The omet

The New sletter of K. International School Tokyo
Volume 25 | Issue 4 | June 2022

In this issue...
02...New School Logos

10...Self-Care Tips for Summer

02...New Building Construction Update

11...Being a Business Consultant

03...Message from the Board President

11...Get Ready for Schoology

05...Grit: Breakfast of Champions!

12...ASIJ MUN Conference

08...G11 Community Clean Up Activity

13...Mathematics Department News

09...JMMUN Conference15...CAS Projects at KIST in 2021–22

From the Head of School

Dates to Remember

Summer travel
It is already June, and it is hard to believe that we will soon be
wrapping up another year at KIST! It has been an eventful yearwith plenty of learning, the beginning of our new building construction, andeven some COVID-19 related challenges. With the support and cooperation of
our staff and the wider school community, we were able to navigate thesechallenges with minimal disruption to learning, and we also had some funalong the way!
As travel restrictions have been eased here in Japan and in many countries
around the world, there are more opportunities for travel than in the previous
two years. As such, many of our community members will likely takeadvantage of this opportunity to travel overseas. I plan to visit my homecountry of Canada for a short trip as well!
When planning your travel, please keep in mind that entry restrictions andquarantine expectations can change suddenly. We recommend that you
regularly monitor the entry guidelines for returning to Japan and plan any
overseas travel accordingly. The following websites provide guidance on travel
to Japan:b
Web

MOFA—Border measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

bWeb

MOFA—Measures for resuming cross-border travel:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/cp/page22e_000925.html

The summer vacation is a wonderful chance to spend time as a family and takepart in activities we normally do not have the time to do. It is an opportunity toplay games, explore the city, and get outdoors with our families. Whether you
plan to travel or not this summer, I wish you all the best and look forward towelcoming you all back to KIST in August!
Warm regards,
Kevin Yoshihara Ed.D.
Head of School/Elementary School Principal
KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life KIST Learning for Life

June 2022
15 Last day of school for students(Half day for students)
15 (K1-G11) Semester 2 reports
issued15 (K1-G3) After care not available
16-Jul 1 Office open
20-Jul 1 Summer program session 1

July 2022
2-31 School closed

August 2022
1-12 Summer program session 2
18 (K1/K2/K3) Parent welcome night
22 First day of school for all students
22 (K2-G3) After care begins thisweek
23 (G6-G10) Mathematics diagnostic
testing23-25 (G12) DP diagnostic exams
24 (G1-G5) Parent welcome night
26 (G6-G12) Parent welcome night(*Online)
27 SAT@KIST2

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New School Logos
As you may have noticed on the first page of this issueof The Comet, we have introduced a new KIST logo. If
you look closely, you will find the following changes:• The red and green colors used have been
redefined.
• The shape of the leaves at the top of the logo haschanged to appear more like those from an olive
tree which are often used to represent theconcepts of “peace” and “wisdom.” This aligns
more closely with KIST’s mission.
• The overall shape of the new logo tapers into a
point at the base to appear more like a family crest
or coat of arms.

The logo for K. International Preschool(KIPS) has also changed to match the
new KIST design.
Although the differences between the new
and old logos are subtle, we believe thatthe new design looks sharper and has amore modern feel as we approach the25th anniversary of our founding.
The new logos will start to appear on
school documentation progressively overthe coming months.

New School Building Construction Update!
In E-Communications No. 293, we shared details of the April 8 student assemblies that were
held to say goodbye and thank you to our gymnasium before commencement of the demolition
process. We are sad to see the gym go as it has served us so well for the last 16 years and left
us with many fond memories.

After demolition has been completed around the middle of July, construction of the new school building will finallybegin. The new six-story building—which will include two music rooms with two soundproof practice rooms, fourscience rooms, a gymnasium with a full-size basketball court, and a lunchroom for students—is expected to becompleted around the end of October 2023 if all goes smoothly.
We will be including regular updates on the status of construction in future issues of The Comet, so pleasestay tuned!

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Message from the Board President
Our G12s have finally finished their DP examinations, and on June 3, participated in their graduation
ceremony. Congratulations to all graduates! We look forward to hearing news of your continued success inthe future.
As we have shared previously in The Comet, it is the role of the school's governing body, the Board of
Directors, to determine the school’s vision, mission and related policies; develop strategies to achievethese; mandate implementation of Board directives through the Head of School and other members of the
management team; and to review their effectiveness.
The core of the school’s mission is to: “provide academically motivated children with a high-quality
education in order to develop in order to develop competent, academic and compassionate individuals
who make meaningful contributions to our global community.”
In aiming to achieve this mission, we have established the following educational objectives:• To provide all students with an opportunity to develop advanced skills necessary for success in our
ever-changing global society, including research skills; analytical, logical and critical thinking skills;
writing and communication skills such as presentation and debate; as well as high-level knowledge
and a volunteer sprit, to help prepare them for future studies and careers, through completion of the IB
Diploma Programme (DP), which gives students the opportunity to develop these skills andknowledge at a high level. Achieving high scores in the final DP exams provides internationallyrecognized evidence that such skills have been acquired.
• To support students who wish to matriculate to the world’s leading universities in order to continue toreceive a high-quality education after graduating from KIST.
As announced previously, in order to achieve the school’s educational goals, the Board of Directors madethe decision to change from the MYP in G6 to G8 to our own original Lower Secondary Programme,commencing from the next school year. Preparations for this are well underway. The quality of the newprogramme will be maintained through continual review and verification of the curriculum content for eachsubject area to ensure that the programme contributes to student success in the subsequent IGCSE andDP.
In April, our G9s sat for the PSAT 8/9 tests in English and Mathematics. Results have been announced
and I would like to share them with you here.
In G9 at KIST:• For the total score, 31% of students placed in the top 1% in the world, 69% placed in the top 5% in theworld, and 80% placed in the top 10% in the world.
• For the English score, 6% of students placed in the top 1% in the world, 26% placed in the top 5% in
the world, and 51% of students placed in the top 10% in the world.
• And for the Mathematics score, 49% of students placed in the top 1% in the world, 77% placed in the
top 5% in the world, and 91% of students placed in the top 10% in the world.
I believe that these excellent results provide evidence of the high quality of education that is being
provided to students at KIST.
Finally, I would like to inform you that the Board of Directors has approved a change to the wording of oneof the school’s guiding beliefs. The revised version is as follows:“The accessibility of educational opportunities at the school is dependent on the establishment
and sustainment of a system that takes financial matters into consideration, and on themaintenance of economical and efficient financial management.”
This change allows us to implement systems similar to those adopted by universities aroundthe world in which financial matters can be taken into consideration so that a greater numberof students are able to benefit from receiving a high-quality education.
Takako Komaki
Board President/Associate Head3

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Early Childhood News
Hello, KIST Families! I hope you are all doing well. Thisis the last issue of The Comet for the 2021–22 school
year. When you are living with young children, don’t
you feel time really flies? As it is the end of the school
year, I asked all the classroom teachers to reflect on
their year.
The K1A
students
startedthe yearwith somechallenges, fromthe lack of English
language, behavior,skills (fine-motor
and gross-motor),and social skills. Slowly but surely, the students cameout from their shells and began to flourish. Now, they
are good at socializing, have excellent behavior, andoutstanding academics, too! They can now blend theletter sounds and read short words. Some of them arereading above grade level. Overall, we had an
AMAZING YEAR! Well done, K1A! —Ms Claire
Yoneyama

