents/guardians to research the mission, vision,educational philosophies and programs of schools, and to select the schoolthat best matches their own aims for their child’s education.
At the heart of KIST’s mission is our dedication to providing academicallymotivated children with a high-quality education to develop competent,
academic and compassionate individuals who make meaningful contributions
to our global community. And as our vision, we seek for all learners todemonstrate excellence in academics and compassion for others.
In striving to achieve our mission and vision, KIST offers the academicallychallenging IB Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 and 12, the final two
years of the Secondary School. The DP provides opportunities for students todevelop the high-level skills, knowledge and volunteering spirit they will need tosucceed in our ever-changing global society. Furthermore, success in the DP
allows students to continue receiving a high-quality education throughmatriculation to leading universities around the world. Achieving a high scoreon the final DP examinations at the end of Grade 12 not only greatly enhances
students’ chances in gaining acceptance to leading universities worldwide, butalso serves as important evidence that KIST is achieving its mission.
Due to the efforts of its diligent students and excellent teachers, KIST has
achieved the highest average DP score in Japan for the past four years.
However, as an international school, our target is not just to be the best school
in Japan, but the best in the world. To this end, in order to further broaden ourstudents’ horizons, we have set our goal to become a top-level DP school on
an international scale by our 30th anniversary in 2027.

June 201910-11 (G5-G11) Cross curriculardays
10-11 Career experience program
12 (S) Secondary awards ceremonyand (G10) Completion ceremony(*Morning)
12 (K1-G11) Semester 2 reports
issued12 (W) Last day of school forstudents (Half day for students)
12 (K1-G3) After care not available
13-28 Office open
17-28 Summer program session 1
29-Jul 28 School closed

July 201929-Aug 9 Summer program
session 2

August 2019

15 (K1/K2/K3) Parent welcomenight
19 First day of school for all
students
19 (K2-G3) After care begins thisweek
20 (G1-G10) Mathematics
diagnostic testing
21 (G1-G5) Parent welcome night22-23 (G2-G5) English diagnostic
testing
23 (G6-G12) Parent welcome nightContinued on next page

KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for LifePYP | MYP | DP

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2Continued from previous page

To further achieve our mission and vision, the KIST
Board of Directors has decided to implement thefollowing initiatives from the 2019-2020 school year,
and is currently making preparations for these.
•
•
•
•
•

•

It is my hope that the above initiatives will help KIST
attain its mission to a higher level in the future.
From the coming school year, Dr. Kevin Yoshihara willtake over the position of Head of School, and incooperation with Mrs. Komaki, the Associate Head of
School, will be responsible for leading the school’s
educational division. I look forward to working with Dr.
Yoshihara in this role.

Revisions to the Grade/Program Progression
Criteria (shared previously at the parent
information sessions held in January)
Introduction of the IGCSE in G9 and G10, with
MYP offered up to G8 (also shared at the parent
information sessions in January)
Consolidation of a continuous curriculum from
Elementary K3 through to Secondary School.
Students in G5, G8 and G10 (in addition to G9 forMath Extended students) will sit an official external
exam to track their academic progress.
With the aim for all students to succeed in the DP,an after-school Study Hall will be introduced forstudents in G9 and above who need to improve intheir academics.
In order to develop high quality teachers who
contribute to supporting students in achieving highscores in the DP, a teacher training program
targeting KIST alumni has been established inpartnership with a postgraduate school in the UK.

Finally, construction of our new school building andgymnasium complex is scheduled to commence inNovember. I am excited to see the changes this willbring to the school and seek your understanding andcooperation throughout the period of construction.
Yoshishige Komaki
Board President/Acting Head of School

Supporting Miyagi Prefecture
Eight years have now passed since the Great
East Japan Earthquake struck on theafternoon of March 11, 2011. In our continuing
efforts to support the people of Miyagi
prefecture, this year, at our annual “red andwhite” free dress day held on March 11, wewere able to raise a total of ¥80,958 indonations for the Great East Japan
Earthquake Children’s Fund to support
children orphaned in the disaster. Thank you
to all those who participated this year. In
recognition of our donation, we received aletter of appreciation from the Governor of
Miyagi Prefecture, Yoshihiro Murai, which wewould like to share with you here.

I hope you are prospering this spring.
Thank you for your understanding and support toward our prefectural
management.
We sincerely appreciate and gratefully accept your donation to support
the children orphaned in the Great East Japan Earthquake.
We will ensure that your donation will be used effectively for the benefitof the children.
As governor of Miyagi Prefecture, I will do my best to revitalize our

We would also like to remind all members of
the KIST community that a natural disastersuch as an earthquake could happen at any
time. We encourage you take this opportunity
to ensure that your family is prepared inadvance for such an occurrence.

prefecture, hand in hand with the citizens of the prefecture.
I ask for your continued understanding and cooperation in promoting theadministration of the prefecture.

April 11, 2019

To Educational Corporation K. International School
Yoshishige Komaki, Board President

Yoshihiro Murai, Governor of Miyagi Prefecture

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Elementary School NewsThe summer slide, the brain drain, and summer learning loss
Summer vacation will soon be upon us, and like me,
I’m sure you are all looking forward to some rest andrelaxation with family and friends! Taking the time tocatch up with family and friends and ensuring we get
the rest and recreation we crave is important. It is also
important that we use our time wisely in order to avoid
what is commonly know as the summer slide, the brain
drain, or summer learning loss.
Summer learning loss refers to the loss of academic
skills and knowledge over the summer vacation. Hereare some summer learning loss statistics from
oxfordlearning.com:• 2.6 months of math skills can be lost over thesummer vacation.
• It can take up to 6 weeks of re-teaching in the fall tomake up for summer learning loss.
• 2–3 hours per week of review is needed to prevent
summer learning loss.
Don’t be alarmed! According to Edutopia.org, there
are several things we can do over the summer toprevent summer learning loss.

to read every day. 15 to 30
minutes per day is all it takes!
• Develop math skills. Working onjust 3 or 4 math problems per day can prevent
mathematical skills from getting rusty. Reviewing
the previous year’s textbooks is one method. Manyother workbooks are available online.
• Improve reading comprehension by practicing.
Many workbooks are available online.
• Encourage creative writing. By being provided withdifferent topics, children can write paragraphs andstories on their own.
During the summer holiday many students have moretime to read for enjoyment and to review many basic
skills. By setting a few routines early in the vacation, allchildren can develop summer study habits they will
benefit from. Let’s work with our children during thesummer to help maintain all they have learned thisyear!
I wish you all a safe and wonderful summer vacation!
Kevin Yoshihara
Elementary School Principal• Make time for learning. Set aside time for your childSome recommended Math and English workbooks and websites
Available at amazon.co.jp, amazon.co.uk, and bookdepository.com

Mathematics
Grade

Book
CGP Key Stage 1 Workbook Year 1
New G1CGP Key Stage 1 Targeted Study Book Year 1
CGP Key Stage 1 Workbook Year 2
New G2CGP Key Stage 1 Targeted Study Book Year 2
CGP Key Stage 2 Workbook Year 3
New G3
CGP Key Stage 2 Targeted Study Book Year 3
CGP Key Stage 2 Workbook Year 4
New G4
CGP Key Stage 2 Targeted Study Book Year 4
CGP Key Stage 2 Workbook Year 5
New G5
CGP Key Stage 2 Targeted Study Book Year 5
https://uk.ixl.com/
https://www.khanacademy.org/

ISBN
9781841460826
9781782941354
9781841460819
9781782941361
9781841460697
9781847621900
9781841460680
9781847621917
9781841460673
9781847622136

English
Grade

Book
Key
Stage
1
EnglishTargeted
Question Book –New G1
Comprehension Year 1
Key Stage 1 English Targeted Question Book –New G2Comprehension Year 2
Key Stage 2 English Targeted Question Book –New G3Comprehension Year 3
Key Stage 2 English Targeted Question Book –New G4Comprehension Year 4
Key Stage 2 English Targeted Question Book –New G5Comprehension Year 5
https://www.k5learning.com/reading-comprehension-worksheetsISBN
9781782947585
9781782947592
9781782944485
9781782944492
9781782944508

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PYP News
Inspire the summer!

