The omet

The New sletter of K. International School Tokyo
Volume 22 | Issue 1 | September 2018

In this issue...
02...IB Diploma Results—July 2018

14...KIST Honour Roll

03...Welcome to New Staff

16...KIST Orchestra Visits Tokushima

04...Academic Scholarships

17...Changemaker Challenge

05...Elementary Intern

19...Secondary Student Care

06...Elementary SRC

20...Habitat for Humanity (HFH)

09...Starting School in K1

25...University Acceptances/Offers

From the Head of School

DATES TO REMEMBER

Dear KIST Community Members,
Welcome back from what I hope was a very restful andenjoyable summer vacation.
It was wonderful to welcome your children back for another school year and tosee how much some of them had changed over the summer. It was also
wonderful to welcome back our parents and guardians through our Parent
Welcome Nights. The parents I talked with all expressed appreciation
regarding the change in format such that we did not need to battle the heat of
the gym. I hope that you enjoyed catching up with other parents, meeting yourchild(ren)’s teachers, and hearing about our successful year last year.
As discussed on Parent Welcome Night, our results data for 2017-18 wereonce again very strong. More information about KIST students’ academic
performance can be obtained through our homepage:
Learning > Academic Performance
From PYP to DP, our schoolwide results are truly incredible. But, as I havedone in the past as well, I must point out that this level of success doesn’t justhappen. KIST believes that ‘education is a shared partnership between
students, caregivers and the school’ and our results reflect the strength of therelationships that our community has collaboratively developed between thesethree stakeholder groups. Our staff and teachers are working incredibly hard,
our students are motivated to learn and are committed to attaining their best,and our parent support is second to none. Thank you to everyone in ourcommunity for your support of KIST and for all the efforts you have made to us
attaining results that bring great pride to our school.
I hope you enjoy the first edition of The Comet for this school year. I would liketo send out a BIG THANK YOU to all of our community members who
contribute to our newsletters over the year.
Once again, thank you for your support and please do let us
know your thoughts or concerns by contacting the school
directly.

September 201817 School day
17 MYP Information session for G6
and new parents
22 (G9-G12) KPASS High school
drama festival (@YIS)
24 School holiday
25-26 School photographs
25 PYP Information session for newparents (*Evening)

October 2018
4 (G5) Day camp
5 SAT@KIST
8 School day
8 (G1-G5) Field Day
10 (G10) PSAT tests
11 (G9-G12) KPASS High schoolbrain bowl (@Zama)
13 School Explanation Day
15 2019-2020 enrollment
applications open
18 (G6-G8) KPASS Middle school
drama festival (@BST)
26 KISTival preparation day(K1-G5) No school for students(S) School day
27 KISTival 2018
28 KISTival clean up day
29-Nov 4 Autumn vacation

November 2018
3 SAT@KIST

Jeffrey Jones
Head of School
KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for LifePYP | MYP | DP

“ T h e Co m e t ”

2

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18

IB Diploma Results—July 2018
During the summer vacation, the IB Diploma results were issued to students of the “Class of 2018.” The tablebelow summarizes the performance of the our graduates from 2015-2018.

* Maximum score: 45 points** 34 students enrolled in the full Diploma in 2018; 4 students completed the certificate pathway.

Of particular note for the Class of 2018:
 Of the 38 graduates for 2018, 34 (approx. 90%) were enrolled in the full Diploma Programme. IB global
statistics report that only about 50% of students enroll in the full DP.
 For the second year in a row, 100% of KIST students in the full DP attained IB Diplomas. Global statistics
report that, of the 50% of students who enroll in the full DP, only about 80% attain the full Diploma.
 The average score for KIST students attaining the IB Diploma was 37.8 points, well above the IB DP world
average of 29.8 points.
 47% of students attaining the IB Diploma attained scores of 40 points or above and thereby qualify to beconsidered for the KIST University Support Scholarships. Globally, less than 10% of students attain scores of
40 or above.
 One student attained the school’s highest score this year of 44 points; 2 students attained 43 points; 7 students
attained 42 points; 4 students attained 41 points; and 2 students attained 40 points.
 50% of students attaining the IB Diploma enrolled at KIST prior to Grade 6, with all but one of the students
attaining 40 points or above enrolled at KIST from PYP/MYP. These statistics reflect well on the quality oflearning in our PYP and MYP programs.
The table on the right shows how KIST’s course averages(calculated for students who attained IB Diplomas) comparedagainst the IB world averages for each course.
 96% of courses offered at KIST had results above IB
world averages
 88% of courses (green and blue shading) had results
more than 0.5 points above IB world averages (thehighest grade for each course is 7) 48% of courses (blue shading) had results more than 1
point above IB world averages
Parents who would like more general information on IB
Diploma results should go to: http://www.ibo.org/en/
programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-andexams/getting-results/
The IB publishes a “Statistical Bulletin” summarizing IB Diploma results, a link to which is on this webpage. The“Statistical Bulletin” for the May 2018 examination session should be published in October/November.
Congratulations to the students on their individual successes in the external DP assessment, andthank you to all the Grade 12 teachers from last year for all your hard work in once again making
KIST a 38-point DP average school!
John Rose
DP Coordinatorb

Web

Click the link below for more information about student performance in IB and other standardized testing.
https://www.kist.ed.jp/node/1151

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

Welcome to New Staff
We would like to introduce you to our new staff for 2018-2019. Please join us in welcoming
them to KIST/KIPS!

Teachers

Brooke Esper
KIPS P2

Edwin Gombya
MYP I&S /DP B&M / Economics

Kwang Han
MYP/DP Mathematics

Vincent Huang
MYP Mathematics

Takuto Ikeya
MYP/DP JapanesePeter Jamal
MYP Science /DP Chemistry

Andrea Ramos
MYP Science

Ye Ji Yoon
Grade 1

Instructional Support Staff

Stephanie
Anthony-Brown
Teaching Assistant(K2A)

Nhung Duong
Teaching Assistant(K2B)

Anita Lee
ELS Instructor(Secondary)Instructional Support Staff

Parvathy Shyamprakash
Teaching Assistant(K3A)

Ioanna Tzedakis
Teaching Assistant(K1A)

Mary Odagiri
Teaching Assistant(Grade 1B)

Derek Rogers
Teaching Assistant(K3B)

Office Staff

Miki Kanai
Administrative Assistant(Secondary)Mana Niimi
Administrative Assistant(Elementary)34

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

Academic Scholarships
KIST Scholars Awards
KIST Scholars Awards can be applied for by students in Grades 8 to 11 who meet set criteria. There
are four categories of Scholars Awards to recognize students who exemplify our school mission by making
significant contributions to our communities through academic excellence and as role models for other students.
This year, we are pleased to announce that a total of nine students have received awards. Congratulations to allawardees and their families!

Platinum Award

Gold Award

Silver Award

Bronze Award(100% tuition discount)(75% tuition discount)(50% tuition discount)(25% tuition discount)

1 student

2 students

4 students

2 students

KIST ‘Learning for Life’ University Scholarships
KIST ‘Learning for Life’ University Scholarships are awarded to Grade 12
students who attain 40 points or more as their final DP score, and meet othercriteria. These scholarships are in place to recognize student commitment during
their final year of study, to celebrate high accomplishment, and to support
students with their tertiary education as they continue ‘learning for life’.
A total of sixteen graduates have been awarded ‘Learning for Life’ scholarships in2018. Congratulations students and families, and all the best with your continued
studies!

b

Web

Silver Award
43-44 points¥1,000,000

3 students
Bronze Award
40-42 points¥300,000

13 students

Click the link below for more information about academic scholarships and how and when to apply.
http://www.kist.ed.jp/node/197

Nationalities at KIST
Ever wondered which nationalities are represented in the KIST community? This year, there are a total of 42
nationalities represented in the student body, and 20 nationalities represented in the staff. Can you find yournationality in the word clouds below?