K1A

Over thisK1B year, I
havebeen very
impressed with thechildren’s language
development! K1B
students are able toexpress theirthoughts soeloquently and we have had some interesting, insightful
and sometimes very, very funny conversations! Despite
the COVID restrictions, the children have learned toadapt and overcome hurdles through other means,
which I believe helped them use their thinking skills todevelop their language skill to a high level. Keepproblem solving and having fun everyone! —Ms Emma
Argentum
I hope all
our K2A
friends
enjoyedtheir school days asmuch as I did,despite all the
COVID-related
matters, including
distance learning. We shared lots of fun times together
learning about diverse cultures to be open-minded, wewere risk-takers during ‘show and tell’ sessions, andwe used our thinking skills a lot, too. And mostimportantly, I tried my best to teach students not to hurt
their friends’ feelings. Let’s try to be caring people tosave our friends and our world! Go and fly away likeour butterflies, K2As! —Ms Eri Ozawa

K2A

K2B hasK2B been
great thisyear, evenwith distancelearning and COVID
cases popping up
here and there, andthe new
construction
starting; we have had no trouble making countless
wonderful memories. As a community of students,
teachers and parents, I think we have all learned toadapt and do what we can to help each other to makethe best of every situation. —Mr Axel Norwood
It was an absolute
joy to work with thisyear’s K3A
students! Although westill have many restrictions
due to the pandemic, we
made many memories
together. This year’s groupbeat the record for the numberof times our class reward jar
gets filled. Every time they do well as a class in theclass or in a specialist lesson, we fill our reward jar andcelebrate with different events such as pajama day,movie day, toy day, etc. My dear K3A students! You’ve
grown so much over the year and I’m confident thatyou’ll continue to be super in grade 1! —Ms Kay
ShinadaK3AAs we
K3B approachthe end of
the year,
we are saddened tosee our students go
but pleased to havebeen able to see
how they havegrown over theyear. From the moments of awe and happiness to thetimes when their big feelings needed our help toexpress them, it was a memorable year. Luckily, theyear has concluded without any prolonged closures.
Yay! Let’s hope for that as well in the year to come.
Stay awesome and curious, K3B! All the best in yournext year’s adventures! —Mr Wilhelm Merchel
It sounds like we all had a wonderful year. I assume
lots of you are going back to your home country thissummer. Please stay safe and have an enjoyable
summer holiday!
Eri Ozawa
Early Childhood Coordinator (K1–K3)/
K2A Teacher

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Grit: Breakfast of Champions!
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book titled, “David and
Goliath” after an incident between opposing forces
during a battle in coastal Palestine during the 11th
century, tells a tale of the weak winning over the
powerful. The story highlights the astonishment over
how uneven struggles sometimes end in an unlikely
fashion. After a close look at some historical facts,
Gladwell states the lesson: “the powerful and strong
are not always what they seem.”
This along with some more timely situations such as
the present-day war between Russia and Ukraine,
COVID-19 and its onslaught of myriad waves of spikes
and valleys, and the ever-present force of nature
known as our weather system and its unfathomablevariability can lead one to feel like a David in a field ofGoliaths.
School is no different for most of us. There is an
expectation for students to perform well and sometimes
it will take a Herculean effort to get one over the humpand into the winner’s circle. My focus today is on justthat, the students who beat the odds and pull out awinner in a battle for the soul of the learner.
When we think of the students that always perform wellat school, we attribute it to “natural” ability, or DNA, andquite possibly wealth. We all want to be on that side ofthe equation and sit back and smell the roses.
However; life seldom throws out “freebies” like it was
candy during Halloween. There are some lessons that,literally, have to be learned. There are no short-cuts ormagic potions, it boils down to good, old fashioned
hard work.
In academic circles, there are some other names forthis phenomenon of hard work. One that comes tomind is Grit. Grit can be defined as courage, resolve,
and strength of character. In academic circles, it’s theability to use one’s stamina, perseverance, and tenacity

to not give up whenthings get tough. It is aperspective that can belearned and developed in
an individual bycommitting oneself toaccomplishing a goal andnot backing down. Whensubject matter stops
making sense, you stop,take a breath, and plow on from new angles or perhaps
from the same angle with more force. The learner must
not give up to his or her own feelings of helplessness
or inadequacies, but rather understand that somelessons come to fruition only with heroic levels of
determination and persistence.
I wanted to share this with you today because at theend of every school year, I’ve seen many instances ofjust such power being displayed. It comes from alltypes of students with all types of abilities, but
moreover it comes from the heart when this one
important lesson has been learned. Each of us has ahero inside that we can release and use to ouradvantage. When you have self-doubt, just remember
you can transform yourself by pressing on and nevergiving up. And our lesson being that “Challenges atschool are never as big as they first seem.”
Remember that part of pressing forward is asking theright kind of questions or looking for reinforcementsfrom others. Grit allows you to find more than one path
to your goal as long as you continue to try.
Reach down and gather your Grit!
Clay M. Bradley
Elementary School Vice Principal/
Student Care Coordinator

Sakura Medal Japanese Book Report Contest
Once again this year, KIST students participated in the
13th Annual Sakura Medal Book Report Contest, heldby the Japanese teachers at international schools
around Japan. This year, five KIST students submitted
works in the “Lower Elementary” category, and five inthe “Upper Elementary” category.

Lower Elementary

Upper Elementary

Anna (G3A)

Shiki (G5A)

Lia (G3A)

Prachi (G5B)

Amane (G3B)

Tae Sung (G5A)

Mirei (G3B)

Taiga (G4B)

Yulia (G2A)

Len (G4B)

In the Upper Elementary division, Shiki (G5A) and Tae
Sung (G5A) each won a prize for excellence, and Taiga(G4B) won a prize for effort. In the Lower Elementary
division, Amane (G3B) and Mirei (G3B) each won a
prize for effort. Congratulations to all students.

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PYP News

Elementary ELS

For this issue of The Comet, I will be
introducing some new assessmentsthat we have started using this year.
We have replaced the usual paper-based end-of-year
tests with some online assessments sourced from theUK. Developed by GL Education, the Progress Tests
in English (PTE) and Math (PTM) are updated
regularly to reflect changes in the curriculum and arestandardised against the performance of around
35,000 students in the UK to give an accurate
indication of how students at KIST compare.

Helping your child process
their day at school

One of the most exciting features of the new Progress
Test Series is the development of a new suite ofreports for our teachers, offering clearer and morecomprehensive data with helpful narrative. Ourteachers can now benefit from a range of reports,
including a group report as well as individual student
reports. The comprehensive data that these reports
provide arrive instantly so that our teachers do nothave to waste time marking tests and uploading data
onto spreadsheets; instead, they get the data theyneed instantly to begin planning interventions. This
also means that you, as parents, will also receive theresults quicker and hopefully in a more useful format.
You have had to get used to a variety of scoring
systems over the years, some easier to understandthan others. The GL Progress Tests use a simple“stanine” scoring system. This means that your child’s
final scores will be reported out of 9, and these willcorrelate with our SAME system as follows:
Stanine
1–2

Level
Starting

3–4
5–6

Approaching
Meeting

7–9

ExceedingIf there are slight changes (possibly if a class does ahigher-level test), these will be clearly reported to youon the assessment report.
You will also receive scores of how well your child didagainst various domains and how this performancecompared to the standardised UK scores. It may takea little while for us all to get used to doing ourassessments on computers rather than on paper, but
I hope that you will appreciate the benefits that these
new assessments offer. If you have any questions at
all about any of the assessments we use at KIST,
please feel free to contact me.
Oliver Sullivan
PYP Coordinator