“He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.”―Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The above quote from the author known best for writing
the poem “Kubla Khan” rings clear when we consider
the upcoming summer break. Finding ways to engage
our children during times away from school is one of
the biggest challenges for parents. Our children spend
10 months a year focusing on their studies and deserve
relief from the stress and pressure that a rigorous
curriculum demands of them. Intuitively, parents thinkof activities and special summer programs to give theirchild just such a break, but they might missopportunities for learning as they seek recreation. Don’t
get me wrong, I’m not saying that programs that offer
fun and relaxation aren’t valuable and rewarding. It’s
just that with the right preparation and consideration
parents can tap into the lessons that have been
covered over the past year and look for connections
within the local environment and materials foundaround the house.

inquiry mindset that will enable them to see theopportunities that lie around every corner and avail
themselves to the trained eye. Simply reigniting
conversations that took place over the year regarding
your child’s learning is a great way to stoke the fires
and get your child thinking about what kind of inquiry
they may want to expand on or review. Taking action orjust thinking of next steps that could extend the workthat they have already laid as foundation for thought will
help your child grow within their conceptual and criticalthinking skills. Reading is a great way to extend on theirinvestigations. I urge parents to start the summer off
with a trip to the library or a bookstore. You’ll find books
that provide inspiration and invigorate your children’s
imaginations on one side of the coin, or actually getsthem moving towards the door to try some newactivities ranging from sports to science experiments on
the other.

Our students have demonstrated a high level ofconceptual understanding in their PYP Units of Inquiry
and therefore should be viewing their world from asomewhat “enhanced” point of view. Although taking on
the “inquiry mind frame” might be a little imposing forparents that are somewhat new to the school, second
year and veteran parents should have a knack for the

Remember, your child has spent the better part of ayear preparing for what could be a fantastic summer oflearning, relaxing and expanding their knowledge as
they move toward their “moment of inspiration”.
Clay M. Bradley
PYP Coordinator/Elementary School Vice Principal

Elementary ELS
Visualizing—a reading strategy to practice at home
You can help your child keep up their progress in English-language reading
comprehension at home this summer, even if you don’t read together withthem in English. Reading comprehension strategies are transferred acrosslanguages, so as long as you are reading with your child in any language, theirEnglish-language reading comprehension skills will benefit.
One key reading strategy that helps your child read in their less-dominantlanguage(s) is visualizing. So practicing visualization in their dominant
Teo (left) and Akshat (right) of G5B often
use visualization as a reading
language sets them up to better tackle books in any of their other languages.
Encourage your child to pay attention to the picture in their head that the words comprehension strategy. Akshat is reading
The Wild Robot Escapes. When he firston the page give them by asking them questions like “What picture do you
started, he had a picture in his head of ahave in your mind as you read this page?” and “How does the picture change crazy robot, but as he kept reading, thepicture gradually changed into a calm robot
as you keep reading the story?” Prompt them to go back and re-read difficult
parts and notice how they adjust the image in their head as they work out their who was living outside in the jungle like awild animal. Teo practices visualizing whenmisunderstandings.
reading in Japanese and is working ontransferring this strategy over to the difficult

Practicing this strategy in any language over summer will help keep your child books he challenges himself to read inon form with a habit that will support their understanding whenever they read in English.
English.
In case you haven’t seen them yet, here are links to more tips on supporting your child’s reading skills at homeover summer:b
Web

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/reading-tips-parents-11-languagesbWeb

http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/parent-tips-summer-reading

Rachel Parkinson
Elementary ELS Coordinator/G5 ELS Instructor

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V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 9

Early Childhood News
It’s hard to believe that this is already the last issue of
The Comet for 2018–19. When you have young
children at home, it can sometimes feel as if the time isflying by far too fast. I hope that all the K1–K3 parents
who have been feeling this way have enjoyed the pastschool year with your children, as I know I have!
We have had another successful year in ECE, and we
couldn’t have done it without the continued support ofour wonderful parents and families. Thank you all!
Since the last issue of The Comet, the K1–K3 teachers
decided to hold an ECE event all together towards theend of the school year—Pajama Day. Although wehave held a similar event previously, this year’s PJ Day
was slightly different than in previous years. This year,
we decided to use ‘Edu Breakout’ as one of the main
activities for PJ Day. Edu Breakout is a set ofimmersive learning games for the classroom. For more
information, please visit:b
Web

www.BreakoutEDU.com

On PJ Day, the children changed into their pajamas
and moved to the MPR where we held our lastassembly of the year, which led into the start of thegame.
When the children returned to their classrooms, they
discovered that a big box with 5 keys attached had
been set up in their absence. Through anannouncement over the PA system, the students weretold, as a part of the game, that they would be stuck intheir current grade levels if they were not able tosuccessfully use the keys to open the box. In order to
use the keys, students had to solve various ageappropriate puzzles applying the knowledge they havegained through the year in literacy and math. It also
required communication skills, problem solving andteamwork. The puzzles were chosen by the teachers tomake sure they were challenging for the students but
not too difficult for them to do by themselves. We
enjoyed watching the students work together to solvethem!

By the end of the game, all the children “broke out” bysolving the puzzles and unlocking the box, andreceived a medal saying, “We broke out! We will bepromoted to the new grade level!” We were proud tosee the students working together, using the skills they
had gained over the past school year, and having agreat time while they were learning!
Unlike tangible topics like numeracy and literacy, it ismuch harder to teach important but invisible life skills
such as showing kindness to others and building
teamwork. We have enjoyed guiding the ECE children
through these important concepts for the past year, andwe hope to see the seeds of kindness we helped yourchildren to plant in their minds grow into beautiful trees
with each coming year.
On behalf of all ECE staff, thank you again for yoursupport.
Eri Ozawa
Early Childhood Coordinator (K1-K3)/K1B Teacher

Please check our
Kindy Concert,
Gruffalo, here
using this QR
code.

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G2 Sharing the Planet
Function, change and responsibility
Grade 2 students have been learning about
how plants sustain life on earth and play animportant role in our lives. As part of the unit,
students invested their efforts in growing small
hatsuka radishes and salad leaves. The
students planted their seeds in self-watering
planters which were assembled using two 2liter bottles that students had brought fromhome. They learned that as all seeds are notguaranteed to germinate, they should plant
more than can grow in a pot.
The pots were left by the window in the sun.
Once the seeds germinated, the students
thinned the sprouts by pulling out
unnecessary seedlings to provide space forthe growing plants. They shared the
responsibility of keeping the water in eachother’s planters clean and full.
In approximately three weeks, some of theearly veggies were ready to harvest.
Aya Kurosaki
G2A Teacher

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New Faces
Since the last issue of The Comet, wehave welcomed two new staff members
to our Elementary School team—Shannon Bellwho is working as our new Elementary School
Librarian, and Rose Yazar who is our new parttime After Care Attendant.
Additionally, our former Elementary Schoolintern, Amanda Kok, has joined our staff full timeas an ELS instructor working with Grade 1A.

Shannon BellElementary School Librarian

Rose Yazar
After Care Attendant

On behalf of the school community, we wish you
all the best in your new roles and hope that you
enjoy your time with us.

Amanda Kok
ELS Instructor (G1B)

Sakura Medal Book Review Contest
The 2018–19 Sakura Medal Book Review Contest was held recently. KIST was represented
once again this year by eight students in total; 5 from the lower grades and 3 from the upper
grades.
We are pleased to announce that Kyo (G3B) won the Bronze Award in the lower school
division. Congratulations!

Music Recital
On May 24, we held a small recital to showcase our new music lessons initiative. Overthe past several months, our musically talented secondary students have taught one-on-one voice, cello, violin, piano and drums lessons to elementary students. We hope tocontinue to expand this service activity further in the next academic year.
Robert Collins and Makiko DuranMusic Teachers78“ T h e Co m e t ”

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G5 Mentor
As a culmination of their time learning and growing in
the PYP—up to 8 years for some students!—ourGrade 5 students are tasked with doing research andcreating a comprehensive presentation about a world
issue as a part of the PYP Exhibition. Every year,
various PYP teachers support these students as their
mentor, helping to guide them through the process.
I also enjoy supporting the G5s with their Exhibition
projects each year, and this year, my group, Jiani(G5A), Sasha (G5B) and Edison (G5A), researchedand presented about the topic of ‘endangered
animals.’ I was very proud of their efforts that
culminated in a successful Exhibition presentation,
but I was even more impressed when, after the
Exhibition, one of them e-mailed me seeking advice
on how to take action by organizing activities forEndangered Species Day in order to further raiseawareness of their topic.
With the support of the K1 to K3 teachers, the threeG5s planned a presentation about endangered
animals for K1–K3 students, and also organized adrawing competition for the young learners to draw
pictures of endangered animals. The K1–K3 students
really enjoyed both the presentation and thecompetition.
During the very last Elementary assembly of the year,
Jiani, Sasha and Edison announced the winners of
the competition and handed out certificates. Following
this, they gave a presentation to all the students in the
Elementary School about the importance of protecting
endangered species.