Student nationalities

Staff nationalities

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

Elementary School News
Raising independent children
For the first two month of their lives, human babies areunable to lift their own heads. They usually roll over for
the first time at four months and start standing ataround nine months. Horses, on the other hand, canusually stand within minutes of being born. Sea turtles
are born able to crawl, and eagles begin to attemptflying at around 11 weeks. Human babies are born
dependent on their parents.
From the time we are born, humans tend to be on aquest for independence. Babies insist on holding theirbottles and holding their own food from a young age. It
is important, however, that as parents we foster
independence and promote self-motivation within ourchildren. Developing independence enhances selfesteem, prepares children to handle failure and stress,
and promotes the development of decision-making
skills.
Diproperzio (2010) from Parents.com suggested someways we, as parents, can help our children to develop
independence. She recommended taking the time toteach our children to take on tasks. This could be as
easy as folding clothes or peeling vegetables. “Holdingback the help” she explained, is another way ofdeveloping independence. Diproperzio further
expressed that we should never do for a child what
they can do for themselves.
Shrier (2015) from Michigan State University stressedthat in order to develop independence, parents should
assign chores or responsibilities within the family
household. She explained that even at a young age,children can perform simple chores like throwing away

Karate Champion
This summer,
Shingen (G2B)
took part in theTokyo City Karate
Tournament. He
won first place in
his age category!
This winter he will
be commended by
the Tokyo
Metropolitan
Government for hisachievement.

their trash or putting
away their laundry.
Shrier (2015) further
stressed theimportance of teaching
children to solve theirown problems. She
explained that parents
must let their children“fight their own battles”.
The ability for children to solve these conflicts on theirown is an essential skill that they will be able to use
their whole lives.
As we move into a new school year and our children
move into new grade levels, let’s increasingly promoteindependence within our children. At school, ourstudents will be learning various thinking,communicating, social, and self-management skills.
Allowing and expecting greater
independence will allow our children to
apply these skills in a meaningful way intheir own lives.
Kevin Yoshihara
Elementary School Principal
References: Diproperzio, L. (2010, January 14). Teaching Your Child
Independence. Retrieved from https://www.parents.com/
toddlers-preschoolers/development/social/teaching-toddlerindependence/ Shrier, C. (2015, April 28). Developing independence in children.
Retrieved from http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/
developing_independence_in_children

Elementary Intern
In early September, we welcomed ourfourth intern from Taylor’s University,
Malaysia—Amanda Kok. During her 6month internship at KIST, Ms Amanda will
be supporting students in the Elementary
School.

I was born and raised in Malaysia. My ethnicity
is half Nyonya and half Chinese. I am fluent inboth the English and Malay languages. I am amovie buff and I also enjoy outdoor activities. I
am very excited to meet everyone at KIST and
to be able to teach and learn there!”

Congratulations
Shingen!
Please welcome Ms Amanda to our school community!

56

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

PYP News
Welcome back to school
September has come around and the weather is as
hot as ever. It seems that summer gets longer andlonger these days. Another aspect of this time of year
is that teachers start focusing on their students’learning and the lesson plans that will help make theirstudents’ experience at school successful. There is anarray of methods and practices that will lead topositive outcomes, and every school looks for ways tomeet students’ needs through professional educators
using the best provocations and resources.
Here in the elementary at KIST we have chosen toteach our students to, in effect, teach themselves, inthe sense that they learn through constructivist andconceptual methods of learning. Constructivists seelearners as active rather than passive. Knowledge is
not received from the outside or from someone else;rather, the individual learner interprets and processes
what is received through the senses to createknowledge. In a conceptual mode of learning,
purposeful, structured inquiry is a powerful vehicle forlearning that promotes meaning and understanding,and challenges students to engage with significant
ideas. Using the IB PYP program of inquiry allows
students to work with the ideas that they envision andbuild the skills which
will serve themthrough their lives
and careers. Having
a solid understanding of underlying conceptual
knowledge can provide students the tools that create
opportunities through synthesis of the clues andproblems inherent in the world around us and givethem the ability to forge ahead with solutions that canbe life changing.
KIST believes that students should be life-longlearners. In an effort to support parents inunderstanding this belief, we’ll be holding an
information night for new parents and anyone
interested in learning more about the PYP on
September 25 at 6:00 p.m. in the multi-purpose room.
Come and find out more about your child’s learning
environment…all are welcome!
Clay M. Bradley
PYP Coordinator / Elementary School
Vice Principal

Event“PYP information session for new parents”
Tuesday, September 25 | 6:00 p.m. | MPR

Elementary SRC
My name is Kana Furnival, and I am the Elementary
School Student Care Coordinator. Whether yourchild is new to KIST or a returning student this year, I
look forward to working with you and your child.
This school year, I will be involved in leading the
Elementary School Representative Council (ESRC)
and will ask them to participate in various activities
involving social, emotional and behavioural learning.
The purpose of the ESRC is to encourage pupils to
get involved in issues that concern them in andaround the school. Council members are expected todemonstrate leadership qualities by modelling good
behaviour through their words and actions. As acouncil, we focus on listening to the views of pupils
and we take responsibility for some aspects ofschool life. Meetings are usually held every weekduring morning recess time.

bulletin board outside theelementary office.
Kana
Furnival
Elementary
SchoolStudent Care Coordinator

ESRC Members 2018-2019

Mana (G3A)

Xintong (G3B)

Jessie (G4A)

Mirea (G4B)

Jessica (G5A)

Ewan (G5B)

Such leadership opportunities provide pupils with thechance to develop decision making skills, tounderstand the nature of commitment andresponsibility, and to nurture a heightened selfesteem, arising from earning the respect of theirpeers and the staff.
You will be able to view the latest ESRC news on the“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

Early Childhood News
Changes in the early childhood department for 2018-19
Hello, and welcome back toanother school year. All the earlychildhood staff are thrilled to spend
time learning with your child. I
hope you and your child feel thesame way and are ready to learn!
Every year, we try to improve ourpractices for our students. I would
like to introduce some of thechanges that we are implementing
this year.