Most of us, as parents, instinctively ask our children“How was your day?” when we all get home after
school. That time and space for a child to talk with us
about school is really important for many reasons:parent-child relationship, connecting home andschool, reinforcing a child’s learning of specificcontent, creating new understandings about aconcept, getting support with social situations, andalso developing the language needed to explain
something.
In fact, literacy teacher and author Max Brand (seelink below) points out that when a child talks about
their day at school, they are developing literacy skills,
especially for storytelling: recalling important mainideas, adding detail to them, and how to structure astory. (These language skills transfer between
languages, so when your child talks about their day inyour home language(s), their English language
development is also supported.)
But the catch is getting our children to talk! Below aresome ideas from parenting and education site
contributors:
Max Brand—Helping Parents Talk with
Students (Choice Literacy)• Lists a few example questions that can help achild open up and then support them to add
detail• Advises waiting patiently for a response
Talking about school (Raising Children
Network)• Lists some low-pressure example questions
to ask your child about specific parts of theirday
Bekki Linder—How to Talk to Your Kids
About Their Day at School (Scholastic)• Advises giving children space to unwind andchoose their own time to talk with you• Also advises accepting the stories they giveyou, even if you really wanted to know about
a different part of their day
I hope this will be helpful in encouraging some good
discussions and stories from your childabout their experiences at school!
Rachel Parkinson
Elementary ELS Coordinator/ELS
Instructor (G4)

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7

KIPS News
From the P0/P1 classroom...
As the theme “At the beach” from unit 6 focuses on sea life, we have been learning about
different types of sea animals and other topics related to the beach. The children acquired
knowledge and vocabulary of different types of sea animals and beaches through different
forms such as music, art and language. They also explored water animals through fun activities
during their morning station play sessions with their older friends. They can call most of the sea
animals by their names correctly and can also pose like them.
Since Golden Week, there has been good physical development in the younger children. They
also started using sounds to communicate their feelings. The older children can understand theteachers’ words more meaningfully and they can communicate their feeling to the teachers
using a variety of vocabulary.
Filming our Spring Concert was a big challenge with the younger children who are still learning
to walk and can’t stay in one spot for long. It would not have been possible without thecollective efforts of all the teachers and the children from motivating to cheering up the younger
ones.
It’s hard to believe that we are almost at the end of
the school year. This year was one of the toughest,
but we gave our best to keep ourselves and oursurroundings safe from the ongoing pandemic.
Best wishes to all the children in
moving up to the next grade.
Rinkal Sharma,
P0–P1 Teacher

From the P2 classroom...
The P2 children have been learning under the theme of “At the beach” with lessons
in Language, Japanese, Art, Music and PE twice a day. While reading a picturebook about sea creatures, I asked the children, “Do you know what this is?” andasked them the names of the creatures pictured. The children were able to tell us
the names of rare creatures that we do not know, saying, “Papa and Mama taughtme,” or “We went to see them at the aquarium.” We are very thankful for the
support provided by families on a daily basis.
In addition to two lessons a day, the children are also busy having fun with otheroutdoor activities at the park, practicing for concerts, and practicing for thegraduation ceremony. During the graduation ceremony practice, we say, “It’salmost K1! Are you looking forward to it?” Some children said, “I am looking
forward to it” and “I can’t wait to go,” while others said, “I want to stay at KIPS
forever.” During the outdoor activities at the park, playing with soap bubbles is very
popular, and the children enjoy running around the park chasing the bubbles.
To prevent coronavirus infection, KIPS strives to keep the children sociallydistanced by using partitions for meals and wearing masks during other school
activities. Although this is a bit of a challenging environment for children of this age
to live in, we are amazed at their flexibility and adaptability as they adapt to theirenvironment and grow day by day. The children are doing their best to wash anddisinfect their hands every day. I hope that all children, parents and staff members
will continue to take the same thorough precautions in handsanitizing and taking care of their physical condition so that we are
all able to share a happy memory together when we celebrate thegraduation ceremony on June 17.
Sohta Ohashi
P2 Teacher

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MYP News
KIST families connect during student-led conferences
Each year, KIST MYP students meet with their families
to share their experiences and reflect on theirstrengths and areas of improvement. The student-led
conferences offer the opportunity for students to takestock and see all that they’ve accomplished.
Planning for the SLC begins with students compiling
portfolios of their work and reflections. This year’s
portfolio process was changed to encourage students
to take a broader view of their time at KIST.

All in all, the MYP Portfolio and the Student-Led
Conferences both offered great opportunities forstudents and parents to get a clear view of school life
here at KIST.
Robert WhiteMYP Coordinator

In addition to theiracademic success,students also usedtheir portfolios toexplore life skills,
MYP essentials, andlearning strategies,
along withextracurricularexperiences theyfound to be
rewarding.
All of thesereflections wereframed by the IB’s
Approaches toLearning Skills. The
ATLs are a goodmeasure of progressfor all students.

G11 Community Clean Up Activity
On Friday, April 22 last period during Advisory, theGrade 11s were grouped and assigned to different
teachers to go and collect trash and litter aroundKiyosumi-Shirakawa. We were given cotton gloves,tongs and many trash bags to pick up any trash we
spotted along the street and even in the bushes. Eachgroup was assigned a different street/ area to clean.
Before departing school, the trash picking activity
became a sort of competition between the groups andwe were determined to pick up the most trash in the grade. While themajority of my group rushed ahead and picked up the most obvious,
largest pieces of trash, Eanya and I were left behind picking up the small
bits of trash hidden away in the bushes. We even found a key card forthe nearby Comfort Hotel in the bushes. The majority of litter that was
found were cigarette butts and different food packages fromconvenience stores.
To ensure our community is kept clean at all times, I would encourage
people to hold on to their trash until finding a trash can, andalso encourage the use of a portable ashtray for smokers.
Since littering is inevitable, I think we are doing the community a service by occasionallyleaving the school during Advisory to pick up littered trash around Kiyosumi Shirakawa.
Shona (G11B)

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JMMUN Conference
KIST delegates participate in MUN conference
On March 26 and 27, eight KIST MUN delegatesparticipated in the Japan Metropolitan Model United
Nations Conference (JMMUN) at Senzoku Gakuen in
Kawasaki. Topics that delegates addressed included
preventing sexual violence against women in refugee
camps and promoting mental health in a post COVID
world.
We were divided into two groups, Beginner 1—which
was about mental health in the post-covid world, andBeginner 2—which was about protecting women fromsexual violence in refugee camps, the latter of which I
participated in.
In the two days, we learnt a lot of new things. Kanade(G7B) and I represented Uruguay, which is a country
we had a lot of trouble researching about; however, it
did not stop us from actively participating in thediscussion to create a resolution, which unfortunately
did not get passed. During the process, we wereastonished by some of the delegate’s passion for the
topic; for example, the delegate of Norway(represented by a student from another school),repeatedly got up and took to the podium whenevershe disagreed with a statement made by anothercountry. In the end, her hard work was rewarded. She
received the award for Honorable Delegate!

bit more luck with theresolution. They managed topass one although not theone they made. Even though
they weren’t in the sameroom as us, they madefriends quickly with people from our group, with Youn
Ho (G7B) becoming “besties” with another guy from
Kogakuin (工学院) in Hachiouji!
After the two days, we walked to the train station withsome new friends we made. We all agreed to join MUNagain next year, after all, with some people living atboarding schools as far as Karuizawa, and others
attending public Japanese schools, it would be near
impossible to meet all together at some point without
our schedules clashing.
Thinking back, I realized that while I was very
passionate about the issues we were talking about, myfavorite part was the two hours of free time we had at
the very end after the closing ceremony when we were
all singing off-tune to songs blasting from the large
speakers and exchanging contact details witheveryone.
Xintong (G6A)

In the other committee, they were discussing mental
health issues in a post-COVID world. They had a little

KIST delegates at Senzoku Gakuen

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10

Self-Care Tips for Summer
End of year reflections and how to stay healthy over the summer
The end of the year often comes around very quickly. It
is a time of relief for some, a time to wind down and atime for excitement in anticipation of the summer
holidays. It is a valuable time to reflect on the growthand change that has taken place over the school year.
We should acknowledge the challenges and mistakes
faced and celebrate the growth that has taken place.
For some families, this summer means reuniting afteran extended period of separation due to the pandemic.
For some, COVID-19 still restricts us from travelling inand out of some countries freely. We recognize thatfamilies may only have limited time together as parents
continue to work into the summer months. Wherever
we end up this summer, in order to get the best out ofour break, it is important to give ourselves time to rest
and recuperate after a busy and successful year.
Here are some ideas for self-care during a time
when we may be away from our daily schoolroutines.