While there are many people in the world who careabout certain topics and want to make a change,
there are far fewer who actually take tangible action
towards helping their cause. Especially for G5
students who were not required to do anything extra
beyond the scope of the Exhibition, I was deeply
impressed with Jiana, Sasha and Edison’s initiativeand courage.
I was also very pleased with the wonderful learning
opportunity this activity provided to both thekindergarten children who listened to the explanationfrom the G5s and participated in the contest, and also
to the G5s themselves.
Eri Ozawa
ECE Coordinator (K1–K3)/K1B
Teacher

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V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 9

LEAP News
Reflecting on Semester 2 LEAP
We find ourselves at the end of another school year! As
our school community begins to clean out our desks,
packing away the half-finished origami projects andthrowing away the hardened glue sticks that always
seem to gather at the backs of drawers, I find that it
can be a good moment to stop and consider what wehave managed to collect in our metaphorical desks
throughout the school year: the skills we havemastered, the successes we have had, the obstacles
we have faced.
Any reflection on the impact that LEAP has had for the
2018–2019 school year would be incomplete without
consciously raising up the voices of the students who
participated. To be a successful program dedicated to
students’ academic achievement, I believe we mustalso value their voices, listening carefully to what they
can tell us about how they learn, where they feel
confident, and what their needs are. By giving students
the space to offer feedback, we can reflect on theefficacy of our lessons as educators, while helping
students grow to be active partners in their education.
To create an opportunity for student expression
regarding learning, LEAP instructors were asked at theend of the semester to lead students in a reflection,and I would like to share some of the responses(portions have been edited slightly for clarity).
These students shared aspects of their lessons they
did and did not enjoy:
I enjoyed learning fractions. Because when you
eat something, I have to share something.”—G1 student
I don’t like to present…”—G2 student
I enjoyed my LEAP class with doing writing stuff
because some parts, it is kind of fun to do…and
we also used whiteboard a lot. We only have 30
minute each day, but we had a lot of fun.”—G3 student
Students also explained what they learned and where
they felt they grew over the semester:I improved in presenting and speaking in front of
everyone.”—G2 student
I got better at adding detail in the sentence.”—G3 student
First, I didn’t like reading but when we readmany books and try to write about what we read,the reading started getting fun.”—G4 student[I learned] how to write better and how topunctuate.”—G4 student

Finally, students set
new goals to
address areas where
they felt they stillneeded to improve,demonstrating a
students enjoying a puppet
growing awareness Extension
show (Photo by K. Millican)that learning is an
ongoing process:I want to improve reading skill.”—G1 student
I want to learn more about multiplication anddivision.”—G1 student
I need to improve in spellings and try to readvery big words.”—G2 student
I want to improve on writing stories and thoseideas.”—G4 student
Just as students
identify their own
areas of need, I too
think our community
can step up our
educational
practices by readingthese responses. If
we can value ourstudents’ thoughts
and opinions in theG2 students researching plants (Photoplanning of our
by: L. Shigemitsu)
lessons, I think we
can effectively
center students’ needs to ensure that students involvedin LEAP feel they have gained the skills they need tofeel more confident in the classroom, more motivatedtoward their learning, and more in control of theireducation—to feel they “grew happier” as learners, as
one G1 student put it.
I would like to close by thanking LEAP students fortheir hard work this semester. Thank you also to ourschool community of administrators, educators andparents for the
support they havegiven to make ourprogram as effective
as possible.
Best wishes for asafe and restfulholiday!
Katherine Millican
LEAP CoordinatorK3 students practicing transition words(Photo by: C. Wang)

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KIPS News
From the P1 classroom...
June is here! It is the time of the year again when we look back and realize
how the P1 children have grown and developed. The class this year issmaller compared to last year, with a total of 5 children. With 3 teachers to
support and guide the children, we believe that this brought a positive
outcome for the students.
The teachers were able to watch the children closely and support theparents in their children’s development. One area we supported was toilet
training. The children were given enough time to do things by themselves
or offered help when they needed it. Some children have also started towear underwear to KIPS, and the teachers maintain open communication
with the parents about their child’s progress and toilet routine. The P1
class also had the chance to go on a picnic at Hamacho Park this year.
The children seemed to have fun exploring and interacting with nature.
They got to see lots of cherry blossoms, flowers and some bugs too. They
also joined in the Family Day event at KIST for the first time. Together with
their teachers and P2 friends, the P1s practiced the games at KIST during
outdoor time. They looked excited to jump, crawl, run, waddle and cheer
for other friends while playing the games. Well done!!!
At KIPS, we try our best to support both the children and their parents. We
encourage the children to try new things and to not giveup easily when facing challenging tasks. They say “no” or
cry at times, but when supported by friends and teachers,
they seem eager to finish the task and say, “I did it!” witha smile on their faces.
Ma. Cielito Bautista
P1 Teacher

From the P2 classroom...
In April, the P2 children performed adorable songs and dances on the big
stage during the KIST Kindergarten Concert. The children were all surprised
to stand on the stage in front of such a large crowd, but they were able to set
aside their desire to go running to their parentsꟷwho they could see in theaudienceꟷand did a great job of singing and dancing until the end of theshow! Good job, P2 friends! They were also able to watch the impressive
performances of their former KIPS friends who are now students at KIST.
Seeing the growth of the KIPS graduates allowed the P2s to imagine what
they themselves may be capable of in 1, 2 and 3 years into the future, andthey are already looking forward to next year’s concert.
On Family Day last year, the P2s took part in only one event, but this year,
they took on the challenge of participating in two events with their parentsꟷ
the “Animal obstacle race” and the “Turtle relay.” Along with the students,
KIPS itself is growing, too! Additionally, In May and June, several KIPS
parents visited the school together with the teachers, and we learned about
Russian, Chinese, Filipino and Japanese cultures. We are very grateful tothese parents for further increasing our children’s opportunities to learn
about various cultures around the globe.
Soon, it will be time for the P2 completion ceremony. In the past year, theP2s have really shown us how much they have grown up. They overcame
their phases of rejecting new things and have grown up into wonderful andaccomplished boys and girls. All of us at KIPS are already sad to think that
we will no longer be able to see the children each dayꟷwe’re going to missthem a lot! However, we look forward to seeing them again at various KIST
events, and this is one of the positives about being at KIST. We will becheering for all KIPS graduates as they continue their education!
Nobuko Matsumura
P2 Teacher

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MYP News
G10 Personal Project exhibition highlights
student interests and skills
The 2019 MYP Personal Project exhibition was held in theschool gym on Friday, March 1.
The Grade 10s completed their work over the course of
several months. In each case, the project is driven by thestudents’ own interests; their passions drive their choices.
Supported by teacher-supervisors, they work todemonstrate a range of important academic skills(Thinking, Researching, Communicating) and the ability to
execute long-term plans.

The G10s on Exhibition Day

The project, completed independently and in addition to the students’ other subject work, involves producing a
product or outcome, a process journal documenting their work, and a Personal Project report that highlights theirachievements.
The exhibition was an enjoyable day. Each of the other students in MYP investigated the projects throughout theday, interviewing the G10s and gaining insight into the nature of research-based learning.
Judging by the variety of topics covered, the quality of the products, and the high degree of student interest, the2019 G10s should be proud of their work.
Robert WhiteMYP Coordinator

Sonakshi (G10B)
completed aninvestigation of
weddingpractices in India.
Her colorfuldisplay was a hit
at the exhibition.

Yukino (G10A),
Shreeya (G10A)
and Jiaying(G10B) share a
moment after
setting up theirdisplays.

Aki (G10B)
explains his
project to visiting
G8s.

Thilo (G10B)
included butterfly
lapel pins as partof her display on
the effects ofmental healthconditions.

Min Seung(G10B)
discusses his
project with
Elementary ELS
Coordinator, Ms.
Rachel.
LMC TeacherLibrarian, Mr. Tim,
was instrumental in
supporting thestudents' work.
Here, he guides
visiting MYP
students throughtheir investigationsof the G10 work.

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MYP Music Service Activities
KIST Secondary Students’ Orchestra

This year, as part of this Service-related club, we visited Rose Garden Fukagawa, anursing home located near KIST, to perform mini concerts. Each student helped to build
the concert program by choosing musical pieces that they hoped the senior citizens
residing in the home would enjoy.
At the end of each concert, students had time to chat with the residents and received
much positive feedback. The concerts provided a great opportunity for the students toperform solo and ensemble pieces and to build a positive relationship with the seniorcitizens and staff at the nursing home.

At Rose Garden Fukagawa

We have also started performing at Stella Preschool Minami Aoyama, where ourstudents performed a variety of children’s songs and dances, and played gameswith the preschool children. We hope to expand our performance opportunities in
the upcoming school year and create even more positive musical experiences withothers.

Musical elves

At Stella Preschool

The Grade 8 boys started this Service activity to help organize the music room andassist backstage at school-organized music events, including the winter concert
and school musical. They were very helpful and supportive in making props andsetting up the stage. It is always nice to support student-led service activities.