K1A library time

K1B reading timeFirst, we have welcomed 6 newstaff to the department: 5 teachingassistants who are new to KIST as
well as Mr Axel, who has joined us
from Grade 2. With these newadditions, we have a total of 18
instructional staff in thedepartment, with 3 staff members
in each classroom. Between us,
we represent 9 different
nationalities, and have a diverse
variety of educational backgrounds
including early childhood
specialists and holders of Master’s
degrees in education, music, andphysical education. We lookforward to using our diverse
experiences and backgrounds tohelp our students grow andexplore different aspects of theworld around them. Additionally,
50% of our staff are parents
themselves, so they haveexperienced many of the samethings as you may have with yourchildren. More than 60% of ourstaff have been teaching for morethan 5 years, and some have beenteaching for 10 years or more! And
most importantly, all our staff love
teaching young children; we alllook forward to spending each day
full of smiles and laughter with ourstudents.
At KIST, we have very highstandards for our students, evenfrom their early years, including
intensive reading (guided reading)and extensive reading (reading forpleasure), as we believe thatreading is very important for thisage group. To support children
growing up to love books, we,
including all the parents andcaregivers, need to try to read toour children as much as possible.
The children love listening tostories read to them by theirfavorite person. With our literacy
curriculum, all the children learn
how to blend (read) sounds andsegment (write) words as theylearn letters and sounds. By theend of the school year, almost all
the children in K1-K3 should be
able to blend sounds to readwords and even sentences;
however, finding appropriate
books for these young learners
can be very difficult and it can beeasy for parents and caregivers to
misunderstand their children’s
reading levels. The children learn
letters and sounds so that they canstart blending them together toread words, but comprehension
comes after, which means
students are reading sentences
without understanding the content
of the stories. Therefore, we would
like you to read to your child andtalk about the stories that you readto them frequently. In this way, we
help their critical thinking skills
grow and develop. Once they areable to read books on their own,

they will be confident readers who
understand the various aspects ofthe stories they read.
In order to help provide more timefor families to spend reading
together, we have decided that thisyear, early childhood students will
no longer have homework,
including during long holidays.
Instead, we ask parents andcaregivers to spend the timenormally spent on homework
reading together and enjoying
sharing stories with your children.

K3A essential agreements

K3B phonics

From this year, we have decided
not to celebrate birthdays with a
big classroom party. Instead, wewould like to celebrate your child’sbirthday on the actual day. Parents
are invited to your child’sclassroom to have a smallcelebration with the class. We
would very much appreciate it if
you could donate one of yourchild’s favorite books to the classas a birthday present. We willplace a birthday sticker on it andkeep it in the classroom library as
a birthday book to read to theclass.

Continued on next page7

8

“ T h e Co m e t ”

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18

Continued from previous page

Last but not least, our before care and after care services are
becoming very popular. With the growing number of families who areusing these services, we have increased the number of staff on duty;
however, the number of places for children is still limited. If you would
like to use these services, please check the KIST Family Handbook fordetails and follow the procedures to apply.
Please remember to send healthy snacks for each snack break everyday (including snacks to be eaten during after care where applicable),without any nut products. Additionally, after care children mainly spend
time in the playground, where there are mosquitos; however, we use
around 15 mosquito coils and bug spray to protect the children frommosquito bites. On rainy days, we rotate using K1-K2 classrooms, so
please check the signboard in the breezeway.
K2A birthday party

On behalf of the early childhood team, we look forward
to sharing a wonderful time with you all this year.
Eri Ozawa
Early Childhood Coordinator (K1-K3) /K1B Teacher

K2B library timeV o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

Starting School in K1
First day of school
The students in K1 enjoyed their first day in their classrooms,
meeting their teachers and peers. They began with their first
responsibility in the classroom by taking out their water bottles,
snacks and towels and put them in the correct baskets. The
students learned to hang their towels on the walls, to be usedthrough the day to wipe their hands after washing. They learned tofind their cubbies and put their bags inside, and shoe cubbies
where they put their black or white shoes depending on which
shoes they need to wear. The students on this day came to theirrespective classrooms with their parents and explored the different
centers set up for them. Their first day was very successful as
there were no tears even though we anticipated that they may be
experiencing different emotions due to the change in theirenvironment.

Gradual entry program
In K1, the students start with the gradual entry program to help
ease the transition from home to school. The students are split into
morning and afternoon sessions, so they are able to settle into
their classes. From the second week of school, the students cometo class all together and are dismissed after lunch time. This
program enables all students to settle in at a slow
pace and become accustomed to K1 school life.
Claire Yoneyama
K1A Teacher“ T h e Co m et ”

9

10

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

Elementary ELS
Displaying the academic
vocabulary we discover during
our inquiry units
Last year we had a display opposite theelementary office called “Inquiry is
Universal”, where our students posted up
vocabulary they learned during our units ofinquiry – both in English and, with parents’much-appreciated help, in their homelanguages, too. There were so many
positive outcomes that we are continuing thedisplay this year.
For parents new to KIST this year, we wantto emphasize the crucial message that our
second language develops much better
when our first language continues todevelop alongside it. We also come tounderstand an idea better if given the
chance to discuss it in all the languages wehave. Our units of inquiry (UOIs) are full of
wonderful concepts and the challenging
vocabulary used to think and talk about
those concepts. Our students will benefit
immeasurably from talking about UOI at
home in their home languages. Also,
learning the home language vocabulary will
help them understand and use the English
vocabulary better, too. This is what the“Inquiry is Universal” display is all about. We
are looking forward to building the display
again together this year, with theparticipation of our students and parents
from G1 to G5.

Inquiry is Universal display:
The highlights from last yearMany students went home and asked theirparents for help with UOI words.



Many families talked about the ideas thesewords represented.

Some relatives from overseas also helped
teach vocab, and stayed in touch to help out
even after returning home.



Many students in the upper grades
experimented with various bilingual
dictionaries.



Many students thought about the true
meaning of an English word by sorting
through all possible translations to find thecorrect match in their other language.



Students helped each other collectsynonyms in both English and their common
home language.



Many students could feel that their homelanguage was also important, and so
became even more motivated to learn UOIvocab.



Many students practiced their homelanguage script with their parents.

Classmates had the chance to see scripts
they’d never seen before, learn the names oflanguages they hadn’t heard of before, try
learning some words from their classmates’
languages, and notice the linguistic
connections between languages.

Many students, parents and teachers had somuch fun learning together!

Rachel Parkinson
Elementary ELS
Coordinator / G5 ELS
Instructor

How parents can help their child join in:This year’s Inquiry is Universal board is ready
and waiting for our students’ vocabulary
discoveries to begin.

1. Discuss UOI in your home language(s).
2. Let your child teach you a new English word theylearned in UOI.
3. Teach them that word in your home language(s).
4. Help write down the home language word so your childcan bring it to school.
5. ELS instructors will help your child display their word.

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

LEAP News
Welcome back to school!
I am excited not only to see new and familiar faces at
KIST after a well-deserved summer holiday, but also,
as this year’s LEAP Coordinator, I am thrilled to invite
the KIST community to join LEAP for the 2018-2019
school year.
For those new to KIST, LEAP (Learning Enhancement
Academic Program) is a series of before- and afterschool classes offered to K3 to G5 students to build
essential skills in English and math. Class sizes arelimited – admittance to any course is subject topreliminary screening based upon teacher
recommendations or diagnostic test results – allowing
students to receive focused attention and guidance.
I believe LEAP serves an important function at KIST inproviding students with a nurturing small-groupenvironment where students make progress in skills
they might otherwise struggle with in the classroom
through step-by-step scaffolding. As Jane Arnold, a
professor at the University of Seville, concluded bystudying anxiety in the language classroom, “…beliefs
about one’s ability to do a task will influence suchfactors as the effort one is willing to put forth on atask” (784). As students, particularly English language
learners, build their competency, they feel more
confident in all aspects of their learning, and I feel thatis the ultimate goal of LEAP.