1
2

3

Avoid social withdrawal and social isolation by
going outside and engaging with small groups offriends or family.
Try to stay active and engage in regular physicalexercise for 30–45 minutes a day to increase
your endorphins. Ensure you stay hydrated
during the scorching summer months.

45

Maintain a healthy sleep
schedule for the family. Try to
get 8 hours of sleep per night;
sleep hygiene is an essential component for ourmental health.
Re-focus your energy and take time to unwind
using the holiday time. Many of us use holiday
time to get on with tasks neglected over the busy
work weeks. Ensure you use time for yourself toreally relax, to read a book, get creative with artsand crafts, listen to music, and engage in yourhobbies.

If our top 5 tips don’t quite capture your imagination, we
have given you a whole month’s worth of suggestions
to try! What works for one person may not work for
another; the key is to give it a try!
Whatever you choose to do over the holiday, focus on
giving yourself permission this summer to feel good.
We are very much looking forward to seeing you backin August, well rested and ready for another exciting
year at KIST.
Matthew Archer and Hannah Cowie
Student Care Coordinators (Secondary)

Try to maintain a healthy diet and regular eatingschedule to help your sleep, mood and energy
levels. Cook as a family or try out new recipes
you did not have time for during the school year.

Reference:
The Insurance Institute of Ipswich, Suffolk and North Essex. July Wellbeing Calendar

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Being a Business Consultant
Workshop reflection
On Friday, May 13th, 2022, Ms. Ayako Masunaga from EggForward
conducted a workshop for G9 IGCSE Business students about being
a consultant. We were divided into groups of 5 and asked to utilize
our logical thinking and communication skills to discuss the basics ofconsultancy. For the main activity, we were presented with thefollowing scenario:
An owner of a building has asked you to provide him with asolution. The building is 5 stories high, and 2 stories
underground, with only one old elevator. There are complaints
from the tenants and visitors that the waiting time of theelevator is too long. What should the owner do to improve thissituation?
After brainstorming ideas individually, we shared our solutions with
our group members, then each group developed the best solution asa team. We were given a time limit of 25 minutes to decide on an
idea, complete and illustrate a detailed plan, and rehearse ourpresentation to the class. Each group had 3 minutes to present theirideas to their classmates and the staff members from EggForward.
Acting as the owner of the scenario, Ms. Masunaga asked questions
to each group after their presentation, challenging us to provide
logical answers and solutions in an efficient manner. She also gave
us meaningful feedback regarding our ideas and presentation skills.
Through this workshop, we were able to recognize the basics of being
a consultant and were able to see a professional approach to thescenario in the activity at the end of the workshop. Overall, we wereintroduced to a new career option in the future and learned theprocess of developing a plan for a client as a consultant.
We were told ‘to think about the ultimate goal, create an
objective, then provide a breakdown of the informationand situation to produce the most effective solutions.’
Feiru (G9B)

Get Ready for Schoology
We are excited to announce that from the next school year, our digital learning platform will be updated fromPowerSchool Learning to PowerSchool Schoology Learning. The Schoology Learning platform is a popular systemused by over 60,000 schools and 20 million users around the world. It is a powerful and modern platform, and webelieve the change will benefit everyone in the community.
We look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming weeks and introducing the new app for phones andtablets, which we hope will make it easier to access course and other school information.
IT Support Team

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ASIJ MUN Conference
Our experiences at the ASIJ MUN Conference 2022
Model United Nations (MUN) club students at KIST this year had
the opportunity to participate in ASIJ MUN 2022, hosted by theAmerican School in Japan on March 4th and 5th. Students wereassigned a UN committee and a country delegation. Students
practiced their formal communication skills simulating UN activities
to combat relevant, real-world issues. ASIJ MUN gave students theopportunity to immerse themselves in global diplomacy andunderstand the way in which nations formally interact.
Congratulations to these students for being recognized at the eventfor their exceptional performance!

KIST MUN teamArnav (G10A) | Most Diplomatic Delegate—Economics and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Kiichiro (G10A) | Most Diplomatic Delegate—Human Rights Council (HRC)
Remi (G10B) | Honorable Mention—World Health Organization (WHO)Thoughts from KIST delegates...

It had been a while since I had participated in a
MUN conference. Especially ever since the
COVID-19 outbreak, it has become difficult to takepart in an in-person conference. Nevertheless, I had
such an enriching experience. Being honest, thefirst day of the MUN conference, I chose to not
speak as much as the other delegates. It was
because I felt intimidated by the other delegates
and their amazing speeches and charisma.
However, I soon realized that it was going to besuch a waste if I didn’t make the most out of theconference and strived for my best.
The second day came, and I walked into the roomwith a new sort of determination. I was determinedto give it my all. My confidence began to emerge,
and I was able to speak up and communicate moreproactively throughout the entirety of the secondday. The last half of the second day, delegateswere able to do a casual and fun debate, whichlightened the mood. At this point, we had become
friends fooling around instead of delegates who had
to be diplomatic. We got to know each other on amore personal level, and at the end we were highfiving and laughing non-stop as a committee.

Devaj (G11A)A

SIJMUN was my first MUN conference since
Grade 8 and I was excited to participate since
the day I signed up! What I like most about MUN ingeneral is how relevant it is to us. Taking theinitiative to recognize, study and find solutions toreal-world issues that affect us is an opportunity I
would not pass. At ASIJMUN 2022, I participated in
the Economics and Social Council (ECOSOC). We
discussed climate change and the issue of “brain
drain” from LEDC’s.
The first day of MUN was incredibly challenging forme as delegates from other schools took initiatives
much faster than I could and I could not grasp aleading role for any resolutions. I was also out oftune with the procedures as this was my first
conference in a long time. Nevertheless, I did notallow myself to get disheartened and tried to makethe most out of my time there. I submitted
amendments and clauses to other resolutions towork towards the common goal.

I was the delegate of Russia in the World HealthOrganization (WHO) committee advocating for theminimization of falsified drug products, as well as
the management of AI and robotics in healthcare.
This was an unfamiliar topic for myself, yet throughthis conference, I was able to immerse myself inthis new and intriguing topic. Without thisconference, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to
do so otherwise. But there was one
much more valuable thing I gained fromthis opportunity: a memorable time of mylife.

I adapted to the style of the MUN conference a lot
better on the second day and was able to establish
a bloc for a resolution and achieved the role of main
submitter. I contributed much more to theconference on this day as I was more confident withwhat I was doing. Overall, ASIJMUN was fun andchallenging and it also served as an opportunity tointeract with students from around Kanto. I was able
to learn about the different perspectives people
have on issues and collaborating towards
resolutions was an enriching experience. During
break time I also got to know the students fromother schools better and we became
friends. Apart from the MUN conference
itself, making friends from around Kanto
will also be something I will remember!