Music lessons

This new Service activity began at the beginning of the school year. The purpose of theactivity is for secondary students to promote music learning at KIST by offering
instrumental and vocal lessons for elementary students. The lessons were held every
morning in both the elementary and secondary music rooms. Secondary students
offered lessons in piano, drums, cello, violin and singing. It has been a very popular
activity, and I hope to continue supporting the secondary students as they share theirmusical talents with the elementary students next year. Please look out for an e-mailregarding participation in music lessons in the future.

Music lessons

Koto Ward Adopt Program

Thank you very much to the parents who volunteered their time to support the G6–9 students’ advisory groupservice project.
This year, similar to last year, the students collected litter in the neighborhood surrounding KIST. At a glance, ourneighborhood seems very clean, but on closer look, we found a lot of litter in the bushes. I hope that this experience
will raise students’ awareness about keeping the environment clean, and that it will motivate them to generate theirown ideas about creating new service activities for next year. We also want to thank the Kiyosumi Park staff who
supported our activities throughout the year. The photos below were taken at Kiyosumi Park.

We plan to hold the same activity next year, and look forward to once again receiving the support of parents andguardians by volunteering to supervise the students.
Makiko Duran
MYP Music Teacher / MYP Service Coordinator“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 9

G10 Peer Support Leaders
In your opinion, why is peer support
important?
Peer support is important as we areable to understand our peers’
feelings better. Because of this, we
can empathize with them, allowing
us to provide better support for themrather than teachers or parents.

Anya (G10B)

Everyone needs support throughout their life as it
gives them encouragement (motivation) to succeed
or overcome obstacles. I believe support from peers
is most effective and motivating. By hearing different
opinions from peers, there is a higher chance to
comfort everyone individually but also help them
resolve their conflicts.

Saki (G10A)

Sujin (G10A)

Peer support is significant as we try
to take action to support ourclassmates who need an extra
hand. That’s our basic role, butanother thing to note is that we arealso part of the community, so we
can better represent the student
voice.

How did you grow/What did you learn as a peer support leader this year?
As a peer support leader, I learned to better manage and organize group events and I was able
to better understand my peers and the problems they are experiencing. It was interesting to see
the problems that our grade level was experiencing as some of them were rather unexpected.
From this, I picked up on the fact that things are not so obvious on the surface.
I learned how everyone has different opinions and tastes toward a lot of things. It sounds
obvious, but it is really hard to satisfy everyone and sometimes it requires some tough decisions.
As a peer support leader, I was able to grow as a strong decision maker and communicator that
relates well with my classmates.
When I first heard about peer support leaders, I had a strong desire to participate in such a
service activity. Not only did this give me a position to openly support my peers, but it also madeit easier for others to talk openly about their struggles whenever they want to. By taking
initiative, I became more confident in communicating and was conscious of my actions towards
others, which resulted in me fostering a greater sense of responsibility. It was a great
opportunity for me to learn how to solve problems and generate small steps for a betterconclusion.

Shout out something encouraging/inspiring to your peers!
2 more years to go.

Are you suffering from stress? Or
struggling with schoolwork? Don't worry!
KIST has assigned peer support leaders
to help you overcome troubles. If you
need help, don’t hesitate to reach out tous if you ever feel overwhelmed. We will
always be there for you so please don’t
give up.

I sometimes hear my friends say “that classsounds more fun than ours,” or something alongthat line. But, our class is not that bad! I want tobuild a positive community and my aim as apeer support leader was to try to hear my peers
say “This year was fun!” and “Hmm… not bad”.
However, this cannot be achieved without
everyone’s support. Peer leader support also
requires your support, so let's build a warm
community together.

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World Scholar’s Cup
During the Golden Week holiday, KIST students from
Grades 6 to 11 went to Ichikawa Gakuen, located near
Motoyawata in Chiba prefecture, to participate in thisyear’s edition of the World Scholar’s Cup for the fourthyear running.
The competition was very demanding, and this year,
there were more competitors than ever before, withover 120 students in the Junior Division, and about 600
students in the Senior Division. We participated in four
different events—the Debates, Collaborative Writing,
Scholar’s Challenge (an exam on five different subject
areas), and the Scholar’s Bowl (a team quiz). Each oneof these events were exacting in different ways,
mentally and physically, but in the end, it was all worth
it considering all the awards KIST had won.
In the Junior Division, Saanvi (G8A) was the first-placedebater, and the team of Saanvi (G8A), Gini (G8B),
and Nehal (G8A) were awarded second in the
Debates.
In the Senior Division, for the Debates, I, Ethan (G10B)
was the second-place debater, while the team ofmyself, Sidaarth (G10B) and Min Seung (G10B) wereawarded third in the Debates, and second in
Collaborative Writing. Keita (G11B) and Min Seung(G10B) were first and second respectively in the
Collaborative Writing portion of the contest; the teamincluding Keita (G11B), Emani (G11B), and Heizo(G11A) were first in this the event as well, winning a
trophy.

Ethan (G10B), Sidaarth (G10B) and Min Seung (G10B)

The mixed-school team of Sara (G8A), Devaj (G8B),
and a student of another school, were crowned firstplace in the Scholar’s Bowl and third overall, alsoearning a trophy.
Overall, this was a very successful year for KIST in theWorld Scholar’s Cup, with students winning 60
individual medals and 63 teammedals, for a total of 123 medals—
let’s hope KIST can improve theirresults even further next year.
Ethan (G10B)

Yuki Wins World Scientific AwardIn December 2018, World Scientific announced the Molecular Frontiers
Journal Award, which invited students aged 13–18 to produce a 1000-word
article on the topic of “To identify opportunities and challenges ahead for
our future earth and come up with solutions for these”. The articles were
judged by the Molecular Frontiers Journal Editorial Board, on their
originality, presentation of concept, development of solutions, impact, andfeasibility of implementation. The competition drew in submissions fromaround the world.
One of our students, Yuki (G12B), participated in the contest and won the second prize award of $3000. As part of
the award, Yuki’s article, which was an extract of her extended essay, will be published in the Molecular Frontiers
Journal and in an upcoming book by World Scientific on “Solutions for Future Earth”. More details can be found at:bWeb

https://www.worldscientific.com/page/pressroom/2019-05-09-01

Yuki and Mr. Cowe were also invited to a dinner in Sweden on May 8, 2019, along with many distinguished guests
including Nobel laureates as well as a symposium in Sweden held by the Molecular Frontiers Foundation, The Royal
Swedish Academy of Sciences and Chalmers University of Technology. Unfortunately, Yuki had her IB Diploma final
exams on the same day, so she was unable to attend the symposium and the dinner.
We hope KIST students are able to attain many more opportunities and become successful in the future!

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 9“ T h e Co m et ”

Math Field Day
On March 12, 2019, 28 students from KIST attended
the annual KPASSP Math Field Day event at Zama
High School in Kanagawa. Our students from Grade
6 to 11 performed very well during the morning
individual competitions and showed leadership in themixed school teams during the Tech challenge andthe Energizer activities.
This year, a total of 7 students mounted the podiumin the individual competition. This was the highest
number of students amongst 12 participating
schools.
We would like to recognize the following students forrepresenting KIST on the podium.
(L>R) Hyunwoo, Yiling, Wenhui, Hoyuki, Kaito, Gi Jeong, Nimit

Hyunwoo (G6A):
1st place in the rapid competition
Hoyuki (G6A):
1st place in the G6 category
Wenhui (G6B):
2nd place in the G6 category
Kaito (G7B):
3rd place in the G7 category,
1st place team in the Tech challenge
Gi Jeong (G8B):
1st place in the G8 category
Yiling (G9B):
2nd place in the G9 category
Nimit (G11B):
3rd place in the G11 category
Congratulations to all participating students for their
hard work training for the past 2 months!
Nanami Sakuma
MYP/DP Mathematics Teacher

Biblio Battle
The second annual National Junior High School“Biblio Battle” (held by the “Katsujibunka suishinkaigi,” managed by Yomiuri Shimbun, and sponsored
by MEXT) took place on March 24, 2019 at Yomiuri
Otemachi Hall. In total, 51 representatives from the
47 prefectures of Japan participated in thiscompetition where contestants give a presentation
about a book they enjoyed and vote on which bookthey would like to read based on the presentations ofother contestants.
KIST was proud to support Sara (G8) as one of therepresentatives from Tokyo.
Sara tried her best during the preliminary rounds, but
unfortunately, in the face of stiff competition, she was
not able to join the four finalists in the final round.
Etsuo Kamo
MYP/DP Japanese Teacher

The KIST Team, Math Field Day 2019

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G9 Camp Visit to Yamanaka-ko
After Golden Week, the Grade 9 students traveled to Yamanashi
prefecture to the YMCA Camp Yamanaka at the foot of Mt. Fuji.
Over the course of two days, the students cycled, boated and hiked
as they worked to build a closer bond among themselves. The
second day included a session led by Ms. Evelyn where thestudents shared positive impressions they have about theirclassmates in an effort to foster a supportive atmosphere in the year
group. As you read through the student reflections below, you can
see the G9s enjoyed their camp experience.