Important announcements
 LEAP classes began on September 10, but you canstill apply by filling in an application at https://kisted.sharepoint.com/CA/SitePages/LEAP.aspx.
 Throughout the semester, there may be days inwhich one or more classes will not convene. Pleasecheck the LEAP Calendar carefully to confirm whichdays your student will not have class.
 Newsletters will be distributed three times asemester to give parents a better sense of theachievements their children have made. In addition,

pictures of LEAP classes will be displayed on the
LEAP board near the Elementary Office.
 Admittance to the Before-School English Support
Program is determined by considering teacher
recommendations, diagnostic information, and each
student’s individual English support needs.
 Admittance to the After-School Math Program islimited to those students who have received ateacher recommendation and/or have not met grade-level expectations according to diagnostic tests.
 Admittance to the After-School English Extension
Program is limited to students who have met or
exceeded grade-level expectations according todiagnostic tests.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward
to working and learning together in the coming year!
Please direct any questions regarding
LEAP to leap@kist.ed.jp.
Katherine Millican
LEAP Coordinator / G1B ELS Instructor
References:
Arnold, Jane. “Seeing throughListening Comprehension Exam
Anxiety.” TESOL Quarterly, vol.
34, no.4, 2000, p.777-786. JSTOR.
Web. Aug. 2018.

11

12

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

KIPS News2017-18 P2 completion ceremony
We celebrated the completion ceremony of
the KIPS “Class of 2018” on June 29. It was a great joy
and pleasure to see the children become more confident,
great conversationalists, andgood friends during their timeat KIPS. Although the P2children have now moved on
to kindergarten, we hope thatthey will always remember
KIPS, their friends and theirteachers.

KIPS P2 “Class of 2018” completion ceremony

2018-19 school year
The new school year has just begun! Welcome back to returning families, and to new families, welcome to KIPS!
We are very proud of being a part of your children’s lives during this important time. Our staff look forward tochallenging the children to think for themselves, learn how to get along with others, how to share and take turns,
and how to try their best. Children must also learn that it’s okay to make mistakes, that we should care for ourenvironment, and that learning something new can be exciting!
We believe that by working together – parents and teachers – we can make a difference in the lives of yourchildren. Thank you for all your cooperation and support. We treasure each child and the goodmemories we gain when we spend time together during lessons and playtime. We hope that you
discover that KIPS is a place where your child can grow, learn and be loved again this year.
Stephanie Pae
KIPS Coordinator

KIPS staff

P2 children and teachers

P1 children and teachers

P2 arts and crafts

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

13

Secondary School News

Welcome back to school for 2018-19
I hope that the year has started well for your child; thatthey are enjoying learning and feeling comfortable inthe school environment. I want to take this opportunity
in the community forum of the newsletter to emphasize
some goals for this year.
Firstly, we expect students to use English at all times
whilst they are on campus. This year, we will really betrying to encourage students to follow this school
expectation. It is done well in Elementary, but we could
improve in Secondary. For example, students who use
a language other than English loudly or repeatedly may
face a consequence such as having to spend part oftheir lunchtime writing a student reflection. I would liketo ask for your support if your child brings home such areflection for you to sign. Additionally, I ask all parents
who can communicate verbally in English and otherlanguages to only use English whilst on campus.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP KIST?
• THIS YEAR WE EXPECT STUDENTS TO USE
ENGLISH AT ALL TIMES WHILST THEY ARE ON
CAMPUS.

Secondly, we are expanding the number of extracurricular opportunities at KIST this year, and will
increase our participation in inter-school sporting
competitions. We have joined the High School group of
the Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools(KPASS) and are aiming to field teams in U14 and U18
boys 11 a-side soccer, U14 and U18 girls and boys
cross-country and U-14 girls basketball. Many students
are already signed up for these events so thanks foryour support thus
far! Our schoolorchestra also
continues to growand become
more establishedwhilst there may
be another KIST
musical in 20182019!

Thirdly, I would like to
ask for parent support
with the organization oflearning of theirchildren for school. This
year, we are expecting
G6 and G7 students toall follow a certain
binder system for the organization of their notes, whilst
I am expecting families of G6-8 students to sign the
homework diary of their child each week. We will be
expecting students to follow these methods oforganization and communication, therefore parent
support is vital to help them.
Lastly, as usual, we have updated the very detailed
curriculum documents which tell parents exactly what
we aim to teach your child in each subject. Rememberthat these can be accessed through the Community
portal of the school website under Curriculum
Documents (screen shot below). We also aim to beusing our Summative Assessment Calendars so you asparents can check when your child has a major test or
task due.

To finish, for parents who came, I hope that you foundthe alternative format for Secondary Parent Welcome
Night more comfortable and suited to your needs.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any morequestions at any time. I am planning to start myPrincipal coffee mornings again and aim to have one in
October.
Here is to another great year at KIST!
Mark Cowe
Secondary School Principal

14“ T h e Co m e t ”

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18

KIST Honour Roll
The Secondary School introduced the KIST Honour Roll in 2017-18.
Students must attain high standards of academic performance to be
nominated for the KIST Honour Roll.
The names of KIST Honour Roll students will be printed on a plaqueand displayed in the KIST ‘Hall of Honour’.
Congratulations to all students and families attaining this distinction.

A number of other Secondary School Awards were presented at the final assembly in June. Award recipients arelisted below. Congratulations to all recognized – well done everyone!

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

MYP News
MYP students explore KIST Information
Learning Cycle
KIST MYP students started off their year by exploring
how they process information in their lives. This waspart of the introduction of the KIST Information
Learning Cycle.
Being able to use information successfully is important
not just for school, but to live our lives in a way that is
productive and fulfilling. The skills associated withinformation literacy include the ability to find, selectand evaluate sources of information and to use that
information in a way that clearly communicates
understanding.

Knowing the cycle and how it works best can help students learn
independently.

In the MYP, teachers work to instill the necessary
skills to use information effectively across the
program. They place special emphasis on creating
experiences in which students must work
independently to explore topics. They are given
support to know how to collect, organize and present
their findings.
The introduction of the KIST Information Learning
Cycle will help develop a consistent approach toresearch tasks. Students will be more easily able torecognize the connections among all their subjects
and enrich their ability to use information
effectively in their own lives.
Students show their thinking about how successful information
learning happens.

Robert WhiteMYP Coordinator

Each phase of the cycle includes a detailed set of skills and behaviors.

15

16

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

KIST Orchestra Visits TokushimaOn August 6, eight students ranging from 8th to11th grade from the Orchestra Club joined
together on a trip to Tokushima, where we met 3to12-year-old students from Stella International
School. It was a 2-day, 1-night trip and every minutewith the younger children was jam-packed withactivities and learning on both ends.
Prior to the trip, we had prepared musical numbers,
songs, dances and presentations to perform and teachat Stella. This preparation took place before our summer
break started, and a week before the trip, we hadthorough rehearsals for around 5 hours each day. The
pieces included the well-known theme song from “Tonari
no Totoro,” classic Disney pieces, and two dances fromthe hit movie “High School Musical.”Bearing all our individual musical talents, the eight of us,
along with Mrs Duran and Mr Honda, boarded the onehour flight to Tokushima where the staff members of
Stella International were kind enough to pick us up. We
were told that many of the students that we had thepleasure of meeting were enrolled in StellaInternational, and some were drop-ins attending only
the summer program.
On tiny chairs and tables, we first had lunch with thestudents. They looked at us curiously and most were too
shy to respond to the many attempts we made to spark
simple English conversations. We learned later thatmost of the students didn’t speak English at home andwere a little startled when we tried talking to them and toeach other in fluent, fast English. It took a little bit oftime for us to understand their language levels andadjust accordingly. We wanted them to feel comfortable
talking to us, but at the same time, we wanted tomaximize their experience in interacting with otherinternational students in as much English as possible.
Later, the Stella students performed two dances thatthey had rehearsed, followed by presentations spoken
by students a little older about the Tokushima region.
This was an incredibly sweet welcome and mostdefinitely the cutest. The eight of us then introduced
ourselves, sharing our backgrounds and favourites,
letting the students guess each time to make it more fun
and interactive. Then we played “Tonari no Tottoro,”“When You Wish Upon a Star,” and “Under the Sea,”and sang “Tomorrow” from the musical “Annie.” In all
performances, we encouraged the students to singalong if they knew the words. The Orchestra’s
concertmaster Daigo (G9A) and main pianist Ririka(G10B) wonderfully performed the “Franck’s Sonata.” By
the student’s snack time that day, many of them seemedto already feel comfortable interacting with us, thoughmore often in Japanese. That evening, we were
fortunate enough to be taken with the younger Stella
students to a nearby “Awa-Odori Center,” to watch andlearn about Tokushima’s famous, local, signature dance
and to buy local “omiyage.”