Remi (G10B)

Arnav (G10A)

“ T h e Co m et ”

V o l u me 2 5 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 2 2Mathematics Department News
This year, an increasing number of secondary students
at KIST were actively involved in mathematics events.
These events provided great opportunities for students
to develop creative quantitative thinking skills, which
better prepare them to succeed in future math classes.
They also enabled students to showcase their interests
and abilities in a public forum, and to gain recognition
for their achievements.

The following students
represented KIST on the podiumin the individual contest:••

Below is a summary of our students’ achievements inmathematics events this year:•

HMMT and AMC 8•

For the first time, students from KIST participated in the
HMMT and the AMC 8 (American Mathematics
Competition 8).
HMMT is one of the largest and most prestigious highschool competitions in the world that draws close to1000 students from around the globe, including top
scorers at national and international Olympiads.
This year, 9 students from Grades 9 to 11 participatedin the HMMT. They were Jessie (G11A), Su Yeon
(G11B), Haruto (G10A), Kaito (G10A), Shaunak(G10B), Xin Yi (G10A), Shota (G9B), Yi Ming (G9B)
and Zayan (G9A).
Organized by The Mathematical Association of America(MAA), the AMC 8 is the nation’s leading mathematics
competition for middle school students and is designed
to cultivate the mathematical capabilities of the next
generation of problem solvers. This year, 16 passionate
students from Grade 7 to 8 participated in the AMC 8.

KPASS Math Field Day event

On Tuesday, March 8, 26 students from Grades 6 to 11
participated in the online KPASS Math Field Day. MathField Day is a competition involving over 260 students
from 13 schools from the Kanto Region in which
students display their knowledge and enthusiasm formathematics.
The students completed activities that tested theirproblem-solving skills, as well as general mathunderstanding. The students completed individual,
grade-level specific timed tests, as well as challenges inwhich they collaborated in teams with students fromother schools.

••

1st in the G11 category
Gi Jeong (G11A)
Tomoko (G11B)
3rd in the G11 category
Amey (G11A)
Heet (G11B)
1st in the G8 category
Jiani (G8A)
3rd in the G8 category
Chih Jin (G8A)
Mamiko (G8A)
1st in the G7 category
Tongxi (G7A)
1st in the G6 category
Tyler (G6A)

In the Energizer Round, 3 Junior teams and 3 Seniorteams including KIST students reached the top 3.

University of Waterloo math contests

On February 24, 24 students from Grades 9 to 11
participated in the annual University of Waterloo mathcontests. The Pascal, Cayley and Fermat contests
were written by a total of 35,153 students worldwide.
I would like to give an honorable mention to those
who scored among the top 25% of international
participants. They will be receiving a Certificate ofDistinction for their outstanding achievement!

Certificate of Distinction awardees:
Fermat contest (Grade 11)
Gi Jeong (G11A)
Akanksha (G11B)
Tomoko (G11B)
Archita (G11A)
Cayley contest (Grade 10)
Kaito (G10A)
Aina (G10A)
Haruto (G10A)
Lance (G10A)
Xin Yi (G10A)
Selin (G10A)
Shaunak (G10B)
Shreyas (G10A)
Arnav (G10A)
Pascal contest (Grade 9)
Fumie (G9A)
Zayan (G9A)
Tomoyoshi (G9A)
Yi Ming (G9B)

A big congratulations to our distinguished KIST
mathematicians! I look forward to having more
students join in the math events in the next academicyear.
Nanami Sakuma
Subject Area Coordinator—
Mathematics
2022 Math Field Day

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Secondary ELS
As many of you would have found by the end of theschool year, appropriate and ambitious vocabulary is
key to taking our writing from OK to extraordinary. As
such, as scholars working in English, it is essential that
we continue to expand our lexicon. Of course, this iseasier said than done, particularly when, as summer
approaches, many KIST students will find themselves
out of the English immersion environment. While
grammar is a bedrock that mostly remains stable
during the summer break. vocabulary is less so, fadingin and out of recognition through the heat haze.
Obviously, during summer vacation the most important
thing for students to do is to rest and refresh after a fullschool year. However, there are ways that students
can enrich their vocabulary while recharging for 2022–
23.

Read.
Yes, this is quite “Wow, I never thought ofthat, Captain Obvious!” but please
continue. Yes, read books; books are
wonderful and will give you excellent
vocabulary in context and will take yourmind on adventures beyond measure. We
highly value reading books in the ELS
department. This summer we recommend
supplementing your reading with interviews. Whether it
be with a favourite artist, actor or band, reading the
spoken language from a consistent source can improve
both reading AND listening skills.

Play.
Semantris: From the research labs at Google,
Semantris is a word association game powered by AI
technology. A great way to develop connections
between concepts and vocabulary, Semantris melds
spitfire game play with mental gymnastics.
Scrabble / Words With Friends: It is summer vacay
and there is no reason to play on your own. Whether
you kick it old school with the board and tiles or playonline, Scrabble and other word play games
encourage neural plasticity, linguistic experimentation
and are just plain fun.
Crosswords: Further encouraging brain plasticity,
crosswords are an oldie but continue to be a goodie.
Crosswords make us think about words, not only
their meaning and synonyms but also theirconstruction, making them a great way
to improve spelling—a skill that isincreasingly at a premium in the worldof autocorrect.
Jade BonusELS Coordinator (Secondary)

How individuals speak is akin to a vocal fingerprint.
The words we use, the cadence of our speech anddefault grammar structures are both unconscious
choices and very consistent once you start paying
attention to them. Much of the language we experience
when reading books is edited, drafted and often the
result of many contributor’s feedback and input,
therefore this consistency is lost. Conversely, when weread an individual’s spoken language consistently, ourbrains can begin to work on autopilot, discarding thevery familiar to focus only on the new and unfamiliar,
which for our purposes this summer, is ambitious
vocabulary.

Watch.
Summer is hot.
And there are bugs.
Stay inside.
Binge that (age appropriate) series(within healthy parameters).
Another excellent opportunity to improve spoken
vocabulary in context is by watching a series. This
allows one to become familiar with how speakers canconstruct sentences and use unfamiliar words. For
added impact, be sure to turn on the closed captions toterm deposit those rich new words into the brain bank.
https://www.instagram.com/natu_ralfoods/

“ T h e Co m et ”

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15

CAS Projects at KIST in 2021–22
Green TeamThe Green Team is a service group
comprised of over 45 students thataims to increase green space andreduce waste within the schoolcommunity. This year, we have been
continuing to establish our rooftop
garden located on the roof of theelementary building. In March thisyear, we hosted a Green Donation
Drive in which we received over 150
donations. Using these donations, we
expanded our garden to include
various species of plants—including acurry leaf plant, cabbage plants,
coriander as well as flowering plants—
giving secondary students anopportunity to interact with theenvironment. We hope that from nextyear, we can also involve elementary
students in our activities to propagate
the importance of eco-friendliness.

Global Youth Enterprise Challenge
Global Youth Enterprise Challenge is a 12-hourbusiness competition where we create an innovative
solution to a given prompt and present a businessplan and a video. This year, Archita (G11A), Devaj(G11A), Gini (G11A) and I (Sara [G11A])
participated in this competition. The prompt was tocreate a product that reduces energy waste, andafter much contemplation, we decided on creating
paper batteries that can be powered by naturalelectrolytes such as salt water. The competition was
unlike anything we have done in school, as it tested
our creative thinking skills, teamwork, and researchskills under time pressure. From finance calculations
to video editing, all of us were able to utilize ourunique skillsets, which ultimately led to a product that
we were very proud of. Though it is a competition, I
think just participating is very meaningful as we had a
productive and wonderful time. We
encourage everyone to participate in
the competition next year!