Ryuun (G9B) and Rei (G9A) with Mt. Fuji in the
background.

Lilike (G9B)N

ot everyone likes sports or camping, but even over thosepeople who are not usually keen on it, everyone cancome out saying they have had a remarkable experience at
the G9 camp. Amongst other activities, from my personal
point of view, some of the most memorable moments circled
around these very moments. To keep it short, just two of themwill be mentioned here: team building exercises andcanoeing. Both contributed to the camp experience in their
Manaka (G9B), one of many frisbee players in theown unique ways.
G9 group.
Did you ever want to know what others think of you? I hear you saying: “Not that much, no” or “Itdoesn’t matter”, but deep down we all know that we do care about our classmates’ opinions andviews, because none of us wants to be alone. We all need friends, and some of them will befound at school, where we share our feelings, likes and dislikes, insecurities and also prospects
for the future. Sometimes we find them in unexpected ways. At the beginning of camp, we all
had been sorted into groups with other students we would not normally be close friends with(similar to the sorting hat principle in Harry Potter—however mixing traits rather than matchingthem), which did worry some of us, especially myself. There were three groups, “Yama” “Naka”
and “Ko”. The bad news is that the handful of people I was hoping to be with weren’t in my team(Yama). The good news, though, is that in the end, thanks to the team building and canoeing, I
was glad to have been with the people in my group, because we experienced friendship andcamaraderie while trying to do the best for our group. Team building, for instance, meant sitting
in a circle and, through a concerted exercise, trying to find and articulate the main qualities we
could think of in our team members. There were quite some surprising outcomes, and yet, we
all found a shared sense of understanding. On the other hand, the more physical activity ofcanoeing on a lake took all of us to a newly found mutual consent. The first plan was to put all
members of our group into one boat, but a leak was found and they decided not to drownanyone. One small boat held 6 people, and this unusual task required us to truly work as ateam. Figuring out how to move the boat in one straight direction was a shared effort and once
we managed to do this, we weren’t stoppable.
We were only at the campfor 2 days, but these days
were truly impressive. If I
were to give some advice
to others, use the time
well and enjoy every
minute. The shared senseof achievement will carry
you everywhere.

G9s arriving at the YMCA Camp Yamanaka-ko.

Continued on next page

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 9Continued from previous page

Rinka (G9A)On the way to the YMCA, the view of Mt. Fuji
with some snow and the clear Yamanaka
lake under the beautiful sky was breathtaking,and I was amazed at the beautiful naturalscenery. We were so excited to do boating on
Yamanaka lake and enjoy the view too!
Unfortunately, it rained while we were boating, so
we couldn’t enjoy the scenery. I was sad about
that, but we worked hard and cooperated duringboating to make the best of the experience.
We were divided into three groups for the boating
activities, and every person had a paddle. I rodewith 5 people on one boat, so it was difficult toget balanced, and we almost fell into the lake.
When we started rowing, the boat spun a lot anddidn’t go straight. We then worked together to go
forward and rowed in unison. As we kept rowing,
we kept improving too. Since we were alreadywet, we had some fun, splashing water on eachother. We also saw a swan gracefully sailing nearus. When the swan quacked in front of our boat,
we kidded that it was talking to us.
After boating, we were drenched and freezing, so
we warmed up in front of the heater in the YMCA.
We talked about what we saw and felt whenboating and basked in the light of the afterglow.
Everyone was exhausted from boating in the rain,
but we worked hard and helped each other. We
really enjoyed boating and had a good time witheveryone, so I think it turned out well. It was avery valuable experience, and we were able todeepen our friendship even more.

Minn Thant (G9B)On the second day of our camp, we allwent to hike up a mountain until wereached a shrine. It was sunny, so it was fairly
hot for everyone during the hike. While wewere walking to the base of the mountain, we
happily talked about the activities we did theprevious day.
Once we arrived at the base, we hiked at ourown pace and had to stop once we reached
the shrine. First, we had to go up a longstaircase, and by the time we were halfway
done, we all started panting and felt like ourlegs would collapse. Once we reached theend, we found out there was much more to
the path and feared the thought of morehiking.
Eventually, I arrived at the shrine with a groupof my peers safely, where we saw a small
group of our classmates waiting. The shrine
was peaceful, and we even walked on a little
path behind the shrine, believed to bring us
luck and fortune. After resting and taking
some group photos, we headed back to the
YMCA.
The hike allowed us to not only socialize andtalk about our experiences at the camp, butalso to experience a great change of scenerywith our peers. The hike helped us growcloser with each other, and even though wewere tired and almost got lost, we all
overcame the inconveniences we faced andenjoyed the hike and bonding experience with
our grade.

Daichi (G9A)
and Rei (G9B)
play soccer inthe field at thecamp.

Satoshi(G9B), Junyong (G9A),
Anish (G9B),
Miyabi (G9B)
and Kokone(G9A) returnfrom a coldand damp trip
in the rowboat.

Ms. Evelyn
introducing ateam building
activity forTeam Ko.

Team Yama
and Ms.
Jagroo on
their bike ridearound the
lake.

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TEDxYouth@KIST

The KIST TEDx Club and guest speakers

Twisha (G11B)

This year, Miss Neill and her team of Grade 10 and 11
students embarked on the challenge of showcasing thewealth of talent we have here at K. International
School. The TEDx Club were granted an official license
to hold an event comprised of new ideas our students
wanted to share. A year in the making, the event
certainly took a lot of planning and preparation.
Thirty-two hopefuls applied for a place to speak at theevent and an official competition was held in February
2019. The judges were astounded by the confidence
and talent of each of the contestants, unfortunately,
only six places were available. The decision was very
difficult, yet the places were granted to our finalists forthe originality of their ideas, their engaging presentation
skills and their sheer dedication to the cause.
Our event was held on May 9, 2019 at the Fukugawa
Edo Museum and was a roaring success. As a guest
speaker, Isaac Aquino, founder of the Tokyo Interlopers
social media movement delivered an engaging talk on
the importance of taking a chance on an idea while atthe same time, making the world more inclusive andaccepting.
The highlights of the evening were delivered by KIST
students, who were fine representatives of what ourstudent body has to offer; originality, confidence andingenuity. See below for the line-up of our speakers
and their respective topics—well done to everyone
involved, especially our TEDx team and student
speakers and everyone who attended. May this be thebeginning of a great tradition here at KIST.
Heather Neill
DP Core Coordinator / Secondary English Teacher

Guest speaker, Isaac Aquino

Opening Speech
Guest Speaker - Isaac Aquino
The founder of ‘Tokyo Interlopers’‘Third Culture Kids? no no no! Bridging kids!’
by Yui G11A
‘The Enigma called School Math’by Jihye G11A
‘The Science of Risks’by Zayan G6B & Aditya G8B
Interlude‘The Dangers of Social Classification’by Mehak G9B‘Japan’s Packaging Problem’
by Twisha G11B
‘The Power of Taboo Language’by Hanna G9A‘No surprises’ and ‘No buses’
by Aya G11B, Joshua G11B, Justin G11B and Shubhankar G11A

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 9“ T h e Co m et ”

G9 I&S Business Simulation
On May 23, 2019, the G9 Individuals and Societies classes
participated in a business simulation activity run by representatives
from Deloitte. They applied their knowledge from a recent Economics
unit to make decisions for their businesses in a real-life simulation.
Read how the G9s felt about the experience below.
Manaka (G9B)
I enjoyed the session with Deloitte as I was able to collaborate with my group members to makedifferent choices that could be good or bad for our company. We took risks and endured thetension—waiting for our results after each round of decision making was very exciting and it wasvery interesting that we got to see what we could have done better with each round.
Yiling (G9B)
I enjoyed estimating the demand of our product. Also, it was interesting to choose which area ourcompany was going to spent the most in, for example, marketing or technology. When all thegroups put their investment in one area, for example marketing, there was a huge disadvantage forthe groups who didn’t, and if no one invested, then the group who did would benefit.
Tatsunori
I have applied Economic concepts to a scenario during this session by thinking about how different
factors can affect each result at the end. For example, when I increased the advertisement money,
there were more products sold, which means that these factors are related to the demand directly.
Makana (G9B)
I enjoyed this session with Deloitte, as my group was able to climb the ranks and be in the top 3 atthe very end. I first thought that this event would not really be interesting; however, as our group
got the hang of how the money moved within an economy and subscribed to the advice from thepeople that worked at Deloitte, we were able to sell more and earn more. It was quite fun working
as a group and making the right choices.
Miku (G9B)
I enjoyed the unique experience we were given to experience the real world. The session wasespecially interesting as we had a very close competition with a satisfying end. Deloitte has also
supported us throughout the experience with a lot of advice.