The next
day, wejoined theStellachildren ata woodcraft
centerwhere we designed a smaller version of Tokushima’s
famous “yusan-bako,” a wooden box originally used asa lunchbox in ancient Japan. It proved to be a solid yet
fun history and culture lesson for both Stella and KIST
students. With our freshly colored boxes put away forthe time being, the eight of us performed a dance to thesong “Bop to the Top” and “We’re All in this Together”
from the “High School Musical” movie. We taught thelatter to the Stella students, both the dance and the
lyrics. It was a lot for the younger students to digest all
at once, especially after painting boxes and before
lunchtime. The eight of us realized the importance of not
only making the dance easier for them to understandbut foremost, to keep the energy levels up and going forthe elementary children to enjoy and power through theexperience as much as they can. It was also a tiring
task for the eight of us to keep up the energy more than
we are used to, all the while singing and dancing overthe chatter of around sixty hungry elementary children.
However, the laughter and fun that we shared with thekindergarten and elementary students before it was ourtime to leave were priceless, as was the experience of awide-eyed girl looking up at me asking if we would comeback the next day.
It is safe to say that what we thought would be a trip
where only we would be fulfilling the role of teachers,
turned out to be a mutual relationship where there wasalso a lot that we as high school students learned fromworking with much younger students and about theregional culture of Tokushima. It is our hope that wewould be able to return to the students in StellaInternational School next summer as well, possibly for alonger period of time.
Ushani (G11A), Thilo (G10B), Ena (G10B), Ririka(G10B), Daigo (G9A), Satoshi (G9B), Harunosuke(G8A) and I (Marlinah) would like to thank Mrs Duranfor finding this special opportunity and always without
fail finding more ways to connect students throughexpression in music and art. We would also like to thank
Mr Honda forcoming with
us andmaking thistrip a reality.
Marlinah(G11A)

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

Changemaker Challengeb

Web

Click the link below to view our pitch video.
https://goo.gl/C39icJ

T

T

After learning about issues ranging from poverty tohuman rights, we decided to tackle global warming.
This was an issue that we felt we could challenge
using our skills in programming, electronics, anddigital fabrication. Our idea was to make the processof saving unnecessary electricity into a competitive
mobile game. The term gamification, in which a
specific process is converted into a game, has beenused to change human behaviors since the beginningof the 21st century. Our idea was to combine thismethod with an IoT (Internet of Things) device which
would provide the necessary data in the gameapplication.

As for proposing a solution, it was a uniqueexperience as we were able to propose asolution to one of the issues, overconsumptionof electricity, by incorporating our technicalskills and talents. Though it was very
challenging to pitch such a creative yet
unimaginable project to the investors forfunds, simultaneously it was very exciting to
be able to produce a device using oursoftware and hardware skills to educate andencourage people to save electricity.

he Changemaker project is a pitching programfor high school students with ideas about how tosolve issues that are challenging our society. We are
first given the necessary resources to learn in depth
about social issues, and then in teams, students comeup with ideas on how to solve a specific issue. After
brainstorming and creating prototypes, we are thengiven the opportunity to pitch our ideas to investors
and philanthropists. Nimit and I were interested inparticipating because of the issues that we havelearned during our time in the MYP humanities class.
Although we learn about the issues and how they arebeing tackled, we rarely think about how we could
take steps to solve an issue ourselves. We felt that the
Changemaker Project was the right place to do this.

Users would plug in devices that would track electricity
consumption and upload the collected data to an
online server. This data will determine how many tree
seeds that a user will get to plant in their virtual forest
inside the game application. Users will be able to get
more seeds by saving more electricity. By planting
tree seeds in the virtual forest, their biodiversity would
increase. This biodiversity and other variables would
be used to make the users compete
on who has the largest and therichest forest.

he Changemaker project has been agreat experience for Shu and me, largely
because it helps us engage in learning
collaboratively about the issues of our society,and allows us to propose solutions in
response to such issues. Though it did require
a lot of hard work, learning about various
issues was very interesting and fascinating as
we came across facts that we would’ve neverimagined—one of these being that meat
consumption is one of the leading causes ofglobal warming! To be able to educate
ourselves about our society and its issues was
a completely new experience which motivatedus to proceed further on with the project.

Through just the learning and the pitching of
this project, we were able to develop various
presentation and time management skills thatcombined in helping us produce an excellent
project and pitch that would allow us to offer apotential solution to overconsumption ofelectricity. Thus, I would recommend every
one of you to give this project a shot, as it
gives you the opportunity to contribute to yoursociety, through the
exploration of your own
talents and skills.
Nimit (G11B)

Shu (G11A)

17

18

“ T h e Co m e t ”

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18

Secondary ELS

Science Department News

Introducing the Secondary ELS
team for 2018-2019

2018-19 is alreadyshaping up to be a
productive year in
the KIST Science
department. The
Grade 12s are busy
working on theirInternal
Assessment for
Science and it isgreat to see all
G12 Chemistry 1A students
other students
working hard on their first unit of study. The new year has alsobrought some changes to the Science department: namely, theaddition of two new science teachers who join thedepartment from overseas.

I hope that you are as
excited about the new school
year as we are in secondary
English Language Support.
My name is Michael
Davignon and I am returning
as ELS coordinator. I am
also excited about my newrole at KIST: Grade 8 and
Grade 10 English Language
and Literature teacher.
This year we have two new ELS instructors:
Jade Bonus and Anita Lee. Please welcome
them to their new roles!
Michael Davignon
ELS Coordinator (Secondary)
I am originally from
Melbourne, Australia. Afterqualifying as a secondary
English and Media Art
teacher, I fulfilled mylifelong dream of moving toJapan to teach and havebeen here for over five
years. I initially joined KIST
in 2015 and spent a
wonderful three years in theelementary school as an ELS instructor for
Grade 1. For the 2018-2019 school year I am
excited to move to the secondary school. In my
capacity as ELS instructor, I look forward toworking with the students this year to help
them achieve academic success.
My name is Anita Lee, andI am the ELS instructor for
Grade 7s and 10s. I am
excited to join the KIST
community this year! I wasborn in Taiwan and grew
up in the beautiful land of
Vancouver, Canada. I am acertified music andlanguage acquisition
teacher in Canada andhave recently taught in China for three years
before moving to Japan. I am also a
professional violinist and have been playing
the violin for the past 23 years. I love bothorchestral and chamber music and am excited
to be working with the KIST orchestra this year
in addition to my ELS role. Please feel free tocome by and say hello if you see me in yourclassroom or in the hallway. I look forward to agreat year with you all.