In our GYEC project, our group was required tocreate a business plan which reduces the carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere, while also making
reliable profits. To propose our business plan, we
had to make a business plan and a video. The
business plan needed to clearly state the businessmission, product description, marketing methods, andso on. We also needed to calculate financial
predictions for the first few years. The video neededa digital 3D model and a brief description of how the
product works and how it benefits the environment.
Although making these was a tough task within alimited time, it was a good and memorable
experience our group members will not forget. The
competition gave us an opportunity to enjoy theprocess of innovation and allowed us insight into how
entrepreneurs would discuss and come up withbusiness ideas. It put us in the mindset
of aspiring business owners whowanted to make a profit.

Sara (G11A)

Shota (G9B)

Sara, Devaj, Archita, Gini (G11A)

Shota (G9B), Aryan (G9B), Zayan (G9A),
Tomoyoshi (G9A), Yi Ming (G9B)
Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page

Kodomo Shokudo
The Kodomo Shokudo group aims to provide freedinners to children in low-income households. We
had two main events this year. Firstly, we held a
Christmas Gift Drive in December, where wecollected Christmas gifts for children coming to the
Kodomo Shokudo. Thanks to the amazing efforts of
the KIST community, we were able to collect over
500 gifts to be given to the Kodomo Shokudo in
YMCA. Second, the Kodomo Shokudo team has
been collaborating with the Koto Ward politician, Mr.
Yoshida, to set up a new Community Shokudo in
Koto. The team has been actively discussing ideas
on how KIST can contribute to this initiative with Mr.
Yoshida, and we are excited to start the Shokudo
officially in July!

NHK SDG Challengers
I (Saanvi [G11B]) was given the opportunity toappear on NHK World’s SDG Challengers Programthat features SDG entrepreneurs in discussion with astudent panel. The episode I featured on was
focused on SDG #6: Clean Water and Sanitation. In
the episode, I was able to enter into a discussion
with Mr. Ishiyama, the head engineer for LIXIL’s
Sato Toilet Project that aims to provide sanitaryfacilities for underdeveloped countries. This event
allowed me to reflect upon the Sustainable
Development Goals and the ways in which we cancontribute to them in our daily lives. It was truly anhonor to be involved!

G5 Debate Workshop
I (Saanvi [G11B]) have been involved withorganizing and leading a Debate Workshop for G5s
for the last two years. As someone with experiencein debate, this workshop is an opportunity for me toshare my experience and advice on debate andpublic speaking with the G5s to help them with theirdebate unit as well as the PYP Exhibition. This has
been a wonderful opportunity for me to share mypassion and it has been incredibly rewarding to workwith the Grade 5s!

Compiled by Saanvi (G11B) and Sara (G11A)

“ T h e Co m et ”

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17

Library News
Sakura Medal winners

Throughout the year, students
have been encouraged to readand vote for their favorite
Sakura Medal books. Well, thevotes have been counted
across the international schools
in Japan, and the winners havebeen announced!

Casting their votes

The winners for Middle School were:• 1st: Bloom (Kenneth Oppel)• 2nd: When Stars are Scattered (Victoria Jamieson
and Omar Mohamed)• 3rd: Resistance (Jennifer A. Nielson)
At KIST, the most popular books in Middle Schoolwere:• 1st: The Things She’s Seen (Amber and Ezekiel
Kwaymullina), The In-Between (Rebecca Ansari)• 2nd: Bloom (Kenneth Oppel)• 3rd: Dark Blade (Steve Feasey), Ikenga (Nnedi
Okorofor), Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza
Pandemic of 1918 (Albert Marrin)
The winners for Picture Book were:• 1st: Bad Dog (Mike Boldt)• 2nd: This Book is Gray (Lindsay Ward)• 3rd: Mio the Beautiful (Kinota Braithwaite and
Setsuko Miura)
The winners for Elementary Chapter Book were:• 1st: City Spies (James Ponti)• 2nd: Glitch (Laura Martin)• 3rd: The Lion of Mars (Jennifer L. Holm)
The winners for Elementary Graphic Novel were:• 1st: Cat Kid Comic Club (Dav Pilkey)• 2nd: Allergic (Megan Wagner Lloyd)• 3rd: Wings of Fire (Dragonet Prophecy) (Jennifer A.
Nielson)At KIST, the most popular books in Elementary Schoolwere:• 1st: Eyes that Kiss in the Corners (Joanna Ho)• 2nd: Glitch (Laura Martin)• 3rd: Cat Kid Comic Club (Dav Pilkey)
Ms. Goan loved...
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel
Nayeri, When Stars are Scattered byVictoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed,
and The In-Between by Rebecca
Ansari.

New books

Thanks to the kind support of the CA library committee,
the LMC and Elementary libraries were able to buy an
extra 76,500 yen each worth of books! This is madepossible in part to book donations, which are then soldto raise money for the KIST Libraries. Here are some of
the new titles coming soon to the LMC thanks to themoney raised by the CA library committee!

Ms. Priyanka loved...
Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter
Goodrich, Miraculous by Jess Redman,
and Baloney and Friends by Greg
Pizzoli.
If you haven’t read these books and are interested toread one of the winners, you can check them out in the
LMC or Elementary Library any time!

KIST Libraries Team

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Athletics Update
Spring 2022 athletics news
MS Girls’ Basketball

In our first time
participating
since 2019(2020 and
2021 seasons
were canceled
due to COVID19), our MS
Girls’ Comets
were quite
inexperienced but very motivated. KIST participated inboth the A (mostly G8) and B (mostly G7) pools andworked extremely hard to play competitive basketball.
In most games, KIST outrebounded the opponents andplayed better defense, but were unable to score on a
lot of good opportunities. The only game where thegirls were thoroughly beaten was against ASIJ. Our B
team were able to beat Nishimachi for a win, but
unfortunately, the A team lost all their games. In theseason ending A pool tournament held at CAJ on May
7, KIST lost their QF match to St. Maur 22–12 and aconsolation game to Seisen 20–11. Both games weremuch closer until later in the game where too many
missed opportunities hurt us. It was an unfortunate end
for two of our players: team captain, Ulala (G8B) who
had to leave before the second game (her last as an
MS student) as the tournament was well behindschedule, and Airi (G7A), as she seriously injured herankle in the Seisen game in the first quarter with KIST
leading. We will miss Airi’s presence ‘inside’ but wish
her the best of luck in Canada.
Coach Ota

MS Boys’ Baseball

It was also the firsttime since 2019 thatthe baseball team
were able toparticipate, and theboys had a remarkably
successful season
under Coach Nogami.
KIST beat YIS and St.
Mary’s in the season
and lost to St. Maur. In the tournament held at ASIJ on
May 7, KIST were able to beat the ASIJ 2nd team 3–0,
but lost to the eventual champion St. Maur 7–0 in the
SF. The boys were so close in the third-place gameagainst ASIJ’s 1st team, losing a nailbiter, 6–5.
What a great season! We hope the players continue as
we will be participating in JV Baseball for the first time
next season.
Thank you to Coach Nogami for his time and effort!