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Science Department News
G4 visit to the Biology lab

The Secondary science department hosted some very special guests in April. The G4 students,
who were learning about plant science, explored their understanding of the topic further throughexperimental work conducted in the Secondary Biology laboratory. Paper chromatography,
photosynthesis and reproduction in plants were investigated through hands-on experiments.
We enjoyed taking the journey of discovery together!

G10 Chemistry saponification experiment

The G10s made their own soap as part of their Chemistry class as shown in the photographs below.

Koju scrapping off the residue tomaximize yield; or probably just trying
to react the salt he added while being
supervised by Abhinava.

Cat, Ravi, Aiden and Shreya, mid-phaseof the reaction that required vigorous
stirring at high temperature.

Final product—soap in theChemistry lab—with uniqueshapes!

Confirming the pH of soap
couldn’t be easier!

Deniz and Den (pictured) and their group members Arataand Megumi preparing their soap at the beginning of thereaction“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 1 9

21

Library News
Welcome to Ms. Shannon

Ms. Shannon is our new Elementary
Librarian. She is from Australia, but has
lived in Japan for 6 years, in Kochi and
Miyagiprefectures,
before coming toTokyo this April. Ms Shannon’s
Shio
She loves books, ferrets:
and Ginka.
drawing and allthings choc mint flavoured!
Ms. Shannon reading at age 3. She also has two ferrets!

◆The Moment of Lift: How

Empowering Women Changes
the Worldby Melinda Gates“In her book, Melinda tells the stories of
the inspiring people she’s met throughher work all over the world, digs into thedata, and powerfully illustrates issues
that need our attention―from child marriage to genderinequity in the workplace.” ―President Barack Obama

LMC news for students

New for next school year, students may
now subscribe to the MS Team page.
New book arrivals are announced here
first, along with magazines as they
arrive. Students may make book
recommendations by posting requests.

Summer reading

Attention all book borrowers!
By the time you read this, all books that students orparents have borrowed from the Elementary Libraryand LMC should have been returned. If you wish tocontinue reading them over the break, please takethem to your librarian so they may be renewed.
Students may borrow up to TEN books for summer
reading from either library.

Home language books

With everyone’s wonderful donations from World
Cultures Day, and donations from parents and students
throughout the year, the Elementary Library is currently
working on improving the home language books
section, especially the Korean and Chinese language
collection. It has been slow work, but thanks to the helpof the CAS library elves in translating the titles andauthors, Ms. Shannon can now work on adding thesebooks to the Elementary collection. We hope to have all
the donated home language books on shelf and readyto borrow by the new school year!

Thanks to the CA Library Committee

Thank you from the Library Team to the CA Library
Committee on behalf of the students. When we receive
large donations of books from World Cultures Day and
DEAR, the committee has helped laminate and label
the books so we can make them available to students.
Also, three times a year we receive a donation thatallows the Library Team to purchase eight books.
Among those just purchased are:◆Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
by Mo Willems
Gerald believes he is allergic to his bestfriend! Will he have to stay away from
Piggie forever? The Elephant and Piggie
Book books are a real favourite withyoung readers at KIST.
◆Journey Inside the Computer(Hello Ruby)

by Linda Liukas
Join Ruby and her new friend, Mouse,on an imaginative journey through theinsides of a computer in search of themissing Cursor.

New children’s book in the LMC

Purchased from Amazon, written by a
KIST student!
Title: Stick Figure Fight
Author: Donna (G6B)
ISBN 9784991067204
It all started when One was fallingthrough a hole in the park fountain as planned. Aftersome insane battles, he and Two constructed a school,
where they and their friend await a victor that tops themall. But life isn’t as easy as it seems. Soon enoughthere’s destruction. Betrayal. Death. The legend saysthat on the top of the Mountain of Hidden, there’s atreasure that awaits the finder’s destiny. The treasurethat pushes through one world’s limits. (Amazon, 2019)b
Web

https://amzn.to/2JvtCUm

Books to movie adaptions for 2019!
◆Artemis Fowl
Based on the novel by Eoin Colfer.
Artemis Fowl II, a young Irish criminal
mastermind, kidnaps the fairy LEPrecon
officer Holly Short for ransom to fund thesearch for his missing father in order torestore the family fortune. This movie
premiers on August 9 this year and stars
Ferdia Shaw, Judi Dench and Josh Gad◆Chaos Walking
This book is an adaptation from Patrick
Ness’s 2008 novel titled The Knife of
Never Letting Go, the first part of the
Chaos Walking Trilogy. It stars Tom
Holland, Daisy Ridley & Mads Mikkelsen.
◆The Sun Is Also a Star
An American teen drama based on a novelby the same title by Nicola Yoon. It follows
a young couple falling in love, while herfamily is facing deportation. It stars Yara
Shahidi and Charles Melton.
Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page

KISTv

Many great school events are now
available to view online by KIST
community members. All videos are edited by Mr. Tim.

◆Football for Friendship 2019
Grade 11 student, Lilya, represented Football for
Friendship at KIST. This is a recording of her
presentation and workshop with G5s.
http://bit.ly/KIST-Football-Friendship-2019◆TEDx Talk
6 talks from KIST students, plus a special guest, for therespected TED Talk Organization.
http://bit.ly/KIST-TEDx◆Japanese New Year Party
http://bit.ly/KIST-Spring-Sumo-2019◆DP Visual Arts Exhibition
On display during March in the Elementary Library.
http://bit.ly/KIST-G12art-2019◆KIST Week of CodeEngaging workshops and interactive presentations fromindustry leaders visiting KIST including presenters from
Adobe, Electronics Arts and Polygon Pictures.
http://bit.ly/KIST-WoC-2018◆KIST Cross Country
Elementary cross-country races.
http://bit.ly/KIST-X-Country-2019◆Kindergarten Concert – The Gruffalo
Julia Donaldson’s classic children’s book brought to life.
http://bit.ly/KIST-gruffalo◆Tokyo Sandbox Coding Event
KIST students designed and programmed their own
computer games that were exhibited in Akihabara at theinternationally recognized Tokyo Sandbox Coding
Event.
http://bit.ly/2HyAHlJ◆KIST Musical – Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll’s children’s classic brought to life at KIST.
http://bit.ly/KIST-Alice-Video◆World Cultures Day
Colorful national costume parade, student led
workshops, K1 taiko drumming and more!
http://bit.ly/KIST-WCD-2019-Video◆G12 Graduate Parade
The annual graduation parade walk through the schoolby G12s.
http://bit.ly/KIST-Graduation-Walk-2019

10th Value: HonestybWeb

http://bit.ly/KIST-Football-Friendship-2019

Lilya (G11A)

Since 2016, I have had the opportunity to participate in the exquisite
Football for Friendship (F4F) program, which is a children’s sports
and educational project that is held across the world. Through thisprogram, I have had the honor to participate in events hosted in
Milan, Italy; Hamburg, Germany and Moscow, Russia and wasselected as the Best Young Journalist. This program shows how
sports can unite the world.
This year as a young ambassador, I was offered to initiate an event
on April 25, the International Day of Football for Friendship, so I
organized a lesson with G5A students. We started by tying
friendship bracelets, the official symbol of the program, aroundeach other’s wrists. They are made of blue and green strings, where
blue symbolizes the peaceful sky and green is the color of thefootball field. Then, I explained about the F4F Nine Values—
friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory,
traditions and honour—and the students came up with a 10th value.
After discussing, students suggested 8 new values and “Honesty”
was voted as the best one. We are all educated about the values
through the IB Learner Profiles so it wouldn’t be hard to come up
with 100 new values! During this lesson, I realized that the true
impact of the values is experienced when we incorporate the values
into our lives and actions, which are transmitted beyond differencesin language, belief, culture and racial background. Otherwise, wewould only know these vocabularies and there wouldn’t be any
further importance to them. “Actions speak louder than words.”
Lilya (G11A)

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Spotlight on Clubs
Dodgeball Club (Elementary)

Elementary dodgeball club for G3–G5 students has started! The
goal of the club is to have fun after school, and indeed, the students
seem to be having a lot of fun playing dodgeball together.
The idea of the game is, as the name implies, for students to dodge
the ball to avoid being hit. This game helps the students develop
not only their physical agility and reflexes, but also their social skills,
as the students often need to communicate with other students
from different grades in order to win the game. Following the game
rules is also important, and helps the students develop thewillpower to remember their manners while also trying their hardest
to win.
The students are learning how to aim the ball at their opponent, but
it is not always easy to hit them, so the students work on their handeye coordination and concentration as they play. The balls are quite
soft so when they do manage to succeed in hitting their target, thestudents do not experience any pain. We’re enjoying watching thestudents developing their muscles, speed, concentration,communication skills, knowledge anddodging skills, all while having a greattime. This fun and easy to play gamereally is a great way to help children
develop in a well-rounded way.
Yuuki Tanabe and Ye-Ji YoonClub Supervisors