Kimberley Biggs
Secondary Subject Area Coordinator—Science
My name is Andrea Ramos and I am originally from
Colorado in the United States. I graduated with a degreein Education and Broadfield Science from the Universityof Great Falls in Montana, USA. After graduating, I moved backto Colorado to be closer to family and start my teaching career.
It didn’t take me long to realize I wanted to take my careerinternationally. I moved to Guatemala where I taught for the
past three years. Teaching internationally allows me to combine
many of my passions: teaching, traveling and learning about
new cultures and languages. Outside of teaching, I enjoy
playing basketball, hiking,snowboarding, reading
and CrossFit. I am
extremely excited for theopportunity to live andteach in Japan. I am
thankful to be a part of
the KIST family and lookforward to the school
year ahead.
Hi! I’m Peter Jamal.
I was born andraised on Earth.
(left) and Mr Jamal (right)
My family and I moved a lot Ms Ramosin their new habitat.
around the globe andtravelling is (I guess) everyone’s passion (so yay!). I did my first
degree in Biotechnology where I specialized in Food
Technology. I moved to Beijing to do my Postgraduate Diploma
in Environmental Chemistry while still in my final year of my first
degree. I did my first Master’s degree in Genetic Engineering,
before continuing my second Master’s degree in Materials
Chemistry. I have taught at universities and IB schools in the
UK and Malaysia. I play tennis in the pro men’s circuit aroundthe globe – I am very grateful to be here as I can find different
versatility of tennis players. Being at KIST is such an exciting
part of my life because I am able to do things that I love,
including teaching young kids with different backgrounds. I’mvery excited to share all the knowledge I have to the KIST
younger generation.

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

Secondary Student Care
Hello from the Student Care Coordinators
At KIST, Student Care Coordinators work to coordinate the collaborative efforts of all staff
in meeting student welfare needs. This year in the Secondary School, there are twocoordinators: Anna Holdaway who is continuing herrole from last year in supporting students from
Grades 6 to 8, and Evelyn Pang who has been
newly appointed to the role this year to support students from Grades 9 to12.

Ms Evelyn (left) and Ms Holdaway (right),
Secondary School Student Care Coordinatorsfor 2018-19.

Invite yourself into the Student Care office (room213) for a chat with your friendly Student Care
Coordinators...

...or drop us a note (with yourname and class) in the mailbox
outside the Student Care room.

Peer support leaders© Zits | By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman“I want to talk to someone who gets it!”We’ve all had that difficult, somewhat awkward conversation with the adult figures in our lives – the overly
concerned parent, teacher or the Principal. Sometimes, just sometimes, it feels more natural tocommunicate and share your thoughts with someone who is at the same life stage as you are in. He or she
has experienced a situation very much like yours and can offer useful insights to help you through yourissues.
Enter the KIST Peer Support Leader (PSL) – an approachable peer that is empathetic and willing to help.
This year, G9-12 students will have an opportunity to support their peers in areas of academic and social
growth as a PSL. Guidance and training will be provided by the Student Care Coordinator so PSLs can be
more effective in creating a safe and positive school environment for all.
G9-12 students, please talk to Ms. Evelyn if you are interested in the role of the PSL, or want to recommend
your peers for this role. You will find her in the Student Care office (room 213) or classroom 303.

19

20

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

Habitat for Humanity (HFH)
What is HFH?
HFH is a non-profit, non-governmentalorganisation established in the USA in
1976. The members of HFH from 80
countries work towards helping thosein poverty in developing nations
through the careful construction ofhouses for families. KIST has beenworking with HFH since 2006.

Highlights from 2017-2018
In 2017-2018, the 2018 KIST Habitatfor Humanity Team organised various
fundraising activities to alleviate part ofthe participation costs to build a housein Phnom Penh, Cambodia for people
in need. The fundraising activities
included: running of KISTival gamebooths, delivering speeches on third
culture kids at Hitotsubashi University, finding corporate sponsors through delivering presentations, and organisingcharity events with sponsored companies such as setting up Skype calls with children in Cambodia and helping withthe running of AC Milan Soccer events.
Through these fundraising activities, we were able to exceed the goal of raising 2,000,000 yen. A big thank you tothe school community and the sponsored companies for their continuous and general support towards the KISTHFH Team!

Participants’ voices
Kevin (G12B)

Samantha (G12B)

T

B

he HFH trip this year to Cambodia was a very
meaningful experience for me. I have watchedvideos of people facing poverty in the world before,
but actually going to the site to look at the situation
with my eyes, and personally interacting with thepeople there impacted me much more significantly.
Successfully being able to build ahouse for the people in need andseeing how they were delighted, I
myself was able to feel very proud
and got the sense that I was able togive the global community apositive contribution.

eing a part of the Habitat for Humanity teamthis year taught me a lot of lessons andallowed me to develop many skills. From thefundraising events to the final trip to Cambodia,
every step was very meaningful. Traveling to
Cambodia was something I had not thought I
would be able to do, and I amvery glad that I did because it
was very memorable. Overall,
the whole experience was lifechanging and I would encourage
everyone to take part in this.

Tian Wei (G12A)

T

his trip to Cambodia with the Habitat for
Humanity team was really unforgettable.
I sincerely appreciate the amazing
opportunity to be able to help local families
by building a house for themin person as well as to enjoy
local culture and scenes in
Cambodia. Although it was
really hot, I believe that allof us did a great job solving
whatever challenges we
faced.

Varsha (G12A)T

he HFH trip was very enjoyable and is one of thebest experiences I ever had. Not only were webuilding houses, we were able to change the life ofmany people who didn’t have homes. We learnt about
the Cambodian culture and were able to understandthe challenges the citizens of
Cambodia were facing. This trip mademe realize that I am thankful for all thefacilities I have and should enjoy every
little things of life. I am thankful to the
HFH group for giving me thisopportunity.

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

21

Library News
Elementary Library
Genrefication
If you haven’t had a chance to visit the
Elementary Library yet this school year,
you’re in for a surprise! But you also mightfind that your favorite books aren’t where
they used to be.
Don’t worry, they haven’t disappeared! The library has
been genrefied – instead of alphabetically by author’s
last name, all of the chapter books in the Elementary
Library are now organized by genre. Rachel Renee
Russell and J.K. Rowling don’t write the same kind ofstories – but Rachel Renee Russel and Jeff Kinney do.
So we’ve put Dork Diaries next to Diary of a Wimpy Kid
and Harry Potter next to Percy Jackson.
If you want a book that will scare your pants off, look forthe ghost sticker – those are the horror books. If you
love animals, follow the paw prints. Need a laugh?
Look for the smiley face. Please feel free to ask thelibrarian if you can’t find your old favorite
book. You just might find your new
favorite book.
Leslie Ann Hynes
Elementary Librarian

Library Media Center (LMC)
NEW for 2018-2019
Young Adult section

Sports Illustrated for Kids, Popular Science and ofcourse our very own KISTeens magazine.

Personal Project
Last year’s grade ten students have graciously allowed
us to display their hard work in a space dedicated to
Personal Projects. Please look through them for
inspiration, but handle with care as a great deal of work
went into them.