JV Boys’ Soccer

Due to COVID canceling most of the games in thewinter season, KIST were able to participate in the
Kanto Spring league against schools we do not

typically play. KIST played CAJ twice, YIS and St.
Maur, all of which had Varsity players in their squads.
The boys kept each game close with the best result
being a 1–1 tie at St. Maur.
Many of the boys have continued to the ISTAA futsal
season where we were able to welcome four G12s
back. So far, the HS Boys’ Futsal team has won agame and tied a game with two more fixtures and atournament at BST coming up. The last futsal
tournament we were able to participate in was in 2019,
so hopefully our G12 boys can go out in style. Good
luck Daigo, Faisal, Kemo and Rei!
A big thank you to Coach Smith who has been
through the long journey with the boys from winterseason football!

JV Girls’ Soccer

This was the first semi-full season that the KIST JVGirls’ team has ever participated in. It was a young
team and most of the girls’ experience came from theMS Girls team two years ago. The girls worked
extremely hard with Coach Buck and playedcompetitive soccer against all the schools they faced:
BST, CAJ, YIS, Seisen and Sacred Heart (3–2 win athome). Again, the other schools (aside from BST) had
Varsity players competing and KIST wase made up
mostly of G9–G10 players. Many of the girls are now
competing in ISTAA futsal and will be playing their firstgame on May 30 against Columbia. We hope for goodresults in their upcoming futsal matches and at theJune 11 ISTAA tournament!
A big thank you to Coach Buck who has been out on
the field each week despite his own serious knee
injury!

ISTAA MS Boys’ and Girls’ Futsal

The MS Girls will unfortunately only have one match
this season against TIS as there were few schools
participating. The MS Boys have had a few games
already crushing both TIPS and TIS 11–0 and 11–1
respectively and losing away to Aoba 5–2. They face
NEW to finish out the season.
Thank you to Coach Archer and Coach Buck for theirefforts with their respective teams.
All results, team rosters and other information may
be viewed by any member of the KIST community
on the PSL KIST Athletics page. Please check thepage before you go on your summer break as all
games and most of the practice days have been
decided. I strongly encourage students andfamilies to do their best to plan around these. We
really appreciate your support ofyour children in KIST Athletics!
Dennis Ota
Athletics Coordinator“ T h e Co m et ”

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19

Staff 10!
In this month’s Staff 10!, we are pleased to present
Hannah Cowie who joined us in August 2020 as aGeography teacher in the Secondary School. In
addition to teaching duties, she is the Homeroom
Advisory Assistant for G10B as well as the Student
Care Coordinator for G10ꟷG12.
1) Tell us something interesting about yourhometown.
I spent the most time growing up in the city ofCoventry in the UK. It is probably most famous forbeing bombed in WW2 and for Lady Godiva. Most
recently, it has been awarded the city of culture in
2022. I am proud that Coventry has a terrible footballteam and is where ska music originated from. Please
have a listen to “Ghost Town” by The Specials.
2) What is your favorite place in the world?
My fondest memories are from Tasmania, Australia—
the home of the Tasmanian Devil. I spent a week in a
campervan driving around the island during theAustralian winter. It was the most beautiful and serene
place I have been—the Bay of Fires in particular was afantastic place to see the sunset.
3) Who would you like to meet if you had thechance and why?
I would love to meet David Attenborough. He is thelegendary British broadcaster who has narrated someof the best nature documentaries. He is a true
conservationist and has done so much for ourenvironment and has the most wonderful voice.
4) Do you have any special skills or talents?
I can still ride a unicycle.

5) Please share a little-known
fact about yourself.
I am one quarter Scottish, one quarter
English, half Taiwanese and born inTokyo.
6) What is your most prized possession?
I was given my great grandmother’s engagement ringwhom I share my middle name with. I am always
scared to lose or break it; this is why I know it is mymost prized possession.
7) Which IB learner profile attribute do you mostclosely identify with and why?
I will have to stay on brand as the care coordinator bychoosing the profile attribute of caring. I also think thatmany of our KIST students reflect this learner profile
attribute which makes me immensely proud. Our
students are always giving their time and efforts to
help others or raise money for good causes.
8) If you could live your life again, would you doanything differently?
I wish that I stayed in Australia for an extra year during
my working holiday. It was an incredible place to live
for a year and I wish I had stayed another to explore
the west coast and northern territories.
9) Is there anything you are trying to learn/improveabout yourself at the moment?
I am trying to be more active and read more books.
This is an ongoing process that I am trying to improveto help my health and mind.
10) Do you have any special message for yourfans?
#Test negative, stay positive.

Ms. Cowie, exploring Australia and meeting new friends.

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Nurse’s Notes
Mosquito bites
Mosquitoes breed by laying eggs in stagnant water,
so the chance of a mosquito outbreak occurring
increases during the rainy season. Only femalemosquitoes bite humans and animals to feed on theirblood. On the other hand, harmless male mosquitoes
feed only on plant juice.

How to prevent mosquito bites
Reduce mosquito breeding around your home
• Avoid letting water go stagnant: e.g. Once aweek, clear out any debris from rain gutters;
empty storage containers such as buckets,
flowerpots, potted plant trays, or any plastic
containers thoroughly.
•

Take away pet food and water dishes that are notbeing used.

•

Remove garden weeds: Mosquitoes loveovergrown trees, brush, weeds and tall grass, so
keeping lawns tidy helps keep mosquitoes out.
Use screens on windows and doors and repair
holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.

•

Control mosquitoes inside your home
Mosquitoes prefer resting in dark and humid places:••

Under the sinkIn the bathroom•

In a closet•

Under furniture•

In the laundry room

Preventing mosquito bites in children• Dress your child in clothing that covers up theirarms and legs.
• Cover baby strollers with mosquito netting.
•Use spray repellent but avoid applying it to yourchild’s hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, or irritated skindirectly. Spraying insect repellent onto your hands
and then applying it to your child’s face would be
safe.

Symptoms andtreatment of mosquito
bites in children
As a biting mosquito fills itself with blood, it injects
saliva into a child's skin. Saliva contains proteins thatmost children are allergic to, so their immune systems
react to those results by characteristic itching andbumping. Mosquitoes select their human victims
based on the scent of carbon dioxide and thechemicals in a person’s perspiration.
Symptoms
Mosquito bite signs include:•••

A puffy and reddish lump appears a few minutes
after being bitten.
A hard, itchy, reddish-brown lump, or multiple
lumps may appear a day or so after the bite orbites.
Some children have stronger reactions with small
blisters or a large area of swelling.

Treatment• Wash the affected area with soap and water.
•••

Apply an ice pack for 10 minutes to reduceswelling and itching. Change ice pack as needed.
Use an over-the-counter anti-itch cream or
antihistamine ointment to help relieve itching andfollow the directions on the product label.
Discourage scratching. Children’s sharp
fingernails can break the skin around a bite andlet bacteria in. In addition to doing all you can toprevent itching, explain to your child thatscratching or picking at a mosquito bite will makeit worse. Also, trim your child’s fingernails as short
as possible.

Yukiko Yamazaki
School Nurse

Reference:
Colleen de Bellefonds. (April 2020). Treating and preventing mosquito bites in children. What to expect.
Retrieved from https://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/childhood-injuries/mosquito-bites-in-children.aspx

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V o l u me 2 5 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 2 2

KIST Community Association (CA) News
2021ꟷ22 highlights• In accordance with KIST’s COVID-19 safety measures, CA
officers worked together to carry out safe and secure activities
with a limited number of parent volunteers.
• CA meetings were held online predominantly in English thisyear.
• A book collection drive and a used book sale were held
successfully.
• Used books and Tetra pack drop off boxes were designed andplaced in the foyer of the elementary building on a trial basis.
• Koto Ward Adopt Program was supervised by CA volunteers to
support MYP Service.
• Second-hand uniform sales were held twice during the year.
• Supported Mr. White, Ms. Hirakawa and Ms. Wakasa with an“Online CAS/Service explanatory session”.
• Supported “(ISC) 2 Safe and Secure Online session” presented
by Rintaro (G10A)’s father with Mr. Arnold from the KIST IT
support team.
• Supported student Service group—“KIST HEART Club” andhelped them raise a 16,163 yen donation to UNHCR.