Baseball Club (Secondary)Starting this year, the Secondary baseball team has joined the Kanto
Plain League (G6–G9). With just a few exceptions, all members are new
to baseball, so this year has been their first chance to compete against
the three schools below.
KIST 3 – 5 Saint Maur International School
Our ace Hajin (G8A) pitched a whole 7 innings despite various errors by
his teammates. During the last inning, Rintaro (G7A) and Armaan(G9A) were able to move onto 2nd and 3rd base, but unfortunately, thegame ended without any more hits.
KIST 4 – 6 Yokohama International School
In this second match of the double-header, first-time pitcher Ryan (G7A) took the mound. While unfortunately, theopposition was able to score 3 points during the first inning, through his pitching, the opponents hit easy balls for ourteam to catch. Next up, Sunny (G9B) took the mound, also for the first time, and displayed fastballs and impressive
fielding. We were able to score 4 points thanks to Ryan’s fast running and Hajin’s double, but unfortunately lost thegame.
KIST 2 – 3 St. Mary’s International School
We got a head start in the first inning when Genta (G6A) made it to base and Sunny hit a triple. We also scoredanother point thanks to an impressive slide to home base by Ryuun (G9B), putting KIST in the lead. We thought wefinally had a chance to win, but lost the game when it was cut short at sunset before we had a final chance to bat.
While our five G9 students took the spotlight, all members, lead by catcher Ryuun, had a chance toplay this season and tried their best. I hope they are able to use their experiences to improve next
year. Thank you to the teachers who helped with practice and the family members and friends who
supported us. We are seeking new members for next year. Practices are held once a week at Sarue
Onji park. The goal of the club is to learn the rules of baseball along with sportsmanship, cooperationand communication. Those with no baseball experience are welcome. For more details, please ask
one of our current members.
Akihiko Nogami
Club Supervisor

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Staff 10!
In this month’s Staff 10!,
we are pleased topresent Keith Erickson
who joined us in August
2011 as a Humanities
teacher in theSecondary School. He
has been the Subject
Area Coordinator for
Individuals and Societies
Mr Erickson (left) doing his best to
since August 2012.
topple a sumo wrestler

1) Tell us somethinginteresting about your hometown.
My hometown is Dayton, Ohio—home of the Wright
Brothers! Orville and Wilbur Wright owned a bicycle
shop and in their spare time invented the airplane. Aninteresting point about the Wright Brothers is that theyfirst had to build and sell bicycles in order to gain thenecessary funds to build their airplane. An even more
impressive member of the family was their sister
Katharine. For more details, read the book “Wright
Brothers” by David McCullough which is available in
the LMC.
2) What is your favorite place in the world?
Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio—Yellow
Springs has some excellent hiking and biking trails andafter a long day of exercising, I always enjoy visiting
Young’s for some ice cream. In addition to fantastic ice
cream, this place has miniature golf, batting cages anda petting zoo! If you go, I highly recommend thebrownie monster sundae.

7) Which IB learner profile attribute do you mostclosely identify with and why?
Knowledgeable—did you know that since this question
debuted in March 2017, the IB learner profile attributethat was mentioned the most by the staff was “Caring,”
which was closely followed by “Thinker.”8) If you could live your life again, would you doanything differently?
I would have signed up to join the band when I was inelementary school. I remember in fifth grade, mymusic teacher asked for volunteers to join the band; I
was one of the few students who did not volunteer. I
wonder what it would had been like if I had kept
playing a musical instrument, as I never did learn how
to play an instrument.
9) Is there anything you are trying to learn/improveabout yourself at the moment?
My reading goal for the year is to read 12 books from
12 different genres. Progress to date: 8 books from 8
different genres. #crushingIT
10) Do you have any special message for yourfans?
If you see me around school and tell me an item thatyou learned about me from this interview, you will
receive a candy prize.

3) Who would you like to meet if you had thechance and why?
My paternal grandfather—he was born in the early
1890s and witnessed the birth of both aviation andspace travel. He even attended a Buffalo Bill Cody
Wild West Show!
4) Do you have any special skills or talents?
My special skill is finding a seat on the train, as I havea fairly long commute to school. During my morning
commute, my talent is being able to remember which
commuters leave the train at a certain stop, so I can
get their seat. I have noticed that most people take thesame train and sit in the same area on their way towork.
5) Please share a little known fact about yourself.
I was named after a star college basketball player who
played for UCLA. My namesake won back-to-backcollege basketball championships in 1964 and 1965 as
well as winning an NBA championship with the Los
Angeles Lakers in 1972.
6) What is your most prized possession?
My coffee cups! Whenever I go on vacation, I buy acoffee mug from that location. Each month I use a
different coffee cup from one of my previous travels,
which is a nice memory.

https://www.kist.ed.jp/node/1480

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Nurse’s Notes
Summer fatigue
What is summer fatigue?

The summer season in Japan is hot and humid, which
can lead to a range of health problems. Summer
fatigue leaves people feeling tired, lethargic, unable toconcentrate and sleep deprived. Additionally, many
people lose their appetite, while others suffer digestive
problems such as diarrhea or constipation.

The cause of summer fatigue• Imbalance of the autonomic nervous system• Lack of sleep due to heat
• Difficulty controlling body temperature throughperspiration problems, etc.
• Decreased level of digestive system functions• Poor nutritional condition due to an unbalanced diet
• Dehydration: loss of water from the body tissue,
often accompanied by an imbalance of sodium,
potassium, chloride, and other electrolytes.

What is the autonomic nervous systemand how is it impacted by summer
fatigue?

The autonomic nervous system regulates a variety ofbody processes that take place without conscious
effort. For example, it maintains human perspirationthat releases heat to regulate the body temperature in
hot weather. It also controls the rate of digestion in thehuman body, increasing it after eating, which keeps
the digestive system healthy. Essentially, the humanbody’s temperature is regulated by the autonomic
nervous system. Imbalances triggered by various
factors that people experience in summer are at theroot of summer fatigue.

What lifestyle factors contribute tosummer fatigue?

• Many people depend on using air conditioners tostay comfortable in summer, but the suddenchange in temperature that occurs when people
step out from an air-conditioned room to the hot
outdoors is also responsible for making them feeltired. Rapid changes in temperature (when the
difference is over 5 degrees) can trigger an
imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, whichleads to the symptoms of summer fatigue• Drinking ice cold drinks too frequently can cause
an imbalance in the body and slow down thedigestive process. Loss of appetite may also cause
related symptoms such as malnutrition and/or
weight loss.
• Lack of exercise or a sedentary lifestyle can resultin a decline in physical strength and cause low
energy.
• Staying in an air-conditioned room for too long canlead to failure of the sweat glands, which makes
the body incapable of perspiring, and makes thecontrol of body temperature difficult.
• Lack of sleep makes it difficult for the body torecover from summer fatigue and leads to an
imbalance in bodily systems.

• A cold environment forces the
body to work harder to maintainits core temperature of 37
degrees. If the bedroom is kept excessively cold or
air is blowing directly on you while you sleep, heatis drawn from the body, forcing it to work hardthrough the night to maintain a healthy bodytemperature, leading to lethargy in the morning.

How can summer fatigue be prevented?

• Efficient use of air conditioning. Ideally, thetemperature differences between outdoor air andindoor air should be kept within 5 degrees;
however, many public places are excessively airconditioned, so bring a cardigan or a long-sleeved
shirt to put on when you feel cold. This helps tomaintain your autonomic nervous system.
• Getting enough sleep is important in helping the
body recover from summer fatigue.
• Taking a bath helps improve circulation andactivate the autonomic nervous system, which canlead to good sleep.
• Regular physical activity or exercise. People who
can sweat effectively are less likely to suffer fromsummer fatigue because their bodies are better
conditioned to accommodate temperature changes.
Also, regular exercise helps build stamina, which
also helps the body adjust to summer. Taking
advantage of the cooler parts of the day for aerobic
exercise such as walking, jogging and swimming
can actually help prevent summer fatigue.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and keep the
body cool. Consuming enough water every day isessential for supporting all bodily functions,
including digestion, maintaining a normal bodytemperature, and keeping organs healthy.
• Eating breakfast can help to activate the autonomic
nervous system.
• Maintaining a balanced diet can also help regulardigestion and prevent summer fatigue.
• Proteins are essential nutrients for the humanbody.
 Our bodies use a lot of proteins in summer,
which then need to be replaced. The best foodsources of protein are meat, fish, eggs, dairy
products and beans.
 Vitamin B1 helps the human body’s cellschange carbohydrates into energy, which can
reduce feelings of tiredness. Pork and eel arerich sources of vitamin B1.
 Consuming Vitamin C can increase the blood
antioxidant levels by up to 30%, which helps the
body’s natural defenses fight summer fatigue.
 Summer vegetables such as tomatoes,
eggplants and cucumbers contain antioxidants
that help protect against ultraviolet light. Local
summer fruits such as watermelon and pears
are rich in the minerals that are lost due toperspiration.
Yukiko Yamazaki
School Nurse