Healthcare
The library team have worked closelywith the student welfare department toprovide a whole new selection of titles
that support the physical and emotional
well-being of students. Parents, too,
may borrow these books, and they canbe found in Destiny Discover. We also
have books with parenting advice. Parents pleasecontact the library team to arrange a time when you
may browse them.

Genrification
Until now, all fictional titles have been organized on thebook shelves alphabetically. These books are now
arranged by genre, making it very straightforward forstudents to independently search for their favourite
kinds of books. The new Science-Fiction section isalready proving to be very popular.

All fictional titles that appeal to older secondary
students can now be found in the Young Adult section,
located in room two – the quiet study space of the
LMC.

Graphic novels
Due to popular demand, we now have ten new manga
titles that will appeal to students of all ages. All these
titles are part of a series, so you can expect many more
new copies soon.

More power
Grade 11 and 12 students shared theirconcerns with us about their laptops
going flat in the afternoon if they usedtheir laptops in the LMC during lunch
recess. So we installed more powersockets! At the last count we had almost
50 locations for students to plug in their laptops.

Can’t find it?

Magazines
Displayed clearly in our new magazine racks are a
fresh new selection of monthly magazines including the
National Geographic, The Economist, Juxtapoz, Wired,

The library team provides an excellent
selection of new books for students of allages. But with so many new books
released each month we sometimes missa great title. We always welcome
suggestions from students so please feel
free to make a recommendation.

Continued on next page

22

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

Continued from previous page

Open hours
With so many distractions at home –siblings, Netflix, computer games and soon – it can be very difficult to concentrateon studies. The LMC is open from 8:00
a.m. every day until 4:50 p.m. Monday
afternoon may close earlier for staff
training. Noise in the study area is to be kept to aminimum, with two quiet rooms if focused work is
required.

1-1 library support
The LMC is a popular resource space forall secondary students, so it may bedifficult at times for Mr Tim and Ms Erika
to answer all questions as best we would
like. To resolve this, Mr Tim can bebooked Friday after school for a 20minute 1-1 support session. He can provide help withresearch, presenting,referencing, finding
resources and so on.
Ms Erika and Mr Tim

Explanation Day 2018
For the 2019 - 2020 school year
KIST will hold an Explanation Day for parents
interested in enrolling children for the 2019 2020 school year.
Administration and teaching staff will beavailable to answer questions regarding
admissions procedures, the school
curriculum, progression to universities, andgeneral features of the school. Visitors will
also be able to view the school facilities.
Date:
October 13, 2018 (Saturday)
Session times:(1) English: 9:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
(2) Japanese: 1:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Staff 10!
In this month’s Staff 10!, we arepleased to present John
McDonough who joined us in
August 2012 as a teaching assistantin K2 and art instructor for K1 andK2. From this school year, he is teaching PYP art tostudents in K1 through Grade 1.
1) Tell us something interesting about yourhometown.
My hometown is the lovely seaside resort of
Llandudno in North Wales, which has a beach on
either side of it and a 700 m pier. It’s said that the town
was part of the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland andat the northern tip of the town is a big mountain called
The Great Orme, which looks like a giant alligator.
2) What is your favorite place in the world?
I like spooky places, like haunted houses!
3) Who would you like to meet if you had thechance and why?
He’s no longer with us but Stephen Hawking. I havealways been fascinated by space travel and artificial
intelligence so I would love to discuss some of his
theories with him.
4) Do you have any special skills or talents?
I’m actually better at drawing with a mouse than apencil!
5) Please share a little known fact about yourself.
I once filmed a scene with Ken Watanabe.
6) What is your most prized possession?
My comic book collection, only, it’s not mine anymore I
guess. I gave them all to my nephew. I hope he istaking good care of them…
7) Which IB learner profile attribute do you mostclosely identify with and why?
I guess principled is the best one to describe me,though I feel I need to be more balanced.
8) If you could live your life again, would you doanything differently?
I love what I’m doing right now and the people I’msurrounded by so no, I wouldn’t.
9) Is there anything you are trying to learn/improveabout yourself at the moment?
I recently started to learn how to animate pixel art, andI’m discovering that it takes hours of work to make justa few seconds of detailed animation.
10) Do you have any special message for yourfans?
Yes, makesome art!

Reservations close:
October 12, 2018 (Friday)
Reservations essential!

www.kist.ed.jp
Mr John sharing his artistic skills with anenthralled audience of K2s.

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

Nurse’s Notes
In this issue of The Comet, I would like to talk about heat Illness and tuberculosis.

1. Heat illness
What is heat illness?
Heat illness is a condition that occurs when the human body cannot keep itself cool. In general, the humanbody maintains a normal temperature of around 36℃ . Our bodies perspire to eliminate heat from the surface ofthe skin and maintain our normal body temperature during the hot summer. However, heat-related illness is aserious medical condition that occurs when the natural cooling system begins to fail, letting heat in the bodybuild to dangerous levels and/or losing the balance of body fluids and electrolytes.

Major factors in heat illness
1) Environment
Heat illness is more likely to occur in environments with any of the following: strong sunlight, reflected heatof the sun, poor ventilation (for example, a stuffy room), lack of air conditioning, rapid temperature increase,high temperature, high humidity, or lack of wind.
2) Body condition
The following types of people are more susceptible to heat illness: babies and infants, elderly people, people
with chronic illness, people who are undernourished, people who are sleep-deprived, people who havedifficulty adjusting to hot weather.
3) Activities
Heat illness is more likely to occur in those who engage in the following: vigorous exercise, exercise in which
the person is inexperienced, extended periods of outdoor activities, or activities where it is difficult tomaintain hydration.

Preventing heat illness Dress your child in a hat and apply sunscreen when spending time outside.
 Make sure your child is getting enough sleep and eating sufficient meals.
 Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids before and during activities in hot, sunny weather, even if thechild is not thirsty.
 Watch for your child displaying symptoms of heat illness.
 Make sure your child rests in the shade or a cool place and takes frequent breaks during outdoor activities.
 Instruct your child to come indoors, rest and hydrate immediately if the child feels overheated.
 Check weather information for heat warnings.
 Use the air-conditioning appropriately at home.
 Use a fan to prevent heat from accumulating indoors.

Heat illness symptoms

Level
1

Symptoms
Dizziness/Fainting;Lethargy/Weakness;
Clammy skin; Thirsty;
Nausea; Numbness in thehands/legs; Muscle cramps







Level
2

Level
3

Headache; Hightemperature; Rapid
heartbeat and breathing;
Vomiting; Confusion;
Exhaustion
Unconsciousness; Inability
to walk; Spasms;
Incoherency; Excessively
high temperature (over38℃); Seizures; Stroke








Procedures
Take the patient to a cooler place indoors, an airconditioned room, or shady area
Remove the patient’s excess clothing
Loosen clothes
Encourage the patient to drink fluids (preferably asports drink)
Put wet towels or water on the skin and use fans toeliminate the heat
Same as above
Avoid giving fluids when vomiting

OthersRecommend
to see a doctor

Same as above
Do not give fluids unless the patient is awake, alert
and acting normally
Cool areas with major arterial veins for example:
NeckGroin (inguinal)Armpits

Call anambulanceand perform
first aid
immediately

Go to thehospitalContinued on next page

23

24

“ T h e Co m e t ”

Continued from previous page

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18

KIST Sports (Fall 2018)