Selected new titles

Collection
boxes...purchased by Ms. Shannon
through CA funding• World War I: DK Foreign LanguageBook• I am Jazz: Jessica Herthel• This School Year is the Best: Kay
Winters• Guiness Book of World Records• Mistborn Triology: Brandon Sanderson• Water: A Biography• Short Stories in Japanese (2 copies)• First Person Singular: Haruki Murakami• Endgame: Malorie Blackman• Last Night at Telegraph Club: Malinda
Lo• Tokyo Ever After: Emiko Jean• Song of Achilles: Madeline Millera

CA funding for new PE
equipment...for both school areas—Elementary andSecondary

KIST students enjoying indoor hockey

Tetra Pak andused bookcollection boxes
designed by thefather of Minato(G4A)

New CA Officers for 2022ꟷ23

Congratulations 2021ꟷ22 graduates!

The CA welcomes participationby all parents/guardians!
2022ꟷ23
Mari Babikova
President
Parent of Emma
(G2A)

Priyanka Nadkar
Vice President
Parent of Ashlesha(G4), Aneesha(G1B)

Reiko Ohashi
Treasurer
Parent of Sara
(G2B), Yuri (K1A)

Yuki Kanehashi
Secretary
Parent of Yuka
(G4A)

We express our sincere gratitude to all CA volunteers
for their dedicated support throughout 2021-22.

21

22

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V ol u me 25 | I s s ue 4 | J u ne 2 02 2

University Guidance NewsAre competitions important?

Summer is coming and many students are consideringsummer programs, internships, camps, sports
programs etc. in order to keep busy and build their listof experiences for the future. One area though that I
rarely focus on in The Comet is on that ofcompetitions.
Competitions are alreadyheld within the school, right?
While there are from time totime competitions arranged
within the school such as theyearly Euclid Mathematics
Contest, or opportunities for
Certificates of Merit such as theone pictured here from our student for their PSAT and
SAT scores, there are many more held outside thatstudents and families can consider.
Should everyone participate in competitions?
Not necessarily. Competitions are best for students
who are really interested in testing their abilities in acertain area such as in mathematics or public
speaking. It could also be good to help develop a skill
that is not always used in school such as for an
instrument or martial arts. It is often difficult for
students interested in mathematics to find aninternship/volunteer activity to help build up this skill;this is where competitions can help.
How does this relate to university?
For students aiming to apply for top-tier universities,
there will often be a question asked about awards.
Achieving awards for academics inside KIST is great,but universities are most impressed with students
who have challenged themselves outside ofschool.
Is there an official list for competitions we should
consider?
Unfortunately, no. But here is list of some popularcompetitions across the world. Please note, thecompetitions listed here are EXTREMELY competitive.
However, it is good to get a sense of what otherstudents are doing around the world to be the best. It
would be a good idea to ask teachers and research
about other smaller competitions first before taking onthese challenges.

Competition list

STEM (Broad or Mixed)• S.T. Yau High School Science Award (Asia)• Japan Students Science Awards• Japan Science and Engineering Challenge(JSEC)
Mathematics• American Math Competition (AMC)• High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling(HiMCM)• Princeton University Mathematics Competition(PUMaC)• Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)

Physics• AAPT Physics Bowl
• British Physics Olympiad(BPhO) & British Astronomy and Astrophysics
Olympiad (BAAO)• Physics Unlimited
Biology• International Genetic Engineering MachineCompetition (iGEM)• International Brain Bee (Japan Regional Entry)
Computers/Robotics/Language/Art• Japanese Olympiad in Informatics (JOI)• Japanese Olympiad in Linguistics (JOL)

Scientific research interview—Tokyo
University Global Science Course (GSC)

Recently many of our students have been taking astrong initiative to do things outside of the classroom
and build up their resume and experiences. I recently
spoke to one of our G11 students about research thathas been ongoing here at Tokyo University’s GSC.
Mr. Thomas Waterfall (TW): Good afternoon, could
you explain why you decided to try signing up to doresearch outside of KIST?
Student (Ss): Yes, it was recommended from teachers
to try to do something to learn a little more outside of
the classroom. So, I have been participating both atTokyo University and Saitama University. Because I
joined both, I could realize the effort that goes into
setting up both and the value that could come from it.
TW: Today let’s talk about Tokyo. How much time has
been spent just on this one research project?
Ss: It has been ongoing all school year, with theworkload tending to be highest during the break times
such as summer break. It was also broken up into twostages with the first stage accepting 80 students, thenafter that first six-month term, 20 out of the 80 could
move on with their proposals to stage two.
TW: What was your proposal and what is thedifference between stage one and two?
Ss: I proposed research
about the optimization ofenergy systems such as
power plants and theelectricity grid using multiagent reinforcement
learning (basically artificial
intelligence). The second
stage is less academic but
more hands on and having
direct work and interviews
with the staff members andprofessors. You can join thelaboratory as a high school
researcher through thisprogram.
Continued on next page

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V o l u me 2 5 | I s s u e 4 | J u n e 2 0 2 2Continued from previous page

TW: How do you feel this has helped you and could help other students that may consider doing somethingsimilar?
Ss: At first, it was difficult because some of the things they teach you are really high-level, and you have to graspthat in a pretty short amount of time. But, when you start doing research, you can develop a connection between
some of the students and professors in the laboratory. I feel this could not only benefit me to level up my abilities
as a student now, but also when conducting university applications and interviews in the future. You have alreadybeen doing laboratory work and research, so it’s a strong starting off point.

KIST graduate corner

KIST virtual forums—Spring 2022
Our second round of KIST Graduate Forums finished up recently. The schedule for any of those that missed it canbe seen in the following chart. Although the live sessions are finished, the following four sessions will be posted
alongside the previous 12 on our KISTv page in PowerSchool Learning. Please check it out to learn a little bit
about these schools from our KIST graduates.
KIST
Class
of…

Date andtime (JST)Name

April 15 |6 p.m.

Shirley2021

EnglishApril 25 |8 a.m.

Krisha2019

English

Nimit

2020

EnglishMichiko2021

Japanese

May 9 |
8 a.m.
May 23 |8 a.m.

Forum
language

Undergraduate
university
Nanyang
Technological
University, Singapore
Hong Kong Universityof Science andTechnology, HK
University of Toronto,
CanadaBoston University,
United States

Other countries
applied toJapan/UK/Canada

USA/UK/HK
Japan

Summer summary

Each year, students and families ask, “What is the best thing I could dothis summer to support university applications?” I hope students canrelax and recharge as well as focus on doing something that they enjoy
that will also benefit their focus in the future. This may be embarking ona summer program abroad, signing up for a competition as listed above, undertaking an internship in a nursing
home, or even finding a fun way to prepare for the SAT with friends. The main goal is to make sure you canboth recharge and find at least one to two “useful activities” before we are back in session at the end of
August.
I will see you again next term. Please e-mail me with any questions throughout the summer and I’ll respond as
quickly as I can!
Thomas Waterfall
University Counselor
thomas.waterfall@kist.ed.jp
Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
University Guidance Office (3F Secondary Building)23