References:• Better Health Channel: Heat stress and heat-related illness. (2019, May 17). Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/heat-stress-and-heat-related-illness• Kakure Dassui Journal: Stop Necchusho. (2019, May 11). Retrieved from https://www.kakuredassui.jp/usefulinformation/living/living01

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University Guidance News
University acceptances and offers 2018–19

KIST has had another successful year of university
applications and acceptances! As you may be awarefrom the list posted in the gymnasium on Family Day,
our students have received offers from many leading
universities around the world, including the Universityof Cambridge and Imperial College in UK, theUniversity of Michigan and Middlebury College in theUSA, UBC and McGill University in Canada, andUniversity of Tokyo, Waseda University and Keio
University in Japan. Additionally, you may have noticed
that KIST students received several acceptances frommedical schools both in Japan and Hungary: Tokyo
Medical and Dental University, Okayama University,
Yokohama City University, the University of Szeged
and University of Semmelweis. We are very proud of
our students and look forward to their continued
success in university and beyond. Congratulations! A
complete list of university acceptances will be
published in the September 2019 issue of The Comet.

KIST Spring University Fair

KIST gymnasium | March 21, 2019
We had a record number of attendees at the 7th KIST
Spring University Fair on March 21, 2019. Students
and parents from KIST and other schools had theopportunity to meet representatives from more than 30
universities around the world. I hope that all visitors
were able to explore various university options andgather information directly from the representatives. I
received a lot of positive feedback from the university
representatives about our students and parents. Thankyou to all who attended for your participation! I would
also like to give a special thanks to the volunteer
students who assisted the university representatives
during the event, and the CA officers who kindly
hosted a reception after the fair and prepared food anddrinks for the representatives. Next year’s fair isscheduled for March 20, 2020. See you there!

KIST to launch new online university
guidance platform—Cialfo

KIST Spring University Fair 2019and help them to shortlist universities to which theywish to apply.

Alumni updates

Each year in spring, we receive happy news from KIST
graduates who have successfully completed theirundergraduate education and moved on to a newstage in their lives. I am always pleased to hear thatmany graduates have started careers in such fields asbanking, consulting, global business, service
industries and education while others continue theirstudies at graduate schools to obtain master’s degrees
and even PhDs. In fact, we are pleased to feature an
article in this issue of The Comet from KIST “Class of2015” graduate, Tatsuya. Please read about Tatsuya’s
post-graduate studies on the next page!

I am very excited to announce the launch of the first
digital tool in university guidance counseling services
at KIST—“Cialfo”. Cialfo is an online college guidance
platform that provides a one stop online experience forstudents, enabling them to:• plan and organize university applications;• explore future career options;• check out courses and programs available atuniversities around the world; and• work on personal statements and university
essays.

Summer open campus and information
sessions

Counselors and related teachers can check individual
student’s progress using the Cialfo system, and it also
allows the school to keep records and data on previous
students’ university applications and materials. We will
introduce Cialfo to the current G11 students in the near
future so that they will be able to use this system
during their summer break to aid their university search

Have a nice summer break, and I look forward toseeing you in August!

As summer draws near, I’m sure many Secondary
students are looking forward to a vacation, but don’t
forget that summer is one of the best seasons to visit
university campuses! You can find information about
open campuses, campus visits and information
sessions on the websites of most universities in Japanand abroad. Also, be sure to check the University
Guidance Calendar for university visits at KIST andevents in Tokyo in the coming months.

Mrs. Keiko Okude
Career and University Guidance Counselor
Office hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 10:00–17:00
keiko.okude@kist.ed.jp

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Alumnus Report
Hello everyone! My name is
Tatsuya and I graduated fromKIST back in 2015. I recently
graduated from Truman State
University, a small liberal arts
university in Kirksville,
Missouri with Bachelor of
Science degrees in physics
and mathematics. Starting thisfall, I will be attending the
University of Colorado,
Boulder for a PhD program in
the Astrophysical andPlanetary Sciences
department to continue mystudy of the universe. As a
KIST alumnus and recent
university graduate, I would
like to share the story of how I
found my university andcareer path.

university simply because ofmoney. However, I want to clarify
that this is not an illustration of how
unsuccessful my university
application process was. At least in
the long-run, my decision to attend
a small, affordable school rather
than going to a larger, “better”
university while financiallyburdening myself was a great
choice. I emphasize this because if
you are beginning to go throughthe university application process
or if you will be in the future, thismay be the case for you as well.

The university application process
was an absolute mess for me.
Your university counselor and all of
your teachers are not lying when
they tell you that you should start
the application process early. I
know how difficult it is to balance
the heavy workload of DP withwriting personal statements ortrying to get letters ofrecommendation, but you have tostart early. You absolutely have to.
My biggest problem was that I did
not have a set list of universities by
the time I began applying. I ended
up applying to five universities in
the UK and over ten in the US withinadequate research andpreparation. When I started
hearing back from them, I wasdevastated. I was either rejected or
accepted but with insufficientfinancial support by most of theschools I applied to. One of the
only affordable options I had was
Truman State University (TSU),
offering me a full-tuition
scholarship. It was painful to haveto choose a small, public university
in rural Missouri instead of a moreprestigious, globally acclaimed

The small class sizes at TSU (20to 30 for introductory-level and lessthan 10 for upper-level) helped mebuild personal, meaningful
relationships with my professors
and peers, and allowed me tolearn, succeed and truly flourish in
the university environment. I wasable to join an undergraduate
astronomy research team as a
freshman, studying things I had
always wanted to study. This
project, studying a class of variable
stars called eclipsing binary stars
and the O’Connell effect,
eventually led to a couple ofpublications and seven conference
presentations. During the process,I had the privilege of collecting
data using a 31-inch telescope atthe Lowell Observatory in
Flagstaff, Arizona on three
separate occasions, representing
our astronomy research team.
Additionally, I had the chance towork one-on-one with a professor
on a theoretical research project inquantum mechanics investigating
the possibility of quantum particles
traveling forward as well as
backward in time (yes, this is what
Avengers: Endgame is based on).
These undergraduate researchexperiences helped me decide mypath for the next stage of my life: tocontinue on to graduate school toresearch theoretical astrophysics.

Tatsuya presenting at a conference

Furthermore, I had many student
employment opportunities at TSU
that helped me develop the
professional skills and expertisenecessary for a successful careerin my field. I served as a teachingassistant for astronomy courses, acenter coordinator for the Upward
Bound program, and a tutor for the
STEM Talent Expansions Program
as well as many university-level

physics andmathcourses.
Throughtheseopportunities,
I discovereda passion forteaching, which led me to my longterm career goal of becoming acollege professor, a job thatcombines my two passions:research and teaching. In addition,
I served as the president of our
local chapter of the Society ofPhysics Students for two years andconsistently strived to develop andpromote the physics department at
TSU. By the end of my university
career, I was routinely referred toas the “student leader” in thephysics community and theuniversity community at large. I
truly believe that theseexperiences, unique to small
universities like TSU, aided thesuccess of my graduate applicationand prepared me for my future
career. Sometimes being a big fishin a small pond is better than beinga small fish in a big pond.
Of course, everyone’s university
choices are different, and the rightchoice for you might not be to go toa small university in rural Missouri.
In fact, while I was at KIST, I neverwould have thought that this was
the right choice for me. However,
the important thing is that despite
the unexpected turn of events, I
continued to move forward,
bounced back from the challenges
I faced, and carved my own,
unique path to success. All I wish
for is for you to do the same,
regardless of what your “rightchoice” or definition of “success”
may be. Going to an Ivy League
school is not your only path tosuccess. Keepan open mind,
continue to
strive forward,
and you will
most certainly
find the rightpath for you. I
wish you thebest of luck!
Tatsuya
KIST Alumnus,“Class of 2015” Tatsuya with the 31inch telescope at
Lowell Observatory

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Family Day 2019
Saturday, May 25

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Class of 2019

(Back row L>R) Xiang Yu, Naman, Ankit, Tomomi, Li
Ran, Jinil, Igor, William, Sara, Kevin, Ryu, Gopal,
Yohdai(Third row L>R) Samantha, Zhi Qi, Milan, Reo, MengTing, Ikumi, Varsha M., Tian Wei, Chae Hyun, Yuki,
Krisha(Second row L>R) Ryota, Yuuki, Ayan, Jimin,
Shimpei, Ren, Dong Wook
(Front row L>R) Ayumi, Emiri, Sophia, Varsha K.,
Natasha, Afrah
CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK!

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