2. Information regarding tuberculosis (TB)
Recently, there have been an increasing number ofcases of tuberculosis in Japan, including a report ofinfection in a school in Tokyo. If you are concernedthat your child might have been infected with TB,
please contact KIST immediately and then take yourchild to the hospital.
You may be concerned about TB if the following
describe your family: Your child and/or family members have lived incountries with a high frequency of TB.
 Your child shows common symptoms of TB, which
include coughing up phlegm, chest pains, weakness
and a slight fever. These symptoms may continue forover two weeks and feel similar to catching a cold.
If you have any inquiries regarding heat illness and/or
tuberculosis, please feel free to contact me.
Yukiko Yamazaki
School Nurse
yukiko.yamazaki@kist.ed.jp

References:
Heat illness prevention information (Ministry of the Environment,
Government of Japan) http://www.wbgt.env.go.jp/

Welcome back, KIST Community. It has been very
hot of late, but that has not put a damper on ourstudents’ enthusiasm to participate in athletics! We
had 29 middle school boys try out for our soccer
team last week, and 20 secondary students willattend a special volleyball clinic at KIST on August
25 and 26. The future is looking bright for KIST
Sports!!
This year KIST students will be participating in the
Kanto Plains league as a member school. We arestarting small but participating in the following ways:- sending 22 secondary students to 4 cross country
meets in Fall
- playing A-Pool MS 11-a-side boys soccer in Fall
- playing A-Pool Junior Varsity (Grades 9-11) 11-aside boys soccer in Fall/Winter- playing A-Pool MS girls basketball in Spring
As usual, we will continue participating in all the
ISTAA league sports that we have in the past:volleyball, basketball, futsal and cross country. This
year, ISTAA is also looking to include a badminton
tournament in Fall and Spring, another first.
We are looking forward to getting support at games
from the whole KIST Community. Please come andcheer on your Comets!!
Dennis Ota
Extra-Curricular Clubs and Athletics
Coordinator“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

25

KIST Community Association (CA)
Welcome back to the new school year! The KIST Community Association (CA) supports
and fosters the partnership between students, parents and the school in accordance withthe school’s mission, vision and guiding beliefs through planning and implementing eventsand providing services, equipment, materials and resources which directly enhance theeducational experiences and well-being of students.
In order to achieve this objective, the CA organizes several committees that provide assistance in various areas
and are open to all parents. It is not necessary to participate in every committee activity, or to attend every
committee meeting; however, we hope that as many parents as possible will become familiar with the activities of
the CA by signing up for a committee. This year, there are five committees as follows:
Communications andCommunity Relations Committee
IT Committee
Library Committee
Service Committee
Student Events Committee
Online sign-ups are accepted at 2018-2019 CA Committee Sign-up. We are really counting on your enthusiastic
participation and look forward to welcoming YOU as a committee member!
Finally, we would like to introduce the CA Officers for the 2018-19 school year as follows:

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Secretary

Mika Shindo

Kishi Kedia

Yukie Itoyanagi

Noriko Nogami

If you are interested in joining a general committee or finding out more about the CA, please contact the Officers
by e-mail at ca.officers@family.kist.ed.jp.
CA Officers

26

V ol u me 22 | I s s ue 1 | S ept em b er 20 18“ T h e Co m e t ”

University Guidance NewsThe “Class of 2018” acceptances andoffersof 2016 was featured as one of the current PEARL
students. Well done, Raj!

We had another successful year for university
acceptances at KIST. Some highlights this year include
the following: Japan became the most popular destination with 11
students, followed by the UK with 9 students.
 A small number of students applied to universities inNorth America, with 4 students going to the US and
1 student to Canada.
 The first KIST student enrolled at KAIST, the top
science and technology university in Korea, with afour-year full scholarship.
 The first KIST student enrolled at École Hôtelière deLausanne in Switzerland, regarded internationallyas the best hotel management and hospitality
school in the world.
 The first KIST student to go to Norway to continue
their studies.
Several students are still waiting for the results of theirapplications to major universities in Korea, and somestudents are planning to apply to regular programs at
Japanese universities, including medical schools, thatcommence from April 2019.
Please see the full list of college and university
acceptances and offers for the “Class of 2018” on thenext page. Congratulations to our graduates on their
university acceptances, and all the best for yourcontinuing success in both your university studies andbeyond.

Summer internship at SITThis year once again, the Shibaura Institute ofTechnology (SIT) invited our students to apply to their
two-week summer internship for international school
students. Two students now in Grade 12: Yuki (G12B)
and Tom (G12B), and two students now in Grade 11:
Lilya (G11A) and Erika (G11B) enjoyed participatingin the program which was conducted in the university’slaboratory. As part of the program, the students
completed their own project and received a certificate
for their efforts from SIT. Erika also received the Best
Presenter Award. Congratulations!

Yuki

Tom

Lilya

Erika

Raj (Class of 2016) featured in Keio
University’s PEARL brochure
We were so happy to find a familiar face in a newbrochure which we received at the Keio PEARL
information session in August. Raj from KIST’s ClassAn article from Raj about his university life wasincluded in the March 2018 issue of The Comet. Toview his article, please click here and scroll down topage 35.

University guidance calendar
There are a number of events, university presentations
at KIST, college fairs and information sessions aroundTokyo scheduled during the fall. Please check the
University Guidance Calendar to obtain updated
schedules and detailed information about the eventsand universities.
Mrs Keiko Okude
Career and University Guidance Counselor
Office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10:00-17:00
keiko.okude@kist.ed.jp

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 2 | I s s u e 1 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8

College and University Acceptances and Offers
KIST Class of 2018
( )=Number of students accepted | (★)=Scholarship offered(#)=Matriculate from autumn 2018 | As of August 24, 2018
UK
Durham University
Goldsmiths, University of London
Imperial College London (3) (1#)
King’s College London (4)Leeds Art University (1#)
London School of Economics (1#)
Queen Mary, University of London (2) (1#)
St George’s, University of London (2)University of Birmingham
University of Bristol (2)University College London (10) (3#)
University of East Anglia (1#)
University of Edinburgh (1#)
University of Essex
University of Exeter
University of Kent
University of Leeds (2)University of Manchester (2)University of Nottingham (3)University of St. Andrews (2) (1#)
University of Southampton
University of Sussex
University of Warwick (3)University of YorkUC San Diego (3)University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Maryland
University of Washington Seattle
University of Wisconsin Madison
CANADA
University of British Columbia (★)
University of Toronto
York University (1#)
JAPAN
Hosei University GIS
International Christian University (ICU) (6) (5#)
Keio University PEARL (1#)
Meiji Gakuin University
Osaka University
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (3#)
Sophia University (3)Waseda University School of Fundamental Scienceand Engineering
Waseda University School of International LiberalStudies (2) (2#)
Waseda University School of Political Science andEconomics

NETHERLANDSHONG KONG
Amsterdam University College (1#)
University College Groningen
University College Maastricht
University College Utrecht
NORWAY
Alfaskolen (1#)
SWITZERLAND
École Hôtelière de Lausanne (1#)
Les Roches
USA
Arizona State University (1#★)
Boston University
Indiana University Bloomington (1#)
Purdue University (1#)
School of Visual Arts
Otis College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
Tulane University
UC Davis (1#)

The Hong Kong University of Technology and
Science (3★) (1#★)
The University of Hong Kong (3)
KOREA
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KAIST) (1#★)
MAINLAND CHINA
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (★)

27